Katelin McClure
English 103: The Final Cover Letter
Professor Hartman
As I take a step back and look at the big picture I realize that I truly am
taking a lot away from this class. English 103 was my first college English class.
In high school, English was a blow. Nobody took it seriously, and it was hard to
learn from. The pieces of writing I wrote in high school don’t nearly compare to
the type of writing I am currently doing.
However the writing that I did learn in high school consisted of short
papers, that I usually was able to bull crap my way through. Most of the time I
put little too no effort into the work I turned in. High school English seemed to be
a breeze. I knew I was going to be in no way prepared for college English.
Walking into my first day of English on a college campus was a bit
intimidating to say the least. I thought English was going to really give me a
challenge, and it did, only to a certain extent though.
When I began to write my first paper, I made sure I understood all of the
guidelines. I wanted to make sure I was including everything in my paper that
was required of me. I first learned in this class that organization was key. You
must set down and thoroughly plan everything out. That way, in the end,
everything goes together quite nicely. I began to write my memoir. I had a great
story line, and great ideas. I just needed to be taught how to put it together. After
receiving a good grade on the piece of writing, it gave me a boost of selfconfidence. I then was able to feel confident in my writing.
The next piece I chose to write was my favorite. I chose to write my public
letter on drunk driving. Mainly because it came from a very heart felt place. I had
everything I needed; confidence and heart. I began to research the subject, which
is where I first learned how to correctly cite a source. In high school, I was never
taught how to properly cite a source from the web. I began citing everything I had
researched. The information I found was interesting, and I began to really dig
deep in the subject. In class, we were able to analyze our peer’s public letters. I
received very positive feed back about my letter. Once again, it gave me that boost
of confidence I needed to keep going with the paper. Feedback is one thing you
can never have too much of. I know now that if I ever have the chance to meet
with my professor before a paper is due, I need to take advantage of it. In the end,
it was a success. I felt good about my subject, and also received an A on the
paper!
After writing four pieces of writing for this class I now have a clear picture
of what writing is supposed to be like. Clear and organized are two words that will
walk away with me for forever. You must address your writing in a positive way,
and keep up the energy all the way through. Nobody wants to read a boring
paper. You also want to put yourself in the reader’s perspective. How will your
reader respond? There is so much to consider! You must do so though, in order to
be successful in your writing.
Looking back, I have taken a lot away from my first college English class. I
know I will never forget it. English 103 is where it all began. I learned my
foundation for writing, and I also learned what I was capable of. It gave me that
sort of self-confidence I needed to keep going. I’m ready to move on and see what
I am capable of in the future. The improvement I have showed since my senior
year of high school is awesome. I actually learned how to think and write out a
well thought paper! Good for me I guess! All I can do now, is take what I’ve
learned from English 103 and go with it.