REFLECTION ESSAY 

Samantha Painter

Dr. Hammett

Composition II

April 27, 2024

Reflection essay

    I began this course in the second semester of my senior year in high school. To be honest, I thought I knew enough about writing to get by. I went in with the mindset that this class wouldn't have much to teach me. But I have been flooded with information throughout these 16 weeks. These past few weeks have pointed out flaws in my writing I didn't know I had. Such as organization errors and misunderstanding of MLA format. I have learned I often fail to cite in text citations correctly.  I will present my argumentative and rhetorical analysis essay as evidence of this elevated writing style. 

     At the beginning of the class, I scored highest on my plague essay. However, the essay that truly resonated with me was my rhetorical analysis essay. While the plague essay focused on summarizing a character from an in-class text and explaining their significance in the plot, it didn't require citations or strict MLA format in the works cited. This format played to my strengths, allowing me to excel. 

    On the other hand, the rhetorical analysis essay pushed me out of my comfort zone. I selected Alfred Hitchcock, an absurd fiction writer, and explored how he might approach a modern issue like the Oklahoma prison system based on his writing, teaching, and biographies. This assignment required extensive research, proper citation, and incorporation of sources into the text. However, juggling these elements led to some challenges in organizing the essay effectively.

This course has been incredibly instructive, particularly in terms of citations, as evidenced by my Argumentative and Rhetorical Analysis essays, which required me to support my themes with external knowledge and data. I've gained a thorough understanding of APA and MLA formats, as well as when to appropriately use quotation marks and cite authors. Previously, I would introduce the author before the quote, but now I understand the correct format, which involves quoting first and then citing at the end (author's last name/page number).

Moreover, this composition class has emphasized the importance of essay organization, specifically through the PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation) format. I've learned firsthand that without proper organization, it's challenging to effectively convey the theme to the audience. Additionally, I've mastered the art of crafting a correctly formatted Works Cited page in alphabetical order. Including a Works Cited page is crucial as it allows readers to trace the sources of my quotes accurately."

     Overall I have learned how to keep research essays organized.  I have learned how to use MLA format to cite and source my research.  Using these techniques I can convey my ideas to the audience in an educational and convincing way. Before this class my research essays would be unorganized and difficult to read but now, I can easily use outside sources to back my ideas in a convincing manner.