Throughout English 101 we have written several discussion boards, replied to others writing, and essays. Thinking back on the class I have liked some of what I wrote and some I feel like I could not quite grasp how to write it. I had several hopes coming into this class. I have never felt like I was a good writer or a strong writer. Both of those are reasons as to why I decided to be apart of the Freshman Academic Seminar. What I had hoped to accomplish in this class was a better idea of what a “good writer” is. However, I do not believe that I personally have achieved that, but I do believe that being in English 101 has started to help me grow as a writer. English 101 has showed me that having less guidelines and more freedom really allows
In my memoir I discussed the passing of my uncle. I mentioned “[how my] life could change from one minute to the next” (Questions left unanswered 1). This memoir has helped me grow more as person than a writer. Being able to express myself in writing like this was unlike anything I have ever written. My hopes for essay number one were to be able to get my thoughts on the paper and really let go of what I have held onto for so long. Personally, I feel like I accomplished everything out of this essay that I wanted too. Yeah, there could be better grammar or I could have said something differently. But to me, this memoir was perfect. Not perfect grammar, but it perfectly reflects how I felt in that situation. I had mentioned “It never comes at the right time if there is even a “right” time” (Questions left unanswered 2). To me this sentence represents how I felt when I found out what had happened to my uncle. However, to some they might just see that the sentence should read “It never comes at the right time, if there is even a “right” time” (Questions left unanswered). To me, the comma does not take away from the
I chose to write about Madeline Bell. Throughout this profile, I believe I had more of an educational growth. Writing this paper, I struggled to grasp what the concept of a “profile” was for the longest time. Through this piece I really learned how to take an interview and use it directly relate it to myself. I believe that is what a profile is really about. In a paragraph about Madeline I state that “Rather than resting on her laurels and being content with the impact she has already made, Madeline decided to make herself accessible to any developing professional” (Madeline Bell 3). Being able to compare myself to Madeline by stating that “While I could have easily just focused on my own swimming throughout high school, I decided instead to take a job teaching others how to swim” (Madeline Bell 3). It took my awhile to figure out the connection between Madeline and I. However, the connection was there all along. We both care. Throughout writing this essay I believe that I really learned how to compare and contrast two pieces. This growth prepares me for what is next, because now I believe that I will be able to write an actual research paper. Coming from high school, we wrote one research paper. Coming into college, I still did not have an in depth knowledge of what a research paper was. This profile has helped show me that a research paper is just taking sources and
As the first semester of my sophomore year wraps up, I begin to realize that I have learned a lot in all of my classes. The class that I learned the most from has definitely been my English 111 course. This class have given me so many opportunities to improve my writing skills. With all of the success I’ve had in this class, I believe I will do just fine with writing later in my life.
Although a personal statement is supposed to be mine, in the back of my head, I was thinking that an admission officer would look at this sheet of paper I had written and base my admission on it. Then I felt that although this was supposed to be my story, it was not really what I wanted to say because the purpose was to please someone else. At a certain point, all creativity was gone and my only goal was to have a perfect personal statement. The need to have a perfect personal statement did not allow me to write an essay that was truly me. I already had my mind set that I was going to write what I thought the reader wanted to hear instead of what I truly wanted. I decided, however, that although the two questions of “Is it good?” and “Does this suck?” Barry presents would haunt me for the rest of my life, if my personal statement was not truly me, then I was getting into schools for the wrong reasons. It was surprising how, for so long, I struggled writing this life-altering essay and when I just let it go, and started writing without worrying about perfectionism, I “…was both there and not there… and the lines made a picture and the picture made a story” (124). I was able to write an essay that mattered to me as opposed to something that was a misguided version of myself.
Before this quarter started I was fairly confident that I had what it took to ace English 101. After the first paper, I realized I was mistaken. Throughout this quarter I have had numerous problems with my writing that proved I needed to do a little more studying to help take my writing to the college level. Although I did not fail any of my papers, there was plenty of room for improvement. All the areas I needed to improve on are all areas that I think every English 101 student should know. I believe that every student at the college level should know how to cite sources correctly, know how to use good transitions, and know how to properly elaborate their examples.
I feel as though this class has helped me become a more polished and professional writer. When I first entered English 110, I was extremely unsure and lacked confidence in my writing. I believe that this point can be partly attributed to the fact that I had always had my instructors holding my hand and helping me through the writing process in high school. My senior English teacher always reminded us that college would be much more challenging than her class was and then she would go on to tell us stories of professors who gave out zeros for tiny oversights within a paper. This combined with general apprehension about college life left me terrified. I had always been a strong writer in high school; I know how to form an argument and support
...t。 Singer Position Paper, I got a very low score. Even so, I still want to praise myself for being brave enough to ask if I can rewrite it, which is considered to be the most important step for my improvement. Then I used one hour to work on this essay after class. At the same time, I signed up for the writing tutor online, used my free time to meet with the tutor and fixed it at home as soon as possible. Above all I gradually improved myself. So, I become more and more self-conscious and responsible for the study of writing which I didn't have enough before.
