Reflective Writing Assignment

Revisiting the first assignment, I recall how frustrated I became in brainstorming ideas. How could I predict my performance for the semester without prior experience? This lead my standards and goals for the class to sound stagnant, mechanical, and monotonous. Writing the paper, I was no longer interested in predicting my semester but regurgitating the information found in the syllabus and course calendar.

Before entering this class, I dreaded writing. The effort and time needed to create a well written essay was laborious and tedious. I had too many ideas and I never prepared or planned for an assignment.

My goal for this semester was to follow the guidelines explained for each assignment, period. No further motivation nor desire to challenge

myself. This goal was insipid and uninspired. Thankfully, this class encouraged broader thinking. Freedom to explore creative and imaginative outlets enhanced my writing and held my interest. I was not confined to limit my words or write solely on a predetermined topic.
The writing I submitted in this class were bold. I wanted to challenge myself in speaking about topics I would normally shy away from. Looking back, I could have spent more time developing the idea rather than revising. In my prose poem, I could have advanced the connection between the cigarettes and a broken home. The personal narrative could have benefited from a concluding paragraph on previous, unhealthy relationships, which made saying yes to a new one complicated. The abundance of ideas in the opinion piece struggled to find a central point. Despite these simple shortcomings, I’m proud of what I accomplished on paper.
I never would have predicted that attendance would be the lowest part of my grade. I thoroughly enjoyed coming to class, speaking in a group and presenting ideas. This writing class was my only class of the semester with discussions and the freedom to interact with other students. The group activities and peer review coerced me to prepare for class and improved my writing immensely. Participation points and attending class are the two minimum requirements and easiest points available in almost every class, and I simply failed.
Writing in Various Settings quickly became one of my favorite classes of the semester. It is the only class that I feel I continued to improve and put conscious effort into my assignments. Working in groups and the styles of writing we explored were challenging and engaging. Despite not actively participating and interacting more with my classmates and professor, I believe that I have honed my writing skills and found a new enjoyment in writing.