!1 Nate Albright Mr. Harrell Composition One 6 Dec.

2013 Finding Meaning Within Work I sit down in my first class, on my first day of college, I have no idea what to expect.Thoughts of how it could possibly go wrong this semester fill my head. Will it be incredibly difficult like everyone says? Will I end up with that infamous bad professor who doesnt teach? Will I fail? Turns out it wasnt all that difficult, and as Im heading into finals week in just a few days, my confidence levels about my writing have increased drastically and ultimately, the quality of my work has improved greatly after learning all of the techniques taught in my first English Composition class. The first thing I learned very quickly was how I personally go about writing papers. I developed my own writing process over the past semester; this being very different from how I wrote just a few months ago in high school. I feel as though the process came a long way, I even learned how long it takes me to write, which allows me to manage my time better in order to write longer, more in depth papers. I also incorporated peer editing as well as tutoring into my process, something I rarely used in the past. All of these things lead to more revisions, which result in me producing a higher quality of work, something far from what I was capable of at the beginning of the semester.

!2 When looking at my first paper from this class, my personal narrative, I realize now that it feels sort of empty, there is a lot of filler. When I read it as if it were someone elses writing, I get the idea that it was written because it had to be written. When comparing that to my profile essay which was my most recent work, I get a different feel. When reading it, I feel like I got something out of that writing. I wasnt writing because I had to; I was showing my knowledge of using quotes to support an idea or showing that I knew how to make a more definite thesis statement. One example of a more developed writing was at the beginning of a paragraph in my profile essay when I write, Mr. Bedes shop in medina is his current building grounds for all of his projects. (Passion is the Mother of Invention) That statement sets up a paragraph of information about my interviewee and where he works. In my first paper, when setting up for an important paragraph, I write, I had only bought the car a month before I ended up racing it. (Quarter Mile Antics) To me, this was just plain. I just simply state whats about to happen, the racing, and its just not very dynamic. The difference between the two was me proving myself through my work, not just turning in something for a grade. This may be the biggest improvement Ive had since high school. Another skill I learned this semester was something I never planned on learning in this class, and it was how to collaborate with others. I never had written a group essay before, and to have had the opportunity to write a research paper with four other students benefited me greatly. It showed me the it takes more than just putting work together to make a group essay. You need organization, a clear outline, and an open mind about your work in order to create something with other people you couldnt quite make on your own. Being able to write with a group of people can vary easily come into

!3 play in the future in my job, or later on in college. In the group research essay all four of my partners and I created a 16 page essay in just over two weeks. The essay was full of information. It contained many quotes, solid arguments, and a clear thesis. If I had tried writing that entire paper by myself it never wouldve gotten done. This just goes to show that collaboration is key to making great work in life. Finally, the most important area I improved on this semester was my ability to properly use a quote. In my writings before I just threw random quotes in that related to my topic. There was barely any analysis of it. I could barely relate it to the point I was trying to prove and if I could, it wasnt in a proper format. Now that I have learned how to use quotes, I can now strengthen my arguments, and give a solid source behind my claims. A perfect example of me applying these skills was in my analytical essay when I say: At Liberty it is normal to hate on gay people, and to rant about it. They throw the words fag and gay around like its nothing. Roose explains his reactions when he writes, I still winced whenever one of my hallmates called someone a fag or queer (42). Once again, someone from the outside looking in has a hard time dealing with their intolerance, which comes directly from their religion. (Separation of Church and State) I show that I know how to sandwich the quote properly by introducing the quote itself with a sentence or two, then I state the evidence with my chosen quote, and finally explain how the quote itself contributes to my argument; in this case it being intolerance can come from religion. To me this skill is probably my favorite not only because I feel

!4 as though I mastered the skill, but it has such a huge effect on my writing. My work went from opinionated claims, to properly supported arguments which could hold ground among other scholarship, something which to me is invaluable. Over all, for my first class, of my first semester of college, Id have to say it was a success. I learned quit a bit more than I thought I ever would have. Not only have I learned what it takes to make better writing, I have also learned to become a better writer. I now see what it takes to become a respected part of the scholarly writing community. Whether it be by incorporating quotations into my work to support arguments, collaborating with peers to write papers, constructing a proper thesis statement, or even by properly knowing how to revise my work, the quality of my work has improved greatly after learning all of the techniques taught in my first English Composition class. With these skills I can now communicate my ideas and arguments with my peers, something that, to me, is invaluable in todays world.