What Made English Interesting to Me: A Reflection

The challenging component this semester was the transition from high school English reading and writing level to college level. It is mainly because High school writing did not have many expectations from students, its main focus was on the ideal five-paragraph essays. As compared to college, writing is mainly geared and focused on one’s ability to thoroughly answer the assigned prompt. Initially, I was not sure if I was capable of handling a fast-paced course, however, I quickly adjusted to the change and I am glad that I chose to stay. In English 10, I have learned many valuable elements that I can incorporate into my everyday writing. I have included my writing from project 2 a rhetorical analysis on, “Black Lives Matter”, which effectively demonstrates my growth as a reader, thinker, and writer.

This English class was the best English class I have ever had. There were no tests, vocabulary quizzes, or in class essays, which made the class less stressful. Before this English class, I was afraid that I would not enjoy writing many essays or writing so many words in one paper. Afterwards, essays have become something that is not so much my favorite task in the world, but it has become more enjoyable to an extent. Professor Sullivan’s class has taught me to formally write a research paper, to analyze a book through responding to different quotes from the story or novel, to understand magical realism, and to understand my own passion for school and how much effort I will be willing to put out in years to come.

Students who are enrolled in Dual Credit English 1301 are expected to write suitable essays. Unfortunately, students struggle to understand what a good essay consists of. After doing research and analyzing This I Believe narratives, the one that stood out to me the most was the personal narrative, “Always Go to the Funeral” by Deirdre Sullivan. Sullivan’s use of rhetorical devices such as, anecdote, diction, and pathos, make the article an effective essay that students can analyze and use as an example to follow.

As the semester comes to a close, it is always interesting to look back and reflect on the events and opportunities my English class has given me throughout my first semester as a whole. At the beginning of this semester it was evident that I was feeling uncomfortable due to the adjustment that I was going through as a student moving to college. It was very difficult expressing myself through my writing since I was nervous about good impressions and my good grade. While this class was one of the most difficult courses that I have taken this far, it has become quite evident to me that I have grown a substantial amount as a writer and as a person; Especially, when it came to explaining my ideas, writing academic essays, and making arguments.

For this assignment we were asked to write a memoir about a significant event in our life. We were graded on our ability to create an engaging opening, write a powerful storyline with a complex self-awareness, and create a piece with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It was expected that we followed MLA format and at least two pages long. For my memoir I wrote about a time I injured myself. I think the main purpose of the assignment was to get us to think about how events in our life impacted who we are today. It was also meant to encourage us to analyze how we reacted to a certain situation and why we reacted in the way we did. Overall it was meant to help us analyze who we are as a person and better understand how we came to be that

This piece allowed me to use personal stories, and discover quotes by notable individuals. Quotes are articles that make me extremely content. The fact that I was sanctioned to start the essay with a quote about love, and mention two individuals who are important to me made it easier to process sentences onto my paper. Also, this essay had a basic three paragraph format, so that familiarity created a smooth working process. When my environment and tasks are personal and relatable, my stress is relieved and I am forced to smile, making the Prairie Meadows Scholarship Essay paper the easiest to

The writing of my college essay was quite a process. Normally for me writing comes rather easy, I do not struggle putting my ideas on paper. At first I thought that this essay would be simple to do and not be very stressful. It turned out to be quite the opposite in fact, just brainstorming was a struggle for me. It was difficult for me to think about my life and how it is special. To me, the events that have shaped me do not seem that relevant, at 18 I had never really payed much attention to how certain things affected me, I just lived my life. eventually , with the help of Mary, I came to the realization that having my summer taken away from me due to a broken foot had really changed my life philosophy, it truly changed who I was and my outlook on life.

