English 101 Reflective Essay

As I look back on my English 101 experience, I have come to the conclusion that I have learned many new things that have improved my abilities as a writer. I have learned some new techniques that have improved my ways of approaching an essay. I learned all about the rhetorical appeals and how to apply them in my writing and how to look for them in a essay written by a author. I have also learned how to argue both sides of a argument, and how to look for reliable sources and to properly quote and site the author of the essay. I feel as if I have become a better writer and my improved writing skills are shown within each essay.

English class has been a major part of the curriculum in every grade that I and every other student have braved. Some classes were more engaging than others, but in all of them I learned something about myself. Few, however, have affected me like my most recent English class, English II. English II brought to light my successes and failures as a student. In English II, I overcame a difficulty, discovered a difficulty that I still have today, and rediscovered a passion for reading.

In English 101 there are several aspects of writing that I did not get to explore in high school. In this class we were given freedom to write our stories without harsh guidelines that twisted our creativity. I have learned how to absorb information and transfer it to paper in a style to keep readers engaged. I am able to reflect on my writing process and critique my problems. This class has given me skills that I can put into practice in the future.

The Fall Quarter here at Bellevue College has helped me increase and further enhance my writing capabilities. Having to forget all my past knowledge in high school level writing was challenging but necessary. In the past, my writing never had the opportunity to progress. My high school essays were all carbon copies of each other. I would do the bare minimum and not put any effort into my writing, but still I would somehow receive a passing grade. The majority of the time I would wait until the night before the essay was due to start it. It would usually take me less than three hours to complete a paper. I became more focused on doing exactly what the teacher wanted than working on developing my style and enhancing my writing skills. After taking English 101, I have learned that writing is a process and I can’t write an essay the night before it’s due and expect a satisfactory grade. Taking English 101 has led me to think more critically towards my writing and others, develop style and tone, and learn how to use collaboration to my benefit.

There were a plethora of course materials I have learned in the Fall Quarter of English 101, such as: punctuation, critical thinking, how to carry out a proper seminar discussion, how to properly use journals to better retain course materials, and writing tools such as outlines. All of which I believe will help me excel as a college student, and as a person.

I have been a student at California State University Channel Islands (CI) for 5 semesters, and over the course of my stay I have grown and learned more that I thought possible. I came to this school from Moorpark Community College already knowing that I wanted to be an English teacher; I had taken numerous English courses and though I knew exactly what I was headed for-was I ever wrong. Going through the English program has taught me so much more than stuff about literature and language, it has taught me how to be me. I have learned here how to write and express myself, how to think for myself, and how to find the answers to the things that I don't know. Most importantly I have learned how important literature and language are.

When it comes to work, most of my “work” is comprised of personal projects or school work--I don’t have a job in the sense of something that will make me money. I work best when i am told exactly what my tasks will be and when I have to do them. I can do self directed work, but it is harder for me. I think it’s because when there is someone who is telling me that a certain task is essential, I am afraid of what will happen if I don’t meet the deadline, whereas I don’t scare myself as much. As for the the specific kinds of work I like to do, I enjoy working with both my hands and my mind equally. I don’t enjoy super labor-intensive jobs, but I like jobs where I still get to create something. That said, I also need proof that what I am doing is actually productive, and worth something. What I make does not have to be a physical object, but I wouldn’t be able to stand a job where I know what I do might not even be used.

Having bestowed with the responsibility of Accountancy managerial in Southwest airlines, I was tasked with overlooking after all accounting operations in the organization. As an astute manager, I had to observe the contributions of the non–managerial employees as an important contribution that can facilitate the success of the organization. Thus, I took the necessary steps and measures to recognize and consider the efforts of all employees in the organization. This is one of the philosophies that drove me as an accountancy manager in the Southwest Airlines. My philosophy of management was partly derived from the Bolman and Deal philosophy where Harris had quoted a question on how much a

and I found it really challenging. We were divided into 4 to 5 groups in the first seminar

