Final Reflective Report

A freshman college level English Composition course aims to improve students' abilities with writing, critical thinking, mechanics and usage, punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary. By studying English 101 at Luzerne County Community College, I will work diligently to improve in all of these aspects. My main focus is to develop skills specifically to create clear and concise thesis statements, strong and persuasive essays with cajolement, and to develop different perspectives on narratives and other essays. These writing skills may also improve my critical thinking and reading skills.

Like transforming from a caterpillar to a butterfly, my writing style transformed from something mediocre to something quite exceptional. In high school, even when I took advanced placement English and Literature courses, I was never good at writing. My writing would lack structure, reasoning, syntax, and a well-defined thesis statement. My inadequate grades on writing assignments lowered my self-esteem, so I assumed I would never enjoy writing papers because I believed I could never improve. However, since attending a university my writing style has improved far beyond my expectation. My EN 101 course enhanced my understanding of the different ways I could approach my writing. Also, it enhanced my comprehension of outlines to complete assignments. Investing quality time into my writing made a substantial difference because I became a stronger writer. Through the late nights, constant revisions, and agonizing head traumas, I learned that my writing is truly spectacular whenever I incorporate well-defined thesis statements, provide sufficient supporting evidence, and maintain a clear focus in my assignments.

Throughout this course, I was able to assess and evaluate my weaknesses and strengths in writing. This class has truly brought out my ability to write, a skill I did not believe I had. I now know what it takes to become a college-level writer. Also, at the beginning of the course I did not particularly enjoy writing. Now, however, I have a greater respect for

As I look back on my English 101 experience, I have come to the conclusion that I have learned many new things that have improved my abilities as a writer. I have learned some new techniques that have improved my ways of approaching an essay. I learned all about the rhetorical appeals and how to apply them in my writing and how to look for them in a essay written by a author. I have also learned how to argue both sides of a argument, and how to look for reliable sources and to properly quote and site the author of the essay. I feel as if I have become a better writer and my improved writing skills are shown within each essay.

At the start of this course, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had a goal for myself to improve and learn skills that would make writing less daunting for me. I have learned so many things about my writing that I didn’t think much about before. Another goal I had was to break the cookie-cutter mold that was set upon me throughout high school. During the process of revision, I discovered many things about myself as a writer and techniques that have been effective for me in the writing process.

This semester involved many writings that challenged my process in ways big and small. The variety of prompts each had their own details that required me to change perspectives as well as research topics to test my abilities as a writer. The topic that I felt helped me grow as a writer the most was the Personal Narrative. This essays caused me to think in its own way and only after completion was I able to effectively use the methods it taught me in my other assignments.

Throughout this semester in English 101, I have made a significant improvement on multiple things, including how to be an exceptional writer and thinker. English has always been one of my most favored subjects to study because to me it instructs students how to be intelligent, how to become a more creative and critical thinker, and be able to develop ethical values and imagination. You can express yourself more efficiently in English than you can in any other subject. This class has truly made me a more confident writer and helped me express myself in different ways through the different types of papers I wrote. By writing different types of papers I have improved multiple areas of my writing. I have grown as a student in diverse areas such

Proficient writing is an essential skill in all aspects of academic and professional achievement. English 101, Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric, provided the framework to good writing, teaching me composition and rhetoric fundamentals, polishing up my grammar and style, and expressing a clear message. English 102, Composition, Rhetoric, and Research, continued to build on the skills I learned in English 101, focusing on the subject matter research process and employing various rhetorical and literary devices to better express a clear message to the reader. The course also improved my critical thinking capacity, allowing me to culturally evaluate my target audience, present logically flowing arguments using appropriate language and structure, and critically reviewing my writing projects for content and expression. Every writer inherently knows there’s always room to improve and I hold fast to this mindset in all academic, professional, and personal writing projects. English 102 has both challenged and inspired me to grow into a much better writer than before I began the class, providing the necessary skills to be not just a good writer, but a great writer.

Getting my rough drafts corrected by Professor Mays helped me to recognize huge flaws in my writing technique, and improve by trial and error. Another common practice in English 101 that helped improve my writing ability was workshops, because they provided me with student feedback on how my essays could be strengthened. Similarly, the students within English 102 class provided feedback and ideas that I could apply to my papers, which helped me extensively develop my essays.

Growth, I believe, is inevitable when one is compelled to learn and apply that knowledge which has been presented to them. This semester has proved to be a time of development, change, and substantial growth. During my time in English 101 I have had the chance to really explore new genres of writing such as memoirs, rhetorical analyses, and persuasive essays. In this class I have been able to build upon old writing skills and cultivate new ones; and I have also come to recognize what I like and dislike writing about through the completion of the assignments we were charged with. Through this semester in English 101 I feel as though I have had the opportunity to enhance my ability to apply the rules of rhetoric to my work, convey my thoughts and ideas with greater clarity, and recognize the places where I can improve my work through the revising process.

For my winter 2017 co-op term, I worked at KPMG LLP, Canada as a staff accounting in the Financial Institution and Real Estate audit group. Similar to my midterm reflection, I worked in teams of 4-6 people, with various level of expertise including staff accountants, seniors, managers and partners. Over the last half of the work term, I worked on 3 different real estate clients (two public and one private company) working on various audit work such as debt and revenue sections.

My first essay is entitled A Significant Incident with a Child with Presumed Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) Drawing Upon the Critical Reflection Techniques and Other Learning Theories and my second essay is titled In Failing to Answer a Pupil Question Relating to History Subject Knowledge, How Can I Ensure Sufficient Subject knowledge in Relation to the Teachers’ Standards, Pedagogy and Professionalism?

For this final reflection I will go over my goals and explain my outcome was, and my experience in an eighth week History 7A class. My first goal, was to stick to the prompt of the assignments. For, which I believe I remained true to my goal and achieved it. I created a list at the beginning of each assignment to remind myself of the required materials that needed be covered, and made sure to cover each and every item of the list—which primarily consisted of questions provided by the professor, or items I felt were critical to provide detailed information. I read the textbook and other required materials, moreover, wrote notes to point out the main ideas. My second goal was to avoid distraction, and remain focus at all times. This was a difficult goal to achieve. I attempted to hide my phone and avoid listening to music while reading or working on assignments. But, that did not worked, I would

I have every night of practicum researched each of my patients that I am caring for. After I have a better in-depth understanding of their disease process and treatment guidelines I discuss with my preceptor what there hospital stay will look like and entail. This includes x-ray, lab work, medications, surgery and discharge plans.

Throughout this semester, I have learned tons of new information that has transformed me into a better writer and a more critical reader. This class has developed my writing by showing me how to use pathos, ethos, and logos to my advantage. This class has also helped me to understand different readings better by looking at the different rhetorical concepts that the author uses. I plan to use the knowledge that I have acquired in this class the rest of my life. I will use it when I am writing papers for other classes or just casually reading a book. I will be now more diligent about reading with the grain and against the grain to help understand a source better and to not get sucked into any biased opinions. These skills that I have learned in this class has set me on the right path towards a life full of understanding and prosperity in the writing world.