Dixie Smith Smith1

Dr. Jan Rieman

English 1103

11, October 2010

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Looking Back
Seven weeks ago I walked into my first college English class. I had always done well

in my high school English classes, so I wasn’t too nervous about my performance in this

class. Honestly, I expected most of it to come easily. My professor, Dr. Jan, seemed nice, so I

was basically just relieved that I hadn’t gotten another crazy English teacher! However,

what really got me was when Dr. Jan began encouraging us to forget what our earlier

teachers told us was the “wrong” ways to write. Rather we were to explore new ways of

writing that we hadn’t been given the opportunity to before. Frankly, being told to do

something in my own way was a pretty shocking notion, but in a good way. So I ran with

the idea. When I wrote for my Writing to Explore papers, I ejected more of me into my

papers, than I had in my papers in the past, and doing so was definitely an appealing

concept. I was becoming, and still am becoming, the writer that past teachers had blocked

me from becoming.

However, not everything came as easily as writing with my own style, some new

things presented challenges that I hadn’t faced before. Foremost, was when I was faced

with academic reading assignments. Looking back I remember the first time I tried reading

Sponsors of Literacy, the task was daunting. I was so intimidated by the intellectual words

and phrases. It took more determination and willpower to get through that reading

assignment, than any other reading I had done in my entire life. On the other hand, each

time I read another assignment like that, the reading got easier and my comprehension of
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what the author was trying to convey improved. Despite the fact that I still haven’t got to

place where I enjoy reading text like that, I have obtained a better appreciation of it.

Looking Forward
Even though I have conquered a few challenges in English class, I know there are

more in the path before me. I’m facing one of those challenges right now. In English class

we are currently writing what is referred to by Dr. Jan as Inquiry papers; also known as a

research paper. Research papers are a formal style of writing, and I find writing that way to

be difficult, mainly because it’s all facts, and very little personal opinion. Writing in this

mode is going to be a learning experience for me, but I’ve got access to a lot of guidance

when needed. One other great thing from writing a research paper; I’m learning how to

conduct research and find the information I need using all the many sources I have access

to. Along with that, I’m discovering some neat material. So far my understanding writing

this research paper has been pretty successful and interesting. I’m excited to see what this

Inquiry paper becomes!

Lastly, if I had to indicate one thing that I think I’m most eager for, it would be what

the next chapter is going hold? In other words, what new concept are we going to learn

next? From the very beginning this English classroom has been a whole new literary and

classroom environment. Consequently, I’m ready to see what Dr. Jan is going to throw our

way next. Also at the conclusion of the class, I’ll be impatient to look back and see how far,

and how much, my writing style has grown and changed. And how much my way of

thinking has changed with it.