Christian Rodriguez Tlamani 5/12/24
ENGL 21001
Going on this semester anticipated a journey of self-improvement in my writing. In things like the Harlem review essay, I delved into the rich history of the Black Panther Party which was something that I had always been curious about and with the assignment given I was now able to explore it and go in-depth into a small part into the Harlem history requiring me to sift through a multitude of sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of the party’s origins, ideologies, and impact on American society. Not merely a story of activism and resistance but also one of community-building and empowerment. lesser-known facets of the party’s legacy, shedding light on its grassroots initiatives, such as the Free Breakfast for Children Program and community health clinics, which aimed to address systemic issues of poverty and inequality.
Along with the rest of my assignments, exploring into my progression trying to pass the course and learning while continuing to improve my writing was something I can say was immensely beneficial. At the beginning of the course my understanding of writing was simplistic, viewing it merely as a process of drafting, revising, and editing. However, as the semester continued and unfolded, I found a profound interest in writing. I’ve come to perceive writing as a pretty enjoyable part of the course, drafting, revising, editing, and perpetual self-reflection became something I enjoyed writing. This shift has enriched my writing experience, and the freedom of the possible creative potential was also like a breath of fresh air. As well as sourcing materials from a variety of outlets greatly enhanced my learning experience and writing skills this semester by going through a range of scholarly articles I was able to piece together a comprehensive narrative for not just papers for this class, but also my other courses.
Along with other assignments such as the Interview Collaborative project. They have been super helpful in my writing journey. They’ve taught me lots of cool stuff and helped me make friends. First off, working with others has made me feel like part of a group. Talking to classmates with different ideas has shown me new ways to think about things (This specifically refers to the conference paper and even the interview project). Plus, giving and getting feedback has made me a better writer and communicator, working with a peer the way we did was able to get me to approach how i want to accomplish my assignment in different ways, since it wasn’t just reading a source and writing about it, its helped me be able to adapt to others and how i myself work. During the group projects it has made learning more fun, making me want to work on my assignments even harder. Instead of just reading books or listening to lectures, I’ve gotten to go into topics by working with my peers. Lastly, working together has helped me understand stuff better. When we work on projects as a team, we all bring different skills to the table. Being able to see things in different perspectives. It’s way easier to stay motivated when you are working with your peers. In short, group projects have been beneficial for my writing skills and my overall learning experience. They’ve helped me be more communicative with my fellow classmates, learn new things about them and the topic we are currently learning with the conference paper which in turn has made me feel more confident in my abilities.
In conclusion, the work completed this semester has not only enhanced my writing skills and academic proficiency but also fostered personal growth and development. As I reflect on the challenges overcome and the lessons learned, I am grateful for the opportunities afforded to me and look forward to applying the knowledge and skills gained in future courses in the future.
