Martinez 1

Yuritci Martinez

Dr. Sharity Nelson

ENGL 1302-101

5 December 2022

My journey through English 1302

In English 1302, I learnt how to examine, interpret, and rewrite quotations from articles.

This course was beneficial to me since I learnt new writing skills such as how to appropriately

style essays in MLA format and how to accurately reference to avoid plagiarism from other

people's work. I discovered how to properly arrange the references in alphabetical order by the

first letter of each source. As my grade improved from essay one to essay three, I noticed a

significant improvement in my writing abilities. I also learnt how to properly use the arguments

and evidence in each essay as well as how to support my thesis in relation to the essay's topic. By

recognizing and correcting the errors that my professor and peers pointed out, I was able to

modify my essays and rewrite them with better phrasing and punctuation.

These works aided my professional development and strengthened my writing mentality.

I'll be able to utilize all these new abilities I gain in English 1302 in other courses because I

assume that all will require to write essays. Every course I take will have me submit an essay or a

research report for a grade. For instance, I needed to write an essay about my future career for

one of my classes, and what helped me was that I was already familiar with essays because of the

English lectures. Unfortunately, not everything I learned in English 1302 will transfer to other

courses because various professors have different ways of teaching different skills. My writing

weakness is that I still need to develop good my sub-topics and paragraphs, be more clearly on

the thesis statement and be more specific about the topic. My writing abilities altered throughout
Martinez 2

the course of this semester since my first essay had a low grade, my second essay received a

better grade, and my final essay surprised me with a higher grade. These are signs that my

writing skills or strengths are getting better and better. Being a better writer will benefit me in

both my academic and professional endeavors.

The prompt for essay 1 was for a research essay based on an experiment. I conducted an

experiment to see if a dog might help a student feel less stressed and anxious. I discovered how

to evaluate articles by locating the thesis and using it as support for my essay in this one. Peers

gave me feedback suggesting that my introduction and conclusion required additional support. I

also got feedback from the instructor advising me that I needed to revise my introduction and add

the hypothesis or thesis statement be clearer. Additionally, I needed to clarify how the results

were measured or recorded in the procedure section, so I went back and revised it. When editing

the essay, I made the rhetorical decision to focus on reworking paragraphs appropriately. I

rewrote my introduction, included some phrases from another paragraph, and eliminated the

other paragraph because it contained unnecessary material. I rewrote my thesis statement and

added the hypothesis to the introduction to make it more apparent. For example, “However,

having a dog by their side will help students who struggle with stress and anxiety feel more

relaxed and confident” (Martinez, “Dogs can decrease stress and anxiety from university

students”, Essay 1 revised, 1). As can be seen from the example, I made this assumption for the

experiment and included it in the introduction. I returned to the essay to modify the result and

discussion sections since they needed to be clearer or explained more thoroughly. The final thing

I checked was that the four sources were included in the essay and that I was correctly

referencing the quotations. For example, “Pet therapy as a therapeutic phenomenon has grown

rapidly in recent decades with animal-assisted interventions being implemented across a range of
Martinez 3

healthcare environments” (Wood, et al. 1)” (Martinez, “Dogs can decrease stress and anxiety

from university students”, Essay 1 revised, 2). This is an example of how I properly cited a

quotation I took from an article in the essay. The "Experiment proposal" was the assignment that

had the biggest impact on my revisions since it helped me to go back and double-check the

accuracy of the procedure and outcome sections of the essay. The experiment proposal included

my experiment's instructions and method, which made it easier for me to verify that everything

was done correctly.

The goal of essay 2 was to compose an essay regarding a research analysis. My topic was

the efficacy and negative effects of the Covid-19 vaccination on individuals. In writing this

essay, I learned how to evaluate the 10 articles' various points of view in order to extract the

important data that would serve as the essay's argument. Peers said that although my article was

well-written, it needed more justification for the author's thesis rather than mine. Additionally,

the instructor told me to double-check that I was citing all 10 sources, to rewrite the body

paragraphs, and, lastly, to minimize on my use of quotes. I went back to review the essay to

ensure that I was utilizing all ten sources; I was only missing two sources on the essay. So, I

went ahead and incorporated the two sources I was missing, as well as their perspectives on the

Covid-19. I realized that I had forgot to properly source the quotes I took from the articles, so I

went back and did so to prevent plagiarism.

