Writer’s Journal

December 16 2021

 

Final Weekly Journal

 

One of the main parts of this course that I will be taking along with me will be this weekly journal. I felt that it was one of the best parts of this course as it taught me to keep track of myself and keep in touch with myself, going along with the topic of being more self aware. What I learned about myself is more so about my flaws and what I need to work on. A lot of that is about managing my time wisely as I progress in my academic career. Even though I have done many writing assignments and some research papers before, I think that the research paper for this course was special because I did not only research purely about something else but also myself during the research project. I think that the techniques from this course definitely relates to the bad ideas that students come into writing courses with and as for me, I learned to always keep an open mind to how writing can be done differently. For future ENG 2100 students, I will definitely recommend taking the schedule during the first week seriously and make a schedule that they will actually use and follow through with. This goes along with what I wish I knew in week 1 because that would’ve been a big catalyst to time management in my overall day to day and not just for this course. For student-writers wanting to get the most out of this course, I would advise them to take the time to explore their own thoughts and not be afraid to write exactly how they feel about what they are writing about. Being genuine will go a long way when writing for yourself. As for managing this course online I think that all the instructions have been all laid out on the blog site. I feel like if you go through each page and read through what the instructions and layout of the course is you will definitely have a good time or better time with this course. 

 

1.What went well this week

Managed to finish revisions and autoethnography

2.What did not go well this week

I submitted this weekly journal a week later than I was supposed to

3.To-do list for next week

Finish the semester strong with the macro final on Monday

4.Where you left off/last thing you did

The autoethnography and the revisions

5.How you felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

This week towards the end I did feel a little overwhelmed with my finals being back to back and not having the revisions and autoethnography done yet so I had to pull myself together to focus and get through the final sprint of this semester. I feel good that it is coming to an end and I learned a lot about managing my work and time during my first semester back to school.

Saturday December 4 2021

 

Plan for Revision

 

Analysis Project

Occasion, exigency, and Kairos-

The analysis project was presented with the public perception of professional writing that has always been portrayed in social media with a largely negative connotation. This is presented in how people talk about writers and the characters that portray professional writers.

 

Purpose of my project-

The purpose of my project is to present to the audience about the misconceptions about writers and help shape it in a new light and also address why it is wrong to have that perception about writers.

 

My audience-

The audience for my project is people who are not professional writers and people who may want to pursue writing in the future

 

Relationships between:

I will be similar to the audience in the way that I am a part of my targeted audience. This project could be seen as how I have been presented with a new perspective on professional writing.

As I have mentioned, this project is a way to connect myself to my perspective on writing and how I may have changed my mind throughout this paper.

 

I think that my analysis portion of the project has been effective on how I have broken down the text, but I can definitely include more elements on how I have changed as a writer as I view the misconceptions about writing

 

Feedback from my professor and my peers would definitely help me explore the elements that I might need to elaborate more upon in my revision. The form it will take will be the same format, but I will include more in terms of my own change in perception. This will help add new content and add a new purpose in my project by adding how I have changed throughout the project with my own analysis.

 

1.What went well this week

2.What didn’t go well this week

•   Time constraints due to family
•   Did not get to all of my due dates in time

3.Last thing I worked on

• Autoethnography
• Starting my revisions

4.To do for next week

• Finish the autoethnography
• Finish my revisions

5.How I feel about my writing, projects, or this week

This week has not been the best in terms of my writing and catching up with assignments so it was hard to say what went well in terms of my work. But I will let this help me change what I should focus on for the following week so that I can catch up and give my writing the time it needs

Saturday November 27 2021

 

Letter to audience

 

Dear readers,

 

The purpose of writing this piece is for me to analyze the myth that people may have about writers. These myths negatively impact the livelihood and reputations of writers who put their heart and soul into their profession and I think that it would do us all good if some appreciation can be shown to these workers. The lack of credit they receive for their work also affects their profession and the future of those who may want to pursue a career in writing which is why I believe that it was important for me to write that piece. In the revision I am hoping to organize the arguments of the chapter on the myth better by providing more real world examples that are not just from the book itself. I want to include more information on how myths about professional writers can affect their lives which will provide more insight on the topic overall. I wish to elaborate more on certain aspects of the myth that I did not get into as deeply as I would’ve liked to better present my analysis.

