Running

Head: FINAL ESSAY

Composition and Communications I Final Essay

Austin J.C. Williams
University of Kentucky

Running Head: FINAL ESSAY

As this semester comes to a close, this final project wraps up what cannot be
described as anything but a wild first semester. We truly have been expected to hit the
ground running, and even with the copious amounts of preparation and aid that the
university offers, it can be a bit overwhelming at times. However it must be said that
Composition and Communications I has been the most universally effective course that
I have ever taken. The communications and scholastic skills that I have picked up in this
course have already begun to greatly impact my studies and my every day life. When I
was in High School, English class was always my worst class. Where I was nearly
always in honors or AP science and mathematics, I was always in the lowest level
English class available so that I would not have to suffer through mountains of essays and
papers. Obviously I still did, but the lower level classes were much more on-par for my
abilities and I enjoyed them much more. I guess this, in large part, is why I am an
Engineer and an English Literature or Journalism major. However Composition and
Communications I, I feel, is nothing like my High School English classes. We did not
read any god-awful books about Alex DeLarge and his criminal corrections. We did not
read any insufferable plays about witch burnings and sixteen year-old girls having half
the town hung. But we did learn to speak, and speak well. We learned how to
communicate effectively and manage conflict in a productive way. We learned to
appreciate culture and people of different backgrounds. We learned to write a college
level paper, something I desperately needed to be taught. I absolutely feel that the
content from this course has been far more valuable than anything John Proctor or Alex
DeLarge could ever teach me, and that feeling is proved to me every day. The popculture examples and scenarios used to demonstrate the material were much more

Running Head: FINAL ESSAY

effective than old books. This was a very informative and stimulating course. Nearly
every day in my life I have applied my new-improved conflict management skills. We
live on a busy campus, and so just about every day there is some sort of interpersonal
conflict. Whether it be large or small I can always approach it feeling equipped and
prepared to handle it in a constructive and efficient way. Through my research of Islamic
culture I did for this class I have gained even more appreciation for the exceptionally
diverse world we live in. Seeing other classmates present their cultures opened my eyes
to just how many different groups can be defined as cultures, and I learned new respect
for all of them. I had always considered myself an effective communicator, a leader.
Now I can continue forth with my new skills knowing that I can clearly and confidently
establish relationships and communicate with those people in a productive and satisfying
way. I feel prepared to take on writing classes knowing well that I can write collegequality papers. In conclusion, I believe that this course has impacted me in a very
positive way, and because of it I have become a better student and communicator.