Barrett 1

Haley Barrett

Mrs. Tubbs

English 1302

1 May 2020

A Perfect Ending

It is the end of the Spring 2020 semester at San Antonio College; I have

successfully graduated with an Associates of Applied Science-and a concentration in Human

Services-addiction Council. As I reflect on this last semester, I feel a sense of gratitude

especially pertaining to my English 1302 course. I am an average writer, but a diligent student

with a high level of motivation. In all my years attending school, I have never thoroughly

enjoyed an English class like I did with English 1302. I believe it was a mixture of the critical

thinking elements along with the teaching style of the professor. I learned how to properly digest

and comprehend literary poems and short stories that I would have never read, because I did not

know the tools to use to understand it. The only hardship for me regarding my English 1302 class

was the unfortunate events that followed the “stay at home order” during the nationwide

pandemic. I have been furloughed, and it has been extremely hard to pay bills when I have no

income. Some lessons to highlight include how to annotate an author’s text, think critically,

reflect, freewrite, and write a proper MLA style paper. All the objectives I learned in this class

have prepared me for the next four years at A&M San Antonio, as a transfer student.

In the beginning of the semester, I was a bit overwhelmed with the course syllabus. I

thought for sure that I wouldn’t be able to understand half of what the professor taught us. I

learned a little every week how to interpret and analyze literature in a way in which I understood

and appreciated it. Some ways that have helped me understand the literature are annotating and
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reflecting. I annotate next to the authors writing by asking questions about the text, and

documenting feelings and thoughts. Reflections are a part of critical thinking because it requires

me to think about the literature and find correlations and other personal ideas concerning the

piece.

Soon I learned the correct way to use MLA formatting when writing paper and essays.

The English 1301 class that I took last semester required APA formatting. Having to learn the

correct format for MLA this semester was necessary for my college present and future college

endeavors. I did not understand how to use MLA to head my paper until my professor instructed

me on the proper way. An example in my ePortfolio showing that I can properly use MLA

formatting would be my annotated bibliography before and after revision.

After completing the research for the research paper, I feel more confident in my abilities

to discipline myself and take the necessary steps in writing a successful research paper. I feel that

having the tools to utilize online database from SAC alongside the input from other students,

makes the process much easier. An example of the research I have done from SAC is in my

research paper located on the last page in my ePortfolio. I researched literary critics thoughts

about the authors poem and compared it to the poem itself.

Finally, I am proud to have finished this semester strong, considering the events due to

the pandemic that took place over the last two months. My writing is far from perfect, but I feel

like I have gained so much knowledge and look forward to seeing what the future holds for me. I

will continue to read literary pieces that are unfamiliar to me, because that how I will grow

academically. I would like to end this reflection with a heartfelt “Thank You” to my English

1303 professor, Mrs. Michelle Tubbs.