At the beginning
of the semester I was a bit nervous about taking English 121. I had already realized
learning a second language would be difficult. Every time I looked at the
syllabus, I worried how I would get through all the assigned topics. However,
my goal for this class was to develop my writing skills through the blog
assignments, exemplification essay, and research essay, so I got to work.
During the semester
I learned how to create blogs, how to search database resources, how to do MLA
formatting, and how to write research papers. From this class I have come to
understand that brainstorming and layout are the most helpful ways to begin any
type of paper.
During this
semester, my first achievement was creating blogs. Writing blogs was a new
experience for me. At first, it was hard for me to understand the assignment,
but when I followed the guidelines given by my instructor, it became easy. Working
on a blog in a group helped develop my conversation and discussion skills.
Writing the
exemplification essay provided another new experience. At first I felt
comfortable with the assignment, but it turned out to be difficult. I did not
have a enough details to write about my topic. I tried hard, though, and gave
more time to revision. During this assignment I realized that reading various
sources is very helpful to develop one’s writing ability.
The most interesting
task during semester was the research essay. The various parts of the research process,
the prospectus, the annotated bibliography were interesting and came easily for
me. I did a lot of database collection for the paper and spent a great deal of
time searching relevant sources. During this assignment, I followed the instructor’s
guidelines and read a lot of papers. After completing the assignment, I
realized that reading a lot of resources is most helpful for writing research
papers.
Additionally, in
English 121 class I got the chance to discuss the papers and assignments in a
circle of friends. I came to understand that reading a friend’s paper and
giving them feedback is a great way to develop our writing skills. If I can
find the mistakes for others I can correct those mistakes in my own papers.
The variety of
assignments helped develop my writing skills. I feel my ability to organize my writing
with proper grammar and phrasing has been increased. To develop my writing
skills further I need to focus on reading more in order to make fewer mistakes.
In my view, the best part of my
research paper is the way I organized the ideas. I think the way I supported
the main topic with a variety of evidence was also a strength.
At the beginning
of the semester my computer skills were not very strong, but now I have the confidence
to search relevant scholarly sources for my papers.
During the research process, the
thing I enjoyed most was the actual research, reading papers gave me the chance
to learn new facts.
In addition, the
thing I most disliked about research process was sorting through a massive
number of sources to find relevant scholarly papers.
The most helpful tips I can offer
other English 122 students writing research papers is to read sources
critically and to use statistics to support their thesis.
http://image.slidesharecdn.com/howtowriteareflectiveessay-130212015500-phpapp02/95/how-to-write-a-reflective-essay-1-638.jpg?cb=1360634240
By: Irina Pokharel
.jpg)
