Perez

Nathaly C Perez Luna

Professor Jackie
English 113A
November 24, 2015
Reflection Essay
As an incoming college freshman there are a variety of things students worry
about. For instance, paying for their tuition and decided what classes they want to take
for the semester. Being accepted into college is a huge excitement for most students, but
it can also be nerve wrecking for others. Personally, I was extremely excited to begin
college, especially since I was going to be living in the dorms, and finally becoming an
independent young adult. I remember unpacking my belongings and waving goodbye to
my parents as they left the parking lot. I was ready and determined to take in whatever
came my way.
On Monday, the first day of instruction, I walked into my class with confidence
and everything went well; the professor greeted herself and was kind. The second day of
instruction was a bit more nerve wrecking. I had English class, and I have heard many
stories about English professors at Cal State Northridge, and how they assign a lot of
intense work. Some current students even said that it was difficult for them to pass their
English classes. Having heard this, walking into my English class had me frightened at
the thought that my professor could possibly be one of those professors who gave out a
lot of hard work. However, when I walked into the lecture room and sat on the seat, I
began listening to what professor Jackie was saying about the class and herself. I
immediately knew I was going to like the class and her by the way she presented herself

Perez

to us and the way she described the course. I was no longer nervous or scared of taking
her class because I knew everything was going to go well for me.
The beginning of the course was pretty easy for me. I was never a bad writer, only
sometimes lazy when it comes to writing essays. The only other thing I was not so well in
when writing an essay was being able to come up with a conclusion and introduction. In
my English 113A class I learned how to utilize an outline to ensure that to flow of my
essay is good. The outline was extremely helpful for me because it helped me organize
my thoughts and put them all together into the essay. Having done the outline prior to
writing my essay gave me great results.
In the class, we had peer review amongst the students. We each would get into
groups of four or five and review each others essays. My classmates gave me feedback
on what I needed to add, what I needed to correct in terms of spelling or grammar, or
what I needed to take out. They also gave me ideas or other suggestions on how I can
make my essay stronger by having a better thesis statement. I found this really helpful
because it gave me someone elses perspective rather than just mine. Aside from getting
the feedback from the students, professor Jackie also met with everyone individually
before an essay was due and gave her feedback on what the essay was missing or what it
needed. I incorporated all of their suggestions into my essay for better results, like I did
with the outline.
Having SI as a second English class was a great advantage for me to ask for help
or talk about something I did not understand in my regular English class. My SI leaders,
Tatevik and Christina were also extremely helpful because they encouraged us to do our
best in the class and our homework. They did not let us fall behind in the class and they

Perez

always explained everything thoroughly until each and one of us understood what we had
to do. They broke down the essay rubrics so we understood what was being needed to
write, and they also broke down stories that we had to read for the class. Another thing
they did, was offer their help after class to edit our essays before submission. Their help
was a great resource for me to become a better writer.
On my first essay, I was able to express my emotions and thoughts. The way I
expressed myself on how I felt about my nephew was in such a lovely way. For example,
in my first progression, which was my first essay ever done; I wrote a narrative about my
nephew and how he changed my life. I stated, The bond I have with my nephew is
unexplainable. I have so much passion for him. He means the world to me and I am so
thankful for the special bond we share. (Perez, Taking Charge 5) Progression one was
one of the easiest progressions, and I was able to learn how to cite properly using MLA
format.
My second biggest essay was a bit more intense than the first because instead of
being a narrative, it was now an argumentative essay on a topic of my choice. For my
topic I chose to analyze the video, Like a Girl. This was probably the most difficult
essay I had because it was hard for me to incorporate a lot details and explanations in it.
For example, in my essay I wrote, The actions represented in the commercial ad,
produced by the feminine product Always clearly state that the way females are being
seen in todays society are vulnerable and weak; however it is time to change the way
women are perceived. Like a girl should no longer be a phrase that is used to refer to an
action that is seen as fragile, instead it should be used to define a strong and powerful
woman who has conquered. (Perez, Rewriting The Rules of Society 4) In this excerpt

Perez

from the essay, although it was difficult for me to give in depth detail and explanations, it
was easy for me to express the rights of women since I am one myself. I enjoyed doing
this essay because I felt like it spoke to many of us. In this progression you can see how
my tone of writing has changed from the first progression.
Beginning this course I found it extremely difficult to keep the flow of my essays,
stay on topic, and be organized, but now thanks to Professor Jackie and my SI Leaders
Tatevik and Christina, I am able to keep a fluent essay while being organized. Professor
Jackie made English 113A an easy experience for me to develop well-written essays and I
was also able to expand my vocabulary. I would definitely recommend her to new
incoming freshman taking this course. I honestly do not know what I feared because in
the end it turned out to be a piece of cake. It was not as hard as I thought it would be.
Instead it was the best English class I have taken. I was able to learn a lot of methods and
ways to becoming a better reader and writer. I will definitely be using the techniques I
learned in my future English classes.

Perez
Work Cited
Perez Luna, Nathaly C. Taking Charge 22 September 2015. Weebly 5 December
2015.Web.
Perez Luna, Nathaly C. Rewriting The Rules of Society 15 October 2015. Weebly 5
December 2015. Web