https://canvas.umd.umich.edu/courses/492291/assignments/4375885
A couple introductory pieces of advice based on what students in previous semesters have done.
First, make sure you actually quote sentences from your previous writing assignments (including the rough drafts and final drafts) in this course.
These quotes are the evidence for your claims about your progress, in the same way that quotes from the documentary, article, or book you analyzed for Project 2 were your evidence for that paper. At the same time, don’t over-quote. If you find yourself wanting to talk about a whole paragraph from a previous project, just quote the most relevant sentences where the major revisions occurred and paraphrase the rest. Here’s an example of what not to do.
Second, don’t be vague about how the stuff you’ve learned in COMP 105 may be applied to other writing situations.
For example, you should not be speculating about the usefulness of this new rhetorical knowledge for you and your classmates or society in general. Rather, what’s important is the usefulness your rhetorical knowledge for you specifically (i.e. given your major, career path, current work, etc.) in new writing contexts you’re likely to face in the future, or ones you’re already facing in the present. For instance, don’t do the following (this is the concluding paragraph from a Project 4 draft from a previous semester):
I feel like the things that we have learned in comp 105 can also benefit us in many ways outside of this particular class and in different situations. One situation is if we ever need to give a presentation in which we are trying to persuade the audience to feel a certain way. I feel like the use of the three rhetorical concepts that we learned this semester would be perfect for this situation. Overall I feel as if the stuff we learned in this class will not only benefit us now, but if used correctly, can benefit us in certain situations for the rest of our lives.
The next example (from another Project 4 draft) is much, much better:
The confidence in my writing, the rhetorical concepts that improve it, and the revisions that perfect it, will all help me in future aspects of life too. Specifically, when it comes time to apply to medical school. A major part of the application process is the personal statement. This is where an applicant would write about themselves and why they chose medicine as a profession. Seeing how less than half of applicants get accepted into medical school, it’s pretty clear why I need to sound convincing when writing why I should be accepted. Luckily I’m able to utilize rhetorical appeals such as ethos, to explain why I’m a qualified applicant. I can use pathos by telling a meaningful story about my path to medicine. Knowing to adapt my writing to appeal to the target audience, the admissions committee, will also help immensely. Since I’m better at revising now, I’ll be able to catch any silly mistakes or weird-sounding sentences, furthering enhancing my ethos. So despite my beliefs coming into Comp105, I learned a lot of valuable skills and gained confidence for future college writing classes. I not only learned a lot about writing a persuasive essay, but also am able to apply it when writing papers. These skills will help me throughout the rest of my professional life.
Due next time:
- Rough Draft of Project 4 (get at least 3 pages done)
Rhetoric & Writing I 