LhadzeBosiljevac

English120
ProfessorLarsen
5/5/15

ReflectiveArgument

WritingformehasbeenabattlebetweenlanguagebarriersduetoTibetanbeingmynative
tongue,andthenformetoprocesswhatIwanttosaywithoutbeingfrustratedfornothavingthe
fluidityneededtowriteaneffectivepieceinEnglish.Inthis8weekcourse,itwouldnotbe
truthfulifIsaiditwaseasy,evenforthebestofwriters.Mosttimesthannotwritingis
subjective,weallhavedifferentformsanditcanbeeithertoomuchforonereaderasopposedto
another.Justlikevariousflavorsofjellybeans,therewillbeoneswelikeandanotherwedonot.
Duringenglish120,Ihavelearnedtobeafluidwriterwithinguidelinesthathavepermittedme
todiscovernewmethodsofwritingmeetingsomeoftheoutcomeswhileothersneedmore
attention.Andlikethejellybeans,therearesomepiecesofwritingIfindtastyandothersthat
makemecringewhenachievingmySLOs.

CourseLearningOutcomeAandC

ProceedinganddoingMWA#1aswellasthefirstLSAsinconjunctionwiththispiece,I
hadseemedtodowell.IfeltstronginmyargumentswhichIrealizedmyfirsttopicIwantedto
writeonhadmuchevidencenormuchpublicinterestsoIswitchedfromwritingonbillsfunding
ruralhealthtoconvincingmedicalstudentstobeinthemedicalworld.SLO(A)talksaboutthe
waythatIasawritercansummarize,process,andcreateafallacyfreeargumentprovingmy
casewithvalidpointstoaddresstherhetoricalsituationusingdifferentmethodstodoso.This
wasdonesoinourmoreresearchedbasedMWA#1whichhadtoprovidealogicalargumentto
whatwewantedourreaderstobeawareabout.Inmycase,themedicalworldforstudents
studyingforthelongawaitedM.D.position.FirstitwasimportanttomakesureIhadgatheredin
myLSAfactstoproveagainstthesidewewerenotinfavorof,andthentheotherintheshoesof
ouropposingside.Whatthisallowedustodowasprovidea360degreeviewofsomethingthat
nowwasnolongeronesided.Thestrategyherewasweknewwhatwasexpectedtocomefrom
ouropponent,makingitwaseasiertotacklethestatementsthatwouldbethrownbackatus.
Beingbetterpreparedforasituationthathasdoubleendsletmelearninthisclassthatbothsides
opinionsareequallyimportant.AsIwaswriting,Iwouldfindmyselfcorrectingmyselfon
mistakesthatIwouldhavenotcaughtifIhadnotunderstoodfallaciesandmakingsureIwasnot
jumpingtoconclusions.Inanattempttoachievecourseoutcome(A)formyMWA#2,Ididvery
badlybecauseIwrotealiteraryanalysisonarhetoricalpiece.ThiswassomethingthatIshould

haveaskedforhelponattriedtomeettherequirementsbutIdidnotdoso.Byhavingthis
happen,myMWA#2althoughwithgreatpointsinmyLSA#3and#4,itwaswasnotproperly
done.AlargepartofthisMWA#1usedSLO(C)aswellwithplannedoutlines,rewriting,editing,
groupwork,peerreviewtothenrebuildandreconstructastrongeranalysisonthetopicswehad
discussed.ThismeantusingGoogleDocsasamainsourceofeditingaswellascommentingon
otherspeoplespostsinLearntogiveandreceivefeedback.Themostimportantthingabout
analyzinganotherstudentsworkistoseewhatyourpapercouldaddandwhatmistakestolook
forinyourpaperthatyoucommentedonforanotherperson.Whengoingbacktomyownpaper,
Iwasabletowriteamoreindepthpiecethatamedicalstudentcouldunderstandbutthenmy
language/tonetooksomeofthisawayimpairingtheunderstandingofmyargument.Insome
casestheSLO(C)workedinthecaseofmyLSAsbutthenmypeerreviewsforMWAswould
becompletelydifferentwhichconfusedmeattimes.ThisissomethingthatIshouldhave
checkedforandIdidwhenwritingmyMWA#1RevisioninwhichItailoredittopremedical
studentsincollegetohaveanunderstandingoncompetitionfromotherformsofhealthcare
workers.Itdidnotmakesenseinthebeginningbutafterseeingmygradesformymajor
assignmentsIrealizedthatitwasveryimportanttogettheteachersperspectiveonmywriting
beforesubmittingmypaperasawaytomakesureIfollowedeverythingthatwasaskedfor.

