PORTFOLIO: REFLECTIVE LETTER

PSEC has been a new experience for me. I do not think I ever would have imagined learning this much. Even though I was learning at my high school and taking advances classes and passing with pretty good grades, I was not learning about myself. PSEC and Writing 101 has taught me about my writing process in ways that have helped me become a better, stronger writer.

I believe I have made a significant amount of progress since the beginning of this quarter. When I first arrived at PSEC, I was so used to the typical five paragraph essay format that had been pounded into my head for as long as I can remember, that I struggled with the first essay quite a bit. I had to relearn how to write essays to fit this new college format. So I have definitely progressed because I can now write something besides a typical high school essay. But I have also learned more about my writing style and my writing process. I do not think it has changed necessarily, but I now know what it is more and how to use that to my advantage.

I also believe that I have made considerable progress because of my performance on the final examination for Writing 101. I did find this exam quite challenging, but it did seem somewhat easier to write than the midterm. I do not think it was one of my best pieces of writing and I struggled a little trying to get started. It was easier once I was in the middle of it. The quote was a hard quote to use and it left me stuck and confused a few times but I was still able to produce a complete essay.

After taking this class, I am more aware of the specific improvements that I need to make in my writing. I am still in the process of making those improvements and changes. One of the things I need to improve on is my time management. I have formed a horrible habit of procrastinating over the years. When I procrastinate I am not able to put as much into my essays and it usually does not give me enough time to edit everything to the extent that I would like. This is the main thing that has affected my writing. For example, in my first essay on Bacon’s rebellion I did not give myself enough time before to organize all my thoughts as much as I would have liked. So I ended up rushing through the rough draft so when I went to edit it for the final I almost completely rewrote it. Another thing I still need to improve upon is my introductions and conclusions. They usually end up being kind of boring and just there for the sake of having one. I need to work on making them interesting for the reader so that they will want to keep reading. Another thing that I need to work on is hooks. “The making of America was not as simple as people coming here and settling down.” These also come across not very exciting and quite boring. I may have some things that I still need to improve but I also have some strengths that I have built upon in this class.

This class has helped me further develop some skills I already had. One of my strengths I have in my writing is having clear views and being authoritative. In the second essay we had to write I clearly stated my opinion to try and convince my “brother” to become a patriot instead of a loyalist. “It's the principle, the fact that they taxed us without our own representation. They did not have the right to do that. They have too much power over us and do not care about our rights.” I was also clear in my Bacon’s rebellion essay. I used direct quotes from my sources to clearly get my point across. I argued for my point and expanded on the quotes more in each paragraph. PSEC and Writing 101 specifically has helped me recognized these strengths and use them the best way possible.

Before PSEC, I was just like every other typical high schooler, taking all the basic classes and doing assignments to get by, not because I really cared. Now I am learning new things about myself and my work all the time, like how I learn and how I write. Also, I am being put in new situations that are changing me, I believe, for the better.