Writing is an escapade. It involves deep dives into the depths of rhetoric, extended road trips lead by my mind map of experience and curiosity ,and never-ending hikes into the rolling hills of  dialectics, ideas and perspectives.

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At the beginning of the Fall 2017 semester, I ventured into Professor Boylan’s English 104 classroom somewhat clueless about what to expect. My apprehension was partly because of the usual first-day jitters, but more specifically, there were many questions floating around in my head: ‘Will my writing be good enough? ‘Did AP Language and Composition prepare me well enough for this course level?’ These feelings of apprehension were quickly overshadowed by the intrigue I felt upon perusing the course material and being briefed on the class objectives;I had always wanted to study the likes of Toni Morrison, James Baldwin and Chimamanda Adichie, among others. I appreciated that I wouldn’t simply be studying their work for rhetoric and technicalities of the language; using my own ideas to interact with theirs would be just as important.

Writing is an escapade, and ever so often, it takes me to uncharted lands. I pride myself on being  a very conscious reader and writer, so seeing ideas through the lens of another writer is something I always strive to achieve. In doing so, it is critical for me to ask questions about the writer’s intentions and attempt to adopt their perspective, even if only to better understand their reasoning. My knack for analysis has certainly gone through a period of fine-tuning, especially as I’ve explored several different genres of discourse- from extended essays and articles to lectures and interviews. Race, politics, and the danger of a single story were some recurring themes of the course which helped me to identify ways in which writing can be used not just as a method of inquiry or research, but also as social responsibility.

Writing is an escapade, and sometimes it challenges me to make changes. One limitation of mine is that I sometimes find it difficult to insert my personality into my writing, resulting in pieces that are exceptional in terms of content ,but may come across as passive or rigid. The journal entries I’ve composed in English 104  have allowed me to actively improve this by letting me explore different styles of writing which don’t necessarily conform to a standard format- I’ve experimented with dialogue, different dialects, anecdotes and analogy as well as other rhetorical devices which I think help to create a more personal tone.

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Writing is an escapade, and I am a curious wonderer- penning my discoveries and forever awaiting the challenge of new routes. Having completed  half of  my First Year Writing Experience, I am confident that I have a viable arsenal of language skills to move on to the next level, and look forward with much anticipation to next year's adventure : Reflective Writing Portfolio.