To better focus on the ideas, I rewrote my body paragraphs with regular paragraph form.

The final thing I did was update the quotations I used because I used so many citations, so I

rewrote certain equations in my own words. For example, Additionally, according to Tavakoli et

al., "Covid-19 vaccines manufactured by Sinopharm and Soberana are normally safe and do not

have any negative impact or repercussions on children under 18" (4890) (Martinez, “Covid-19
Martinez 4

Vaccines effectiveness and side effects on the people: A review of a Scholarship”, Final Essay 2,

2). This is an example of a quotation I used in my final essay; this is how it looked before I

rewrote it in my own words, and this is how it looks after I rewrote it in my own terms. “The

Covid-19 vaccines are provided by Sinopharm and Soberana; these vaccines are normally safe

and doesn’t have side effects” (Martinez, “Covid-19 Vaccines effectiveness and side effects on

the people: A review of a Scholarship”, Essay 2 revised, 2). The "Annotated Bibliography,"

which was part of my homework, helped me summarize each article and ensure that I understood

every angle of each one, which had an impact on my revisions. The annotated bibliography

assisted me in reviewing my essay to ensure that I was presenting the researcher's perspective,

not my own.

Essay 3's prompt was a research position, and this essay discussed my viewpoint about

the topic I selected. The effectiveness and safety of the Covid-19 vaccinations for all people was

the topic I chose for this essay. I gained knowledge on how to assess many articles and include

them as evidence for my viewpoint or argument in this essay. According to the suggestions from

my peers, I should strengthen and add evidence to each of my subtopics. The instructor also gave

me feedback, advising me that I need to revise the paragraph structure, develop arguments that

are clearer and support the thesis statement, link the paragraphs, and add transitions into the

quotations. I enhance and explain the introduction to make it more comprehensible for everyone.

I went back and clarified the thesis statement's ideas by reviewing the points again.

I strengthened the connections between the statements and each paragraph's point, and I

established connections between the paragraphs to make them more straightforward and

understandable. For instance, “The Covid-19 vaccines must be mandatory because is an efficient

method of preventing the disease, which can assist to lower the risk of serious sickness and
Martinez 5

fatality, to stop the disease from spreading, and perhaps to create herd immunity” (Martinez,

“Covid-19 Vaccines effectiveness and safety toward the community”, Final Essay 3, 1). This is

an example of the thesis statement for essay 3, but one of the comments I received form the

instructor was that I need to back up points that support the thesis statement. Therefore, I added

these two points as back up of the thesis statement, “The coronavirus vaccinations are intended

to assist the body in recognizing these spike proteins and fighting the coronavirus that contains

them. A successful vaccination will help prevent a person against serious disease,

hospitalization, and death” (Martinez, “Covid-19 Vaccines effectiveness and safety toward the

community”, Essay 3 revised). The "Moving from subject to Thesis statement" assignment had

a big impact on the changes I made for the essay. This homework was beneficial to me since I

was able to develop a focused, clear thesis statement that offered me instructions on how to

construct a strong thesis statement with just one major focus.

When creating the website, I used rhetorical strategies to ensure that users could

comprehend the portfolio's objective for English 1302 by including design, work, and context. I

created a good website that is accessible to everyone and will have a nice appearance. I chose a

farm theme for my website since I enjoy spending time with animals and have a close

relationship with them. They make me happy and help me relax whenever I'm around them. To

make it successful, I began by including the title, a succinct description of the purpose of the

portfolio, and some images. Then, I create four pages—essay 1, essay 2, essay 3, and the final

reflection essay—for each essay. They can put the corresponding assignments for each essay on

its own page, which will be assigned for every essay. I attempt to create unique backgrounds for

each essay and keep everything in order so that the audience can enjoy it. I truly appreciate how

this website turns on. This website is well structured, and I really liked how it turned on.
Martinez 6

The rhetorical choices when creating the portfolio was that I started inserting the title for

each essay and started doing the table of contents. For essay 1, the first page contains an

explanation of the prompt for essay 1 and contains the final revision for essay 1. Then, the

second page, I insert draft 1 and 2, the third page I added the final draft (original), the fourth

page has the reflection essay, the fifth page contains the feedback from the peers and the

instructor. The last page, I added three assignments and three classroom activities. For essay 2,

the first page a small summary of the prompt of the essay and the final revision for the essay.

