Creating my Identity Through Writing
Writ340 the class I waited to take until my last semester due to my assumption it would be just like the rest of the writing classes I’ve taken, boring and to be honest a waste of time. But here we are 5 months later and Writ340 turned out to be one of the most helpful classes I’ve ever taken. In the past, writing a paper was simply just a check-the-box assignment where you did some research, pulled some quotes, and followed the teacher’s prompt so you could get a good grade. I always viewed it as us not even writing our own paper, to me we weren’t. We had no academic freedom to write about what we might find interesting about a topic in class or about a book we read, instead, we had to write about what the teacher found intriguing and worthy of a paper.
So who does this help? Well to me it surely does not help the student, it confines our imaginations and limits ideas that can be drawn from topics and discussions. Writing is supposed to be a time when we let our minds and imagination analyze a certain topic and then formulate a response accordingly. There have been plenty of times I’ve read a book I found interesting in class but the paper prompt the teacher provided was far from what interested me. So here I was cranking out a paper to appease the teacher’s mind while limiting my own. Until this class, I had never done any form of writing where I had almost complete control over the modality and topic. When WP1 came around, to be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed, it was the first time the teachers’ training wheels came off and I was on my own. But this allowed me to have an inner dialogue to discover what I am really passionate about. By doing this I discovered that I really do have a voice in writing, being able to create a paper that is a reflection of my thoughts and ideas and not merely the teachers.
As the semester unfolded, each assignment became more than just a task to fulfill. It became an opportunity to dive deeper into topics that genuinely intrigued me. Football has been my entire life for the last four years of college and is one of my biggest passions. Doing my three papers on the topic of NIL, team culture, and power dynamics within teams allowed me to take a step back and reflect on my whole experience. This led to conversations with my roommates about discoveries I was able to make on how messed up various parts of college athletics are. No longer constrained by guidelines, I found myself exploring thoughts I had previously overlooked. I had the freedom to build my own path, allowing my ideas to flow freely onto the page.
With each assignment, I had improved not only my writing skills but also my ability to articulate my thoughts with confidence. I feel by the end of this class I lost my habit of second-guessing every word, instead I found assurance in my own voice. I realized that writing is not just about conveying information, it’s about conveying oneself. I explored aspects of my own identity that I had not previously thoroughly explored while writing each paper. Writing became an opportunity for self-discovery as well as a tool for expression. For me, this class came at a perfect time in my life when I was a couple of months away from graduating and having to enter the real world to embark on a journey through life. A life where I am going to need to be able to articulate my thoughts and use my own voice to express myself. Through my writing, I have discovered the power of my voice.
Additionally, the feedback and discussions within the class played a crucial role in shaping my growth as a writer. Engaging with my peers’ perspectives challenged me to think critically and consider alternative viewpoints. It was through this exchange of ideas that I truly began to appreciate the depths and diversity of thought found in the writing process. Reading ‘Should Writers Use Their Own English’ really set the tone for the entire semester. It put the thought in my head that everyone has varying viewpoints and styles of writing which is all acceptable. This instilled the confidence in me that I could create my own style of writing.
As I reflect back on my journey through this class, I’m thankful for the passion I’ve developed for writing in addition to the abilities I’ve gained. What used to seem like a chore and something I didn’t enjoy, has evolved into a means of self-expression and an opportunity to use my voice. Writ340 has not only taught me how to express myself through writing but has also instilled in me the confidence to embrace my ideas and perspectives. I’ve embraced the fact that my voice is not meant to appease everybody but instead be a reflection of my own thoughts and ideas. It’s a lesson I will carry with me long after the final grades have been submitted, shaping not only my career but also my approach to life itself.
