AJ Skiles

Academic Writing
June 12, 2015

Butterflies in my Toolkit
Metacognitive Reflection Essay
The decision to go back to school was one that took a very long time for me to come
to. I agonized for months over the financial requirements and the time requirements
needed to make the decision a successful one. Im getting too old for this shit and I
figured this attempt at Antioch University was going to be my best and last attempt at
finally earning my degree.
I excitedly awaited my first meeting with my Academic Advisor to plan my first set
of classes for my first quarter. When the day came, I was disappointed to find that not
only was my Academic Advisor late by 15 minutes but had also mistakenly entered the
date of our scheduled meeting incorrectly for the following day. So, when she then
informed me that I needed to take two mandatory classes, Educational Foundations and
Academic Writing, the dark clouds of doubt quickly appeared above. When my
Academic Advisor then further explained that the two classes were scheduled on the
same day necessitating a split-shift one class in the morning class, one class in the
evening the dark clouds burst and I left my first meeting with my Academic Advisor
drenched in doubt. Did I just make a very expensive mistake? What genius decides to

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schedule the first two mandatory classes on the same day creating a split-shift? Am I
even going to learn anything?
That was the state of my mind going into the Academic Writing class that first
night. Why do I have to proof that I can write before taking real classes? Arent the
classes Ive already taken proof of my writing abilities already? I mention all this not to
eat up space to make some minimum page length but to better contrast where I feel I am
today verses where I started. What my attitude was going into class, and what my
attitude is coming out of class.
So the verdict? Coming out the other end of the class 10 weeks later, I am very
happy that I took the class. Reflecting back, I did actually learn some very useful stuff
that adds value to my writing. Skills that go beyond becoming a more effective writing
but also to becoming a more conscious reader with sharper critical thinking skills.
Specifically, one of the more useful concepts that I have a much better
understanding of, is Rhetoric. Be it based on Ethos, Logos, or Pathos (credibility, facts,
or emotion), rhetorical arguments are everywhere even in invoices and email. By
becoming aware of the arguments all around me, I have become more aware of the
choices writers make, conscious or unconscious. This awareness in turn, allows me
access to a whole new set of grown-up writer tools, a new writers toolkit with more
sophisticated tools to choose from.
Many of the other improvements in my writing are from little moves and
techniques often gleaned from the weekly Process Tips, Journals Entries, and most of
all the blog. Here is where I thought about writing and the process of writing, really

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analyzing and taking apart other peoples writing as well as my own. Here is where
things got meta.
Tools such as dashes, italics, and hyphens are now at my disposal, as well. When
previously, I would overuse commas and other such inappropriate tools, like a person
using the handle-end of the screwdriver to hammer a nail in. Wrong tool for the job but
it still works, mostly. Now I have access to more effective tools for the job.
More effective tools like Attacking the Page, Reading Out Loud, and Parallelism.
In fact, I employed all three of these practices in this essay. Allowing myself to free write
and vent through my first draft. Reading the subsequent drafts out loud and inserting a
parallelism or two, throughout.
All these improvements combine to make big changes - in my writing and
thinking. Thankfully, the dark clouds of doubt that hung around my head at the
beginning of class, have broken away to clear and sunny skies. In the clearing, in a ray of
sunlight, is a bright and shiny toolkit. Hmmm, I apparently still need to work on honing
my metaphor tool, though. Or is that an analogy?

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