Week 15 Discussion

The last part of The House on Mango Street keeps digging into what it’s like to grow up as a young Latina girl dealing with tough situations. The story “Sally” really stands out, it shows how hard growing up can be, especially when family problems and feeling trapped come into play. Sandra Cisneros writes in a simple, poetic way that’s easy to understand but, still sophisticated. The chapters focus on everyday moments that show bigger feelings like hope, frustration, and wanting to get away from Mango Street. By the time you get to “Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes,” the mood is quiet but hopeful, hinting to the reader that change is possible, even if the connection to home is complicated. This part of the narrative, and the story overall, feels thoughtful and genuine.

I believe Essay 2 was my most successful assignment. I learned a lot from the feedback I received, which helped me improve both my writing and critical thinking skills. After applying that feedback, I earned a better grade, which showed me that I was making progress. This essay helped me become a better writer by teaching me how to better support my thesis and find strong, relevant evidence. It also made me more thoughtful in how I organize and develop my ideas. I feel like I could have done better on my first essay, especially in terms of clarity and detail. I think I could have explained my points more thoroughly, especially in areas where I was not as clear or specific. I should have connected my arguments back to the sources more often to help the reader better understand my points. Overall, I felt like some sections were too vague, and I could have been more concrete with my examples and explanations. One thing I learned this semester was how to dive deeper into my thoughts and opinions. This class really encouraged me to not just focus on writing academically, but also to incorporate my own insights into the essays. I appreciated how we were able to connect personal observations with the stories and poems we read. It made the writing process more engaging and helped me think more critically about the material.

This semester was a successful one and it sadden me already to see it all coming to an end, and I am so grateful for how much my professor had helped me improved. One of the most successful assignments for me were my last essay, which was the argument essay about fairy tales. Well, my first draft wasn’t the best, I also had a great instructor that was willing to help me correct my rebuttal part to make my essay more effective. the only works that I felt like I could’ve improved more was my very first essay. In this semester I can say I learned a lot but what stood out to me the most were how to read the poems the proper way and how to follow instruction while writing an essay and stay on track but most importantly make sure you use the source that was given to you while connecting everything to make it all makes sense if not you will sound like Chatgbt. Another one of my favorite projects were the poem flyer because I got to learn more about an old poet and monk named Rumi. I think the syllabus is perfect for someone who’s ready to learn and the grading system is perfect, and professor is very helpful and considered

1. The assignment I feel I did best on was Essay 3. I followed the instructions carefully and made sure things matched the requirements. I felt comfortable with the topic and how I organized my ideas. I put effort in this work and it turns out successful that I am so joyful. 2. I think I could have done better on Essay 1. At the beginning of the course, I was so confused with the instructions. Writing essays in English was hard for me and my brain was lack of ideas. Although I had a chance to edit it, I rushed the writing and didn’t spend enough time revising. If I had planned more and reviewed the feedback closely, I could have made the essay clearer and more focused. 3. One important thing I learned this semester is how to follow assignment instructions closely and organize my writing better. I now understand how important it is to connect my ideas clearly and support them with good examples.

I feel like assignment 3 was my best work because I was able to express myself freely and was able to read a lot of poems that interested me and picked out the one i resonated with the best. I really like being able to decorate and organize my work the way I thought looked the best.  I would say that in essay 1 I could have done much better if I had paid closer attention to the meaning and the directions given. I really liked the story but I didn’t really connect to the other material that had to be used in order to write the poem. If I had to do the assignment again I would pay more attention to the directions and make sure I read all the material closely.  something i learned in class was to not use words that i think make me sound more intellectual in order to make my essay sound better because in a lot of cases it is better to be more specific when writing so the essay can sound more natural. 

The assignment I feel was most successful was my reflection and analysis of Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman.” I say this because I actually really liked and enjoyed this assignment. This highly relatable assignment was my favorite since it allowed me to fully show my creativity and personal voice. Designing the two-page presentation on Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” allowed me to select a poem that really represents who I am. I could have done better on Essay 1, which included investigating a student paper in regard to Gabriel García Márquez’s primary source story and Rader’s secondary piece. Looking back, I notice I failed to follow the outline closely, particularly in the introduction. I failed to clearly identify the title and author of both main and secondary sources, as well as describe what the task required of the student. One thing I learned this semester is the importance of carefully following assignment directions and properly comprehending the contents before writing about them. This taught me to slow down and read more carefully.

