A2. My Developement as an English student

My favorite subject has always been English. I love it above all other subjects because it give me my freedom of expression. It encourages you to think, and to try and understand what others have written. The pen and paper is my outlet for my mind. I can only fully express my inner soul through the words on a page. My earlier English courses required a lot of reading, studying grammar and sentence structure. But none of that intrigued me the way that writing did. The worst for me is writing reports about what we read. I hated having to sight what I wrote, having to write straight forward and bland, having rules on how to say certain things. I am a free writer, as in I like to write about whatever I want and, I like it to be said the same way I would say it in person. I like when a paper has voice. Arguing is one of my forte’s. I do it much better in writing than in person because I can’t always get my point across the way I want it to unless I have time to think about all the points I am making.
When I am passionate about something, it shows. My senior year I remember sitting in my Honors English class and my teacher saying to the class that we would all be writing an essay on how you honor America’s Veterans and turning it in to the VFW for a statewide contest. The winner would get 500 dollars and the chance to read it a special Lunch thrown by Veterans. Myself, having a C in the class and being known as the silly girl who loves to talk, didn’t seem like a likely candidate to win. But having heard what the paper was about, and knowing how patriotic I am, I turned to my friend around me and said, “I am going to win that contest.” My friends laughed, but I knew I would because when I have the chance to write about something I feel strongly about, I know that I have talent. A few months later I got the call that informed me that I had won first place in the state.
You see, the writing process for me is a bit unconventional. I like to write it all at once but sometimes I do take a break and then come back later if I get stuck. I plan ahead but it’s all in my mind. I usually spend hours on the first paragraph because for me it is the opening to your paper, the first impression for your professor, and the basic map of what I am about to write. From then on, everything else comes relatively easy, I just write. I make sure I fully discuss and relate everything to that opening paragraph and then close the paper with a simple well explained paragraph to make sure the paper is all tied together. No maps no rough drafts just writing. I know it’s not the way we were taught when we were younger but it has worked very well for me so far.
I am not at all technologically advanced. I mean of course I have a facebook and E-mail, which I rarely ever check, but if something goes wrong with my computer, I am totally helpless. I do text but I hate doing it. I am a talkative person and texting just isn’t enough for me. This class I hope will help me use all that technology has to offer me as a writer. When we were assigned to create a blog, I was amazed at how cool it was to be able to post to the world your feelings! I am definitely going to start my own blog after this class is over.
What I am excited most about this class is that it cuts out all the crap that I hated from High school English and emphasizes the personal side of writing. I can’t wait to write more and to start my blog. I hope that this class develops me as a writer and makes me able to voice myself stronger through the things that I write.

A1 My Learning Style

My Mother has always said that I was diiferent than my brothers and sisters. Now that I am older It is much easier for me to see. I am a deep thinker. I have a million and one ideas in my head. I don't like to say that I am an introvert, I am actually very outgoing, but within in me I have a very spiritual and emotional side that I keep to myself. One that I don't think my siblings have ever been able to reach. I think that it is this quality that has developed my type of learning into what it is today. I was asked to interview a close relative about my learning style for my English class. I chose her because I knew that a mother knows her child better than anyone else. This is what she said.

Q. How often did I read?
A. You read about 3 times a week and seemed to really like to read.
Q. What type of books did I read?
A You enjoyed fiction,and novels, and liked history and science in school.
Q. Did I turn things in on time?
A.You did turn things in on time and were a very good student.
Q. How did I learn best?
A. You seem to learn best by reading it yourself and experimenting with proper techniques to solve a problem.
Q. How did I study?
A. You seem to like to study with things going on around you like music or conversations.
Q. Was I a good student as a child?
A. You were a good student but some teachers said you had an attitude when told you were wrong or needed to do something different.
Q. What did I like to do after school?
A. You liked to play sports outside of school and stay in your room to learn music on your guitar, work on scrapbooking or fashion designs.
Q. What career do you see me as in the future?
A. I see you in healthcare as you are a very sensitive and compassion person who genuinely cares aout others and how you can help them. You are a conservative, spiritual mature woman who will be successful at whatever you do as long as you do learn to take advive and realize that you can learn from others experience.
It was interesting to see how others view me as a student, how they thought I learned best. I think my Mom described my learning style pretty well. I seem to learn best by doing things on my own allowing my mind to solve the problem rather than being told what to do. From what she said, I was a very smart child but didn't always live up to my potential. Igree with her. Throughout highschool I never truly had to try hard to do well. I made A's and B's and seemed to be satisfied at that. She wonders what I really could have been had I really focused and did my best at everything. But for me, I like to allow myself to be free to think and to create on my own terms. I don't believe I could have developed the person I am today had I not allowed myself to slack every now and then.