English 102 Reflection Portfolio

This assignment is where my project officially began. It helped me narrow down my topic, shape my guiding research question, choose the disciplines I needed to look at, and start collecting my first sources. This was the moment when my ideas stopped being scattered and turned into a clear direction for Project 1. It set the foundation for everything that came after.

Revision became one of the biggest lessons for me this semester. When I started working on the annotations for Project 1, I realized how much I needed to slow down and look at my writing with clear eyes. I wanted my project to be accurate and well supported, and I cared enough about the topic that I did not want to submit something halfway done. I actually ended up doing the project twice because I wanted to make sure my annotations were correct and that every source was used the right way. That alone taught me how real revision works. It is not just fixing small mistakes. It is being willing to start over when something is not working.

While writing the annotations, I saw where my explanations needed more detail and where I needed to strengthen my reasoning. It also showed me my own patterns, like where I repeat ideas or where I need clearer transitions. This artifact represents this goal because it captures the moment where I learned to make meaningful changes and not rush the process. It shows how revision helped me produce stronger work and trust myself more as a writer.

For this goal, the assignment pushed me to communicate in a completely different way. Instead of writing a traditional paper, I had to create an infographic that blended visuals, layout, color, and short pieces of text to get my point across. At first it felt strange because I am used to explaining everything in full paragraphs. But once I started designing, I realized how much clarity and intention goes into choosing what the audience will see first, what information needs to stand out, and how to keep the message clean and direct.

The writer memo helped me slow down and explain the choices I made. It made me reflect on why I placed certain information where I did and how I wanted the infographic to guide the reader. I had to think about the audience, the tone, and how to keep the design professional without overloading it. This assignment taught me how meaning changes depending on the mode you use and how visuals can carry just as much weight as words. These artifacts represent this goal because they show how I learned to communicate through both design and writing, and how I adapted my message to fit a new format.