Writing and English are essential to not only a student, but to anyone who may wish to communicate. It plays a truly critical role and has been repetitively taught to us throughout our entire lives, from preschool to middle school to this advanced composition class, albeit in various ways. But why is it such a central part of our curriculum? Writing is the primary basis upon which our work, our intellect, and our learning will be judged – in college, in the workplace, and in the community.
Writing can be an art, and some of humanities greatest achievements are written works. Many students struggle and fight with essay writing and lack the practice they need to be successful. This class will give me the practice, the proper tools, and the skills needed to take my thoughts and put them down in a clear and cogent way, improving my grammatical flow and the fluidity of my essay writing. As students progress through school, their writing follows suit. In elementary school the focus was on the basics: the verbs, the nouns, the subjects, etc.
In junior high the focus shifted towards the parts of speech and sentence structure, along with a bit of grammar. Now in high school, the emphasis has transitioned towards the more complex forms of essay writing. In manifold ways writing has become a fundamental influence in my own high school life. From sophomore year, with my first Advanced Placement (AP) class (World History), I became familiarized with the thesis and the five-paragraph essay. The thesis became infinitely pervasive in essay writing as I was again reminded of in my junior year, with AP History and AP Biology.
In these classes we also learned that essay writing is not confined to one subject and purpose but several, including research and analysis writing. Another profound influence on essay writing came from my English AP class, where we were taught the loose interpretation of a thesis and how free one could truly be with writing an essay. After such an amassment of practice and writing, my organizational skills, essay fluidity, and overall appreciation for the language arts has indeed augmented since my freshman year.Although I have considerable strengths I also have a number of conspicuous weaknesses and faults.
In middle and elementary school we were taught the basics, including sentence structure, diction, and grammar, but the teaching was extremely fragmented and undetailed. Much of the curriculum seemed to be taught half-heartedly and grammar was seen with a grimace. Derived from this was only a piece of understanding about what writing and the English language truly is, especially in regards to grammar.Presently, in high school, such a half-baked understanding only helps to hurt me. This is not in any way ameliorated by how advanced and AP classes tend to overlook the basics and skip any form of review. Just as a house with a weak foundation will crumble, a student with a weak base will eventually fall, no matter how great their knowledge of writing is.
English classes and students both would benefit greatly from just a little time spent on the bare essentials of what writing is. Another of my weaknesses include, procrastination and inability to ask questions.Although both are privy faults, they still make learning in a classroom environment both difficult and stressful, yet because they are privy faults I can easily correct and fix them if I truly wanted to. All of these failures, whether personal or impersonal, are just weaknesses and with little work should be able to be consolidated.
The reasons anyone could have for taking a class like advanced composition are vividly apparent. An advanced course will challenge students in order to not only teach them advanced subject matter but to teach them to go to the greatest of their abilities.In many ways, as a college challenge class, this course can serve as a preparatory channel through which students can be educated on how much they will really need to work and learn for a college class, as they will soon experience that many professors are not as kind as high school teachers. The formal writing skills that are taught will carry a student a long way through their lives, maybe even through their careers.
Along with this the essay writing practice is an added bonus, as practice truly does make perfect.My weaknesses and strengths are a part of me and I hope this class can help me ameliorate them and use them to expand my knowledge of writing and enhance my understanding of essays. When this trimester ends, it will have increased my ability for success and prepared for entering college. Writing is an essential and implacable fragment of our lives that cannot be replaced and it is my job to learn it to the best of my ability.
This English 105 class is essential for doing just that, and I reason that it will have made me a considerably more fluid and mature writer.
