Reflection on the Course

English 102 has been an especially enlightening experience for me. Writing will not be a major focus of my career; however, analysis will be a useful tool. Most of the literature I will encounter from now on will be of a scientific nature. Searching for complex meaning and contextual influence will significantly improve my ability to decipher importance, relevance, and meaning in literature to come. I have enhanced my vocabulary through routine thesaurus use as well as interpretation of professional writing and advanced writing from other students. The biggest challenge in this course was developing theses while ensuring they were concise. For more information on thesis development click here. Often, I would try to incorporate excess information into my essays. For example, some of my tentative theses could be divided into separate ideas; each substantial for a separate essay.  I overcame this obstacle by considering the ideas individually and determining which I could make the strongest argument about. Other improvements I have made to my writing include better incorporation of secondary sources and stronger outlines. In addition, I have made a distinguished effort to ensure that body paragraphs have a clear connection with the thesis statement.  

The readings of this class have affected me in different ways. Winter’s Bone was my favorite read and is the closest to something I might enjoy on my own time. Up in the Air was a challenge to say the least. I failed to gather any sense of appreciation for it. The film adaptation seemed to convey the same message, but without the dull and dreary tirades. This is a rare instance where I would recommend a film over a book. Nevertheless, it was helpful to analyze the effect of contextual changes. Good Readers and Good Writers, Bartleby the Scrivener, and A Modest Proposal were mildly entertaining, but more importantly, they forced me to expand my knowledge of the English language and seek deeper meaning. 

As far as the learning outcomes are concerned, I am confident I have excelled in nearly all. The greatest improvement lies in writing focused statements, using organizational strategies, and interpreting/ analyzing texts. A few of the outcomes have improved considerably, but still require attention. These include using organizational strategies, evaluating multiples meanings and perspectives in language, and selecting/ applying a voice. I was fairly proficient with several of the objectives from the beginning such as applying sentence structure strategies and conventions of standard written English. There is always room for improvement and I endeavor to continue perfecting these skills throughout my education. Overall, the course has humbled me as a writer and taught me that I have only scratched the surface of my literary abilities.