 

Best,

Shi Yu Zhang

 

1. This week I continued to record my time for leisure and work and that has helped me complete more work overall

 

2. This week I did not sleep as much as I wanted and not at the right time

 

3. Next week I will work on my revisions

Macro HW

Studying for any upcoming tests

 

4. The last thing I was working on was my rough draft

 

5. This week got a lot colder so I was feeling a little more down when I went to work for my part time job. My assignments are starting to pile up a little more for me towards the end of the semester and I hope to get through all of them before they become overwhelming.

Saturday November 20 2021

 

Research Reflection

 

My initial expectations after hearing that we would be doing a research project was that doing research on a topic about writing would be somewhat difficult. What questions would I even be able to ask? What kind of research could I even use to relate in terms of writing and academics? Those were the kinds of concerns I had before I started to do my research on the topics of interest and found out that there are more problems to explore than I had originally thought. I didn’t actually know what I would be excited about but as I researched more, I learned about more topics in writing that excited me to learn more about. How writing impacts students’ academic careers and how important writing is to a students academic progress from high school and on, transitioning from school to a professional workplace and more. For research projects in the future, I think that the processes we used during this research project would help because I liked the organization tools and elimination tools we used during this project to narrow down what is important and what is not. 

 

1.What worked or went well this week

• SAM projects
• Started managing my time with a timer and it helped my productivity a lot

2.What didn’t work this week

• Didn’t get to everything I needed to do 

3.To-Do list for next week

• Finish polished draft
• Research for paper

4.Where you left off/ Last thing you did

• SAM projects

5.How you feel or felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

This week I felt good about how I started sectioning my time for work and reward and it drastically changed how much I did in a day. I will continue this in order to improve my progress in what I want and need to do.

Saturday November 6 2021

 

Synthesis

 

I remember that when I was researching how to build my own PC, a whole new world opened up to me. I originally thought that it would be very complex with all the intricacies of the motherboard and the circuits and what not, but when everything came down to it, building a PC was as simple as assembling a lego set with instructions. However, I found out that it was not building a PC that was hard, but the work that goes into finding the parts that go together. The specific socket of the motherboard that will fit a certain type of CPU, the wattage the power supply needs to be. The final list of components that you end up with can be checked with an online compatibility checker just to prevent any mishaps. These are some tips that I found through Youtube videos when I was in 8th grade because at the time it was still cheaper to build your own PC. As the prices of components went up, it became too expensive to compete with crypto-miners for computer parts such as graphics cards. The best part about building your own PC is sometimes the content you see while researching. All the videos on different types of builds, different budget builds, different themed builds and so much more. The variety was endless and once all the parts came in the mail it fit together like a puzzle.

 

 

1.What worked or went well this week

• Waking up early and setting myself up to wake up early
• Event meeting for ZUTS

2.What didn’t work this week

• Didn’t get to all of the assignments and give them as much time as I wanted

3.To-Do list for next week

• Written Assignment BUS
• Acc 2101 homework

4.Where you left off/ Last thing you did

• Macro homework

5.How you feel or felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

This week I felt good that I woke up early for a few days. I also attended an event meeting and I felt good about the group members and upcoming events as well. I hope to do better in the following week on my project and homeworks.

Saturday October 30 2021

 

The CRAAP test

“Most colleges enroll many students who aren’t prepared for higher education” by Sarah Butrymowicz

https://hechingerreport.org/colleges-enroll-students-arent-prepared-higher-education/

 

Currency – This source dates to 2017 

Relevance – The data presented indirectly correlates to the question of whether or not students are prepared or not for college admissions. It is relevant in the fact that colleges are admitting students who are not college ready and putting them in classes that are not college courses but help to catch them up. 

Authority – The author has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Tufts and a master’s from Columbia University. She has worked for the New York Times and has received awards for her work.

Accuracy – The data is compiled by the nonprofit organization and was originally from the governing bodies in each of the states. The data shows graphics of states with students being placed in remedial courses and how much of the students recently graduating from high school is being placed in these courses also depending on the type of secondary school such as a two-year school or a four-year school.

