Lagunas 1

Edward Lagunas Jr

ENGL 1302-223

Dr. Sharity Nelson

8 May 2022

My Time in English 1302

So far, this semester has been one of the most stressful times I have experienced in my

college life. However, it has not changed the fact that I have learned a lot in English 1302. I

learned how to create a proper research analysis essay, how to conduct a proper research

experiment, and creating a proper argumentative essay all of which I struggled in

comprehension. For example, I struggled with proper formatting in the research analysis essay

especially when it came to not inserting my own opinions, so the essay does not come off as a

position paper. On the other hand, I found that these experiences did not really leave me feeling

like I did not learn anything, rather I found them to be fun and invigorating marking my time in

English 1302.

When it came to the rhetorical choices for the creation of my essays, I found that I did not

really stick with any rhetorical choices for Essay 1. However, that does not mean any of my

writing did not come with rhetorical strategies that could help make writing and completing

Essay 1 any easier. For example, in Essay 1 I focused on explaining and defining the purpose

and process of the experimentation for Essay 1 such as “The study was conducted during a

typical school week from Monday to Wednesday. It was performed every day after school at the

same time to ensure the participants were all present.” In this direct quotation taken from my first

essay I mention when the experiment/study was conducted so the audience knows a bit more

about the process for my experimentation. On the other hand, in the introduction I had stated
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“Music has been at the forefront of entertainment for many decades. Many often credit music for

its ability to heighten both the excitement and emotions of anyone who listens to it. However,

some often wonder if these effects correlate with boosting productivity and enhancing mood

when completing work.” These are the first two sentences introducing the purpose behind my

experimentation in Essay 1. These two quotations I have chosen to exemplify some of the

reasoning behind my rhetorical choices for Essay 1 as they primarily involve purpose and

process to ensure that readers know that my experiment does have some form of reasoning and

has relevance.

On the other hand, in Essay 2 my rhetorical choices were somewhat limited in the sense

that I did not choose much for Essay 2, however, that does not mean there is no rhetorical

elements. For example, in Essay 2 I spent a lot of time comparing the research completed by

scholarly authors without inserting my own opinions, so the essay does not become a position

paper. “…changes in exercise were associated with changes in physical quality of life …;

individuals who engaged in more exercise demonstrated greater physical quality of life

improvements versus those who exhibited no change.” (B. Holt-Gosselin et al., 370). This

quotation in the context of Essay 2 was trying to argue for exercise as an alternative coping

mechanism. “Adolescents who had received psychological treatment reported a significantly

greater reduction in symptom severity than controls, …” (J. Baker et al., 773). On the other hand,

this quotation was in favor of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a more effective coping

mechanism. These two quotations were used to compare the coping mechanisms to figure out

which method is more effective. Using this rhetorical strategy was again difficult in Essay 2 as I

had to avoid introducing my own opinions and ideas, however, I feel that this strategy was quite

effective in making Essay 2 a research analysis essay.

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Lastly, there is Essay 3 which uses the same rhetorical strategy as Essay 2 which

involved comparing, however, this time it was easier to implement because I was not limited in

terms of adding my own thoughts and opinions while still being able to introduce scholarly

research. For example, “‘…long waiting lists for CBT may worsen symptoms and long-term

prognosis.’ (Henriksson et al., 27). As stated, CBT may possibly worsen the symptoms that come

with depression and anxiety due to the waitlist for this coping mechanism leading to it being less

effective than exercise as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy relies on the support of a psychologist to

improve mental health disorders.” This quotation taken from Essay 3 shows how inserting the

rhetorical strategy of comparing made it easier to write the entirety of Essay 3 which is why

using comparing has been a prominent rhetorical strategy throughout my time in English 1302.

Although there was some effort in inserting rhetorical choices within the Essays I have

completed for English, when it comes to my portfolio website there was not a lot of influence

from rhetorical choices I have made. However, a lot of the choices I have made for the Essay

revolve around personal preference. For example, a lot of the imagery that I chose for the

portfolio is associated with the overall idea or thesis of all the papers I have completed, that

being the mind. There is images of the mind at the front page of my essay, images of therapy for

Essay 2, images of the brain exercising for mental health for Essay 3, wherever you look within

my portfolio there is an image associated with every topic, which can be associated with the

rhetorical strategy of imagery through out my portfolio.

On the other hand, I do not believe that any other rhetorical choices are in affect for my

portfolio, however, I do believe that there are other influence within my revisions and creation of

my portfolio. For example, a lot of the comments made by my instructor played a significant role

in helping me revise a lot of the essays I worked on. Comments like “1. Identify topic of research
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and provide background using relevant scholarly sources” helped me realize that I was not as

clear as I originally thought my topic of research was for Essay 3. Or “2. State the research

question by describing a point of uncertainty, doubt, or gap in knowledge or scholarly

consensus” which helped me understand exactly why an author needs to state their purpose when

creating an argument or stance making the revisions for Essay 2 and 3 an even easier task. On

the other hand, one comment that was very insightful into what I needed to work on was “3.

