PORTFOLIO: REFLECTIVE LETTER

Progress is the key to success. Without progress, there was no point in doing all of the work because there is nothing to show what I’ve learned throughout the quarter. Being in Writing 101 has significantly improved my writing.

The transition from high school to college was difficult, but it was manageable. High school didn’t ask much of students except to do the work and turn it in. That was all that really needed to be done to stay in good standing in the class. College is a bit different. First, not only does the work need to be turned in on time to get credit, unlike being able to receive partial credit for late work in high school, but it has to be quality work as well. It is also much less structured, which was difficult for me adjust to because I was used to being told what to do instead of me taking the time to figure out how to add my own flair to the work. In the end, I can appreciate these differences because they helped develop my creativity and helped me create a voice of my own within my writing.

Like many of my peers, I was unaware of so many weaknesses I had coming into Writing 101. One of my weaknesses that I didn’t realize and worked until this class, was asking questions in the introduction. An example of this is in my first essay when the first sentence in the introduction wasn’t even that, but a question. I was content with asking questions previously because I thought it would spark thinking and I wasn’t told different, which lead me to believe it was fine. Another weakness of mine was connecting what I was writing with a personal experience of mine. With this class being a combined study with History 121, this was especially hard for me seeing as I’m not too fond of history. This can also be displayed in my second essay where I make a reference but don’t explain a personal experience that connects to the topic. Also, my conclusions weren’t as strong as they could be. I struggled with trying not to repeat myself as well as present new information.

Some things if they weren’t already, became strengths during the duration of this course. I believe some of my strengths coming into this course were my word choice, and sentence and paragraph length. Using the word “drastically” in my second essay demonstrates how large of a scale the ideas and beliefs changed during the time period. Using words such as “hence” and “essence” in the first essay and final exam illustrate the variety of words in my vocabulary. My sentence and paragraph lengths were fine prior to this class as well. I know how I personally get tired of reading long sentences and paragraphs, which is why I try to remember this why I’m writing so I can have a selection of different lengths. I learned and improved in asking questions in an essay and connecting personal experience and interest to the subject. With questions, they have to be answered in the beginning so people won’t ponder on the question too long, which takes the focus off the paper. This class being combined with history also helped teach me how everything is interconnected. In the final exam I demonstrated my knowledge how history is a part of, as well as influences the present.

Prior to this class my writing philosophy consisted of only being able to write when I was passionate about the topic or it had an affect on me. I wrote whatever came to my mind then organized and corrected it later. When writing an essay, I would decide on the thesis first and then brainstorm for ideas. Once I had all my main ideas, I would start organizing and incorporating the ideas into my thesis. Now after being in Writing 101 for a full quarter, my philosophy has changed. I can write about any topic whether I’m passionate about it or not, it may take a longer time to find a connection, but it is possible. While collecting information, I color code all the information into categories, which organizes the paper for me before it is even written. I write all the body paragraphs, letting the paper take itself to wherever, then create a thesis that focuses on the information written. This is much easier then before because it alleviates having to correct either the thesis or the paragraphs because they don’t flow together. With the progress I’ve made in Writing 101 in just one quarter, I can feel comfortable with the minimal amount of flaws I have now, as well as continuously find new ways to improve my writing, to reach my full potential.