Final Course Reflection

    As the Spring 2020 semester comes to an end, it is easy to reflect on highs and lows. The COVID-19 pandemic shook most of our worlds. Distance learning was a challenge, especially for me, someone learns better and benefits more from an actual school environment.  I took ENG 101 back in Fall 2018, which was some time ago, so it was hard to remember specifics of the course. However, I was able to sign into my Digication account where some of my ENG 101 work was uploaded. It was interesting to see how in this short amount of time my writing has matured. At the end of this course I feel confident that I am a better writer and researcher then I previously was. This was the first class I felt like really introduced me to what research in my field (psychology) would look like.

            This course challenged me, which I reflected in my 101 that I was not challenged. A lot of the writing was new to me, like the memo and informative report. Others, like the research paper and argumentative essay, were familiar, yet taken to new heights. After completing my research paper, I am much more confident in my skills as a researcher, especially in my field. In my research, I purposely took a psychology approach, so that I got a feel of what it was to research psychology. I am glad I had the opportunity to do this, because not only did I improve my researching skills, I also found that I don’t really enjoy doing research too much, so maybe I should rethink what I see myself doing in the field. Similarly, the memo was challenging, but I was also my favorite assignment. It was something I am proud of; I think it was fairly good for a first-time memo. I feel like the maturity of my writing shows. It also definitely inspired me to be a boss in the future, so I can send out daily memos.

            As well becoming a better researcher, I am a better writer as well. Group assignment are always difficult for me, as I prefer to write alone. Being the Kairos and conclusion role of the argumentative essay was challenging but beneficial. It was challenging because as the conclusion I had to wait until my group members were finished with their ideas; Beneficial because it taught me how to blend writing styles and incorporate others voices and ideas. Even the journal articles were thought-provoking in that they challenged my writing, and ultimately assisted growth as a writer.

Overall, from my 101 writing to now, there has been a great improvement, I have always been good at writing, but looking at my final 201 blog, it is clear that my writing style and vocabulary have matured and improved. I am always grateful for English courses because reading and writing have been passions of mine since a little girl. After I became a mother and took a year away from school, sadly, it felt like I was losing interests in my passions. This course ignited the spark again, and was new and refreshing, despite how the semester was abruptly altered. Thank you Professor Matyakubova for a great semester!