Saturday, April 19, 2014

Final Critical Reflection

Looking back on how I used to write essays, I am baffled that I managed to get this far. My standard style of writing is basically last minute, with little room for editing and correction. I just get into the mood for writing and then write till I am done. Right before I print my work for submission, I read it once over and that’s it. This has pretty much been the routine that I adhere to whenever I have to write lengthy assignments. This method of writing essays had worked well for me during my polytechnic years. However, in University it was a totally different ballgame and I realized that I could improve my writing process. I also recognized that my haphazard way of writing has made me suffer greatly during examinations. When pressed for time and under pressure, I seem to perform horribly, often regurgitating what I had memorized with little grammatical considerations or structure to my answers. I desperately wanted to improve my standard of English and was looking forward to ES1102, as I felt it would provide the foundation I needed for writing well.

Through ES1102, I learnt how to structure my essay well and also understood the importance of writing drafts. I believe it was my first time writing multiple drafts for an essay, and it truly gave me the opportunity to review my mistakes and improve on them. Besides learning the basics of writing an essay, ES1102 also spurred my interest in improving my grammar. I went on to purchase grammar and vocabulary apps on my phone to practice whenever I had free time.

Even though I felt dreary half way through this module as other heavier modules started to take its toll on me, I am glad I managed to complete this course. There is no doubt that mastery of the English language is crucial for university students who intend to be professionals in the future. I also felt that writing modules such as these should be made compulsory for Arts students, and I would definitely benefit from such modules.

Lastly, it wasn’t just the writing skills that I took away from this module, I also met wonderful people and grew with them throughout the course. I loved how we could display our vulnerabilities in a safe space, where we were given constructive feedback on improving ourselves. For once, there was no judgment and no ridicule; there was just love, compassion and a shared desire to take our English language abilities to the next level.


So thank you Brad and all my other classmates for your effort and determination in completing this course. Hope you guys had as much fun as I did. See you around school.

1 comment:

  1. many thanks, Elizabeth, for your effort with this detailed reflection. You do a fine job of focusing on where you were with writing before taking the course and where you are now. I'm glad that skills learned in the course are useful for you. I also appreciate your recommendation. Like I said, it surprises me that in FASS a writing mod has not been included in the curriculum.

    In reference to the Gibb's model of reflection, is there any area that you feel you will need to do work on in the future?

    In any case, all the best as you continue your learning journey!

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