Worried about succeeding in English 105? Don’t worry—you’re not alone! Find out how your fellow students conquered their fears, became better writers, and not only survived to tell the tale but also thrived while telling it. Warning: this course will change your life!
Photo Credit: marcoverch Flickr via Compfight cc
At the beginning of the semester I felt very intimidated and incapable of writing anything worthy of a decent grade. I felt overwhelmed at the thought of having to write so much, assignment after assignment, but I found it super beneficial to break it down into steps and focus on one area at a time.
The thing that surprised me most about my writing was the fact that [by the end of the course] I was capable of actually sounding academic . . . now knowing all the steps that need to be taken in order to get to that final draft has really helped my confidence, which in turn helped my writing. –Kelsey Simpson*
At the beginning of the course, I was horrified and overwhelmed by the thought of writing essays. However . . . [after] a lot of guidance to help me with academic writing . . . . I am surprised by my own writing because of how far I’ve come from the beginning of this course. I am surprised by literally everything because in high school I was never taught how to properly write an essay, and without this course I would never know how. The biggest surprise is being able to finish the course feeling proud of myself.
What surprised me most about my own writing was that I am actually not that bad a writer . . . . This course has changed my thinking about writing, and I aim to continue to improve my writing . . . .
The one skill I developed in English 105 that will serve me best in my other courses is audience analysis—figuring out who I am writing to, and what do they want to hear. This will serve me well for the rest of my career as well. –Hans-Georg Worms
What really blew me away about my own writing is that I always have the right path and direction when brainstorming ideas. Sometimes my way of presenting those ideas was confusing to others, but . . . [now] with the aid of the instructor I have been able to navigate my way through my ideas and write about them better.
*All student testimonials, both anonymous and acknowledged, have been used with student permission.
Comments are closed.