Some of the most challenging assignments were the timed writings required at the beginning of each week.  I remember the first day after reading the prompt and starting the timer, I sat for nearly half-an-hour overwhelmed with trying to find the perfect way to write my response.  From that first meager submission to my last weekly assignment, I have learned how to organize and write out a substantial answer to a prompt in only an hour.  For the first paper I was to write for this class, I spent two days thinking about how to write it and had to scramble to turn in my first draft for review - half a page short of the required amount.  Yet by the end of eight weeks, I've come to the point where I am able to think up a thesis, craft a decent outline, and type out my ideas in just a few hours.  As the perfectionist girl who jumped into class the first day, this progress amazes me.

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Of course, I also came to realize that more is not always better, and that production is not enough without revision.  I have not had much experience receiving peer feedback in previous years, yet from the very start of the course, my classmates and I were interacting with each other and with each other's writings.  Other students caught errors and suggested improvements I had not seen before; in turn, I analyzed their work and sought to articulate my own thoughts and critiques to them.  Both the practice of reviewing others' work and having one's own work inspected taught me the value of revision - not only editing the small errors, but also adapting the first draft to better meet the needs of the audience and communicate my purpose.  Before taking the class, I would often turn in a paper after only writing one draft with perhaps a few grammatical errors fixed.  Now, I realize that critically reviewing and reworking more than just punctuation is necessary not only for a good grade, but also for true growth as a writer.  Lack of revision denotes one of two things: either a sense of carelessness or a prideful attitude - neither of which are good for a person's work or their character.  I am grateful for the opportunities this class facilitated to develop a more careful and humble approach to writing.

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Perhaps the most useful tool English Composition offered was Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein's book They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.  In reading and annotating the chapters of his text, my understanding of what it means to write and make arguments has changed radically.  Formerly, when I wrote or communicated my thoughts, my approach was to lay out all my reasoning at once in my hope of vanquishing the foe.  Graff and Birkenstein challenged that attitude, demonstrating what I had already realized from past experience: even though someone may have the most logical arguments on their side, if they provide no context and no cues to help the audience see which ideas he supports or is against, he fights a losing battle.  If, however, one views writing or debating as entering a conversation, it is much easier to avoid these pitfalls.  The authors suggest researching other positions regarding one's topic, then summarizing and responding to them just as though it is a conversation.  Why do people write, they ask, but to reply in some way to some concept, attitude, or other argument that stirs up controversy or requires setting straight.  In not only reading but also practicing these ideas taught through this class, the way that I wrote has become much clearer, though of course, I still have far to go.  Yet I believe the course has prepared me to step up and take my part in the greater conversations of life through not only my writing, but in general the way I communicate.