Reflection Essay Reflection

I am a Nursing student from Glenburn, Maine and before this course, I had a strong passion for writing poetry and also writing short stories about my life. In my high school English class, each Tuesday would be designated in writing for twenty minutes constantly about a given topic. I found that as a writer, I write the best about topics relating to me personally. However, in Rhetoric and Composition, I was able to learn new skills that allowed me to improve as a writer.  In Rhetoric and Composition, I composed essays about my own subculture, a unique place of importance, and a subculture with little to none previous knowledge of. All of these essays taught me at least one skill that allowed me to grow as a writer throughout this course.

During the course first semester of freshman year in English 101, I have learned multiple foundations when it comes to writing. When I first entered college, the only knowledge when it comes to writing was the basic of gathering a bunch of information on a piece of paper. Knowing that writing wasn’t my strongest suit throughout my academic career, it was challenging for me. Going through my first college class, which was English 101, I realized that writing is more than just putting words on paper. I have learned the purpose of writing and the structure to make a solid concrete essay such as to create the thesis statement to acknowledge what the reader is going to read and a technique to help edit and limit word, together

Coming into Drexel this year, a necessity, I learned was to have a clear understanding of the mechanics for literature composition. I learned that it would mature my writing to a higher level of thinking. This is seen as past experiences in my writing through high school English teacher feedback indicated my writing to be full of flaws. I often would receive feedback on my writing being awkwardly worded or lacking fluidity. The one valuable skill I learned from English 101,102 and 103 was the idea that exposure to different readings, formulas and informal writings give practice, for me to find my own voice in writing.

Upon my enrollment in high school, I joined multiple student organizations. I have been a member of my High School’s marching band, the Sound of Pride (SOP), since the eighth grade and have continued to participate every season. I marched both trombone and euphonium before becoming the Assistant Drum Major as a sophomore in the 2016 season. This past season, I was named the band’s Drum Major, becoming the school’s first junior to ever hold the title. After the conclusion of the marching band season, I perform with the TCHS Symphonic Wind Ensemble for both a winter and spring concert. During the spring, I also perform with the TCHS High Tide Steel Pan Band. I have been a member of both bands since freshman year. At the start of my junior year, I became the pianist for the TCHS Chorus. This year, I also joined the TCHS Drama Club and participated in the club-sponsored One-Act Play titled, “The Great American Talent Show.” Finally, the my sophomore year, I was chosen to be one of the six members of the Georgia Secretary of State Student Ambassadors to represent my high school and Tattnall County. Through this program, my team and I educate our community about how our government works and volunteer at local voting polls and municipalities. I was chosen to be a part of this team again at the start of this semester.

Tight turns of hatred, steep slopes of everlasting joy, ups and downs and all arounds, my expedition in learning the writing process, writing my first short story and flipping my table over in agony have been nothing short of a never-ending roller coaster ride. There’s a fine line between love and hate and writing sits right on top it covered in chaotic sprinkles and a nice, big, juicy manic cherry on top. My first memory of writing had been in the first grade where I took a writing class and learned about the writing process. It was done in a silly way to help us remember, “brain drain/jot list, sloppy copy, neat sheet, goof proof, last pass” accompanied by goofy dances as well as playful gestures. It was my first exposure to actual writing and it did not appeal much to me at the time due to the excessive steps. To a six-year-old having to make a list of what I wanted to write about, have relevant ideas for each topic in the list, make a rough draft, revise and rewrite said rough draft, proofread the rough draft and final rewrite it once more into my final copy, was just too much to handle. Walking into my writing class each day left me with the sudden plop feeling you get when the roller coaster takes its first fall down the tracks. I recall handing cramps, complaints, and whines about a one paragraph essay. It was agonizing torture to a little kid, yet I would have complained a lot less if I knew what type of writing was in store for me at the age of eight.

The book describes students overcoming obstacles as, “overcoming obstacles and challenges, in solving problems, and in adapting to organizational change” (Whetten & Cameron p82). I learned the English language abstractly, which I overcame and I managed and organized my time for work, home, and school. When I come to U.S, I could not speak decent English. Also, I had a young child and I was a single mother. I could not take my child to a hospital without having a language translator. I was actually disappointed in myself for the way I needed support from the interpreter every time. I finished high school in my country of Somalia, and during that time I had learned limited English, but it was not sufficient enough for me to talk with others. After six months when I came to Boston and I started working. I used to try to learn excellent English all the time so I can communicate with others, but it was not easy to me. Learning English is tough when you have children and you are an adult. It was not easy going to school when you do not have money to pay for school. For that reason, I used to search for schools that taught adults English for free. It took me couple of years until I could sign up and study at a community college. I received support from my teachers and tutors so I can learn and understand the language. Today I overcome that obstacle and I’m pleased with my hard work and honesty in my life and in university.

