Christian Arroyave

Professor Derohanessian
English 115
December 3rd, 2014
Portfolio Reflection Assignment
Coming into my first semester of college level English, I didnt think of myself as a
good all around writer; I was always quick to think about ideas and things to write about
but when it came to actually writing, my sentences lacked simple things like proper
structure and good use of grammar. This class didnt teach me the use of proper grammar
or when to use a semi colon as opposed to a comma; this class rather enlightened me on
the expectations of me as a college level writer.
English 115 has taught me plenty about college level writing and how Ive progressed
as a writer and a scholar. The essay was rushed and composed so close to its due date that
it had the simplest of mistakes. My portfolio acts as a timeline and I feel like it
adequately represents how serious I became about my work as the semester progressed.
The quality of my work began to show the time dedication it lacked at the beginning of
the semester and probably my high school writing career.
This is evident in my portfolio when you compare the first essay I turned in and my
last progression. Coming into the semester I wasnt aware of how much was expected of
me, in terms of effort and time, when it came to my writing. My first progression is an
example of that because it lacks thought, attention, and even a works cited page. The
essay was rushed and composed so close to its due date that it had the simplest of
mistakes. Progression three shows the opposite of essay one. Ive come to the realization

that just like my teacher proclaimed, writing is a process. The more time I put into my
follow up essays after progression one, the more I realized how improved my work can
be if I give it the necessary attention it needs.
My portfolio isnt just a track of my seriousness towards academics; it also serves as
an example of what I still have to work on. I discovered this later on in the portfolio when
I was writing progression three. In all of high school and even in my first progression, I
had taken an approach in which I saw myself trying to reach the necessary page number
rather than focusing on the content of my work. Progression three helped me reflect on
the content of hat it is Im writing about and the importance of relevance. I struggled
starting the third progression because I was being to general with my topic, a result of my
old writing habits. My progressions helped me reflect on my repetitive habit and my
general ideas leaving me with much practice needed in focusing my words and making
them purposeful when it comes to writing with a length limit or requirement.
I can apply what I have learned to my other classes because what Ive learned from
English 115 doesnt just apply to an English class. I can use the same high expectations I
have when it comes to college level writing in all my classes and the future writing
assignments I might have. I will also look out for my bad writing habit of generalizing by
making my words along with my work purposeful. I plan on continuing my strides
towards great writing by putting further effort into my work and making sure I am
prepared to write. Now towards the end of my first semester of English class, I can
proudly say I was an unprepared and unaware writer going into the semester, but Im
coming out a more aware writer who might not be prepared but is fully capable of getting
there.