Reflections on English 111
Dear Ms. Marits:
About 20 years ago
I took English Composition 111 at Tidewater Community College. At that time TCC was on the Quarter Hour
system, so when I made the decision to finally complete the requirements for a degree, I needed to take the class again
to get the appropriate number of credit hours. I have to say that I was not
looking forward to it. Writing was not something I enjoyed. Also, I did not like the class when I took it
before. I managed a B in it. I was
somewhat intimidated taking this class as I assumed that everyone in the class
would be fresh out of high school. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I
have a lot in common with many of the class participants. Most are returning students like me and most
work full-time or are stay-at home moms (also a full time job!).
The papers we
wrote were interesting. At first, I hesitated to share personal experiences and
opinions, but once I began to write, the words kept coming. My first essay, The
Rescue, shared a truly personal experience.
It required little research put me at ease with the writing process as I
narrated the story.
During the class I
really enjoyed the creativity that Ms. Marits used when developing the writing
forums, especially the third and fourth discussion forums. What a creative way to get us to write! One of my biggest concerns when enrolling in
this class was how to choose what to write about. I do not consider myself to be very creative
but I found I could be when writing. I really enjoyed reading the descriptions
of different items in Discussion Forum #3 and trying to figure out what was
being described. I guessed a few right and a few wrong, but it was fun. It was probably the most difficult assignment
for me. I must have stared forever at my item, a pair of scissors. I wrote and re-wrote the description. Just
before writing this reflection, I read my description again and it took me a
few minutes to remember what I had described.
The Martians or
the Wizards? Writing Forum #4 was
another opportunity to write and be creative. We were able to invent anything
and many writers did. I wrote about the
Martian’s starting a Space Travel Agency. This is not a topic I would have ever
come up with on my own. I enjoyed thinking and working out what would happen if
the Martian’s were to begin a travel agency at Tidewater Community College.
Essay # 3, the
research paper was the most difficult assignment. I was overwhelmed with the amount of
information available to use. Once I narrowed the topic down, writing was not
difficult. Thank goodness for the
internet! Without the internet, I am not
sure I could spend the hours that were necessary to find sources and validate
my opinions.
I enjoyed working
on the web page portfolio. I ended up
creating several different versions because I was not happy with the appearance
of any of them. I still think this site could look better but I am at a point where I need to submit it and move
on.
I have always been
a comfortable with reading. The reading assignments were interesting and
brief. They made me think about the
issues that were addressed and provided examples of writing styles for upcoming
assignments. One thing I have missed
while taking classes is the time to read for pleasure.
I have discovered that writing is not as
difficult as I thought it would be. I am looking forward to completing the
English requirements with English 112. I
anticipate that the class will be as interesting as this one and I am no longer
intimidated about participating.
Thank you Ms.
Marits for creating this fun and enjoyable class! I am looking forward to English 112.
Janis Sweeney
