Reflective Essay Writing

Writing is a practice that most of us were taught when we were young. We were taught the basics of grammar, how to form a sentence, conjunction words, how to write paragraphs and more. Although we have learned this skill while growing up and have used the skill every year after entering kindergarten, this does not mean our writing process will ensure the best work. The authors that I chose each encourage their audience to excel in the art of writing in their own way to help with the writing process.

I learned a lot in this class during the semester. The first project was our learning narrative, it was not what I was expecting from a writing class. I expected we would be writing a many formal essays in MLA format with lots of sources and research. The first essay being a creative writing project was unexpected. At first writing a narrative from my personal experience was difficult for me. I had not written anything besides formal essays since high school. Writing something that was creative and expressive was an adjustment. After a few days of writing I began to really enjoy my learning narrative. I liked being able to express myself and my own experiences and share them with others.

Upon entering English 111, I knew I would be writing papers. However, I did not anticipate how much room I had for improvement. Throughout this term I have been enlightened with so much knowledge that I may have forgotten or have been exposed to for the first time. Certainly, my experience with essay writing has been solidified due to newfound knowledge of proper work citing, MLA standards and the steps of planning an essay. Perhaps, my time away from a learning environment slowed me down a bit, other times I feel as though I have an advantage due to life experience. An online environment has certainly been challenging but throughout the course I have provided solid work and consistent grades commendable of an A grading.

Writing influences the way humans communicate. Good writing skills are essential in the working world and it’s important for our own self. The love for writing creative stories that engage the reader personally feels like an impossible task. After thirteen years of English I’ve realized that English does not come easy to me. It’s important to note that my writing skills have improved over the years. Going into my first year of college, I was nervous. I knew that my writing needed improvement. During my first semester of college, I was able to take the WAC 101 class. This class not only improved my writing, but it also encouraged me to start reading again. I look at reading as a task instead of a hobby, but I know that it can progress toward something that I like to do on my free time. WAC 101 is a class that helps develop a student’s writing skills. To measure the progress, outcomes in different areas of writing are reflected upon.

As a writer, I feel like I am in a constant maze. In the beginning I feel like there is more than one path to take. It can either lead me to success and/or great achievements or it can lead me to a dead end. Writing can be easy at times, but other times when I come to a stopping point I always tend to overthink things. I feel like my choices need to be made right away. I tend to think of it as temptations being called from every different direction. One path will lead me to the finish line and the other path will lead me directly back to where I started, the beginning. When I am given a writing assignment, I feel like the pressure is on. Although I believe writing is a maze and often troubling at times, my competitive nature is always ready to take on a challenge. Throughout my entire life I have been faced with personal challenges, personal obstacles to get over, self-doubt to overcome, as well as experiences that have all shaped me into the writer I am today.

I thought this was going to was going to be easy. With my past experiences of always succeeding, I thought I was going to flourish without any struggle--I was wrong. Composition I was a whole new entity than what I have ever experienced with school. I was so used to always getting the grades I wanted, with hard work of course, but not here. Even with the hard work I put in, it was very difficult to keep up with my grade because of the assignments and essays; however, with that being said, the challenges I found in Composition I have made me realize all I have learned this semester, which was more than any English class I have taken.

Before I came to college, I felt my writing had to follow a certain pattern and be fixated around one way of thinking. What I was fortunate to learn was quite the opposite. Writing does not have to follow any certain pattern, but can rather be structured through many different possibilities. I was also told in high school that my papers either had to agree or disagree with the given topic, even if I believed otherwise. This formulated a very one-track way of thinking when it came to my papers. Now I know that I can let my mind explore new and exciting ideas. I can agree, disagree, compliment, criticize, and question the author however my heart desires, as long as I have the evidence to back myself up. Many authors in the book, Writing About Writing, explain their processes as well as the processes of others when it comes to writing. As a writer, I can draw on my own processes and relate them to the authors, as well as use their ideas and apply them to myself. Through reading, I have learned new methods of invention, planning and revising, and incubation when it comes to writing. All ways I can use to create more meaningful and creative work.

Reflective essay writing has made me realised what thoughts and emotions I have experienced since undertaking this degree. I was under the misapprehension that finding previous study in Aged Care quite easy to complete, that this degree would be as easily achievable. I did not take into consideration what was required to work with my peers.

When thinking about what effective writing is, there is no single answer as to what the definition is. Everyone has their own idea of what the most important aspects of effective writing are. This is why combining multiple people’s ideas into one concrete style allows us to open our mind to other possibilities. In our group, we all had a slightly different ideas of what the most important aspect of effective writing was. Because of this, we were able to combine all three and make a three step process of how a writer should go about generating an effective piece of writing. The three steps are, contemplate, clarify and connect. Good effective writing requires proper preparation to write a clear and concise piece of work which results in the reader's understanding of the point the writer is trying to get across.

Going into Writing 20, I could best describe my writing as alright if you don’t look at it too closely. Grammar mechanics have always been an issue. I have a hard time transferring my ideas from my mind to the paper in a way that is easily decipherable to a reader. Writing 20 has helped develop my ability to, if not fix my editing skills, at least get them to a place where my voice can shine through.

“Perfectionism instills fears that you will never live up to a standard set in your mind or one that’s been set for you by others” (Rosenfeld, 2015). This quote accurately describes my relationship with writing. A significant part of my fears and apprehensions about writing relate to creating that perfect paper. I consume too much time judging if what I have written is good enough for the reader, as well as for myself based on my standards. It is important that I recognize how the value in expressing my ideas in writing could potentially influence others viewpoints. Thus, awarding me the ability to create something I can admire as well. While I do not have difficulty in the writing required in my career, ultimately the goal is to become more excited about the prospect of essay writing. However, stepping outside of my comfort zone in my writing causes an increase in my anxiety due to my expectations of what perfect writing should be.

My first essay, “Positive mind, Positive life”, had many errors within it. I quickly learned I needed to break out of the typical five paragraph essay style of writing. Throughout high school, my typical style was a simple five paragraph essay and to just state all the facts then turn in the paper. The problem with my past essays is they did not include enough details, the papers just stated the facts for each paragraph. In the literacy

I cried, I was overwhelmed with emotion, as I stood there with my fist clenched and eyes red. I realized that this was not the end. I went to yet another session of office hours. I told Ms. Maria that she had made a mistake, that she was punishing me for things that I can not control.

As you get older in life things that you used to love to do when you were little you don’t do anymore. Such as, play with Barbie dolls, or play house, or even play dress up. Well that is not the case in writing. Writing has traveled with me my whole life. Writing was always my favorite thing to do, not only in school but at home during my free time. In school writing was the time of day that I looked forward too, not recess, or physical education. Shocker, right? Writing can change people’s life without them even noticing. I know that because it happened to me. I didn’t realize until I was way older that writing not only has it impacted me, but also, I can impact others by what I have done in my writing.

Coming straight out of high school and being thrown into a college-level English course can be very frightening; much like a mother leaving her child on the first day of school. Except, this time we are on our own. It is almost like we are blindly being thrown into this big pool without knowing how to swim. We are scared and almost unprepared as much of what we did in high school is nothing compared to of what college professors expect from us.