Because I’m a transfer student, I actually wound up taking Writing 150 and 340 in consecutive semesters, and it was pretty interesting to directly see the differences in approach from one to the other. In 150, we mostly focused on techniques for developing our argumentative force, whereas in 340, much of the focus rested on an academic approach to topics and research. Over the course of this semester, I feel I definitely improved my ability to apply an academic approach to more everyday issues and problems. I focused on both how I engaged with my sources and how I incorporated them into my broader argument, and I feel I improved in not simply using sources to parrot my arguments, but as a supporting component of broader, more complex points.
For the final assignment, the more collaborative process was particularly helpful to me. The feedback primarily helped me understand which parts of my topic needed further clarification or which components needed to be introduced early in my paper, which aided me in structuring my paper. Additionally, the blog posts gave me a chance to begin to think through specific points of my topic and argument before drafting. Also, it was great seeing the variety between everyone’s topics (which were all really interesting compared to mine…), and I enjoyed watching everyone’s ideas develop into what would become the paper, especially considering how different our approaches started.
Overall, being unable to physically attend class was a little disappointing in that I felt a bit disconnected and perhaps a bit less motivated. However, in some regards it worked well to have more freedom to work at my own pace, and fortunately the online databases are so sufficient that my research wasn’t hindered.
Its been really interesting to see how you have developed your work over the semester using these blogs! I have also had similar takeaways from WRIT340 as I am taking this class as a sophomore directly after WRIT150. Although the pandemic also made me feel unmotivated and affected me in other ways that I did not anticipate, it allowed me to shift my perspective and adapt in order to ensure that my academic work did not take a hit. It seems like you had a similar experience! - Rhea Bhatia
ReplyDeleteI think we have all struggled to be as motivated as we were before when we were on campus with fellow students and in an overall academic atmosphere. At home, sometimes it is hard to separate work from other types of spaces, whereas on campus you can always go to the library or study in a field or something. I took WRIT 150 last year so it has also been interesting for me to see how the two classes are different and the different things I got out of them especially regarding my writing style. With you taking the two classes two semesters in a row, though, I bet your writing skills are really at the forefront right now. It is always great to see these different perspectives. -Ethan Saber
ReplyDeleteLiam Costa: I'm glad you felt you improved in your ability to provide an academic approach to real-world problems. This ability may help you as you start your career (not sure what you're going into). Also, I agree with you on how the class became more challenging as we began remote learning. In particular, I felt having the in-person feedback on my papers was a loss. Best of luck going forward!
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