Samantha Collins

S. Hughes
1 May 2019

Cumulative Reflection Letter

Dear Future Student,

If you’re reading this letter, then that means you’re currently taking English 125 with the
best professor Sarah Hughes. English 125 is a great class, and you’re lucky to be taking it with
such a great professor. So far, the only thing you’ve probably done is look at the syllabus and
coursepack. It may seem like a lot of assignments, but the workload for this class is lighter than
most. Also, Sarah is very understanding when it comes to asking for extensions on
assignments. She understands that things come up and doesn’t want you to have to stress over
assignments. She is a very fair grader and makes the class very enjoyable.
The two most interesting concepts I learned about over the course of the semester were
distinguishing the difference between a personal essay and a narrative-based argument as well
as learning how to close read a piece of writing. I now understand that the difference between a
personal essay and a narrative-based argument is that a personal essay focuses more on
reflection and personal growth, while a narrative-based argument emphasizes the elements of a
story in order to bring the overall experience to life. You need to do more showing than telling to
allow the reader to see what you’re doing in the crucial moments you’re discussing. Details
include where you were, what you were surrounded by, and your actions in your chosen
essential moments. The reader should be able to feel like they were in that particular scene with
you.
Over the course of the semester, we’ve focused on reading like a writer. During the close
reading unit, I learned that reading like a writer entails digging deep below the surface when it
comes to close reading. You not only need to understand the main ideas of the writing but the
reasons for which a writer chooses to or not to include something and why a writer uses a
particular form of language. You must pay attention to every single detail and reread the piece
numerous times to make sure you genuinely grasp everything the writer is throwing your way.
This unit has changed not only my reading process but my writing process as well. Throughout
this process, I have gained a better understanding of how to produce effective academic writing.
I have learned to make my writing more thoughtful, purposeful, and analytical.
One aspect of the course I really enjoyed was the peer feedback process. For every unit,
we were put into groups of 3 or 4 students and were given the opportunity to both give and
receive critiques on our writing. If you’re worried about this being as useless as it was in high
school, don't worry. I actually found this process to be extremely helpful as everyone in my class
took it very seriously. Some trends I have perceived in the feedback that I received about my
writing are to spend less time reflecting and summarizing and more time analyzing and trying to
find the more significant meaning. From reading and responding to my classmates’ work, I was
exposed to their new perspectives on a variety of topics as well as different writing styles which I
have tried to incorporate into my own writing. I also enjoyed the ability to ask Sarah for feedback
as well before handing in final submissions on assignments. She went out of her way to make
sure every student had the opportunity to meet with her if they wanted to, even if they couldn’t
make it to her office hours.
If I had to give you one piece of advice, it would be to choose the topics of your
assignments carefully. Choose arguments or stories that you feel strongly and passionately
about and write about them in a certain way that makes your reader feel as strongly and as
passionately about the topic as you do after reading your work. If the author doesn’t seem to
care about the issue, then why should the reader? That being said, I’m sure you will find this
class as enjoyable as I do. Good luck with your assignments. I hope you enjoy your semester.

Former Student,
Sammi