I never thought that a semester of college could change a person as much as it has changed me. I think that you would be proud of the how far I have come in my college journey. Last year at this time, I was freaking out about leaving home and being in an unfamiliar environment. When finally came here, I felt out of place and I missed everything about home. Looking back at the first work that I did, to the papers I have written these past couple of weeks, I cannot imagine myself as the person I was a mere 4 months ago. I was too scared to make friends and reach out of my comfort zone. I called you more times than I can remember. Even though you didn’t know it, you were my confidant; my reminder of home. I felt like a foreigner here and I thought that by the end of the semester, I would definitely be dropping out. Don’t worry; this is not a letter telling you that I am in fact dropping out. Instead, this is a letter depicting how I have fallen in love with college. I have never felt more motivated and excited for life as I do right now. I finally feel that all the actions I am currently taking will eventually result in a positive future. I am taking this opportunity to show you some of my work that has led me to this outlook on life.
When I started this portfolio, it felt more like a responsibility than a project I could have fun with. I wondered why sitting down to finish this took so much effort since writing has always been the best release for me. I realized that nothing tied all of my work together. All the papers I have written this semester have been about completely opposite topics. When I finally sat down to work on my first revisions, I found my direction. Reading my very first paper took me back to the beginning of the semester when I felt that my decision to attend UIUC was wrong. I decided to tell you about how I have adjusted to college life through my semester in Rhet 105.
Since starting this portfolio project, I learned a lot from rereading and revising my papers. As I compare the work that I did in the beginning of the semester to the research paper that we recently submitted, I see how much progress I have made as a writer and editor. Class lessons, such as the passive voice one, have helped me improve my overall writing skills, while the workshop groups have helped me edit and revise papers. Writing in college has been significantly different than writing in high school. I have had to better incorporate the criteria given for each assignment. The guidelines are stricter, yet they provide a better structure for my papers. From this semester, I have learned how to incorporate more analysis into my paper. The Toulmin Analysis provided insight on what to add in my paper. Following the 6 steps allowed me to analyze my source on a deeper and more critical level. This semester has helped me make minor, yet impactful, changes in my writing. I have learned how to become more concise with my words, while still adding sufficient detail. I have managed to become a better editor and I have been able to use my peers as a way to improve my understanding of the course material. Although I have come far as writer, I was also able to stay true to my work. I wrote about concepts that were important to me and turned in papers that I felt good about. I used both my old writing style and the new concepts to better my writing to produce revisions for my papers.
I hope that as you go through my revisions, you can also see the progress I have made. I finally can see U of I as my home for the next four years. I am content and excited for my classes. These papers have represented the transition I have made in these past months. Through my writing I have been able regain my voice and express the challenges that I faced and will eventually have to overcome. Please come visit soon!
Love your favorite sister,
Shagun