Clarify the argument of the paper in a thesis statement that uses the assertion + reason formula

and is introduced using a signal phrase, such as ‘This paper argues that…’ or ‘Arguably…’ Also,

you use the word ‘refutable’ and I think you mean ‘irrefutable’” which led to me rewriting all of

the introductions that I have written for Essay 1, Essay 2, and Essay 3.

Although, I learned a lot during my time in English 1302 there is quite a bit that I do not

think may be applicable in other classrooms, or outside of a classroom setting. For example, in

English I have learned how to create an annotated bibliography filled with sources that I would

be using in my research analysis essay and my position paper. I would not be able to apply this

method of creating citation in a theatre course in which I am learning about the history of theatre,

or I would not be able to create and use an annotated bibliography to obtain sales in a job that

requires me to make sales. Furthermore, an annotated bibliography would not be applicable in

my economics class where most of the requirements for the class were just quizzes and test, no

essays or writing assignments to be found.

However, there are instances where the things I have learned in English can be

applicable in other classes. For example, in a history course where writing assignments are

required along with a list of sources where I got the dates, people, and events throughout history.

This is one instance where I feel an annotated bibliography can be applicable in another class. In
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addition, learning how to properly analyze research from scholarly sources and synthesizing a

narrative from their positions is another important aspect of English that I feel is applicable

outside of the classroom. For example, in a government class I had to create an argument of my

own for why freedom of speech is an important aspect of human rights without inserting my own

opinions or beliefs which I found to be quite a bit difficult. However, with what I have learned

about writing Essay 2 in English has made that task easier as I now know how to create a proper

research analysis essay.

On the other hand, I feel that with all I have learned during my time in English has helped

me become an even better writer than before. For example, during the writing process for Essay

2: Research Analysis I found that I was still struggling even after my second draft to synthesize a

proper argument without creating a position paper. I found that I was still using terms or phrases

that were comparing the effectiveness of coping mechanism such as “Therefore, the scales used

to determine how much individuals are affected by anxiety, surveys used to determine the levels

of anxiety within individuals, and scales used to determine anxiety at a national level are

examined in their effectiveness…” this sentence shows that I still lacked a proper understanding

of how to create a research analysis paper without making it a position paper. However, after

receiving comments from my instructor and moving onto Essay 3 I found that writing a research

analysis paper was even easier than before, and I rewrote this introduction to fall more in line

with a research analysis paper. For example, “Tailor specific treatments for patients with mental

health disorders are necessary; therefore, research for treatments such as CBT (Cognitive

Behavioral Therapy), exercise, exposure to nature, and social interactions are crucial in

determining alternative treatment options that are tailored to the individual. In all, this paper

observes scholarly articles on the alternative coping mechanisms available and how most
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scholars such as Holt-Gosselin et al. are in support of these alternative coping mechanisms.” This

rewrite fell more in line with what a proper research analysis paper is compared to the previous

paragraph that felt more like it belonged to a position paper marking my growth as a writer.

Although, writing these essays and revisions have been a challenging aspect about for

English 1302 I feel that the website portfolio was honestly the easiest aspect of the final

assignment for English. For example, I did not have to work within certain boundaries or limits

for the website, so I was not limited in terms of creativity. I was able to insert commentary for

some of my favorite works, and to go even further, I was able to talk about how I felt about a

certain piece of work that I completed. Furthermore, I was able to insert imagery that helped me

visualize a bit more into what it is as a writer that I want my writings to be about. However, that

does not mean that the entirety of English 1302 was easy just because creating the portfolio was

one of the easier aspects of the class.

Lastly, I feel that as a writer my identity is a bit clearer in the sense that if I ever decided

to start writing out this idea for a video game that I have mind, I would have an easier time

understanding how to make a reader feel for my writing. For example, English 1301 taught me

all about the rhetorical strategies that would help grab my readers attention such as exigence,

pathos, ethos, and logos, or strategies to come off as unbiased when it comes to writing a paper

without any personal input. These experiences have ultimately made me feel more confident than

I ever have in my writing, and I hope that whatever comes next is just as challenging and

educational as my time spent in English 1302.

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Works Cited

Nelson, Sharity. “Comments on Essay 3, Draft 3.” 23 April 2022. English 1302. ENGL 1302,

Texas A&M International University, student paper.

Lagunas, Edward. “Anxiety Applied to The Different Levels of Society.” 28 February 2022.

ENGL 1302, Texas A&M International University, student paper.

-- “The Alternative Coping Mechanisms to CBT.” 6 May 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A&M

International University, student paper.

-- “The Effects of Music on Productivity and Mood.” 6 May 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A&M

International University, student paper.

-- “The Importance of Exercise for Mental & Cognitive Health Disorders.” 6 May 2022. ENGL

1302, Texas A&M International University, student paper.