Alina Hadzovic
12/17/2022
Final Class Reflection
Like many first-semester college students, I have found myself experiencing the highs and lows of school. From making new genuine friendships to losing sleep over studying, these past few months have encapsulated countless emotions in my classes. However, it is this class specifically, Freshman Composition, that has fueled my passion for writing beyond high school ever has. Despite the few other classes that required papers and other writing assignments, this one specifically stood out for the range of genres and course focuses across the many class sessions. Not only that, but the knowledge I have gained about myself is stronger than any class’s lessons ever were.
This idea of discussion and collaboration has been instituted in the class since the beginning; each day, at the start of class, we “write into the day” by independently answering questions posted for us and then sharing with the class. This discussion not only engages the students in the class, but also sets up the class for that day with a taste of what we will talk about in the hour to follow. I found these practices to be very helpful and prompted healthy discussion and analysis in an educational setting, something not found in some other classes. Although the topic of rhetorical analysis has come up often in high school and these writing exercises, this class taught me multiple new ones that I have never even heard of. For example, I have used fear appeal multiple times in my final paper because I think it is extremely persuasive and effective; while I knew fear appeals existed, learning the term and its uses of it added a new tool to my repertoire. I hope in my next classes that I can expand this toolbox even further.
Although I am studying Earth and atmospheric science, I have always loved English. The writing was how I cleared my head, reading was how I escaped my issues and passed the time. I was extremely set on getting my undergraduate degree in English until my AP environmental science class senior year, but half of my soul (like the poets say) will be teathered to English and composition I think. There is a stereotype that all STEM majors hate English, but I have always happily been an outlier to that. I think that writing is beautiful and reading is a gift; literacy has always been a privilege I do not take for granted. My bookshelf has practically doubled this semester alone. I’ve always considered myself an avid reader- the title of “writer” has never really been one I’ve used to describe myself. These past few months have proven that anyone can be a writer if they set their mind to it. I started writing poetry again after being reminded of the beauty within allusions and metaphors, for example. Creativity and free will are blessings, forming a liquid box around the bounds of any thought and spreading with each passing moment. Much of this semester has focused on nonfiction writing, but I think that only set my love for fiction higher. It was the experience and immersion embedded into this class that allowed me to learn what I loved most about composition.
While I always knew language arts were beautiful, the only thing that has transcended this was the idea of trying new things and knowing that I will always have my love for writing to fall back on. Writing has always come relatively easily to me to the point where most of my family was shocked that I chose to commit to a STEM major. At the beginning of the year, I wrote “Rediscovering how beautiful the art of language is proved that society is ever changing, but composition is transcendent.” If I could go back and give myself a pat on the back, I would. I think that I put my feelings towards both this class and composition as a whole perfectly and eloquently. I would rather not boost my ego, but at times like these when my heart is full of love, I can only do so much against it. I hope beyond words that next semester will only increase my love for writing and reading as I continue to learn about myself, others, science, and the world.
