Reflective Essay on the course “Foundations of college writing”
I have always derived great pleasure in reading a masterfully written article. In it, I always appreciate the peaceful, yet exhilarating moment when my mind engages with that of a writer’s work. During my high school days, I used to read intensively and I yearned for the day I would become a competent writer. I am glad because that day has come with the completion of my course in “Foundations of College Writing”. Though there is still a big room for improvement, my writing skills have gotten a tremendous boost after completing this course. I can comfortably state that I have met the objectives of this course. When I gauge myself against the objectives of this course, I am now more coherent, clear, organized and accurate in my writing.
The first objective of the course on “Foundations of College Writing” was to “communicate effectively”. On this issue I have improved tremendously and I can now write more clearly. My essays are relatively free of distracting errors in mechanics and grammar. Going by the evaluations from my instructor and fellow students, the absence of grammatical errors in my writings has made it easier for them to understand and respond to my expressions.
In addition to improved writing skills, I have also improved on my reading skills. I can now read and comprehend complex writings. This can be attested by the impressive results of tests on reading and comprehension that I have posted throughout this semester. Though in the beginning, I scored average grades, my grades improved as the semester progressed and in the final paper I scored an A!
In terms of improving my communication, I have noted a huge improvement in my cooperation and communication with my fellow students. Though, I have always considered myself a confident communicator, I felt a bit intimidated communicating with my peers during my early days in college. However, after taking the course on “Foundations of College Writing” I have felt more comfortable participating in group discussions and general interactions with people in college, at home and in other social settings. I attribute this to the numerous group and paired discussions that were deliberately organised by the instructor as we discussed different types of writings.
Thinking Critically
The second objective of taking this course was to enhance critical thinking among students. I am glad that I have noted tremendous improvement in my problem-solving skills. Throughout the course, the instructor challenged us to make appropriate rhetorical decisions in the writing process. In all essays I practiced different organizational structures, composing introductions and conclusions and the use of support materials in the writing process. There were essays where we used to have either a guided start or an ending and were required to write up the essay.
In order to further enhance my critical thinking capacity, I wrote essays where I personified aspects in the environment. My favourite among the personification essays is “My life as a car wheel” and “My life as a raindrop” among others. In these writings, I gradually would develop patterns of reasoning and draw interesting conclusions. This is a testimony to the improvement of my critical thinking capacity.
Learn independently
The third objective of this course was to practice the process of writing, right from the invention to the proofreading and understand the rhetorical options available in the writing process. In this regard, I have been able to appreciate new ideas and differing perspectives in written articles. Most importantly, I can respond appropriately to articles by developing inquiry as a method to select ideas and information relevant in handling a given topic. Regardless of the issue I am responding to, I have realized that I am able to sustain a logical argument in an organized manner.
Examining relationships in diverse and complex environments
The fourth objective of this course was to enhance student ability to define relationships in complex biological/physical environments. Moreover, the course has enhanced student relationships of the self to historical and cultural contexts. In this regard, I was able to write essays in which I was able to take a stand on controversial issues such as global warming, death penalty, euthanasia among others. In all these essays, the instructor commended me for my clarity in handling argumentative essays and my advanced level of persuasion.
Conclusion
I have noted great improvements in my academic and social life in taking a course in “Foundations of College Writing”. The course has enhanced my writing skills because I have decimated the grammatical and mechanical errors in my writings. I have also developed better ability to think critically, learn independently and articulate complex ideas in a logical and organized manner. While I appreciate the writing skills I have acquired this far, I acknowledge that there is still a huge room for improvement. I still need to be more concise and avoid adding “fluff”. Moreover, I also need to improve in my ability to point out multiple complexities arising in texts.