I am ready for English 111, because I am ready for a change. To be more specific, I amready to challenge myself. In life there comes a time where you get bored of staying stagnant.Once you get bored of staying still, your inner self will have an urge to achieve more. I want toachieve a goal. Imagine a younger child, playing basketball, and they wanted to be able to touchthe net. Then they are finally able to touch the net, so they set another goal to touch the rim.After a year of hard work and dedication, they succeed that goal and set a new one to dunk. Inlife, it is crucial to set goals for yourself so that you are able to keep striving. I am ready to set agoal for myself this year and this goal is to grow as a writer. I am determined to reach thatgoal.I took English 111 to gain more experience. You will improve with determination. I choseto take English 111 online for a few reasons. I knew that taking an online course means you willneed to be incredibly organized and dedicated. I was confident that I would be able to attain thequalifications of this course. The idea of taking an extra class online sounded fantastic in thesense that I could push myself to be my absolute best. I am certain that I am ready for English111 because I want to challenge myself, I am capable of writing at a more advanced level, andmy writing has matured.I want to be someone who has the personal satisfaction of knowing they have challengedthemselves to grow. English 111 will provide me with ongoing

As an incoming freshman, there is such a multitude of things running through your head. Am I going to pass, will I be able to fit in, what if I embarrass my parents. As the first day of classes was underway Dr. Challender’s class was my second class on that Monday. Immediately when I sat down and began to have a conversation with him I knew that this was going to be a very inspiring and beneficial class. Throughout my high school career, I was the student that constantly took AP classes which included English. English has to be one of the most intricate and important subjects within every curriculum. I feel that every writer has its flaws and that with instruction and guidance you will be able to advance your writing skills. Dr. Challender uses a plethora of ways that allows young millennials such as myself to achieve greatness within our writing. Personally, I had flaws in my writing skills that consisted of repetition, grammatical errors, and/or a clear understanding of the paper.

I never imagined I would return to school after completing and earning a teaching certificate in Language Arts in 2000. For some time after completing school once and for all, I enjoyed telling others, “I don’t have to go to school. I choose to go to school.” A sense of relief entered my life afterwards; it wasn’t until a few years ago that the regret of never returning for my Master’s in English really began to trouble me. The internal conflict of spending hours studying, sacrificing my family and personal time again versus doors of opportunity opening, a promotion and self-satisfaction rested on my shoulders like an angel and the devil until I could no longer ignore it. Today, I find myself once again studying, preparing, writing, and looking forward to holding this degree in my hands and an overwhelming emotion that makes my eyes tear up now. Although I see a person with boundless satisfaction at the end of this journey, I must cross the first of many bridges along the way.

Writing doesn’t always come easy for me, considering that English is my second language, my writing isn’t  the best. In order for me to get better, I took English AP courses in high school that encouraged me to stand at a college level and be prepared for essays comparatively to this one. Although I know I need a lot more improvement for my writing skills, I am taking writing way serious than what I did my previous years. I am willing to learn and get the best out of this course. There are many reasons why I write, but the main reason is that “writing is everywhere” oftentimes is not my favorite thing to do, but doubtless is the most extensive and essential.

The second my foot entered the classroom, I knew for sure that I made the right decision. Precedently, everyone told me that I was too stupid, even dumber than a pig, and had surely no capability to succeed in the program. I refused to listen, and decided to try it out. At this point, I never thought of French Immersion in a way that it was. Believing it was merely an intense class to learn a new language, I discovered it was way more intriguing than anyone had anticipated. Every student endeavored to catch on to the pile of fresh vocabulary we have never seen before, and it was beyond any doubt, everything but a piece of cake. Nonetheless, with immense encouragement and cheers from the new teacher, my new friends and I were soon set off to an adventure in Quebec, where we each stayed with a Quebecois family to intensify our french skills. It was my first time ever staying more than 8 hours without my family, over 3000 Kilometers away from home. I was utterly terrified, but something in my gut told me I had to go, and thankfully, I will never regret taking on that challenge. As my jiggly-jello-like legs led me off the turbulent plane ride, my heart pouded in nervosity, afraid that my host family would abhor me. By surprise, in the blink of an eye, I already found myself crying of laughter along with my exchange twin and her welcoming family, wiping away my worries. I never imagined to be as contented as I was without being in the comfort of my own home, especially to care

The reason I decided to get a degree in English is so I can go to law school, and in order to do that I know that my writing skills need to be far beyond good. In my English 202 class I did well on both inward and outward looking theories, but didn’t necessarily perfect either. Going forward in the major I would like to focus on perfecting both types of theories by taking advantage of the resources provided to me. Although I had a clear understanding of all theories when it came down to writing my essays I didn’t execute my papers to their full potential. I would like to be able to use the feedback given to me more efficiently in future English courses. But although I was able to understand all theories, there was one theory which I did not enjoy at all, linguistic discourse analysis. However, there was a theory which I fell in love with, Marxism. Overall, I think I did well in the class, but I plan on striving to be able to write much better as I move on in the major.