CourseLearningOutcomeF

Whenaddressinganotheroutcomewhichwas(F),inwhichIhadtoassesmyevolutionin
writingutilizingdifferenttypesofcategoriesandmethodstoapplyinmyworktoimproveit.For
example,myMWA#1usedmoreofanonlineresearchbasealongwiththelibrarywhich
providedmewithinformationonhowtousethesearchengines,findbooksandaskalibrarian
forhelp.Thiswasonesteptousingadifferentmediumandtechnologytofindinformationto
setmeupforagoodbackgroundinmywriting.ThatsameafternoonIcheckedouttwobooks
andhadaneasiertimeusingthelibrarysystemtofindwhatIneedinthefuture.Anotherway
outcome(F)hasbeenaddressedinmysituationasastudentdevelopinginwritingismyLSA
3/4,aswellasmyMWA#2whichwassomethingthatIneededtoreallygooutsideanddo
researchononceIfoundoutwhatIwantedtotalkabout.Inthisassignment,Ihadtowatcha
movietrailerthatIlikedandwritealiteraryanalysisonwhatthismoviedepictsforviewerswith
thetone,audience,purpose,aswellasethos,pathosandlogos.Outcome(F)focusesongenre
andmediuminwhichwewerenotdealingwithreadingapassagebutnowhadtoanalyze
visuallywhatwashappeningwithinthetrailer.IchooseLittleBoywithhowsweetand
captivatingthemovieseemeduntilIdidmoreresearchandthisreallysettheballrollingforme
toadvanceinmywriting.ThefirsthalfofwritingitmademefeelasifIwouldhavenothingto
sayornoideastocompleteit.ButonceIhaddonemyLSAs,theMWA#2tookoffforme

becauseIhadnowfoundawaytowriteaboutsomethingwithmoredetailwithmyeffortsto
lookbeyondthetrailerandreadbetweenthelines.

CourseLearningOutcomeIandF

AddressinganotherSLOwhichwas(I)whereIhadtocreateanargumentusingresearchby
evaluatingthetopicincludingsecondarysourceswasdonesowithmyworkonLSAs#1and
#2,andthenimplementingresearchformyMWA#1withasecondarysourcebeingthebookthat
Iusedforstatisticsofthemedicalworldtoday.Iwasabletofindthebookinthelibraryby
applyingoutcome(F)onceagainandthenbeingabletofindthetextIneededtosupportmy
thesisandmypointstocomeupwithawelldesignedeffectiveessay.AnotherwayI
accomplishedSLO(I)wasinmyMWA#3withmygroupwherewehadtofilmabouturban
legends.Thiswasquiteataskinwhichwehadtofindoutbackgroundinformationforthestory
duringourlibraryclass,usetheonlinedatabase,findtextsandideaswhichweregratefully
providedbyprofessorLarsenforthestorybyM.R.Jamesthatweread.Ifounditinterestingin
somecasesthatwebecamethesecondarysourceofthestorytothepeoplewewerereadingittoo
andalsothepeopleweinterviewed.

CourseLearningOutcomeG

OneSLOthatIhaveprogressedonwas(G)whereitsaysImustuseresearchtodrawmyown
conclusionwithmybeliefsfromalltheresearchthatIhavedoneusingdifferentoutletstodoso.
WhenIfirstcameintotheclass,IsimplythoughtIhadtomakeanargumentforMWA#1that
peopleliked.AndastheclassprogressedIlearnedthatwritinganeffectivepieceforarhetorical
essaywouldrequiremetotalkaboutatopicthatwasnotonlysomethingtothinkaboutfora
certaingroup,butanideathatIcouldbepassionateaboutaswell.Irealizedthiswhendoingmy
LSA#1whichatfirstItriedtalkingaboutfundingforruralhealthcare.ButwhenIdidmore
research,Irealizedthiswasatopicthateveryoneagreedonforthemostpart,beingthatmany
peopledosupporthealthcareingeneralandthatallfundssupportingthiscausesupportedrural
healthaswell.Sothatleadmetorealizetheamountofdoctorswhoarenotwillingtogointo
ruralsettingstoprovidehealthcarewhichwasamorepersonaltopicbeingapremedicalstudent.
IrealizedIwouldhaveabitmoretosayforthisanddirectedmyaudiencetomedicalstudents,
becausetheyarethedeterminingfactortohelpprovideaidinthesesituations.Also,MWA#2
alongwithLSA#3allowedmetofocusonthisoutcomebecausethistrailerwastoconvince
peopletowatchthismovie.AsIdidmyrhetoricalanalysisonthisshortclip,IrealizedonceI
didmoreresearchthiswasmorethanjustastoryaboutalittleboy.Originally,Ithoughtcoming
fromamilitaryfamilythatthiswasthesweetstoryofalittleboywhosefathertragicallywas
draggedintothewar.Later,Irealizedthisaftermyownideasgotinthewayalittletoomuch