The second page, I added draft 1 and 2 and for the third page, I added the final draft (original).

The fourth page, I inserted the reflection essay and the fifth page, I added the feedback from the

peers and instructor. The last page, I added the three homework assignments and three classroom

assignments. For essay 3,

When designing the portfolio, I place a title for each essay and made the table of

contents. The opening page of essay 1 includes the essay's final revision as well as an

explanation of the essay's prompt. Then, I add drafts 1 and 2 to the second page, the final draft

(original) to the third page, the reflection essay to the fourth page, and the peer and Instructor

comments to the fifth page. I added three assignments and three in-class activities to the last

page. For essay number two, the opening page contains the essay's final revision as well as a

brief explanation of the essay's prompt. I put drafts 1 and 2 to the second page, and the final draft

to the third page (original). I included the reflection essay on the fourth page, followed by the

peer and instructor feedback on the fifth page. I put the three homework tasks and the three class

assignments to the final page. For essay 3, I added the essay prompt and the final rewrite, and

drafts 1 and 2 are on the second page. The final draft is on the third page, and the reflection essay

is on the fourth. I included peer and professor comments on the fifth page, then three homework
Martinez 7

tasks and classroom assignments on the last page. The reflective essay, which is between 2,000

and 2,500 words long, was included on last page along with its purpose. The hardest part of this

website was having to gather all the drafts, final drafts, peer and instructor comments,

homework, class assignments, and the last revision for each essay. The creation and design of the

website were the least controversial aspects.

My primary objective for the semester was to become a more exact writer and to build

my writing identity. The Portfolio assignment sheet also emphasizes that careful planning,

drafting, and rewriting are essential to improving as a writer. Understanding a range of academic

genres by evaluating the essential criteria that distinguish each type is also part of it. It was

critical for me to have my work reviewed by others as well as myself in order to efficiently fulfill

my objective of becoming a better writer. In this course, it is crucial to apply rhetorical expertise,

critical thinking, reading, and writing. All of this has really aided me in becoming a more exact

writer and building my writing personality. These three essays, as well as the reflection essays,

really aided my learning experience in English 1302 by assisting me in becoming a better reader,

analyst, and writer. Each essay I wrote for this course helped me learn new methods and abilities.
Martinez 8

Works Cited

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Annotated Bibliography”, 27 September 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas

A&M International University, student paper)

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Covid-19 Vaccines effectiveness and side effects on the people: A

review of a Scholarship”, Final Essay 2, 12 September 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A& M

International University, student paper)

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Covid-19 Vaccines effectiveness and side effects on the people: A

review of a Scholarship”, Final Essay 2 revised, 5 December 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A& M

International University, student paper)

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Covid-19 Vaccines effectiveness and safety toward the community”,

Final Essay 3, 28 October 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A& M International University, student

paper)

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Covid-19 Vaccines effectiveness and safety toward the community”,

Final Essay 3 revised, 5 December 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A& M International University,

student paper)

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Dogs can decrease stress and anxiety from university students”,

Essay 1 revised, 5 December 2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A& M International University, student

paper)

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Moving from subject to Thesis statement Assignment”, 24 October

2022. ENGL 1302, Texas A&M International, student paper)

Martinez 9

(Martinez, Yuritci, “Experiment Proposal 1 Assignment”, 2 September 2022, ENGL

1302, Texas A&M International, student paper)

Tavakoli, Nader, et al. “Pediatric and Adolescent COVID‐19 Vaccination Side Effects: A

Retrospective Cohort Study of the Iranian Teenage Group in 2021.” Journal of Medical

Virology, vol. 94, no. 10, 24 June 2022, pp. 4890–4900.,

https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27962. 

Wood, Emily, et al. “The Feasibility of Brief Dog-Assisted Therapy on University Students

Stress Levels: The Paws Study.” Journal of Mental Health, vol. 27, no. 3, 2017, pp. 263–

268., https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2017.1385737.