1.I’m really proud of Essay Three. I found it fun and creative, and I really enjoyed the poem I chose. I also loved learning more about the author. It made the assignment even more interesting. 2.I believe I could have done much better on Essay Four. I struggled with writing it at the time, but looking back, it was actually pretty simple. I definitely over complicated things and ended up confusing myself. 3.One thing I learned is to read the assignment requirements more than once, maybe even three times. I also realized I need to stop overthinking simple tasks. And to enjoy the readings more, because looking back, the stories were really good but I was stressed out about the assignments. 

The article about Oedipus the King from Week 7 was, in my opinion, the most successful assignment. I was able to express my ideas in an understandable way and comprehend the concepts of fate and free will with clarity. I think that my work on Essay 1 may have been improved. I had trouble structuring my ideas and coming up with a clear thesis. The essay would have been stronger and more targeted if I had given it more thought during the preparation and editing stages.This semester, I learned how crucial it is to back up your claims with textual proof. Simply expressing your viewpoint is not enough in college-level English; you also need to provide convincing evidence for it and maintain organization in your writing.

This semester in class I feel my most successfull assignment was a essay I wrote in which my letter grade was 85%. I feel as though I captured the instructions properly and was very organized in the assignment. I included mostly correct formatting and all that was asked and my grammer was correct. In general I feel I could have done better on my exams and essays. I tend to struggle on essays as I second guess myself and should have always went with the first answer I thought was correct. I learned the hard way time and time again until eventually having a few decent exams. I learned this semester the importance of keeeping balance and not giving up. There were times I felt as if I would never get through class or get my work done. I learned more about formatting although I am having some issues with my files and uploading. I am still learning to correct that before going into my next set of classes. I have learned to keep trying and going even when I think I will fail. I am grateful that I have done so. Things are not always perfect and can be acheivable.

I think this was a fun semester. Here are my thoughts of the work.   1. Which assignment did I feel comfortable working? I think I did a good job on Essay 1. It was my mistake thinking that the topic was for something else when I first submitted.

Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? I believe that essay 3 was the most successful. In high school I had a love/hate relationship with poems. I struggled with complex word poems and the vocabulary. My teachers were always great and have always tried to help me with definition but I would still feel frustrated. But I would love to create poems. It was a way for me to be able to express my feelings in that time and reading poems in class brought that back to me. After Highschool I stopped reading poems and stopped writing. Making the flyer was extremely fun and it brought back that spark I had.  On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? I believe I could have done a better job in Quizzes and discussions. I should have reread many of the readings instead of just trying to remember, this would have definitely helped. In the discussions post I didn’t respond to peers because I didn’t read all the instructions. I read the questions and just answered them without reading the whole thing.  If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? I learned that I need to read the instructions carefully and that if they give you an outline for an essay you need to follow it. This is important because it has everything that needs to be done and it is very simple and straightforward. It also helps to keep the essay more organized and easy for the teacher to understand. 

This semester has been quite a journey, and I feel particularly proud of my work on Essays 3 and 4. Initially, I struggled to understand exactly what the professor was looking for in our assignments, but by the time I reached these essays, things started to clear. I began to understand the importance of following instructions closely and adapting my writing to meet the expectations set out for us. Although both essays required some revisions, the process taught me valuable lessons about improving my ideas and expressing them clearly. Completing these essays gave me a sense of accomplishment and boosted my confidence in my writing abilities. Looking back at my earlier assignments, I see that I could have done better, especially with Assignments 1 and 2. I had trouble with Essay 1 because I didn’t fully understand what was needed. Even though Essay 2 was easier, I should have used better quotes and written stronger paragraphs to support my main idea. 3. One big thing I learned this semester is how important it is to follow the assignment instructions and keep a good work ethic in school. As the class ends, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made and what I’ve learned.

1. Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? I Feel I had the most success with the poetry flyer due to my experience making content for social media using Canva for my business . It was literally second hand nature to me as well as my interest in my subject Edgar Allan Poe . The poem was written about the virgin Mary who I also have a decent amount of knowledge and connection to . 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how?My essay 4 was my lowest grade , I have been trying this semester to not become discouraged and use the critique to fuel my motivation for my next semester in English . I feel I could have done better with my own tenacity and drive because I know I am capable of putting out better essays . Paying attention to your professors expectations on the assignments and continuing to thrive beyond initial failures is one thing I feel I could of done better . 3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it?One thing I learned this semester is you will FAIL if you do not follow directions !

1. Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? For me, the assignment where I was most successful was Essay 3, because we also had to create a flyer. That allowed me to show a bit of what I love, which is art. I really enjoyed the idea of choosing our own poem.I also have to mention Essay 4, which was about fairy tales. I connected a lot with that topic because I’ve loved fairy tales since I was a child, especially the Brothers Grimm stories. In Colombia, they used to show them on TV in the mornings, and I always watched them. I believe that when you really enjoy or are interested in a topic, you’re more likely to do a better job,  which is exactly what happened to me with these two assignments. 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? I think I would have done better in the discussions if I had followed the instructions from the beginning, because I completely forgot that we also had to reply to a classmate. That really affected my grade. Next time, I need to work on following the instructions more carefully, since they were actually very clear. 3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? One thing I learned this semester is how important it is to pay close attention to instructions and deadlines. I realized that even small details, like replying to a classmate in a discussion, can have a big impact on your grade. I also learned that when I’m interested in a topic, I put in more effort and enjoy the process more

1. Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? The most successful assignment was essay 3 because we were allowed to unlock our creative freedom. I like that we were able to choose a poem of our choice and give a reason why we chose that poet. I also like that we had to write a little biographical information, I feel like that gave a chance to know more about the poet’s personal life, or the reason for writing the poem. The assignment was the easiest for me because it wasn’t the traditional essay we get, and didn’t require much formatting. 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? The work I feel like I could have done better was essay 1. Since it was my first essay in the class, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself and did miss the requirements needed for the essay. Also, didn’t know how to quote an author when stating evidence, so that allowed me to work on it in future essays. 3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? One thing I learned this semester is learning how to add quotes to my sentences that work grammatically. I also learned that you don’t have to start with “In the text it states” to provide evidence.  

Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? The assignment I felt was the most successful was the second essay. By the time I worked on it, I had a better understanding of the expectations and how to structure my ideas clearly. I also took more time to plan, revise, and apply the feedback I received from the first essay. As a result, I was more confident in my writing, and the final product reflected much stronger organization and argument development. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? I think I could have done better on the first essay. I was still getting used to the writing style expected in this class, and I didn’t spend enough time revising or seeking feedback before submitting it. If I had outlined my points more carefully and focused on making a clear argument, the essay would have been more effective. Now that I’ve learned from that experience, I know how important it is to go through multiple drafts and use the resources available to improve. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? One big thing I learned this semester is how important it is to take your time with writing—especially planning and revising. It really makes a difference, and I’ve seen how much my writing can improve when I actually go through the process.

1. Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? I think all of my essays were success. When I took ENG 101 Professor didn’t care to teach us anything about essay structure or how to write the essay. The Outlines that were provided for each Essay were like instructions how to write. I really liked how simple and straightforward everything was. 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? I think I could have done better job at Quizzes. I did download all the provided information, but If I had separate document where I wrote down notes from those downloads I would have done better on Quizzes. 3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? Read the instructions carefully, maybe even few times. I got ahead of myself few times with that. Thankfully instructions provided were clear for 99.99% of the time.  

The assignment that I feel was the most successful was Essay 1. This assignment was an analysis a sample student essay. I found this to be an incredibly helpful exercise because it pointed out the things that I should be aware of when writing my essays, and pushed me to refer back to the class guidelines more than I likely would have without this assignment. I definitely could have done better on Quiz 3: Format and Insertion of Quotations. Even though I had the materials to review to answer the questions – I didn’t take notes on those materials so trying to find the exact answer I needed was difficult in the moment. Something I learned this semester is to try not to rush through any assignments. Having ADHD it’s easy for me to want to just speed through something and get it done quickly, which causes anxiety for me. It’s more beneficial for me to set up a little time here and there to work on an assignment rather than trying to do it all in one sitting!

1. Which assignment do you feel was most successful and why? The assignment I felt more proud of myself was Essay 4 because I was really focused on the way how to improve my writing plus I felt connection between fairytales. Also for essay 1 was a growth within my writing because my professor how to write a well written essay. 2. On what work do you feel you could have done better and how? I feel I could have done better on the quiz because I received low grade in my part. What I could done better rereading the reading. When I reread the reading I understand better. One thing to share that rereading makes it better to understand. This part I had hard time I would read it quickly but not fully understand the reading, so some days I would get stuck on what I’m reading. Now I take my time to reading the directions and reading.   3. If there was one thing you learned this semester, what was it? One thing I learned from this semester is to read the directions carefully because I would confuse myself and not understand the directions. That I would remain  myself for 30 minutes still thinking what is the next step I should, so my advice for myself is reading it and not being afraid to ask.