Over the past four months, this class has been one of the most vigorous, yet most helpful classes that I’ve ever taken. This class has helped me grow tremendously! Working with the different discussion boards, annotated bibliographies, and essays has provided me with the chance to think outside of the box and take what I would normally do and go beyond and above. English 111 has done many things for me, including; helping me learn from my mistakes, guiding me to use time management better, and increasing my ability to research and write correctly.
In high school, we were always treated like children. Teachers extended deadlines, we received reminders to study and there were no given responsibilities. We were also provided with thorough instructions and if that wasn’t enough, they basically showed you how to do the task given. If we even thought about making mistakes, they would fix them for us, ultimately making us too comfortable and avoiding the fact that we are supposed to make and fix our own mistakes. As a result, a good percentage of those after graduation have no clue what to do when they make their first mistake and are expected to fix it on their own. When I first started in this class, I was fixated on the fact that my English was perfect, so I didn’t change anything about my writing. However, I quickly figured out that the standards for this class, were much higher than what I was used to. The first test was on Researching News Media, for which I received a sixty-eight as my grade. From that moment on, I knew I had to be responsible and actually work for a better grade. I definitely learned from that failure, and now I’ve passed every following assignment in this class. One of my high school teachers explained to me that the grade norm in college is much different than that in high school. For example, when you get a “B” or “C” in high school, it seems like the end of the world. However, a “B” or “C” in college is considered pretty average, and if you get an “A”, you’re unbelievably on top of your work. Obviously, don’t settle for average, go beyond that and exceed your own expectations. I believe that college courses are intended to be difficult, simply because they’re familiar with high school teachers being more lenient. It’s completely normal to fail your first test or quiz, because like I stated earlier, the workload and expectations are higher than they were before students moved from high school to college. The only important thing is that you take credit for your doings and learn from your mistakes.
Another advantage of taking this class would be time management. Before this class, I would start working on my assignments right before the due date. I’ve always been very good under pressure and I actually kind of like the feeling of being rushed, because that’s when my best work is done. Considering that my workload is steadier now than what I’m used to, it’s far more difficult to wait until the last second, especially when you have at least two things due for every class on Sunday night. So now, on every Monday night, when the week is posted, I sit and plan out in my agenda what assignments I will be doing on what days. This is helpful to me because with work and my night class, things tend to slip through my fingers and I forget about them. Another way I plan things out is, even when I have an assignment that does not require an outline for grading purposes, I make one anyways for a guide of what and how I’m going to complete the given task. Honestly, this class has made my life a lot easier because now, I’m not frantic when it comes to planning and getting things done. I don’t fret that I won’t make a specific deadline because I usually already have it done in the beginning of the week, so when the week is over, all I have to do is submit it. By doing this, it has helped me so much not just educationally but personally. I feel more in control of my life and less stressed about situations, that would normally cause me to panic.
Out of everything this class has taught me, the biggest achievement would have to be that my ability to write and research has grown drastically. Like I stated in the beginning, the first essay I wrote in this class definitely was a huge hit in the face. After that, I looked through different student examples that you provided and I also found some on my own. In high school, annotated bibliographies were always very challenging to me. I never liked to read the long articles and then summing them up were even worse. However, with these articles, there’s no way possible you can just skim over paragraphs. You actually have to put in the effort and read, or there is no way you’re going to get an accurate representation of the article as a whole. It was very time consuming and it took me at least seven hours to write my annotated bibliography for our argumentative essay, but I received one of the highest grades in the class, so the pain was definitely worth it. Like I stated earlier, the grading system is much different than what my generation is used to. So I feel very accomplished knowing that my grade is a ninety-four and on every paper I’ve made an A plus. Writing has become more of a second nature to me and I have this class and Mrs. Keffer to thank for that.
For this being my first college class, it was very overwhelming, yet one of the best experiences of my life. It not only has helped me grow as a student, it’s helped me transform myself into a more stress-free and organized person. I now plan my days out and know when things need to be done and I do them accordingly. Was this a difficult process, absolutely. However, difficult experiences are the ones that bring forth more knowledge.