In the very beginning of English 101, I was informed that homework will be daily and intense. Be prepared for class counted as participation grade, as well as speaking in class. I thought my papers needed to be up to the standards at the beginning of class because the syllabus set certain concerns by the way it was phrased. I was expected to summit my daily assignments on time and improve on my writing as the semester went by, and I was overwhelmed by such responsibility. That was how I first came into realization of my expectations that were needed to be met in order for me to pass the class.
My journey of reading and writing throughout my life is one started during my childhood in elementary school. Even though reading and writing have been a struggle for myself, I am still continuing to try to increase my reading and writing levels. As a child, I had difficulty in reading. Because of this, the school required extra classes for reading. It was not until my senior year in high school that I wrote my first thesis paper.
I agree that as a result of the way people think, it is difficult to put that normal state of mind aside. I agree with David Foster Wallace in the belief that figuring out how to be well-adjusted is the opportunity of true education. Wallace’s speech has changed my perceptions because after a long school day, I get very tired and just is not paying attention to the things that I need to be paying attention to. His speech is important for its larger implications on the world-at-large. If everyone would listen to his speech, it could definitely change the world.
Using a key word or a phrase multiple times gives rhythm, and power to the speaker’s speech and makes the speech memorable. An oral presentation needs to be repetitive because the audience will forget the key point(s) if it is not restated multiple times. In written styles, readers are able to go back to a paragraph if they forgot a detail. Listeners cannot ask the speaker to repeat during a speech, so the speaker must do it for them. Repetition is also known for creating drama for the audience.
While I do know some of the rules, due to my previous English teachers in school, there is still much that I do not know. But, through the course of this past semester I have learned a great deal about different and new rules. This class has taught me a great deal about writing and how to correctly write an essay. Writing is a system of many rules and is a way for people to express their creativity. This class has given me much room to express myself creatively and gain more knowledge.
At first I wasn’t sure if I was ready to take Advanced Placement English Composition in my junior year but I still did. I was truly stressed that my work would be trashy but my teacher supported me in every way. We also had assignments to see if we understood literary terms. One assignment that I found intriguing was when I had to write things that I carried to school and each sentence had to be a literary device. This was one task I enjoyed because it was time consuming, challenging, and also using my previous writing knowledge to create an entertaining writing piece.
There will most likely be times where I complain and get upset, but I am willing to work through it. In conclusion, the most significant concept I want to improve is putting all my thoughts together and organized into a well written paper. I also commit to putting a larger effort into accepting my mistakes and fixing them. I know this class will prepare me for the future for the reason that my struggle with communicating in writing is not something I can avoid. It is a skill that I will need everyday, through college, through a career, and throughout my whole
High school has impacted my life in so many ways. High School taught me so many things, from personal relationships to creating a relationship with my education. As a freshman, I made a huge amount of mistakes and I regret doing foolish things, but I’ve realized, I was only maturing into the young adult I am today. Freshman year, I was out of focus and I was only trying to find myself. I would also prioritize other things and ignore my parent’s advice, where they would tell me to focus in school and give it my full attention.
There are memories that I will surely cherish and memories that might still haunt me until today, but I will never forget that these are the experiences that transform me into becoming a better version of myself before. I wouldn’t say that I am comfortable being in college. I still am struggling with many things even if I become mature. There would still be times where I would study; times when I would slack off and times when I just want to give up. Juggling the projects, home works, reports I need to submit in every subject is difficult.
Before going to university, I have already been a lover of writing since primary school, all because of a childish reason: I scored high marks in writing exams. However, in retrospect, the real reason why I could pass the writing exams with flying colors every time, was because I always chose the safest topic, and churned out what my teacher likes best within the given time. After having twelve lessons of University English, my perspectives towards writing and learning have changed a lot. In my qualtrics, I thought “One of my major strengths as a writer of English is producing interesting ideas.”, but that was not true, because the first thing I found out about myself from my learning experience, is that the intention and process I had for writing were ineffective. Our first classwork was to write whatever comes up in our mind, which is simple.