When I look back on this semester, what stands out most is how much my understanding of writing, language, and revision has changed. At the start of the course, I wrote mostly from what’s on my mind. I had ideas, but I didn’t always know how to express them clearly, support them with evidence, or revise them into stronger arguments. However, as I progressed through this course, my writing has improved a lot. I’ve learned how language operates, how argumentation works, how revision deepens thinking, and how research transforms an idea into a fully developed academic project. Looking back at my previous assignments, I see how I have met the course learning objectives and grown into a more confident, reflective writer.

One of the biggest shifts in my writing this semester was learning how language shapes identity and meaning. Early in the Course, I wrote a personal literacy narrative in which I reflected on how learning about history in 9th grade changed the way I think about stories, games, and even movies. I explained how knowing cultural and historical context helped me see that “everything has a background and a story worth paying attention to” (WLLN).

 Writing this  essay forced me to confront my own relationship with language and knowledge. Instead of simply stating facts, I had to think about how I see the world and why certain texts affected me. This assignment helped me realize that language,whether in books, films, or games, is not just neutral, it carries values, assumptions, and cultural history. Knowing this was the first step in understanding how language works, both personally and academically.

When I wrote my Rhetorical Analysis Essay (RAE), I had begun applying this understanding in my analysis. In that essay, I analyzed how Roxane Gay and Min-Zhan Lu describe the experience of not fitting into their environments. To illustrate the authors’ rhetorical strategies, I selected quotes that showed their emotional and linguistic struggles, such as Lu being “caught between two conflicting worlds” and Gay being seen as “a woman out of place” in Midwestern towns  (RAE Final Draft).

 This assignment helped me meet the objective of expressing ideas fluidly and persuasively, because I had to make a clear argument, not just summarize the essays. I learned how to precisely choose evidence aligning with my main argument and explain how it supports my claims. I also practiced writing with more clarity, planning on essay structure, tone, and transitions so my analysis would flow much better.

Another major area of growth this semester was learning the conventions of argumentation. Before this class, I didn’t fully understand what made a strong thesis or how to develop one throughout a paper. In the RAE, my thesis initially felt broad, but through revision, I learned how to make it more specific. By revisiting the authors’ essays, rereading my own paragraphs, and reminding myself about the main argument, I eventually made a thesis that connected both authors’ experiences and rhetorical strategies. 

My biggest challenge was the research essay, where I wrote an extended academic essay on how art and music serves as an alternative language. This assignment required me to meet several course objectives, following scholarly conventions, conducting research, constructing an argument, and integrating credible evidence. At first, the research process felt overwhelming. I read many sources but struggled to connect them. However, I gradually learned to construct a clearer research question and identify which sources actually helped answer it. For example, I used Zhang’s study of emotional expression in piano music to show how musical language communicates psychological states, noting how “music uses a strong emotion to affect people’s emotions.”  (Phase 3 final Draft).

 I paired this with visual arts scholarship from Joerger and research on music’s role in belonging and identity. Each source served a purpose, and for the first time, I felt I was conducting real academic research.

Through this course, I strengthened my ability to summarize, quote, and cite both primary and secondary sources. Using MLA style correctly required attention to detail, another key learning objective. I learned how to integrate quotes smoothly, how to avoid plagiarism by giving proper credit, and how to build paragraphs around ideas rather than sources. More importantly, I learned to use research not to replace my thinking with the source topic, but to enhance it. Each source became a piece of the larger discussion I was constructing.

This semester also taught me why revision is important. In the early assignments, I used to revise only by fixing grammar or adding a sentence. Later, I learned that revising means rethinking, questioning my thesis, reorganizing paragraphs, or even rewriting entire sections. When I revised my personal narrative, for example, I strengthened the connection between my historical interests and my current writing style, expanding more on how learning about global cultures shaped my approach to reading and media (WLLN).

  In the RAE, revision helped me deepen my analysis of imagery and clarify how Gay and Lu use Imagery strategically. In the final research paper, I reorganized multiple sections to make my argument more understandable. These experiences taught me that revision is not just looking for errors, but it’s an important part of becoming an effective writer.

Reflecting on all my work, I believe I have met the course learning objectives. I’ve learned how language influences identity, how to construct and support arguments, how to revise more meaningfully, and how to conduct academic research with proper citation practices. Most importantly, I’ve learned to see writing as a way to explore ideas, make connections, and express myself with clarity and purpose.