Arrgh, More Writing

            I entered into English 103 not knowing what to expect. I knew that my entry would lead to a lot of writing and reading, but had never taken an online course before. I find that as I have continued my path through this class, there have been a few changes in how I view my research and writing, and I would like to share a couple of changes that have happened over these last eleven weeks.

            First, when doing research, I always read my book, took notes, noted the page number and continued on. Since I have begun this class though, I tend to not accept any facts unless I can find the same statements from multiple sources. In other words, if I find a statement, I usually hop on the internet to see if I can find 2 or 3 more sources that state the same thing. If I can, then I will finally accept the original statement, and include it into my works.

            As far as my technical aspect of my writing, I find it hard to want to improve more. I believe I have a decent grasp of writing, and I can get my point across when I need to. I have never wanted to be so adept that I can seize someone’s emotions with my writing; I have always relied on my words for that. I have always been more of a mathematical brain and because of that I find it extremely tedious and boring to try to write a paper. I solve issues with a preordained formula, or work through abstract formulas by following a stringent set of mathematical rules; I am not used to, or think in a way that allows me to pursue abstract writing.

            I have never, and still do not, find writing fun. I like to search for facts, but find when I write a paper I stick too much to writing the facts, and not enough time addressing the audience. I know my facts are correct, but I have a difficult time weaving those facts into a fabric that grabs hold of the reader’s eye and attention in a way I have seen others. Though I have tried in this course, I find that this is the one area in which I find my writing lacking.

            This course has helped me work in a large group better. The fact that my writing is seen by everyone in the class has made me a lot less nervous about the fact that my writing is shared. Just like in a communications class, that first speech can be pretty scary, and even here, having your writing seen by the whole class or open to the whole world like our blogs can be pretty uncomfortable at first. As time has gone on, I find that I care less about individuals reading my writing, but care more about what they think of it.

            All in all this class has tough me that public sharing of my writing is not as scary as it seems, it is actually a pretty rewarding and interesting experience. I have learned to explore the facts I present clearly, even if that means checking up on sources without actually citing them in my work. It has made me more aware of my audience, though I feel I still lack in he area of really grabbing their attention in the way I would like to sometimes. Finally, it has helped me have discussions with some great people and taught me how to get my ideas across even clearer than before.