Midterm 3/2/12

English 1102 is by far one of the best English classes I have taken in college. As my friends, you should know that I love books, literature and English in general, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to you that I enjoy this class. This class is a lot different than any other English I have ever taken because of the way the teacher, Ms. Ingram, composes her class and assignments. In this class I have uncovered a lot about myself, how i feel about certain things and why I feel so strongly about them. This class asks you to question why you think something, it makes you delve deeper into yourself and others beliefs. This type of learning is really helpful and makes the learning/writing process a lot more fun and informative. I think that is why I enjoy this class so much, because it encourages you to think deeply about something, instead of just going out and getting sources and writing about what others think and say. This class also has group workshops, where you sit down with your group and basically break down your thoughts, give and receive constructive criticism. This exercise really works for me because it lets me know if I am on the right page with my writing.

So far in this class my favorite assignment has been the "what is it like to be you" paper. I know it sounds kind of conceited, seeing as the paper was about me, but I really enjoyed going back and reflecting on my life and the people that have influenced me. For as long as I can remember I have kept a journal, and It was fun to go back as read the thousands on entries from the past 19 years. Going back and remembering the amazing times in my life, remembering the felling of complete happiness, made me feel as if I were back in time and feeling those emotions all over again. Also I wanted to give credit to all the people in my life that have made me who I am, like my parents and God. I enjoy being able to express myself through my writing, and letting the audience, my classmates and teacher, know my opinion and thoughts. One thing that made this essay easier to write was that my audience of classmates are also going through college and are facing some of the same things I am facing, because we are all students working toward a degree. Some of the writing skills that I had to work on during the process of this paper were putting my emotion into my writing, and letting the readers feel what I felt, trying to define myself in the words. The last time I wrote a narrative essay about my life I was a whole different person, and the differences between the papers is drastic. I wanted to give all the Glory to God for the person I am today in this paper, where in the others I wanted to take credit for being me. The main goal for this paper was to have the reader read the essay and know the blueprint of me, to know the reason I get up in the morning, why I live the life I live. When I revise this essay for the final draft at the end of this semester I plan to give a more descriptive view of my Mom, so the reader can understand more fully why she is a role model for me and the impact she has had on my life. This essay has made me uncover that I am the person I am because of the people in my life and the amazing God I serve, not from my own accomplishments. I am blessed beyond imagine.

I think that the start of the semester with the reading of Peace Butter & Jelly was really nice. I had never read a book like PB&J before so it was a whole new experience for me. The topics of the book helped me to understand better the whole topic question for the class, "what does it mean to be healthy ?". I think it was a great start to the semester and really pressed me to think about the inquiry of healthiness.


This class is awesome
and full of inquiry
it boggles my mind

                                                        -Janie Hatley