Academic Reflection

Upon entering Columbia College, writing was one of my weaker areas. It was very important that I gained the necessary knowledge and confidence to become a better writer. I didn’t know how to express myself and felt as though my writing was not my interest. As a result of taking English 101, I have gained a better understanding on how to properly research and build a satisfactory paper. Every paper that was assigned seemed like a struggle to complete. Before entering this class, I did not know the meaning of a thesis or why it was important, however, I obtained this skill quickly. I noticed that every paper has an argument and the thesis helps clarify the rebuttal. Now, I have a new outlook on writing. It’s a way to express my thoughts and allow others to see things through my eyes. There is no doubt that I still have a long way to go, but I know if I continue to write, I will get better. Just as I developed more skills in class, the various papers assigned helped to better structure the writer in me. In addition, the subject areas were not only interesting, but very informative and made it much easier to write about my experiences.

Like transforming from a caterpillar to a butterfly, my writing style transformed from something mediocre to something quite exceptional. In high school, even when I took advanced placement English and Literature courses, I was never good at writing. My writing would lack structure, reasoning, syntax, and a well-defined thesis statement. My inadequate grades on writing assignments lowered my self-esteem, so I assumed I would never enjoy writing papers because I believed I could never improve. However, since attending a university my writing style has improved far beyond my expectation. My EN 101 course enhanced my understanding of the different ways I could approach my writing. Also, it enhanced my comprehension of outlines to complete assignments. Investing quality time into my writing made a substantial difference because I became a stronger writer. Through the late nights, constant revisions, and agonizing head traumas, I learned that my writing is truly spectacular whenever I incorporate well-defined thesis statements, provide sufficient supporting evidence, and maintain a clear focus in my assignments.

The most important experience that has positively impacted my academic performance is being in AVID for the past 5 years. AVID is an acronym that stands for advancement via individual determination, a college preparatory class that helps prepare you for college, get organized, and set goals. I have been enrolled in AVID since 8th grade learning how to become a better student, improving study skills and the way I communicate with the students and teachers around me.

During the whole process of designing the IMC plan for HP Sprocket in this semester, I have earned valuable experience about teamwork, and I have learned lessons not only from class, but also from the whole working process. First of all, I have to admit that this group is one of the best groups I’ve ever had, I used to think that only failed experience helps people learn and grow. However, this time in a well-organised group, I found that I was wrong, positive experience contributes as well. This essay will reflect what I have learned, and it will be mainly divided into two parts: academic reflection and experiential reflection.

A central part of Rhetoric and Composition classes is being able to understand an apply rhetorical knowledge, critical thinking and reading, the process of creating a paper, and being able to understand source formatting. Throughout this course, I’ve written new types of papers, expanded on my analytical abilities, and have gained valuable information on how to improve on papers that I’ve written in the past. My argumentation and organization have improved greatly by in-class workshops and critical, but well deserved, teacher comments. These skills are essential in writing I’ve learned and improved on many of the goals listed in the syllabus this semester, which will be necessary for my future schooling.

English 1201 has helped me vastly improve my reading and writing abilities. Before this class, my English classes in high school were always difficult for me because I was not the best reader or writer. However, with the help of Professor Morse, my reading and writing abilities have vastly improved. I have never felt so confident in my reading and writing skills until now. The diagnostic essay at the beginning of the year was very difficult for me to be honest. I did not have the best reading comprehension at the time so analyzing what I read in a book and interpreting it into a paper was difficult for me. However, thanks to the journal entries and the amazing advice given to me by Professor Morse of how to improve my writing, I have ultimately become a better reader and writer. It is because of her help and the help of the journal entries, this class has vastly improved my reading and writing abilities.

The first semester in 9th grade is usually very challenging and difficult to go through for many of us. Taking AVID as a freshman was also a challenging experiment to go through. From taking notes in all core classes, doing weekly reflections (D.L.L.), getting grade checks signed, organizing my binder, turing in all my assignments on time, I felt very overwhelmed at first. During the transition from a middle schooler to a high schooler, I felt pressured, but as I moved continued, I finally got into the habit of doing my work and turning them in on time. In my first semester as a freshman AVID student, I have improved in many different areas. Putting effort and time into the works I have done, I feel very accomplished.

Writing for me has never really been my strong suite. In my younger years I feel I was a lot better of a writer, but the requirements where minimal. English 120 has helped me with my writing skills immensely, touching on writing rituals, sentence structure, researched papers as well as a taste of American theatre.

This semester has gone by quickly and within this short time, I have already learned much more than I did before. It is now time to write a Portfolio Essay, an essay detailing what I learned and how I have improved my writing skills in English 102. This semester I wrote four essays: Informative Report, Academic Argument, Academic Analysis, and Proposal. With each essay, I displayed my strengths and weaknesses and improved them through teaching, drafting, and revising. This Portfolio Essay will reflect on the growth my writing and I have undergone through this semester, as well as areas I could still use improvement on, by reviewing my own work.

Throughout the school year, I have continuously improved my writing skills. With the wise advice from Mr. Michael Parker, I improved to make each paper better than the last. At the beginning of the year, I had a major problem with my organization most of all. I fixed up all my other errors in my works dealing with different aspects in writing. This English 1100 course has exposed me to how a good piece of work should be made. Writing is a process and learning the process has helped me to be the better writer I am today. Writing and English are probably my least favorite subjects, but Mr. Parker made the course fun and understanding. Through the peer review, I was able to see how my classmates thought of my papers and I fully discovered how to analyze my own paper so that I can know what I am doing wrong.

At the beginning of English Composition, intimidated by the expanse of knowledge that my teacher had. I was worried about if my papers would ever be good enough because in my earlier years, writing was not a thing I was good at. However, as the semester progressed, I learned that I my writing skills were up to par with college writing. In the end, I realized that my introductions and conclusions had improved compared to high school and that I needed to work on my grammar, development of my ideas, and making sure my main points are developed and clear. Furthermore, I plan to correct my errors by using various writing strategies and resources.

As I continue through my development as a writer, I acquire more and more skills that can make my composition interesting, easy to follow, and strong in its presentation of an argument. In English 102 this semester, I was able to grow my skills, especially in terms of conducting and reporting research, citing that research, and having an organization that makes my writing easy to follow and presents my argument clearly and succinctly.

Writing had always been one of my weaknesses, but when I took English 126 my goal was to develop my writing. During the semester I learned many things which had improved my writing. Throughout the semester, I had to write three papers which needed me to use different skills. Through writing the different types of paper and other activities I was able to acquire those skills. I learned to explain quotes, use correct MLA format, find and use proper sources, and present my writing more smoothly. Even though it still needs improvements, but I was undoubtedly able to learn the basics of all these skills for my writing.

This quarter, through study of the assigned texts; I have learned about concepts such as ethos, pathos, and logos; further expanding my understanding of the process of writing and editing. From a functional standpoint, I have learned more about sentence structure and variance, punctuation, flow and the maintenance of a controlling idea and tentative thesis through the exercises completed this quarter. By reading and engaging with the content of The Little Seagull Handbook, by Richard Bullock and Michal Brody, I have improved my understanding of how to form paragraphs, create an argument, maintain proper tone, understand and present my purpose, properly complete research for an assignment, and present in line with MLA/APA formatting

Since beginning to write papers in English class, I have had countless successes and failures. While many of my English classes have taught me how to improve my writing, I have not learned very much in others. My most recent English class was last year, my sophomore year. My class was particularly undersized; therefore, it gave each student the opportunity to have additional individual attention. Throughout the class I experienced high points, weaknesses, and even difficulties that I never overcame. Overall, my writing skills improved, but only marginally.