This semester in W131, I was able to gain a better understanding of both what a college course expects and what a higher-level English course contains. I was able to learn to find ideas through research and write about them with a proper sense of proficiency. When it comes to online discussions, which were common, I could participate somewhat comfortably. I used sources to put together concepts, and write them into papers nicely. I had an easier time doing the necessary reading for the class, and I used that ability to revise my writings better. The goals that were set for this class were initially a touch on the daunting side, but they naturally were acquired as I did the assignments.
I can honestly say that I enjoyed most of what I read this semester. I think the primary reason I can say that is because there weren’t any ridiculously long reads assigned. Even if I didn’t especially love the article or paper that was assigned, it wasn’t very long, so I was able to power through it with relative ease. For example, the initial readings related to contact zones and immersion experiences weren’t my favorite to read, but they didn’t drag on too long, and there was no trouble just running through it. Otherwise, there were good reads, like Percy’s “My Terrifying Night with Afghanistan’s Only Female Warlord” was quite pleasing.
With the more specific experiences, it was a mixed bag. First up, peer reviews. I don’t mind reviewing peers, especially because it allows me to gain insight into what my work may be lacking or excelling in. It also provides a chance to interact with classmates in a time where that’s less possible. However, that can be a point of difficulty for me, like within discussion threads. It’s already a bit hard for me to connect with people I don’t know very well, and that difficulty can be expanded upon when I have to talk about topics I’m not very familiar with. It has gotten better as time has progressed, but it still can be tough. Finally, the projects we’ve had, including the immersion experience, were absolutely delightful to me. I enjoyed each and every one of them for different reasons. The film review was attractive to me because I already love movies and writing about them, it’s something I already do for fun sometimes. The feature style narrative allowed me to do something fun, then write about it in an exciting way. The website revisions appealed to my enjoyment of web design. All in all, there were a large amount of positive experiences within this course.
English courses have had a decent amount of variation in how much I’ve been invested in the content. For the most part, it’s gotten increasingly better over the years. Despite what I would consider a start on the wrong foot, I would agree that the trend of English courses improving has indeed continued. I can only hope that any future courses I enroll in will follow suit.