I just felt like I should get on here and write a few thoughts today. as the semester comes to a close I have been reflecting on all the work I had done and completed successfully. I was reading through previous blog posts and I realized that I have not written since the spring of 2017.
a lot has happened since that semester and I have learned so much about myself in the process. I have had some tough professors along the way which have taught me how I am going to do things differently the next time. this semester has been different in some ways compared to other semesters past. since I knew most of the material I was able to complete most of the work on my own, and I didn't have to attend class much in the beginning.
I already had most of the work done except for the last month of class. I have had to come to class for at least the last month to finish the semester, and I have successfully completed everything but our two final assignments which I will have done before monday.
completing this class with the best grade is a huge accomplishment for me and one I feel should be celebrated. after all it has taken me three years to get through English and I am finally going to make it!
I have had one of the best instructors at the school who knows how I learn, what it takes to get me to understand and the time I take to do my work. he has also seen what works best for me as far as being in a different setting to get my work done. my instructor knows what I am capable of so I feel like he pushes me to try harder, and to do better.
my writing has come a long way, and I can see a difference even from one year ago when I took ENGL 0990 with this same instructor. I feel like I know what tools are there for me to improve my paper, like the writing center. one year ago I would have never thought to use that tool so much for the feedback I have been given. I have been visiting the DRC lab and asking for their help in completing my work, and they have been helpful as well.
I also know what I need to keep me organized for class, like calendars, my binders, and folders. if everything stays in one place then I know right where to go and find it. I have a flash drive with many assignments, which I have not deleted since I started college in 2014. I keeep everything. because one day I may have to refer back to it for one reason or another.
one thing I still struggle with in college is seeing that my writing is good, seeing that what I did was well written. I just don't feel like I am that good at writing, and what I think is bad others think is so much better. I guess I am just really critical of my own writing. I try not to be, but when I don't understand something and I have to have something explained to me over and over again I feel discouraged because I feel like it is something I don't get. I feel like I should understand everything, especially if everyone is telling me I am good at writing.
I wish I could see what others see. of course after a semester is over and I look through my work then I think "wow I really did a nice job on this." sometimes it takes me a while to truly see how good my writing is until I have time to look over it after everything is said and done. I find when I am under stress I am overly critical of myself and my abilities and I can't see what my professor sees, what my mom sees, what my cousin sees, etc.
I do have a binder of essays I have written that I do intend on adding my recent papers to. only the best papers go in this binder. the three papers I have written this semester will definitely go in there. I haven't added anything to this binder in over a year, so it will be fun to look back on all the papers I have written.
I am so lucky to have a great professor who sees my abilities and who always gets me to try harder because he knows what I am capable of.