English 101 is one of the most common college courses in the world. When I enrolled in the class, I was bothered that I would have spend forty hours in a freshman writing class; along with at least another forty hours throughout the semester writing for the class. What surprised me, was that when I began writing my essays I was not annoyed or bothered; I actually enjoyed the assignments. Most importantly, throughout the course of the semester, I have become a better writer and have ultimately met the course goals of English 101.
The first essay assignment of the class was a simple five-page narrative essay about any moment in my life that left a large impact on me. This
When I first entered this class, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be easy just because I 'm not good with putting things into words and explaining myself with proper grammar. I can honestly say English 101 has really inspired me to be a better writer. This class affected me in a lot of ways it showed me that writing takes time and you can 't expect a paper to be great without any revising or editing. That has always been a mistake of mine, I would tend to free write a lot it seemed to be the only way I could get my thoughts processed on a paper. I would forget periods, commas and misspell words without even noticing. I never cared much for punctuation, but once I got into this class I knew it was much needed. The topics we wrote on were not just any random topics which in a way made it more interesting to write about things that are actually important and things our generation should be informed about.
As the semester finally approaches the finish line, I revisit my past work to compare and contrast how this class has developed me into a successful writer at the college level. Throughout the year my writing style has developed and become broader as I have learned how to incorporate more of my personal views as well as reliable, unbiased information. This portfolio is a representation of how many things I have learned along the way while being an English 102 student.
While brainstorming the process essay, I realized my weaknesses and planned better how to strengthen them. I knew simple grammatical errors and transitions were two of the most important ones I needed to correct. So while thinking of my topics to include in my essay, I thought of how each of them connected. In what ways can I draw connections between the three of these topics? Through asking myself this question, I transitioned from the paragraph of agency background to volunteer work with a more satisfying flow (“The Civic Responsibility” 2). While it took me longer to draft this essay, it ended up being worth it in the long run. I felt more accomplished of this paper and when I received feedback that required me to change minimal things; I knew it was worth
The third essay I wrote was a profile essay. The profile essay I wrote was about a particular relationship that was important to me and how this person had an aspect on my life. The person I wrote about was my mother Marie Dean. In the essay I talked about how she has shown me and my brother that with determination and perseverance, we can accomplish anything we put our minds to. Another thing I talked about was how hard-working, strong and intelligent Marie Dean is.
As my English 101 class comes to an end, I have realized how much I have transformed as a writer. In this essay, I am going to explain what I realized my strengths and weaknesses are as a writer and how they have manifested themselves throughout the quarter. I was skeptical at first coming into this class knowing that English takes formidable work and dedication, but I am very proud of the progress I have made. We completed a great deal of work throughout the quarter; from grammar exercises, summary reviews, and two challenging essays. Throughout the quarter I found myself improving in each category. As a writer, my skills and confidence have developed into more clarity and thought, something I have always wanted to be, as a result of a well constructed class that led to a superb educational experience.
When I reflect back to the beginning of this semester I am astonished at how much I have learned. English 124 has been a real eye opener for me. Not only have I grown as a writer, but it has challenged me to become more of a critical thinker. In the class we have read many articles on diverse topics, studied theories of history’s greatest philosophers of education, and wrote various styles of papers.
Language. It is a sign of who we are and where we come from. As language defines us, so does it unite us, but it can also impose barriers that drive us apart. As our society aggressively pursues globalization, individuals who maintain cultural sensitivity and strive for effective communication despite language barriers will be an increasingly important commodity; individuals who can also pass the gift of adept communication to others will be invaluable. On the eve of my college graduation, the culmination of four years ' immersion in language and communication and the beginning of a lifetime of educating others in these disciplines, I feel increasingly the weight of
In high school, English was my strongest and favorite subject. I never had to work as hard in English as I did in math or any other subjects I took in high school. My peers would cram all night for a Literature test we were going to have but not I. I excelled in writing essays about Moby Dick and his white Whale or Beowulf and Grendel. My confidence in my ability to write was always high and when I enrolled at Chattahoochee, I assumed my confidence would not waiver. When I received my grade for my first paper, I was in shock of all the red ink that covered it. English 1101 taught me the skills I needed to have to be able to write a great paper and prepared me for what was to come for English 1102. English 1102 have taught me to rethink my abilities as a writer and to work harder and spend more time on my essays and think outside the box.