Michael Kaelin

Reflective essay
Ms. Hull
T R 10:00-11:20

Reflective Essay

I came into this class knowing that it could be my last English class, since I will
not need any further credits in the field. I knew also that the harder i worked in this
class, the more successful I would be in writing papers for future classes that will be
related to my major. I am very pleased to say that I reached the goal of improving my
writing skills. I now have more confidence in my ability to write strong and persuasive
papers using precise organization, an attractive style, and mean rhetorical skills that will
serve me well in future papers.
Some of these skills speak directly to the English 2010 course goals. I think two
of the goals this semester that have helped me are:
Adapting argumentative strategies for a given writing situation.
Approach reading and research critically, analytically, and rhetorically,
choosing appropriate research strategies for a particular writing task.
In our Position/Proposal we were required to convince our audience that there is
a problem, then give them a viable solution that would please the readers. Writing this

paper helped me to have a better understanding of one of the purposes of writing an

argumentative paper. That is, to convince someone of something you have observed,
and upon convincing them, proposing to them a plan of possible action. The assignment
that helped me even more was revising this paper. Going back and reading pieces of
my work has been the biggest factor in helping me improve my writing skills. Instead of
forgetting about the papers I had written, I continued to work on them, leading me to
strategies that could help them be more effective or wording that would be more clear
and convincing.
Having focused on a subject of my choice for a whole semester, I was able to
identify and critically observe research that would prove most effective in my papers.
This also helped me to find better ways of obtaining information. I discovered that
documentaries can be great resources when trying to find critical information on a given
subject. By analyzing information, I was able to use this information in the best way for
the paper at hand. For example, in my exploration it was more appropriate for me to
include both positive and negative information on the subject of 3D printed weapons. In
contrast, for my position paper It was more appropriate to emphasize the negative
aspects of 3D printed weapons.
In conclusion, I have surpassed my own personal expectations and goals for this
class. I am sure that for writing assignments in future classes, I will be greatly helped by
the strategies and skills I have learned. This class has also helped me to grow as an
individual. I enjoyed the meaningful conversations we have had in class, and they

helped me figure out more of who I am as a person. This is something that I find very
valuable in my over-all college experience.