Tuesday, December 1, 2009

English 111-60 Reflection

I am finishing up my first semester in college, and it was a big change for me from high school. Some of my classes were easy, while others were difficult. Most of my classmates were much older than me, and I did not even know any of them, and some of my instructors were younger than I had expected before starting this semester. English 111 was not too difficult for me, but it was a class that I had to work hard in.

Some assignments were challenging, such as the argument paper and rhetorical analysis, while others were easier, such as What You Believe. I seem to always have trouble starting a writing assignment, but once I get going I found most of them to be less difficult than expected. The argument paper was challenging but worth the time because I learned a lot about child care in the United States and other countries. The rhetorical analysis was difficult for me, but it was fun to really examine myself. It was probably my favorite assignment. My least favorite assignment was the annotated bibliography. I think it is just because I did not fully understand the requirements. Of course, I thought I did, so I never asked. To be honest, I could not tell you why I learned how to make a blog in this class. But I don’t mind. It was something different to do in an English class, for me, anyways, and I found that it was refreshing and actually fun.

I also enjoyed the films we watched in English 111. The Bruce Springsteen film was very interesting. I had never really listened to his music, and I liked it. The film also really made me realize how much work writers/artists put into their work. It was amazing. Bruce Springsteen never stopped until every one of his pieces was absolutely perfect. I wish I had that kind of determination, and it is something I have been working harder on. Why do something half way if you can make it perfect?

The Michael Moore film on health care was moving. I had never realized how lucky I was to have been receiving the health care I have. It really had never crossed my mind. I have only been to an emergency room once, and I did not know that people who did not have health insurance had to go there to receive care. The stories about the families and children who had been neglected by health insurance companies literally made me cry. I can not believe people could really turn their backs on someone when they needed help the most. I want to help people, specifically children, as much as possible. I would like to be some sort of counselor, and if I had enough strength to do it, I would really love to help children who are hospitalized. This film truly made me think about what I want to do in life and what I want for my son’s life.

This semester was a real growing experience for me. I took my first college classes and dealt with college instructors for the first time. It was far more challenging than high school, but it wasn’t a bad experience. I made some new friends who I hope to keep for a long time. I also learned a lot about myself, like what I want to do with my life. I don’t think anyone should avoid taking an English course, especially considering how poor high school students’ grammar and spelling has become. There is always room for improvement, and I believe that is what college is all about.