“Poetry is the one place where people can speak their original human mind. It is the outlet for people to say in public what is known in private.” - Allen Ginsberg

When I started high school, I was afraid of taking senior English. I wasn’t very good at writing papers. Once I met Mrs. Jenkins, she made me realize that I was safe because she helped us how to understand "TIQATIQAW". She first made us sit in a circle to know more about us and what we are struggling on because she made the promise about making us a better writer. I've learn that never give up on writing a paper because at the end I will look back and realize that I did a good job with it. I struggled a lot writing, but Mrs. Jenkins helped me a lot and without her I wouldn’t be passing English because she wants us to be better writers.

When I first began taking this English course, I believed there was little left for me to learn in terms of writing. However, after examining an author’s purpose while writing my rhetorical analysis, grouping together evidence in support of my argument during the persuasive unit, and analyzing myself and my beliefs while reflecting on myself in my reflective analysis, I discovered that my writing evolves as I mature and develop new beliefs. Throughout the duration of this class, I uncovered new truths about myself through my writing and I have explored the realm of literature, and its relation to myself.

As a 14 year old reader and writer, I never saw a true significance in the subjects. I would often become flustered and overwhelmed when forced to do a writing assignment. I just couldn’t understand why I was being forced to perform a task that, in my opinion, made no impact on the world around me. However, my Sophomore year, my perception began to change. I had begun taking an Advanced Placement World History class. This class made a big impact on me as a reader and a writer for many reasons. Although, I can’t recall every lesson I was taught during the course of this class, but what I can recall is a much more impactful lesson. The lesson that continues to shape how I view literacy and the modern world.

Organization is one specific tool I have used throughout my life consistently that has helped me become who I am today. When I was a little kid, my mother use to say, “ okay, now help me clean up.” This stuck with me and as years went by, I eventually did so without her asking. I had a place for all of my things. If it wasn’t there when I went to look for it, I became anxious. Point is, at a very young age, I discovered the need for things around me to be organized and tidy. Throughout the course of one’s life, we adapt many practices that later shape who we are. These practices are called literate repurposing. While gathering my research, I came across many unique findings. This character trait has never diminished, and I've repurposed my organizational skills all throughout my life.

As i a still learning i am/did have trouble with this. This time I am going to connect it into one section(I will try and split them up but they may run together)

There is no clean way to gut a dog shark. I carefully held the sharp scalpel in my right hand with my left hand on the belly of a shark. My professor mentioned that my specimen might be pregnant and she wanted me to find out for the class. The excitement and anticipation were palpable in the room as all eyes were on me and my lady shark. Shortly after the first incision was made, I held up a fetal shark like Simba in The Lion King. Everyone’s eyes sparked with awe as they saw the baby shark. There were five other unborn dog sharks and I gave each group one to explore. This lab was very special to me because I became the unofficial teaching assistant. My classmates would ask me to help identify structures and give them tours of organisms. In this lab, I felt purposeful. It almost felt like I was the professor. I cherished every moment in comparative anatomy because I deeply enjoyed getting my hands dirty, working with real organisms, and teaching my classmates.

As life becomes hectic and challenging, being able to manage my time is increasingly difficult. Additionally, being involved in online education adds a layer that requires time, that can be hard to find. Personally, through the use of a planner, eliminating distractions and studying at a coffee shop, has helped me find a way to balance my life.

As Yogi Berra would say, “just kidding I learned my lesson.” I made a lot of mistakes in my first OHSC0 writing assignment, the main one being to keep my essay focused even if it means leaving out what I had seen as comic relief. I believe just this change would have made room for me to correct most of my other mistakes as one of my biggest problems in this essay was editing it down to two pages. One of the main comments about my essay was that I should be, “including clear definition of terms in the scientific process,” and I actually previously had a much better definition for many of the terms, but I chose to cut and shorten them to make room for more comedic quotes. This was clearly a huge mistake and only hurt my essays fluidity and