Peer Reviewing: My Experiences

This week has been unique. For the past few days, I have been working on an experience synthesis paper, my first essay in college writing this semester.  What separates this paper from the rest in the past, is the peer reviewing sessions that have taken place in class this week.  In the past I was never fond of peer reviewing.  I was and still am today to an extent, a shy person.  Of the very few times I ever had to share my work with others, I would often feel embarrassed that the people reading my writing would look at or treat me differently afterwards.  I always felt like I was the worst writer in the class, that I was not good enough. Not only did I doubt my abilities to correctly review another classmate's paper, I didn't see any point in doing the work that a teacher would end up doing instead. After this week however, I can definitely say without a doubt in my mind, peer reviewing has allowed me to connect with my classmates. Peer reviewing helps the reader understand and perhaps get to know a little more about the classmate, whose paper they are evaluating.  The reader may be able to make connections with the writer and possibly form a friendship with them.  I look forward to getting to know more people through peer reviewing in the future this semester.