I only had fifteen minutes left. It was then that I understood that this essay would not be perfect. In fact, it would most likely be disorganized and flawed, but, regardless of the outcome, I would have to write. With this realization, the weight of perfection lifted off my shoulders and it was strangely liberating to know that I would not be able to meet the impracticable standard I had set for myself. The unmarked page seemed less of an adversary and more of a companion as I began to write. At first, my words came slowly and laboriously. Then, they came all at once. One sentence led into another until sentences formed paragraphs and paragraphs formed an essay. When the proctor rose, considered us with practiced sympathy, and told us to put our pencils down, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was simultaneously filled with relief and self-doubt. I had completed the essay, but, in the process, I had compromised an aspect of my identity that placed faultlessness above all else. In the past, I had seen that part of me as an asset, but on that day, it seemed unpleasantly clear that it was my greatest weakness. As I slowly unfurled my stiff fingers, I considered the now empty desk in front of me. Perhaps perfectionism is as much of a hurdle as it is a

This year has been a long one. With all the trials that Mr. McGee has thrown at me, I’m surprised that I have made it this far. I will reflect on the work that have completed, and self evaluate myself on what I did well and what I could have done better. Throughout the year, my strengths have been not failing the class, my weaknesses have been the essays, and the work that I could have improved on was studying.

Sylvia, from “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, and I have experienced a very similar realization of our naivety. The good grades came easy in my high school English classes. I assumed they would in English 1102 as well, but I could not have been more wrong. This class has been especially trying, but I can honestly say that I have grown as a result of it. The unexpected bad grades I received influenced me to fully grasp and understand the errors I made throughout my essays, in order to create clear works that exhibit all of the necessary requirements. I intend to portray my strengths and weaknesses in my portfolio by specifically discussing my complications with introductions, generalizations, and grammatical errors.

The Personal Narrative essay was an assignment that I not only enjoyed but also learned from. The first person perspective was an aspect that I found easy to write with but the pathos aspect was something that I struggled with a little more. The emotional nature of this topic

This semester I learned a lot about writing in English 151. It has been a roller coaster ride with these essays for me this semester. I learned step by step how to write a good essay and how to have your readers be engaged in what you’re trying to tell them. Each essay I did has taught me something valuable I can take to the next level of English. I feel as if as the semester went by I did not take my writing that seriously and that reflected in my grades I received in each essay. It made me a better student and writer and it will reflect next semester. In this essay, I will reflect on what I learned throughout this semester that you should apply in your writing when you begin English 151.

In the first paragraph I was attempting to illustrate the moment and gather the memories from that day into a few short sentences. The words I chose and the way I organized my paragraph was in hopes of reflecting the nostalgia that I was feeling while looking at the picture. There is also a strange feeling that I felt while looking at the picture, because it defines a moment that now feels as if I had imagined it. Therefore, while writing my personal essay I felt the need to recover this and other misplaced moments. The entire concept that a previous self may be a stranger to me is something that I feel needs exploring, although I also felt, while writing, that there are certain fundamental aspects of a person that never change. After rereading my essay multiple times, I am pleased with how I was able to achieve my goal. Although I feel as if I could have used more detail to describe myself then, in that particular moment, I believe that by describing what has changed over the course of the years proved to be just as effective. From the beginning of the essay through to the end, it is easy for readers to track the progress I have made from an elementary school student to a high school student. Each paragraph I began to develop a little more as a person and student which then lead me to succeed in my first few weeks as a

I have been writing since I have been in Middle School. I have realized that by college it was easier for me to write down my thoughts in order for me to remember what I have said or done. Writing out my thoughts gives me a sense of recollection, knowledge, and pacification that gets me through my day. I pictured writing to be as simple as jotting down a few sentences, but as I got farther in school I realized that there is more to it than just writing sentences. English has been my most difficult subject I have ever endured, but I have somehow been managing to make excellent grades and achieving all requirements. First in the essay, I will discuss my experiences in the English life that I’ve taken so far up until college. The second part will list my struggles in creating a thesis, a work cited, and properly citing my sources used in the papers.

Since the beginning of the semester, my writing has changed and evolved to accommodate and sustain longer essays. With longer essays, there is more room for in-depth analysis. Further analyzing a topic has led me to findings that I did not know existed. As I continue to write, I uncover addition and superior methods to approach my writing to the benefit of me and therefore, my audience. Throughout the semester, I have incorporated techniques to further my narrative throughout my writing.