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Diego Flores
English 113A
Professor Hymes
December 1, 2015
My First Freshman Semester
Before beginning this class, I had in mind that this english class would be like no other.
Reading books, writing essays after essays, and what not. I was expecting to read boring books
and summarize them. I couldnt have been more wrong judging this class before taking it. I was
taught essay structure, as well to how to write narrative stories. Additional to that, I learned how
to analyze an advertisement. This class has helped me strengthen my biggest weakness in
writing and that is writing itself.
Overcoming my weakness over on my first in college is an accomplishment for me. I
have always found writing to be boring. Either it was that, or the fact that I couldnt think of
anything to write of. The beginning step to this success was seeing my first assignment which
was to summarize a funny article. I found it very hard at first because it I had not done any type
of reading or writing in the summer. It was difficult for me to even begin the essay. This specific
weakness was the one I think I strengthen the fastest. This was done by practice, by writing
multiple summaries and essays.
Additional to that the hardest weakness that I have strengthened since the beginning of
the semester is my structure of my essay. This was the hardest of them all because I wasnt
thought this throughout my high school years. It took sometime to do but it wasnt nothing that I
couldnt overcome. It took some practice and with the help of my professor and my SI to give me
helpful papers on essay structure. The way I overcame this weakness by starting to write

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everything that came to mind that I would talk about it in my essay. After I have organized the
way I will write my essay. That is when I use the checklist which was provided by my professor.
In my first progression my essay Que Suenes Con Los Angelitos, my structure wasnt
great In fact I was talking about different things that didnt correlate with that paragraph. I would
talk about how my grandma would and then I would change the topics to something else. I would
later bring the same topic in a later paragraph. I have changed this weakness into a strength. It
was difficult but with time and practice it was done. During my last progression with
Argumentative essay I had struggled.
The reason why I struggled with argumentative essay was because I didnt organize my
arguments properly as I should have in the first place. With proper review I was able to fix the
following essay. I kept reviewing and as well seeked helped with my SI. She guided me through
my simple mistakes and more complex parts that I had written incorrectly. This wasnt a big
challenge for me it was more of an obstacle but I decide to include this because it did set me
back a little. Lowering the Drinking age, was my argumentative essay I gave facts in why it
should be lowered. I believe it is one of my best essays from this class.
In English 113A I did manage to learn how to be a more outgoing writer. It wasnt just
that but as well how properly structure my essays. This was the most complicated for me but I
did manage to overcome it. Although it was the hardest obstacle I did learn how to make it into a
strength with proper guide of my professor Jacklyn Hymes. SInce the beginning of the semester I
learned to properly structure an essay, creative writing, and as well proper structure for an
argumentative essay.

Work Cited.