The primary thing I learned in this class was how to do an
analysis paper. To take someone’s paper, book, or other work and try to find
what the person was trying to say, in my opinion, is an interesting aspect if
writing that I hadn’t really done before. I’m not sure how or if I will be
applying them to my continuing education as most of my classes will be dealing
with strict research and facts as will my career, but if I do end up needing to
analyze a something than this class and type of writing will definitely be
something I can refer to. As to the readings and how they affected me, I have
to say that they made me think about what it would be like to be in any of the
situations. Poor Ireland and the poverty-stricken time and area or in the
middle of a potentially dangerous toxic spill. Living in a country and growing
up in the times that I have, things like this do not register until you read
about them in some way.
As to meeting the learning outcomes, I feel that I have
met them all in one way or another, though not necessarily as well as I would
like. I think that I may continue my English classes, though I do not need to,
so as to continue my understanding of English and the different writing styles.
My writing has changed, though the process I use when
writing has not. I find that I look for the underlying meaning more when
reading and utilize the meaning that I decipher when writing in whatever
situation.
The primary challenge for me was trying to understand what
the instructor was looking for in my writing. I found that, in this case, I may
have been better off attending an actual class rather than the on-line option.
As far as overcoming the challenge, I don’t know that I actually did, though I
tried my best in the class, I still found that I was not quite where I wanted
to be in my grades.
I think that the assignments I enjoyed the most and was
the best at were the assignments for Smith’s “A Modest Proposal.” I enjoyed
reading this and found that I had a definite point of view, and that made it
easier to write about it. The hardest assignment, in my opinion, was on “Bartleby
the Scrivener.” I had the hardest time reading this, let alone analyzing it.
Overall, I have to say that this has probably been the
most challenging class I have taken to date and that, though it frustrated me
many times, it was probably the one that I learned the most about myself from.
I enjoy reading, but I do not enjoy analyzing that which I read, I just want to
read for the pleasure of it.
