Reflections

In class essay #1:

In the short story, “Under the wire”, I learned that “California Dream” was a big dream for Mexican migrant family. They believed that they’ll make a good living in California and it is true that life is better over there. They were a poor family in Mexico and want to have a good life with finding an appropriate job, more opportunity (more money), and more success in California. However, they approach with lots of problems and obstacles after they arrive in California, but they still had dream and hope to catch the life in more comfortable style than Mexico, where they used to live before.

Actually, I have to say in the first essay (In class essay #1); I learned lots of important lessons as a writer, reader, or critical thinker because I did a very big mistake which I think it can be include as a good experience for me. However it makes me sad and disappointed whenever I remember because I relate this story to my story, although I shouldn’t do this stupid thing because it wasn’t relate to the focus question in the prompt. Next time, I want just to concentrate the “Focus Question” and try to support and analyze it. I hope next time I’ll do it better than before to reach my goal or my dream, which is a “good grade” to satisfy myself because I really worked hard for the first in class essay and I don’t want to repeat my mistake again to vain my time, effort, and energy.


out of class essay #1:

My first out of class essay was about analyzing peom, which was my first experience to read and write critically about poem. I have to say that was a great experience because I kind of learned how to think and analyze the poem critically. My poem " Californication", which I tried to analyze it in my first out of class essay #1 was very interesting and wonderful about California and California dream because it shows some realities and unrealities about California, which people like to come to complete or reach their dreams. In this essay I also learned how to use "fiction-diction" through my essay, which I think it really helps the reader and also the writer to understand the point of the song or poem more deeply. Besides, some activities that we did in class really helped me to understand the meaning of the song like: listening to the song, summary and respond to the song, and group discussion. I also really work hard on my essay individually and spend lots of time to understand the song in the correct way, and right now I'm satisfied bcause I think I did a good job as my first experience. I also have to say I got a good grade (B), and thank you so much Lewis.

out of class essay #2:

This essay was really cool for me to write. I felt I did a pretty good job at using the styling subject this time (verbals) and that the use of another writing style did indeed help my writing become more complex and well-rounded. I always enjoy improving my writing, it is one of my passions (as long as I have a good subject) and I am always seeking to improve on it. Fortunately, verbals were easier to get the hang of than appositives. I don’t know why that is, but it is so I will keep working on and with both.

Overall I felt the essay was pretty good. Going back and reading it, there are places I could have improved, and it bugs me that I didn’t go through it one more time and fixes a couple of things. Hopefully I will keep up the trend of improvement. I am really happy I was able to do an essay on this topic. Though it was not one I would usually choose myself, (and I don’t usually choose too many myself…time is crazy to try and find extra of, as most people know) I was really able to connect to a few very important people in my life, and especially with my grandpa. That was very important to me because my grandpa is generally a pretty closed off person and this let us connect on a very special level which nothing else has enabled us to do. He now has a copy of this essay and I will be forever grateful of it because it did give me that special bond with someone I look up to very much who won’t be around much longer. So as much as the essay itself was cool to write, I have to thank you (Lewis) for this special experience.

in class essay #2:

This essay was a little harder to write because right up until I actually started writing in class, I wasn’t picking out the fallacies and naming them correctly. However, once I got one of them I started picking them out one right after the other. At that point this essay became a fun challenge for me. Constructive criticism is hard enough to take, but to give it in a scholarly way was definitely a fun challenge.

I did really well on it, I thought. Rereading it there were points where I thought it could have been better, but then couldn’t visualize how. I am actually pretty proud of this paper and am glad I wrote it. I don’t feel completely taken in when I read the newspaper now because I am picking it apart better!


out of class essay #3:


This essay was really…it was hard to begin. Once I got the ball rolling I got it pretty well, but it still took quite a while for me to feel it was done well enough. I still think it could be better, and will likely go back and keep fixing it until I am satisfied long after this class is done, but for now I am happy enough with it. I liked assimilating the works together, but it was hard because there were three of them. If there had not been three of them I don’t think I could have even got close to eight pages, though. We will see how well I do with this grade. I don’t know if it will do as well as the others, but we can always hope.