Reflection

            This year I have finally learned how to write! Previously, I definitely wouldn’t have been able to write an in-depth essay analyzing a speech. I wouldn’t have been able to write three essays in two hours. I wouldn’t have even known how to identify logos, pathos, or ethos. However, now I can finally say that I know how to write. It is essentially easy for me to tell how much I have improved. I love that I can write an entire essay without over-thinking it; then I can go back and edit it ten times. My grades and satisfaction with my essays has improved, too. In August, I took a practice SAT, and I got a score of four out of twelve on the essay. Last month I took the real SAT, and I received a ten out of twelve. This goes to show that I have learned how to write many different types of essays, but I can apply similar techniques to all of them. I have truly improved an enormous amount this school year in the realm of rhetorical writing.

            One of the first assignments this year that helped me become more comfortable writing was the journals. Having nine minutes to write about anything I wanted scared me at first. Then, after a few sessions, I got used to it. It has helped me be able to write an entire essay without over-analyzing every sentence. It is much easier to get all of my ideas onto the page, and then go back and edit instead of editing while I wrote. I have also learned and been inspired from my classmates. There are some incredibly talented writers in my class, and when they read just a few sentences of their essays, I am in awe. They motivate me to do even better, and they give me ideas of how I can improve my writing. The only aspect of the class that I think could still use a little practice is the multiple choice for the exam. I believe that if we had begun taking practice multiple choice sections earlier, I may have felt  more confident about them at this point. This year has been an incredible learning experience for me, and I know I will use the skills I learned in this class in college, for my career, and in my life.