Reflections Essay
My Growth as a Writer
The thought of writing a research paper has always made me cringe in fear. I don’t mean to procrastinate, but there are many things that need to be done before I can sit down to write a research paper; there are dishes to be done; the dryer is finished, I need to fold the clothes; the dog needs a bath. All kidding aside, I was petrified of this class when the course started. However, as we get closer and closer towards the end of this class, I realize that it’s not quite as bad as I feared. In fact, I believe this class has made me a better write. More specifically, I believe the coursework that has been assigned throughout Composition II has made me a better writer.
During the duration of this course, I learned how to put my thoughts down on paper. I’m not usually a person that talks about my feelings, but “My Blog!” brought me out of my comfort zone. “My Blog!” made me discuss things I was having difficulty with or things that I learned. It was great to be able to read the other classmates thoughts on our assignments as well. I usually wasn’t the only one that had problems in areas or was nervous about an assignment.
The “Team Topic Breakdown” assignment was the first time I had worked in a group on an assignment since I’ve started back to college. I wasn’t sure how that was going to work since I’m accustom to working on my own. It actually turned out to be a very pleasant experience. The partner I worked with did her share of the work, and we seemed to see eye to eye on the topic we were assigned.
The research paper we were assigned during this course is the first research paper I have done in at least eighteen years. I’ve
never done annotated bibliographies or works cited before. At first I had a few problems with the annotated bibliographies, and I admit,
was very confused. However, Professor McGriff was very understanding and helped me correct my mistakes. The Bedford Handbook is
also a wonderful learning source that has stayed right beside me throughout this course. Once I sat down to write my research paper, the
words just seemed to flow. I was very passionate about my topic, and I think that helped me to write a better paper. As I worked on my
research paper, I learned the correct way to cite authors, how to paraphrase and summarize, and even to punctuate. I am very happy with
my finished product. I feel I really got my point across, and wrote a paper to be proud of. I know I am a better writer because of this
course. I can’t wait to take what I’ve learned from this course and use it in other courses.