Introduction

If I am being completely honest, I remember feeling a rush of panic on the very first day of class. I thought that there was no way I was going to be able to complete the course. But, I made a promise to myself never to drop a class just because it seemed difficult. College is about challenging yourself, and that is exactly what this class did. I have been pushed to organize my thoughts better, interpret my research better, synthesis properly, develop my claims further, and become an all together better writer.

There were aspects of each of the assignments that I found difficult, yet I believe that they were all worthwhile and beneficial to my writing. The Photo Essay and The Rhetorical Analysis helped me to express my creativity, whereas The Argument and Research Synthesis papers helped me focus on my writing structure and organization. This class also helped me to grow in my technological capabilities. Whether it was blogging or peer editing through file exchange, I became more comfortable and confident in my ability to control a computer. (I still have quite a ways to go, but I really am much better.) I also learned quite a bit from the in class activities, as well as the homework we were given.

At the beginning of the semester, you told us that it would be wise to come up with a type of topic or subject matter that we could continue to use and develop as the semester went on. To be honest, I don't have one specific topic that I followed closely. But, after evaluating the messages I intended to develop in each of my essays, I feel that there is a very strong overall topic: People must look deeper into the world around us and become more introspective. My Photo Essay discusses that people should appreciate the world around them before they want more. My Rhetorical Analysis picks apart five movie posters in order to discover each of their individual aspects. My Argument Synthesis tries to encourage the student and workers of the world to accept the changes in the present day work culture so that they can move forward with it. My Research Synthesis discusses why choosing not to censor controversial topics from young adults in high school can open their eyes to the travesties occurring in world we live in. All of these topics help to draw in the need for people to analyze more in the hopes of becoming more thoughtful people.