A Reflection of Unit One

My first day of class, I started out as a high school caterpillar and as unit one progressed I metamorphosed into a college butterfly.

          When we were told we would have to write blogs, I was concerned.  I had never worked Blogger or written a blog before.  There were all these new tricks I would have to learn, like how to take a screenshot or insert a hyperlink.  I also had to learn to write in any entirely new convention, something I was scared to do.  However, as I read the conventions of a blog article, I started to get excited to write my first blog.  I was relieved to realize that it was not that difficult and actually fun to format a blog.  I liked selecting the perfect picture to go with the theme. 

        

Source: http://cliparts.co/cliparts/8c6/8R9/8c68R9a9i.jpg         

     As the unit progressed, our class was assigned our first formal essay.  It had to pertain to a controversy in our major and, since my major is business, I chose to do mine on the lack of women representation.  As I looked for sources, I saw a lot from outsiders in the media.  They were quick to offer their judgments and remedies for the issue.  Not as many people in my actual field were discussing the issue.  There were a few women, like Sheryl Sandberg, who are very passionate about the issue, but the men were a lot less likely to offer their opinions.

     Once I got all my sources gathered, I had to hamper down and do the hard work of actually writing the essay.  My first two drafts needed a lot of work, especially with rhetorically analyzing sources and not just providing a summary.  Part of the problem when I drafted my first couple rough drafts was I did not fully concentrate.  I was very distracted and rushed through it.  Once, I finally focused, I was able to write a coherent, clear essay that successfully analyzed the rhetoric.  I really stressed this when I was rewriting my drafts, so I think it was one of the things I did best.  I also tried to format as authentically as I could to make it look like a real QRG; I tried to include hyperlinks when necessary and add pictures that would accentuate my points.

     I now know from experience that it would be beneficial to go in a quiet room for a few hours and focus on writing my first draft.  It would save me in the long run to write a more coherent first draft with all my arguments organized better.  I was also rushing a little towards the end, so time management could definitely use some improvement.  I like making schedules, so I think it would be beneficial to make a schedule when drafting my next essay to ensure I stay on track.

     After writing my first essay, I have the confidence that I am capable of writing an essay on a college caliber.