Purpose – The purpose is to educate the public about the issues revolving around higher education. It compiles information that most won’t see but the nonprofit organization that this article is from is most involved in the news around higher education today.

 

 1.What worked or went well this week

The work on my excel project

2.What didn’t work this week

research for my project

3.To-Do list for next week

Written assignments for BUS

Research for paper

4..Where you left off/ Last thing you did

Macro homework

Weekly journal

5.How you feel or felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

This week I took a lot of time off and did not spend a lot of time on my work or writing. The week feels slow and makes me wonder where I am and whether or not I have been keeping up with anything I have set myself to. It has been a week of reflection.

Saturday October 23 2021

 

Invention Strategies

 

My very first question that I want to potentially research is how are writing classes near the end of high school preparing its students for the college process? This can range from standardized testing writing practice and also preparing for college essays, a component that can make or break an applicant’s chances into a school of their choice. 

 

Fact – Personally, I would like to find out how prepared students are in terms of their writing. I remember that my high school was filled with students that obsessed over this area covering college testing, college essays, etc, to improve their chances of getting accepted into better colleges. 

Definition – There can be many issues surrounding this question. Schools may be hurting their students’ chances of better education by neglecting this aspect of writing. 

Quality – The statistics surrounding education in the United States aren’t always representative of this country’s standing in the world. There should be no excuse why a country as wealthy as the United States can’t afford to invest in its future unless there are deeper issues at hand. Perhaps it is cheaper to import talent from overseas as compared to investing in education domestically. 

Policy – From students themselves to teachers to administrators and beyond, everyone should be concerned with an issue that has to do with education because of how intertwined education is with some level of success. You may not require the highest levels of education but certainly a better prepared nation of students will fare a lot better for the country than not.

 

Through using one of the invention strategies, I feel that I have better outlined the goals of my question and I will have a better idea of what to focus on in my research. I can also pivot and switch if I find that the invention strategy proves my original question to have some issues that I can rephrase to have a more concise goal in my research.

 

 1.What worked or went well this week

• I listened to a podcast on attention and mindfulness and it did help me with completing my assignment
• Using the invention strategy for my research assignment

2.What didn’t work or went as well this week

• Oversleeping
• Abusing the snooze button

3.To-Do list for next week

• Maybe try meditating like for a minute or two to begin with
• SAM excel project
• Research for paper

4.Where you left off/ Last thing you did

• Accounting exam prep
• Weekly journal

5.How you feel or felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

This week I finished the assignment that I used my one week extension on and I am not the most satisfied with the fact that I didn’t complete it in a timely manner. I am more satisfied with how I approached the end of it when I practiced to be more mindful with myself when I am doing work and I felt better that I was able to focus on the assignment when I was finishing up.

Saturday October 9 2021

 

Society & History – what history or social norms exist

Going as far back as the founding of the United States, the push for unification and assimilation of immigrants has led to the push for American English to be the official language of the U.S. Benjamin Franklin for example tried to eliminate German language schools and the more recent push by Senator Samuel Hayakawa from California demonstrates the pressure that exists in the U.S for immigrants to assimilate and take part in the country through language in hopes of adopting other American ideas. 

Audience – who is being communicated to (be specific)

Those that are bilingual, who are from immigrant families that may deal with the struggle to remain bilingual in the U.S where adopting English as your main language feels like the best way to assimilate and become an American. 

Speaker – who is communicating (be specific)

Someone from a bilingual background who sees the push for English as the official language and realizes the mistake in wanting to eliminate other languages in our system. 

Message – what is being communicated (just one thing? many things?)

Many things are being communicated about the gift of the diversity of languages in the U.S due to the immigrant culture of how this country was built. The benefits of having all these different languages and maintaining the languages that those immigrant families brought with them as they settle down in America can help those who are multilingual to bridge the gap and communicate through language barriers. 

Purpose – what is the mission or goal

To embrace the multilingual state of people living in America and preserve those languages in immigrant families. 

Context – What is the Kairos/timing/exigence?

The push for English as the official language of the U.S has undertones of nationalism that does not take into account the vast amounts of immigrants that live in this country. The elimination of bilingual programs and assistance to those who are trying to maintain their mother-tongue in a time where 31 states have some sort of legislation biasing American English as the only language. 

