Louisa May Alcott Research Paper

This semester could be best described by the quote from Louisa May Alcott,“I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” Since the first day of class, I knew I would be facing a mountain of a storm like multiple essays and speeches, but I was willing to take the leap and head straight in. I didn’t know then and still don’t know now if I will do well in this class, because I am not the best writer or communicator or captain. But all I do know, is that I’ll put all my effort into guiding my ship in the right direction.

I am not the best or most skilled captain sailing the open seas, but I have enough knowledge to make sure my ship gets to its destination quickly and effortlessly. When it comes to doing a project with other people, like the Norwell project, I naturally become the leader. It is easy for me to distribute the work evenly and make sure everyone keeps on task and does his or her part. Sometimes, it might seem like I am being a dictator, but someone has to step up to make sure the ship sails. Another ability in my bag of tricks, is that I hardy ever procrastinate. When I am given a big project, like the argumentative research paper, I carefully plan out everything that needs to be done, and when it needs to be done. I don’t wait

This reminds me of the quote from George Williams Curtis, “It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.” My ship doesn’t get me to treasure island, I do. During the next semester, my goal is to improve my skills as an oral communicator. In the past, when I give presentations, or even talk during a socratic seminar (surprising right? yes, one point in my school career, I did talk during a seminar), I am a bag of nervousness. My heart beats out of my chest while I speak a thousand miles an hour. I don’t want to experience this every time I present. I want to be a confident captain that can easily talk in front of my