After enrolling in the Dual Credit English Composition 1 class, I was afraid of many aspects of the course. I was petrified of meaningless things: deadlines, word counts, and plagiarism. Although each of those aspects are important to consider and be mindful of, they are, in no way, anything to worry over. I lost confidence in myself and my writing, through my own frightening thoughts. Almost a full semester into the class, I know now that through hard work and careful, in depth writing that I can accomplish anything that I put my mind to.
I learned that my silly fears were restraining me from accomplishing great things. I was able to overcome many obstacles pertaining to my writing, while in this class. One major obstacle that I was able to overcome and improve myself greatly on was transitioning; I ask myself, “How was I able to improve my transitioning skills in just one semester? ” but the answer is quite clear: practice. Before entering this class, I was very uneducated in writing, whether it be transitioning from one body paragraph to the next or even using the correct form of grammar throughout the paper.
My past high school and middle school English classes did not focus on transitioning; therefore, I was naive to the process of how to write a strong transitioning sentence. I, honestly, did not know what a transition was until I enrolled in English Composition 1. In past English classes, I was not required to write as many essays as I have been in this college course. At the time, I was very grateful. Because of my lack of confidence in writing, I never considered myself to be a strong writer.
Today, however, I am not as grateful. As a high school student taking a college course, I expected the class to be challenging, but never as challenging as it actually was. As a result of not being exposed to more detailed writing, I was unaware of what I was capable of doing. More experience in the past would have allowed me to build up the skills and confidence that I needed for future advanced classes, such as this one. While writing my entrance essay about my favorite vacation, I struggled with transitioning my paragraphs.
For example, in my second body paragraph | wrote, “We were able to experience these things together, and as a result of these amazing views and especially the privacy of our home, our family grew together even more. ” Looking back today, I see several areas that needed improvement. Throughout the course, evidence of my progress within each essay is evident. I knew that my success in the class depended on me only, and I also knew that without an understanding of a basic writing skill, such as transitioning, my success would not come easy.
My desire to thrive during the class, pushed me to improve those basic skills that I was lacking in, and, as a result of my determination, I was able to improve myself and that progress was obvious in my writings. Through the instructions of my teacher and help from family members, I learned what a transition was, I learned how to link my ideas together instead of using such broad ideas that were harder to connect, and I learned to position my ideas in a way where they would flow much easier.
These directions resulted in less time of confusion, fewer pleas for help from my family and teachers, and a boost in my confidence for my writings. This newly found confidence was noticeable in my following essays. In module four, I was required to write a narrative essay about three headline events in my life. My first transition stated, “The devil does not have to rear his ugly head in the form of a violent act; his works can come into fruition through something as seemingly innocent as a health care system.
This shows the process of linking my first body paragraph to the next through easy to follow, more narrowed ideas. Unlike my entrance essay, this essay and the many papers that followed showed a better understanding of transitions. These understandings lead me to where I am today. Today, I am grateful that I enrolled in Dual Credit English Composition 1; although the course was difficult, I was able to challenge myself to accomplish many obstacles that stood in my way and thrive throughout the semester.
This class has taught me many things about myself along with many necessary skills needed while writing. I know now that, through hard work and determination, I can achieve what I might think to be impossible. While reflecting back on my initial writing abilities, I see the weak, uneducated style of writing. Each essay shows my progression and improvement, and, after a while, the class began to become much easier. Today, after practicing throughout my essays this semester, I believe that I, in fact, have succeeded.
My journey as a high school student taking a college course was one that I am appreciative of. When I ask myself the question, “How was I able to improve my transitioning skills in one semester? ” I immediately know the answer. Practice makes perfect. I would have never understood what a transition was or learned how write a strong transition sentence if it were not for this class. In conclusion, learning how to transition, in my opinion, was one step closer to my victory as a college student.
