Intro
This essay talks about how I grew as a writer in WRT 105, focusing on AI, research, and being aware of how I use language.
At first, when I started WRT 105, I just thought of writing as something I had to do: follow the prompt, hit the word count, and turn it in. During the semester, I started to think of writing as a process that includes making choices, thinking about them, and making changes. I also had to figure out how AI writing tools fit into that process. This class taught me not only how to write, but also what kind of writer I want to be in a world where AI is always there.
One of the biggest changes for me was learning to see writing as a process that happens in a certain place, not as a single performance. Working with my group on the collaborative AI argument in Unit 1 taught me how messy drafting can be. We had different opinions, voices, and levels of comfort with the subject, and the first version of our project showed that. I learned how to move around parts, make transitions smoother, and make topic sentences stronger so that the argument felt like one whole thing. Instead of going straight to "final draft," I started to pay more attention to how my writing went from brainstorming to drafting to revising.
I also improved my ability to write with sources during the course. I had to do more than just read quick quotes in Unit 3; I had to think about what the authors were saying. I had to slow down, summarize each source, judge its credibility, and think about how it fit into the bigger picture of AI and writing skills when I made the annotated bibliography. I practiced putting sources together in the research essay instead of just using them as separate references. I learned how to use signal phrases, explain why a quote was important, and mix expert voices with my own analysis. This made my writing feel less like a bunch of citations and more like a real contribution to a conversation that was already going on.
Another important area of growth was learning to see writing as a form of rhetoric. I thought "audience" meant "the teacher" before this class. In WRT 105, I started to think about who else might read my work and how different groups of people would react to my arguments about AI. The individual argument in Unit 3 made me write for a wider audience, which could include students, teachers, and administrators. I had to change the way I spoke, pick examples that everyone could understand, and make my call to action clear. Making the advocacy website also made me remember that page structure, headings, and layout are all parts of rhetoric. How you organize information can either make people want to read it or make them not want to read it.
This class also helped me see writing as an academic activity that requires honesty and responsibility. That was especially hard because of AI. AI tools can give feedback, make examples, and suggest changes, for example. Misusing AI, on the other hand, can lead to plagiarism or make it hard to see how much a student is really learning. I had to think carefully about when and how to use AI while I was in WRT 105. For instance, I learned that AI can help me come up with new ideas or put them in a different order, but letting AI write whole paragraphs can make my voice and understanding weaker. Thinking about how I used AI in my assignments taught me to be honest about the tools I use and to take responsibility for the work I turn in.
Lastly, WRT 105 taught me how to write as a social activity. Writing in this course was seldom solitary. I worked with classmates on group projects, shared drafts, took feedback, and thought about how AI affects not just me but also whole groups of students and teachers. We talked about academic integrity, fairness, and access, and it was clear that writing happens within institutional frameworks and power dynamics. How students learn to write is affected by choices about AI policy, classroom rules, and grading methods. Realizing this helped me see my writing as part of a bigger social picture, not just something I do on my own.
In general, I feel like I know myself better as a writer after WRT 105. I know that writing is a process, that sources are like people talking to each other, that audience and purpose are important, and that my choices about how to use AI are part of my rhetorical responsibility. I still use AI, but I'm more careful about how I use it and what it can do. The skills I learned in this class will help me in my other classes and after college, especially as AI keeps getting better. I don't want to be afraid of AI or depend on it completely. Instead, I want to keep improving my writing skills while using technology in ways that help me learn.