Abigail Thompson Professor Lewis English 114A December 8, 2013 Reflective Preface Entering college as an English 114A student

I was unsure of what to expect out of this class. Throughout high school, English had always been my strongest subject, besides history. I had always struggled with math but I never let that slow me down, or deterred me away from my other important key courses such as English. With this being said, I was more than anxious to meet my professor, socialize with my classmates and understand what their writing experiences had been like over time. As weeks passed in my first semester, I came to realization that this course is more than simple as I high school writing courses had prepared me for college level English. I never gave much thought as to how writing 8-10 page essays in high school were going to be beneficial to me. I began catching me in the mindsets that my teachers just wanted to torture their students with these prolonged essays, when in reality the idea was just to prepare my fellow classmates and me for college level writing. Therefore, English 114A has shown me several different things about my writing that I had not identified before; from my writing style, techniques and even my word choice. Over the semester I have seen many changes within my writing. Personally, the progressions I was assigned to do did not come off as to difficult for me, because I was used to difficult writing assignments. The only progression I somewhat had difficulty writing was

progression two, as it was asking for an observation, explanation and importance. I always believe I was a strong writer, I was very confident in all my work from the beginning. As I began to be critiqued by my college professor, I was shown different things that I was unable to identify myself and with that, I took into initiative and used it in all my writing. Since progression one, I strongly believe my writing has improved. Every week for my PAS sociology class, I was assigned to write a minimum one page critical response paper. With every practice I had for ten weeks when writing these essays, every new technique I was taught in English was taken to these reading responses. Therefore, besides each progression I was given many attempts to practice my writing skills every week that only enhanced my writing as time for progression three finally came. Along with the many techniques I was taught when writing essays came the different ways in critiquing and grading my own work, as others work as well. My revisions would always include a rough draft, peer edit, teachers edit, then a final draft. I strongly believe this is the most successful way of enhancing ones essay before submitting or turning in a final draft. Throughout professor Lewis class, when it came to progressions, I greatly appreciate the time she gave my peers and I when having to reflect on each others essays. Not only have that, but the time she laid out in allowing me to visit her and receiving a teacher edited version. Over time as my work would be revised I came to understanding that two of my best works are included in my portfolio. They became some of my best works because as I started them, they both were not to my best potential in writing. However, after every step process I had taken when revisions came along it greatened my essay tremendously. For that reason being, this is why progression one and two are both included in my portfolio. To show my growth as a writer, before peer edits to after

revisions. Guaranteed there is a significant difference in my rough drafts, final drafts to my revised final draft.