Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Influential writers are able to reach vast audiences through important pieces of work while others write
personal expressions in sealed notebooks or diaries. Although Im not a Jane Austen, I have been able to
become a new writer and develop as a person. Throughout this semester, I have been able to explore my
writing abilities by opening doors to new ways of thinking, and I have gained insight from fellow writers.
I am thankful for how this course has positively affected my composition and how it has given me a
personal, clear style of writing.
As a child, I always read stories of fantasy and fiction filling my mind with extraordinary ideas.
By the sixth grade, I was writing new journal entries, stories, articles, and letters almost every week
because writing had become my passion. As I matured and changed throughout the years, I lost my sense
of fantasy and vision for writing, and I admit that I lost my touch and admiration for it. I lacked
sensitivity towards abstract thinking and putting words on paper. As I entered into English 104, I didnt
know how deep of a hole I dug myself into. After receiving my first grade on my reflection essay, I knew
that I had become a weak writer, and it became a primary goal to strengthen my weaknesses. I was told
that I write spiritually, but I dont allow myself to see any negativity or opposition. As the semester went
on, I believe that I permitted my mind to form to criticism and insight from those around me. I believe
that my weaknesses have improved significantly, but there is always room for improvement. I have once
again gained my passion for writing, and I am back with a better perspective to issues around me.
Learning different perspectives definitely took some adaptation, but I believe that I have
succeeded in gaining this skill from this course. I remember walking into my English class on the first day
not knowing anybody. I was very skeptical of everyone and analyzed the conversations and actions
around me. After a few classes and peer reviews, I learned that the people in my class were incredible.
They all had unique perspectives and angles to writing and life in general. I learned this not only through
one-on-one interactions with my peer review group, but I also experienced this through meaningful,
controversial, and opinionated class conversations. Because my class and I were engaged to discuss
certain topics, my perception improved, and it indulged itself in the differences of opinions that had been
once confined to the corners of my mind. I believe that this was the greatest thing that I learned, and I am
excited and open to expanding my way of thinking through the similarities and differences of those
around me.
By the last paper, I believe that this new skill played a role in how I wrote and researched my
topic, but I am still proud of the work and effort I invested into my previous papers. My first paper, the
reflection essay, was hard for me to write because I had not written anything with significance or deep
meaning for a while. I did not have anything dramatic to write about, and I assumed that my chosen topic
would bore my instructor. After bearing my heart out one night, I realized that this paper described me as
a person and as a writer. I want the reader to see the struggle that I faced in my experience and how I
grew. I not only developed in one area, but I also grew as a person through a gentle, unexpecting
experience. This paper shows spiritual growth, and I believe it allows the reader to take part in the
characters change of heart. My last paper was written about a completely different topic, but I believe it
allows the reader to rhetorically decide what is spiritually and morally correct through facts and research.
I chose to write on the violence of video games because it is a prime example that many see as something
that crosses the line of human principles. I allowed myself and the reader to rhetorically ask if violence in
video games is appropriate, and I gave room to the reader to form a personal opinion. Through research,
openness to opinions, and a strong position, I was able to write the persuasion paper with all of the skills I
acquired from English 104. My last paper is my strongest because I was able to incorporate a new twist
and perspective to my writing.
Although my style of writing hasnt changed too much, I believe the things that I have learned
and picked up from English 104 have made me a better writer. I do not recognize the writer who stepped
into that first English class, and Im excited for the future as a student and composer. I want to continue
writing spiritually but with an improved insight and sensitivity to the things and opinions around me. I
may not be Jane Austen, but I will get there eventually through learning experiences such as this.