Writing 102 has changed me in more ways than one. Before I took this class I was an exclusively creative writer, reading mostly fiction and using my own imagination to make works of my own. While I had previously written academic essays in high school, I never had any real interest in what I was writing. When I wrote my literacy narrative for this course, it sparked something in me. It was the first time I had written something of that nature for any class and amazingly, I enjoyed it. That assignment was the beginning of a journey for me- a journey in writing.

Throughout this semester my academic writing had grown drastically from what it used to be in high school. Before Writing 102 I would write out a paper and hand it in as it is without properly proofreading or revising- a sign of how unenthused I was about writing them. I now draft all of my papers at least twice, and revise them continuously. Peer reviewing and writing conferences taught me that my writing could be constantly improved and that my first draft would by far be my worst. Additionally, I learned the importance of having outside feedback and applying criticism to my writing constructively. Advice always proves helpful in the right places.

As a researcher, I now know the proper methodology of using sources and citations. Initially, I would use quotations in my paper almost jarringly and without establishing proper context. I was unaware that I needed to lead into my quotes and that doing so would make my writing flow much better. It also dawned on me how important it is to synthesize information from my sources in order to better support my argument. Furthermore, I learned that the way I presented my argument is the key to making my readers agree with my viewpoints. As a writer, research papers were never my strong suit- they still aren’t, though I now feel much more comfortable writing them.

As this semester comes to a close, I reflect back on all I have learned in WRT 102. I came in this semester largely inexperienced and ignorant in the conventions of good writing. Now, I come out a much more knowledgeable person, armed with an arsenal of new writing techniques. I am glad to have taken part in this class, especially with my professor, Kristina Lucenko, whose long conversations with me often gave me the clarity I needed for my writing. While my writing class will end in only a few short days, I hope to look forward to the future and put all that I have learned in this class to good use.