thatitmighthavebeenastoryparalleltothebombdroppedonHiroshima.Ofcourse,mybeliefs
wereimportantinwhatIsawthestoryasandhowIanalyzedit,itwasverykeythatItookthe
timetoresearchanddevelopthestorylinefromthepiecesthetrailerhadpresented.Butthiswas
thedownfallformebecauseinwritingmybeliefsallseemedwelluntilIreceivedmygradeandI
realizeditwasnotaliteraryanalysisbutarhetorical.WhatIthoughtIresearchedandwrote
correctlywasnotrightinwhatwasasked.Again,thiswasamistakeonmypartsoinmygenre
revisionIdecidedtodoamoviereviewofthispiecewhichatthispointfolloweditsownsetof
rules.Indoingso,myMWA#2whichwasagenrerevisionhadabetterunderstandingofthe
rhetoricalpieceasopposedtomyoriginal.

CourseLearningOutcomeD

IthasbeenabitoftroubleformetomeetSLO(D)whichgivenseemsquiteeasybutfor
someonewithEnglishasasecondlanguageisnotawalkinthepark.Thecourseoutcome(D)
wantedmeasawritertoenhancethefluidityinStandardizedWrittenAmericanEnglishforwhat
wasgiven.AlthoughIfeltIdidstronglyonmostofmyassignments,myMWA#1receiveda
gradethatIwasnotexpectantonandrealizedlatermymistake.Ifindthatreadinginstructions
andtryingtowritewhatisaskedveryhard.SometimesIfindmydifferentwritingstylewhich
hasbeenrejectedbyteacherstobetheveryfactthatIdonotalwaysgiveclearideas.Iwritein
thewaythatItalk,fastandforever.AndyeteventhoughIknowthisisaproblem,sometimesit
issohardtodeterawayfromthis.InMWA#1mylanguagechoicehaddistractedmyaudience
andIrealizedmyMWA#1revisionmusthavetochangetokeepmyaudienceyetstillsendmy
messageofthegrowingmedicalworld.OnmyrubricitcanbeseenthatIscoredverylowonmy
EnglishgrammaraswellaswritingsectionwhichIdobelieveallstudentswhowritemake
mistakes.ButmeespeciallyinmypapersevencheckingandaskingpeopleIalwaystendto
makegrammarmistakes.ThishasbeenthedownfalltoomuchofmygradeinEnglishandI
workedharderonmyMWA#1RevisionandcoverlettersmakingsureIdoublecheckedmy
writing.Inthefuture,IfeelthatthemoreIreadmywritingoutloud,thebetterIwilldoin
findinggrammaticalmistakesthatcanbeavoided.MyMWA#1andMWA#2suffereddueto
grammaticalerrorswhichdroppedmygradefromawelldoneLSAtoapoorlyexecutedmajor
assignment.ThiswasparticularlyhardwhendoingmyMWA#2genrerevisionbecauseIneeded
tobettermyscoreandprovethatwhatIhadwrittenmadesense.Itwasabitofastruggletrying
towritemyessaysinwhichIsometimesIdonotmakemistakesandothertimesIdo.

ConcludingThoughts

Overallinthisclass,Ihavemademistakesandalsoimprovedasawriter.NotonlyhaveI
foundnewwaystoexpressopinionbutalsodiscoveredIcanbeflexibleinhighpressuretimes.

Thisclasshasletmelearnhowtoanalyzecomplexreadingaswellaslearnthroughdifferent
toolsofmediahowtobuildawebsite,useGoogleDocumentsandothermethodsofsharing
information.AlthoughahardclassIhavelearnedsomelessonsinwritingthatIwillnotforget.