RaymondGalicia

UWRT1101
December1st2014
FinalReflectionLetter

IhavecomealongwaysincethebeginningofclassinAugust.WhenIlookbackonmy
papersIcanseeasignificantdifferenceinmywritingstylefromthentonow.Ihavematuredin
amatterofmonthsjustthroughoneclass.Mygenreanalyseshaveimproveddrasticallyoverthe
semester.Igainedtheabilityofbeingabletotakecriticismandturnitintosomethingpositivein
mypapers.Ihavealsonoticedanoverallimprovementinmyperformance.
Inthebeginningofthesemester,thegenreanalysesseemedtobemybiggeststruggle.I
camehometofindthatIhavebeenmakinglowgradesonthefirstonesIwrote.Iwasmaking5
and6sonsubjectsthatIthoughtwereeasytounderstand.Icouldnotseemtograsptheidea
behindwritingagenreanalysis.Itwasaboutthe4thweekofwritingthesepapersthatIstartedto
getthehangofit.Irereadtherubriconthegenreanalysesandrereadmynotesonthem.Inmy
firstpapersIjustthrewalltheinformationontothepaper.Therewasnoseparationof
informationinthepapers.Everythingwasjustjumbledupanddidnotflowwelltogether.Aftera
couplemoretriesIgotthejestofagenreanalysis.Onmynexttryofwritingagenreanalysis,I
separatedtheinformation.Idedicatedaparagraphtothepurpose,theaudience,thegenre,and
thetypeofdocumentitis.
Whenwedidourthreemajorpapers,wedidpeerreviewworkshops.Wedidoneforour
literacynarrative,ethnography,andgenreswap.Peerreviewworkshopshelpedalotbecausemy

classmatesgavemegreatconstructivecriticism.Theypointedoutsomeflawsinmypapersand
projects,whichIdidnotcatch.Thecritiquestheygavemehelpedmypaperdevelopinto
somethingdifferent.AmajorproblemIhadwhenwritingwasrushingthroughmytopics.Iwas
toldthatIdidnotaddenoughdetailorstorywhenIexplainedmypoints.WhenIwaswritingmy
literacynarrative,IrushedthroughalotofmymemorieswhenIexplainedhowIlearnedtoread.
Ishouldhavegonemoreintodetailwhenwritingaboutmylifestory.Nooneknowsthedetails
ofwhathappenedunlessItellhimorher.IshouldhavetakenthisthoughtintoaccountwhenI
waswritingmypaper.NeverinmyacademicexperiencedidIeverdoapeerreviewworkshop.
Theideaofgettingandgivingcriticismtofellowclassmatesisagreatidea.Ilistenbetterto
criticismgiventomebyfellowclassmatesthanIdoateacher.Iprefertotakethereviewsfrom
someonemyagebecausetheyaregoingthroughthesamethingandhavesimilarexperiences.
ThereviewsIgotwerenotharshatallbecauseIknewwheremypeerswerecomingfrom.Ihave
neverwrittenareviewforsomeoneelse,itwasaninterestingexperience.Irememberyoutelling
usnottowriteanythingnegativeaboutanyone'spaper,buttotellhimorherwhatheorshe
neededtofixinaniceway.Ilookedatpeople'sdifferentwritingstylesandsawthateveryone
doestrulywritedifferently.Icritiquedpeopleonhowtheydeliveredtheirinformationandifit
wasclearandunderstandable.Ialsocritiquedthemonhowwelltheyappealedtotheiraudience.
ThewayIcritiquedotherspapersisthewayIshouldhavelookedatmyownwriting.Peer
reviewworkshopshelpedmywritingprogressbecauseIlearnedhowtotakegoodcriticismina
positiveway.IleanedthatthetipsIwasgivenweremeanttohelpmeandnothurtme.
Myoverallexperienceintheclasswasgreat.Ienjoyedtheclasssomuchandmadeso
manyfriends.InoticedthroughmywritingthatIdidplayitsafe.Throughmypapersandgenre

analysesthatInevertookrisks.Ialwaysfoundthatplayingitsafegavemegoodgrades,sowhy
changeanything.InevertookrisksbecauseIneverknewhowandIwouldn'tknowhowmy
teacherwouldtakethemIwasnevertoldtotakerisksinmywriting,soIneverdid.Idontplan
onevertakingrisksinmywriting;itsnotreallymystyle.Otherthanplayingitsafemyoverall
writingstyleimproved.Ilearnedhowtotakedirectionswhenwriting.WhenIfirststartedinthe
semesterIdidnotfollowtherubricthatcamewiththepapers.Ijustjotdowntheinformationon
paperwithnostructure.Ilearnedthatallpapersmusthaveastructureinordertobesuccessful.
ThemostdifficultpartofUWRTwastheethnography.ItwasdifficultbecauseIhadtogetout
ofmycomfortzoneandreachouttopeopleoutsidemycircle.Ithelpedmegrowasawriter
becauseitmademeexperiencesomethingnew.Myshynesskeptmefromdoingmyresearchat
firstbutIknewthatthepaperwasamajorgrade,soIpoweredthroughit.
Iconsidermyselfabetterwriterthanwhenthesemesterfirststarted.Ihavegrownand
maturedalotthroughmywritinginthelastcoupleofmonths.Iexpectedjusttowritepapersand
getgradesinUWRT.IlearnedsomuchmorethanIexpectedinthepastsemester.Ilearnedthat
Ineededtoadddetailtomystories,knowwhomyaudienceis,andwhattheintendedpurposeis.
Everypaperwewrotehadapurposeandsometimesitwashardfindingit.Butthroughoutthe
semesterfindingthepurposegotalittleeasier.Myexpectationsfortheclasswentaboveand
beyondwhatIexpected.IgotdeeperintomywritingandIactuallyfeltlikeIgrewasawriter.I
knowwhatIlearnedin1101,Icouldcarryinto1102.Alltheskills,knowledgeandhardwork
willgivemesuccessinthefollowingsemesters.Ithinkyoucanseeacleardifferencewhenyou
lookatmyportfolio.Whenyoureadmyroughdraftofeithertheliteracynarrativeor
ethnography,youcanseetherearealotofmistakes.Whenyoulookatmypolisheddraft,you

canclearlytellthedifferences.Mypolisheddraftsaremorecoherentandunderstandable.The
polisheddraftsarethewaytheyarethankstomyfellowpeersandyou.Theirreviewsand
feedbackhavesignificantlyimprovedmypapers.