READING MYSELF

Walking into college as a first-generation student, I did not know what to expect when I was told I needed to take a writing intensive course. This First-Year Seminar was not just an ordinary general academic requirement, but rather a meaningful course with many memories I will never forget. Over the course of just one semester, my writing has not only gotten stronger, but my planning has increasingly improved. In our first class, we took ten minutes to write about how we felt as writers. I remember vividly stating that I did not consider myself a writer and had a fear of not using the proper diction to make my statements clear. Fast forward three months later, I will be taking a Writing Theories course to become a writing assistant. Being a writing assistant will not only strengthen my writing but will help me guide other students to write. 

Under the impression that I wasn’t a good writer, Professor Albert challenged me to find aspects that made my writing “bad”. Given this challenge, I ended up falling in love with different writing pieces, like creative writing, poetry, freestyle, academic, and even just brainstorms. I realized I was able to make coherent sentences with claims and back them up with evidence. This made my writing pieces easier to read. I was also able to add creativity and personality to my writing. Since most of my writing was related to Middle Eastern stereotypes, I heavily resonated with the content this course taught. I was able to bring up specific misrepresentations in my Analysis of Aladdin and its Ties with Orientalism essay such as heavily exaggerated ethnic features leading to a deep-rooted internalized haterism towards Arabs. Using features of my own, I was able to see how my ethnic nose provoked people into thinking I was a violent, evil, and malicious person. In my writing, I noticed that my voice held power and made my writing distinct and unique from others. Being able to use my own voice in my writing allowed me to make strong and heartfelt statements in my writing pieces this semester. 

However, as I continue to write daily, I want to make improvements to further my writing progress. In most of my writing, I noticed I had an abundance of ideas that I wanted to write about. While this may seem like a good idea, in some cases it is efficient to be able to narrow. By narrowing my ideas, topics, and thoughts, I am able to make stronger claims, obtain solid evidence, and have more concise pieces. Another improvement I want to make is taking advantage of the resources available to me such as going to the writing center and the academic resource center. Instead of being afraid to ask for help, I want to make sure I am going to office hours and asking my professors for any suggestions to make my writing eloquent. Another improvement I would like to incorporate in my new writing is asking my peers to read my paper and hearing any of their suggested revisions. An additional strategy I have learned that will enhance my writing is making a time frame to draft. By making a plan, I am able to think fully of what I want out of my writing and immerse myself in the prompt given. 

Personally, my most well-wrought writing was my two creative writing pieces “Ode to Fear” and “The Great Allentown Fair” because I was able to write from memory and use self-expression. By focusing on sensory details, I was able to provoke a feeling of nostalgia for my readers and myself. In my writing pieces that focused on analyzing such as Edward’s Said’s Orientalism, I was able to decipher the difference between analyzing and making a claim. In my writing process, I am now able to suspend judgment and bias and focus on what the text is saying. Given that my diction is expanded from reading challenging texts like Orientalism, I would love to rewrite my reflections for Stanginger, Ernest, Haddaway, and Watters. In the beginning, I was not as educated towards Middle Eastern stereotypes. When we were originally asked for our point of view regarding  the Arabian Nights, I said yes, but now I would like to rewrite using knowledge from academic writers such as Edward Said. After undertaking historical context, it is important to read where these misconceptions derived from. 

My writing process has changed significantly as I no longer am taking time to think of what is “correct”. Now, I am able to write freely and confidently by focusing my time on proper outlines, bullet points, and limiting procrastination. To put it briefly, my First Year Seminar course has taught me that writing cannot be defined in terms of what is right or wrong. By holding myself accountable to this reminder, I can put out writing pieces that I enjoy and write with joy.