Reflecting More on My Writing Experiences

In this post, I will be reflecting on not just my process- but my overall writing experience within English 109H.

Schubert, Jörg. "thinking of a masterplan" 1/25/14 via Flickr.
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1. What were the biggest challenges you faced this semester, overall?
• I would say the biggest challenge would be having to change the way that I wrote before college. In my very first blog post, I had said that I was a "Heavy Planner" and a "Procrastinator". In college, it's difficult to be this type of writer when there is a lot of preparatory work and other courses that need time and attention as well. Therefore, finding the right way to organize my time was a challenge- but I feel as if I have found a good balance (even though it can still be improved).
2. What did you learn this semester about your own time management, writing and editorial skills?
• I learned that I can write in many different genres and in many different tones. Before this course, I had only written analysis on classic books and personal statement-like genres. So, my tone was usually very formal and academic. However, especially with this past project, I have been able to understand how to better write in a tone that is interesting and fun. I never thought that I would write a Buzzfeed article in a college course, even though now I can see its worth. In this type of genre, the author usually has a tone which is humorous and personal, which I think that I replicated well.  
3.  What do you know about the concept of 'genre'? Explain how understanding this concept is central to being a more effective writer.
• I understand that a "genre" is simply a style of writing. However, within this style there are many guidelines and (especially) conventions that the author must follow in order for it to be considered as a piece of work within the genre. Understanding the concept of a genre is helpful for both when given an assignment about a specific genre or in the future when publishing pieces of work for a specific audience. In both instances, you should understand the conventions within a genre and, at least for the last scenario, find a genre that works best with the audience you are writing for.
4. What skills from this course might you use and/or develop further in the next few years of college coursework?
• I think that I will use the planning style that this course has taught me when I am writing papers in the future. Along with this, I will be able to use the time management skills that this course has taught me. I have learned that work is better done when split up into small steps, which can be used for any sort of assignment (not just a paper). Finally, I have learned how to properly analyze another author's piece of argument and what to look for within their text. This will be especially helpful to me in the future because I will need to so some sort of research, and in this research I will need to look at scholarly articles. 
5. What was your most effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
• I would say that my most effective moment was once I sat down and figured out a proper schedule for me to finish these deadlines in a timely manner. This was at the beginning of our second project. One day, I took a few minutes before starting on my nightly routine of homework and decided that if I could work on my blog between classes (when given the time), I would have less to do at home. From there, I found a good way to organize my time for the rest of my classes as well.
6. What was your least effective moment from this semester in 109H? 
• I think that my least effective moment actually lasted for about a month at the beginning of the semester. One, I would put off all of the deadlines that I needed to do until Friday. However, I thought that the actual due date for the deadline was at 11:59 AM, not PM. So, I was going through my work stressing myself out and not being able to focus on the key details within my work.