Completing this course has been very intriguing and different. I did not expect to learn as much as I did. Let alone that I would enjoy the class. I knew it was required for my major and that it had to be done. But I was not the most excited to take another writing class. At the beginning of my college career I expected my writing skills to improve along the semesters. In highschool I was considered a decent writer and a very good communicator. I loved doing group work and presentations. It allowed me to shine in an area I was good at. As I moved on. I realized these skills began to downfall. Classroom sizes got bigger and responses got more complex. More thinking and grammatical accuracy was required. Having a silly response in high school was no big deal. The teacher would correct you and acknowledge your try. 

In college you will have at least 4 peers ready to dismount and argue your answers. Which is the general purpose to get students to debate and have conversations with each other. But if you are like me one silly answer will duel in your head for weeks, and you will think of yourself as a failure. I know it’s dramatic. Often the idea of “maybe college isn’t for me” roamed around my head and I felt stuck. This feeling had a major influence on my grades and affected my desire to continue school. What I once loved to do became a headache. It also had a major influence on my academic skills, especially my writing. Every assignment felt like a drag and became a battle within me. I would begin assignments on time and have lots of ideas. But could never decide which to use and what to write about. Therefore my expectations for this class were minimal and I expected to hate the entire class.

My experience was far from what I expected. From the first day of class you can tell the professor cared about the material given. The videos and readings were interesting and enjoyable. My favorite part was discussing the issues faced by different communities and seeing how these issues tie in today’s issues. I was able to walk away with significant growth. Mainly on my train of thought and view of the world. We often see communities or groups different from ours and we judge them. We assume ideas and criticism but not once do we decide to educate ourselves on the matter. This class has taught me to do this and honestly was the best part of it. I enjoyed learning about other communities seeing the issues they faced and how they handled them. I loved how my mind was opening up to new ideas and concepts. I’ve learned that in order to understand a community we must understand the issues they face. Put ourselves in their shoes and think how we would react under the situation the community faces. 

Moreover, my research skills have improved tremendously. I Learned the importance of using reliable sources. Also how to interpret information and properly use it on my own papers. I believe I’ve met the majority of the class standards with a few exceptions. I still feel my writing could use more improvement and development. But I am happy with how my mindset has changed and I’m enjoying what I used to love.