 

1.What worked or went well this week

• Having a more positive perspective
• Reading a little more 

2.What was hard or didn’t work this week

• Didn’t double check my answers on my first midterm
• Pushing through a lack of motivation

3.To-Do list for next week

• Study for business midterm
• Excel

4.Where you left off/ Last thing you did

• Accounting HW

5.How you feel or felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

I do think that more time needs to be spent on my project and writing and that goes along with allocating more time to do what I need to do. Pushing through what I may not want to do at the moment in return for more time for myself.

Saturday October 2 2021

 

How do you use rhetoric in your daily life? What messages do you try to communicate? To what audiences?

 

In my daily life I use rhetoric to mainly impact my own actions as I strive to not just to better myself, but rather to not decline. I realize that many actions involving health, and pleasure are prone to bad decisions. Bad decisions to eat whatever is accessible such as fast food, bad decisions to do what is easy such as slacking off, bad decisions to ignore your own health such as not getting enough sleep to do God knows what, and much more. I’m sure everyone has their own list and most might agree with me that we all know what is good and what is bad. But it often becomes all too easy to succumb to the bad decisions because they’re also most often the easier choice. The message is that often the better choice is simply the opposite of the bad decisions we choose to make. Since we all already know what those bad decisions are, we know what to do and this is prompted by the fact that most of us question how we really feel when we are asked how we are doing. Do we say good just because that’s the easiest response? Probably. But that is why I direct these messages to myself and those around me to find out how we are really feeling. So that our actions can be utilized to make us feel truly good just like how we respond when anyone asks us how we are doing. 

 1.What worked or went well this week

• A new beginning for my personal journals

2.What was hard or didn’t work this week

• Staying on track 
• Time management
• Keeping up with habit building

3.To-Do list for next week

• Study for macro
• Work on excel and building new skills
• Start with small habits and build from there. Not even habits, just small actions that lead me to doing more

4.Where you left off/ Last thing you did

• Analysis rough draft

5.How you feel or felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

The week went by both quickly and slowly. It went by quickly in the sense that I rested a lot during this week and it went by slowly in the sense that I didn’t get much done. I didn’t do beyond what I had to do to set myself up better for next week and I hope to just start as small as I can from here on out and build onto that

Saturday September 25th

 

“Navigating Genres” Dirk

 

During my junior year of high school I wrote a play for the first time. We read the play Madame Butterfly and our assignment was to write our own play. I don’t remember specifically if we had any restrictions on what we could write about but I think it was already difficult to come up with an idea for a play especially since it was the first time most of us had to write a play. Before writing the assignment, a few features that stand out about a play is that the characters and setting are laid out for the reader, since the intended audience is supposed to be the performers of the play. What’s interesting is that you can also infuse emotion into the dialogue with stage directions, and depending on the cast, you can get their own interpretation of what to do with the script. I saw this in person because we had stage performers from some organization come into our class to read a few scripts and mine was one of them. It was very interesting to see my script come alive and I honestly thought it was better than I had imagined in my head when I wrote it after the performers used their experience to enhance the dialogue through emotion. Everything we learned about the genre was done through reading Madame Butterfly. We analyzed how the script was set up and how the author outlined the scenes with the characters and setting. What is included in the description of the play must be utilized as one famous playwright once said along the lines of, a gun introduced in the beginning of the scene must be shot by the end of it. 

 

1. What worked or went well this week

• I started compiling a weekly to-do list to check off what I need to complete and anticipate for with due dates and more
• Excel projects went well

2. What was hard or didn’t work this week

• I missed a due date for a homework even though I checked it over on blackboard which is why I started making a list so that I don’t have to navigate through each and every class to find them

3. To-Do list for next week

• Study for macro
• Work on excel and building new skills

4. Where you left off/ Last thing you did

• Weekly due dates
• SAM projects

5. How you feel or felt about the week, your project, and/or your writing

This week I started to make small changes and that may help to improve my workflow for the upcoming weeks. A more organized outline will help me to focus on what I need to work on and prepare for the upcoming exams.