Reflective Essay

        Coming into Composition II, I  thought I already knew how to write essays pretty well because of my 10 on my ACT and also prior knowledge from Composition I. I could get my ideas down and make them sound decent, but I didn’t really understand formatting, structure, or how much stronger writing gets when you actually revise it. At the beginning, I would just write what I thought sounded good and turn it in without really going back and fixing much. Over time, I realized that good writing takes way more effort and organization than I expected.

        For my Project 1 essay, I wrote an argumentative paper about meth. That was probably one of the first times I really had to focus on using research correctly instead of just giving my opinion. I had to find sources, include evidence, and actually support my argument instead of just stating it. At first, I struggled with how to format everything correctly and how to smoothly include information from sources without it feeling random. I also had to learn how to organize my paragraphs so my argument actually made sense from beginning to end. This essay taught me a lot about structure and how important it is to back up what I’m saying instead of just assuming the reader will agree with me. It was hard to want to just put what I thought about the topic; however, I had to actually use real evidence to back up the causes and effects of the topic.

        For my Project 2 essay, I did a rhetorical analysis on Franz Kafka and his views on domineering parents. This essay was honestly more challenging for me because it wasn’t just about research, but it was about analyzing Kafka's thought process and explaining it to the reader. I had to figure out what Kafka was really trying to say and then connect that to my own interpretation. At first, I struggled with going deep enough into the analysis instead of just summarizing. I also had to work on formatting again, especially making sure my ideas were organized and flowed correctly from one paragraph to the next. Throughout the class, I got better at breaking down the text and explaining my thoughts in a more detailed way, and clearly explaining it with evidence as well.

        One of the biggest things I learned in Composition II was how to actually format essays correctly. Before this class, I didn’t really pay attention to things like structure, transitions, citations, or how to properly build paragraphs that flow good. I would just kind of write everything and hope it made sense. But through feedback and revision from Professor Hammett, I learned how important it is to have a clear introduction, organized body paragraphs, and a strong conclusion that actually wraps everything up. I also learned how to transition between ideas so my essays don’t feel disjointed or random.

        Another thing I improved on was revision. At first, I didn’t really like going back and fixing my essays because I thought once I finished a draft, it was done. But after getting feedback on my projects, I realized how much better my writing could be if I actually took time to revise it and took the corrections needed. I started noticing the mistakes, unclear sentences, and places where I needed to explain my ideas more and also explain my evidence more. Fixing those things made my essays a lot stronger overall!

Peer feedback also helped me a lot in this class. Having other people read my work showed me that what makes sense in my head doesn’t always come across clearly to others. Sometimes classmates pointed out things I didn’t even notice, like missing citations, weak transitions or making my sentences stronger. Even though it was sometimes frustrating because I didn't feel like changing it, it helped me understand how to write more clearly for the reader instead of just what made sense to me.

        Overall, I feel like I got a lot out of Composition II. I came into the class thinking I already knew how to write because of my past classes, but I’m leaving with a much better understanding of structure(APA or MLA), formatting, and revision. My Project 1 and Project 2 essays especially helped me grow because they pushed me to use research, analysis, and organization in ways I wasn’t used to. I still have things to improve on, but I can tell my writing has gotten stronger and more clear compared to when I started! I am very grateful for this class!