Throughout this semester, I was able to improve as a writer. I had to use different course learning outcomes throughout the semester. My first paper for writing for the social sciences was the personal artifact Essay. I did not analyze how my necklace was of cultural significance as well as its relevance to my subculture of being Egyptian. For example, I had written about how I had gotten sick last summer because I wasn’t wearing my necklace. Alyssa gave me feedback once she graded my paper that I should have developed that point. So, when I had to revise a paragraph for a discussion board, I choose to rewrite that section. This paper allowed me to understand how even the smallest details can make my writing clearer to the audience.  

           One of the hardest essays to write was the Interview Essay. I had never interviewed someone before and had to make sure that my partner Nathalie’s subculture was clear to my audience. Nathalie helped me understand how Soccer is a significant aspect of her life. I was able to learn how she had to deal with sexism because she was a girl playing a sport people believe is for boys. During the writing of the Interview Essay, I have used the course learning outcome is to practice using various library resources, online databases, and the Internet to locate sources appropriate to your writing projects. I am not a sports fan, and so I had to search up soccer terms that Nathalie used in her subculture sheet. I also had to get interviewed by Aaron on being a Muslim female. I also collaborate with Aaron by having him peer review my draft on Nathalie’s subculture, and I revised Nathalie’s paper on Aaron’s subculture, which was being a part of the model united nations. The interview essay allowed me to become an analytic writer rather than a narrative writer, which allowed me to want to practice writing a story. 

                 The position paper allowed me to use multiple course learning outcomes. The first learning outcome I have used is to practice using various library resources, online databases, and the Internet to locate sources appropriate to your writing projects. Alyssa and Emily explained how to use One search on the CCNY library to find peer-reviewed articles to use in our papers so that we can have evidence to support our position. For example, I had to find sources to show how fanfiction resembled porn but also sources to prove how not all fanfictions are inappropriate. The second learning outcome is to strengthen your source use practices (including evaluating, integrating, quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, synthesizing, analyzing, and citing sources). I have only used MLA citations in my papers in the past, and so I had to rely on the worksheets that Alyssa shared to be able to cite the sources I have found correctly. I also had to use different types of ways to explain the main points from each source that I have used instead of just using direct quoting. The third outcome that I have used is to formulate and articulate a stance through and in your writing. I had to make sure that it was clear to my audience that I was not against fanfiction.  

                    After every Essay, I had to write a reflection where I used the learning outcome to negotiate your own writing goals and audience expectations regarding conventions of the genre, medium, and rhetorical situation. For example, for the personal artifact reflection, the genre was a personal narrative essay as I had to write about how my necklace was of great significance to me.  The exigence of this essay was to show how I got my necklace seven years ago and how having the necklace allowed me to become more confident. The purpose of that essay was to show how my necklace was my artifact and how it related to me being Egyptian and how it might not seem like an artifact to other people. The audience for that paper was Alyssa, and my peer reviewers, Justin and Shamina. The context for that paper was about why I choose to use a necklace as my artifact. The goal for that paper was that my essay would be clear and organized so that my audience would be able to understand why I choose the necklace as my artifact.  

                              Taking writing for the social sciences allowed me to develop my writing skills in just four months. By writing about what surprised, intrigued and disturbed me, I was able to learn more about how the authors were able to explain their subcultures and positions so that I as a reader can be able to understand what their stance was. Due to the discussion boards and the papers I have worked on this semester, I realized that I do enjoy writing and may want to work on a small story in the future. I believe that because I enjoyed having Alyssa as my professor, I was able to work hard and turn in everything on time. 

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