Adam Tran
ENC 1101-0M04
The Man In The Mirror
Since the start of this
class in the beginning of the Spring Semester, I have learned many things that
will help me later on in life. I have learned how to critique others with
constructive criticism, use new technology, and research a community, among
other things. Out of everything that I
have learned, I would have to say that I learned most about myself. This
English class was not like any other that I have experienced in the past. Prior
to attending this class, English mostly consisted of simply reading, writing,
analyzing information, and skills such as spelling, grammar, or vocabulary.
Of course, this class
focused on these general reading and writing skills, however, it took it a step
further. This class was unique and interesting to me because it was not like
the ordinary English class. I am used to strict grading, strict writing
prompts, and specific rules (such as a word count). This class got rid of the
strict and formal aspect of reading and writing, and instead focused on the
content. For example, many of our blog postings required us to read certain
pieces and reflect on them, while others required us to comment on various
questions related to our topic of study. None of these postings had a character
limit. It allowed us to get our thoughts onto the blog without having to worry
if our posting was too short, which may result in unnecessary fluff. If we had
many thoughts and ideas and wished to put all of it onto our posting, there was
no cap or maximum word count, which would possibly result in us summarizing our
thoughts, potentially leaving out information that we wished to share.
The essay contest is
another example of the flexibility of this course. We were not given a specific
essay contest prompt to answer. Instead,
we were given the opportunity to research essay contests that interested us. It
didn’t matter how long, short, or what the topic was (to a certain extent of
course). This gave us a sense of individuality and allowed us to actually be
interested in the essay contest and to be excited to partake in it.
I also learned about
myself through the assignments themselves. For example, the literacy narrative
required me to think about things I had never thought of before. It asked me to
recall my past and how I began reading and writing. Through this, I was able to
learn how my past has shaped me into the reader and writer that I am today. It
required me to recall the ups and downs of my literate past and how it has made
me into the person that I am today.
I also learned about my
own writing process through the process essay. I had never really thought about
my writing process in depth. It was just habit and routine and what worked for
me. After writing the process essay, I truly understood how my writing process
came about. I understood how I tried certain methods that didn’t work, and
picked up other methods that did. It made me realize that my writing process really
is what’s best for me at the moment and built a confidence in my
techniques.
Throughout the semester,
I have realized that my writing is similar to many people in some aspects, and
very different from others in other aspects. Although I have learned a lot, I
still believe that my writing can be improved in aspects such as detail and
organization.
I have realized that an
English class does not need to have a strict set of rules in order to be
successful. I do believe there is a time when attention to detail and proper
English is necessary. However, at the same time, it is also nice to be
evaluated more on content and less on the smaller things. I believe that both
types of classes are beneficial and it was nice that I finally got to
experience the more carefree side for once.
All in all, this course
has called me to analyze myself and see who I am as a reader, writer, and a
person in general. I can take the skills I have learned and use them in the
future when writing. For example, I’ll know what works for me and what doesn’t,
and to write to my strengths. I have enjoyed this course and hope to take my
newfound skills and apply them to my life.
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