Dear Incoming Students,
Some of you may be nervous about starting your first college English class while others of you may feel confident about applying your critical thinking skills and conquering analytical writing. At first I was nervous because I thought college writing was a different level from my high school writing assignments. I was not sure if I was prepared to start writing college papers. Yet this quarter of English 110 has been truly a memorable experience. Although it was tough at some points, I feel that I have gained experience and proficiency for analyzing various forms of media and using those analytical skills to express my thoughts in writing.
The main focus of my English 110 class was religion in secular media. Having this focus created an appealing atmosphere for the class because we were able to explore in depth a recurring topic in today’s society. Eventually, all our work culminated in a research paper using secondary and primary sources. This paper took a lot of time to research and write. I advise you to choose a topic that is flexible because you will not get to use many secondary sources. Yet after finishing this paper, you will feel a sense of accomplishment for completing your first college research paper!
Throughout the quarter, we read various articles about topics such as religious views in the health care debate. We had deep discussions about these controversial topics Also, we discussed possible research questions and how to further explore our sources of information. One of my favorite discussions occurred after we watched the Scooby Doo clip about the hex girls and whether their representation of Wiccans was accurate. Incorporating a popular and well-known subject such as Scooby Doo into the class discussion brought a refreshing and pop culture aura to the classroom.
Another exciting aspect of class was writing blogs and “common place” essays, which are essays written by college students for a college audience. Through these different formats, I was able to learn to write creative, informal, and entertaining essays. In this part of the class, you will have your chance to express your own thoughts without any restrictions imposed by formal writing.
Overall English 110 is a class where you will learn a great deal if you pay attention, listen, read, write, rewrite and rewrite some more! I feel that I have become a better writer and thinker because of this class and enjoyed the process.
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You give great,thoughtful advice. I definetly agree about finding a primary source that is flexible because I had a hard time finding secondary sources on my primary source.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great overview of the class, and I think you touch on some great points. I totally agree with you and Kinjal that it is really important to pick a flexible topic. Also ,I like that you pointed out that the class having a focus helps move the class along and keep people interested. I was very apprehensive about an English class that focused on just one topic all quarter long; however, I ended up really enjoying all the different aspects of religion in the secular media we were able to examine.
ReplyDeleteYou have brought up some interesting points in regards to the demands of the class. I think you have been able to relate to the other students and what they may be feeling.
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