Prannik 1

YevgeniyPrannik
ProfessorOliviaZicherman
UWRT1101030
November16,2014
FinalReflection
Thiscoursehasbeenreallyfun,inmyopinion.ThoughIamnotreallythesortofperson
toenjoyabigworkload,Ididverymuchenjoythisclassanditsincludedassignments.The
literacynarrativeandthegenreprojectwerebothreallyfuntodo,bothinterestingtoanalyze,
andbothinterestingtoshare.Thedaybookentriesgavemeachancetostretchmymindalittle
bitafterhavingchemistryandaseminarcoursebefore,andthediscussionforumsgavemean
opportunitytostretchmymindathome.Overall,thiscoursecouldbequalifiedasmyfavorite
thissemester.
UWRT1101hashadalotinstoretoteachusthissemester.Alotofthingswerealready
knowntomeandwerejustelaboratedon,likeliteracyanditsmeaning.Ilearnedthatbeing
literatemeanstohaveanabilitytocommunicateandunderstandathoughtasopposedtojust
beingabletoreadandwrite.ThenthereweremomentswhenIhadmyunderstandingof
somethingcompletelyoverturned,likeduringtheGenreProject.IthoughtIhadagoodgraspof
whatgenrewas,andalongcameProfessorZichermanandtorethatideatoshredsandrebuiltmy
knowledgewithaccuracyandcreativity.Ihadabsolutelynoideawhatdiscoursewas,untilthe
goodprofessorintroducedustotheconceptandhowitfitintogenre.Averyinformative

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semesterthistimearound,Ithink,andIwilldefinitelytakethisknowledgetoUWRT1102next
semester.
Mywritinghasalwaysbeenfairlydecent.Idontmeantotootmyownhornhere,butI
alwaysgotcomplimentsfromEnglishteachersonhoworganizedandwellwrittenmythoughts
wereinessaysandstories.Thisclassdidntreallyhelpmeimprovemywritingperse,butit
definitelyhelpedmeunderstandwhyIwastaughttowritelikethisandwhatthingsIwasgoodat
versuswhatthingsIneededtoimproveon.IdidntreallyunderstandwhyIwasalwaystaughtto
useafiveparagraphessaystructureasaruleofthumb.Thisclasstaughtmethatitwasdecided
inanattempttostandardizewriting,andIwasactuallyshockedaboutthat.Ididntthinkthatthe
variouselectedheadsofeducationcouldbesoobtuseastoputanobjectiveramificationona
creativework.Iwasactuallyquitebuggedbythat,butIdigress.
Icantreallyputmyfingeronareadingthataffectedme.Ienjoyreadingfictionand
history,notaboutananalysisofliterarytechniquesoraquantificationofgenreandhowitcanbe
understood.Thesereadingsreallyfeltlikeachoretome,sadly.Thatbeingsaid,Ididlearnafew
thingsfromthem.InoneofthereadingsthatwasaPDFfileontheMoodlesite,therewasa
rebuttalofanarticlepresentedinajournalIbelieve.Thisarticle,Iremember,taughtmehowto
identifybiasbetterinaworkofliterature.Wordchoice,stanceonissues,andothersubtle
markersofbiascouldbeidentifiedandallowedmetogainabetterunderstandingofhowbiasis
usedandhowitcanhelpmakeorbreakapiece.
IwouldhavetosaythepieceofwritingthatIammostproudofistheliteracynarrative.I
feltlikeIdidverywellonthat.Mythoughtswerecarefullyorganized,myemotionswere

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accuratelyandpowerfullyportrayed,andyouunderstoodhowtheeventthathappenedhelpedme
getintoreadingandwritingmore.IfeelthatIdeservetheAthatIgotinit,andIwillbereally
gladtoshowitofftopeopleinmyportfolio.Overall,Iamjustproudofit,andIthinkIdidthe
assignmentatanaboveparlevel.
Byfar,mybiggeststrugglewaskeepingupwiththediscussionforums.Ohmygoodness,
IcannottellyouhowmanytimesIgotintoclassandoverheardotherstudentstalkingtoeach
otheraboutthereadingthatwassupposedtobedonelastnight,andastartlingrealizationjust
creptoverme.IdidntdoitIdthinktomyself,withadisappointedsigh.Iknowtheydont
countforallthatmuchinthegrandschemeofthings,butIstillneededtodoit,soIfeltbad.
Nexttothat,IwouldsaymybiggeststrugglewastryingtocoordinatewithTariqforourgenre
project.IambynomeanscomplainingaboutTariq,heisagoodguyandagoodfriend,butour
schedulejustdidnotmatchup.Thatreallygotannoyingtowardstheendoftheproject,butwhen
itbecamecrunchtime,Tariqcamethroughwithflyingcolors,asdidI,andeverythingworked
outsowegotanAontheproject,thankgod.
Thisclassheldseveralenjoyablethingsinit,butIwouldhavetosaythatIenjoyed
interactingwithmyclassmatesmorethananythingelse.Groupingupwithseveralreallycool
peoplethroughoutthesemesterwasfunandenlightening.Wehaveaprettydiversegroupof
studentswhoeachbringtheirownexperiencesandopinionstothetablewhenwediscuss
assignmentsandwhatnot,andthisshedsdifferentcolorsoflightonthesametopic,allowingus
tolookatitfromdifferentperspectives.Thisreallycameacrossasuniqueandcooltome,soI
wouldhavetosaythatthisismyfavoritethingaboutUWRT1101.

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Thisnaturallybringsustotheoppositeendofthespectrumtheleastfavoritethingabout
UWRT1101.Yetagain,IwouldhavetosaythatitisthediscussionforumsonMoodle.Those
thingsarenotfuntodoinmyopinion,andtheyaresoeasytoforgetthatIgetfrustratedwith
themandthenIdontevenfeellikedoingthem.Itjustsnowballsintoastressfulmess.IfIhadto
chooseanotherleastfavorite,itwouldhavetobewritingareviewofmypartnerforthegenre
project.Notforanypracticalreasonoranythingofthatsort,IjustfeltweirdwritingitbecauseI
kindoffeltlikeIwastalkingbehindTariqsback.Idontknowifthatmakesmeweirdornot,
butitswhatIfeltlikeasIwaswritingit.Whycouldntwejusttellyouhowweeachthought
oneanotherdidfacetofacesoitwasalloutintheopen?Idontknow,maybeitsme.
Asawriter,IthinkIhavegrownalittlebitoverthepastsemester.Ididntreallylearn
newwritingstyleortechniques,butInowknowhowtoquantifywhatIwriteandwhatIread
andInowknowhowtoidentifycertainliterarydevicesbetterlikebiasandthelike.Otherthan
that,IdontfeelthatIwastaughtanythingtoimprovemeasawriterthatIdidntalreadyknow.
UWRT1101hasbeenareallycoolclasstobein.Ilovetheenvironment,Ilikethe
peopleinthere,theassignmentsmadesenseandweresomehowtiedintothelessonsthe
professorhadinstoreforusthatparticularday,andIreallyfeellikethiswasafunclasstobein.
Theprofessorwasreallycoolaboutassignmentsandofferedonlyconstructivecriticism,which
wasverywelcomeonsomeassignments,andtheassignmentsthemselveswereenjoyabletodo.
IfIhadtotakeitalloveragain,Iwouldntchangeathing.UWRT1101isdefinitelyoneofmy
favoriteclassessofarinmycollegecareer.