Learning Outcome #1, which is “Explore and analyze, in writing and reading, a variety of genres and rhetorical situations.” I will discuss my process while writing the three essays which include, the summary and response essay, exploratory essay, and the research essay. In all these pieces, I had to acquire, understand, and evaluate material from many sources and points of view. I discovered that re-reading and annotating the texts helped me establish a unifying topic across many readings that all connect to the course subject “self and other.” Zora Neale Hurston’s “Sweat.” and David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water” were the texts that I felt most immersed in, and I loved writing about them and exploring into the topic outside of class.

Learning Outcome #2, which is “Develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing.”: The provided outline was quite helpful to me, it steered me in a way that allowed my thoughts and ideas to be organized on a page and helped me to track my changes in my writing without being disoriented. Having an outline saved me a lot of time, removed unnecessary frustration, and improved my writing abilities. In the future, I plan to incorporate an outline with my works.

Learning Outcome #3, which is “Recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations.”: Initially, when trying to engage in my writing I felt intimidated by all the possible ways I could shape my writing around a single core theme. In the future, I want to actively jot my thoughts and ideas as they arise to prevent the fear of getting overloaded with thoughts. Throughout this course, I’ve discovered that the relationship between the individual and society is so vast that I was pushed to critically analyze and evaluate evidence and arguments to a greater degree of comprehension.

Learning Outcome #4, which is “Engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes” I believe I struggled most in this learning outcome. Although online learning has made it difficult for me to engage with my classmates, I want to try my best in the future to interact with my peers regardless of the learning environment. I appreciate constructive comments on my work; however, I did not attend the peer review session. Looking back, I regret missing out. This chance would have allowed me to take a step back and see various points of view among my peers. Consider the possible criticism on my essay as well.

Learning Outcome #5, which is “Understand and use print and digital technologies to address a range of audiences.”: There were certain readings in class that were tough for me to grasp. I decided to utilize the CCNY databases such as the one the One Search and Gale. I found various interpretations of similar works and which I read and analyzed them. This allowed me to have a better understanding of certain concepts.

Learning Outcome #6, which is “Locate research sources (including academic journal articles, magazine, and newspaper articles) in the library’s databases or archives and on the Internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timeliness, and bias.”: The databases were most helpful in guiding me with my research essay. During one of our class sessions, we also participated in an exercise in which we worked as a group to decide whether a certain website is credible enough to be used in academic writing.

Learning Outcome #7, which is “Compose texts that integrate your stance with appropriate sources using strategies such as summary, critical analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and argumentation.”: In my Summary and Response essay, I was required to analyze the author’s choice of language, identify major themes, and comprehend the author’s overall meaning. Then, given with this knowledge, I had to formulate my own response. From this, I gained a solid understanding of the concept of “self and other” which grasps the principles of how an individual’s role in society influences their experiences, ideals, and decisions.

Learning Outcome #8, which is “Practice systematic application of citation conventions.”: This skill is required to organize and construct a writing. MLA format made it extremely straightforward for me to navigate and comprehend a text. This was my first-time utilizing MLA format, and I saw a significant improvement in the organization of my work. This course helped me realize the significance of citing work and quotations.