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Jocelin Perez
Professor Collins
ENGL 1301
29 November 2016
Learning More in One Semester than I Did in Four Years
My name is Jocelin Perez, this is my first semester at Alvin Community College, and I
initially enrolled in this course because it is a core requirement. Prior to attending class I was
nervous because I did not know what to expect from a college level English course. During the
first day Professor Collins disclosed that she is a tough grader, which made me apprehensive as I
did not consider myself a skilled writer. In high school I did well in my English classes but I
have never thoroughly enjoyed writing, so I had the impression that this course was going to be
difficult for me and it was going to require a great deal of effort on my behalf. As I progressed
through this class I realized that some of my first impressions were correct. This is a course that
requires effort, and Professor Collins is a very tough grader but she provided clear instructions
and helpful feedback on what to do to improve my essays. English 1301 has been difficult, but I
feel that it has improved my writing tremendously. I have learned what academic writing consists
of, how to conduct an analysis, and how to thoroughly revise and edit my essays through writing
essays one and three, and ratiocination.
Essay one, which was writing a review, introduced the topic of academic writing to me.
Professor Collins provided the class with step by step instructions on what it consists of, and
what is allowed and what is not. While in the process of writing the essay I realized how
different I had been writing all of my previous works. I knew some of the basics such as not
using slang or contractions, but academic writing includes various other details. Now I also know

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that questions, first-unless it is a personal essay- and second person, and talking about the essay
within the essay are not allowed. This essay was the base that I used to write all of my other
papers, and it taught me one of the most important concepts from this course.
The third major essay of this course taught me how to properly conduct an analysis.
While writing this paper I became aware of how often I analyze situations or other objects
without actually realizing that that is what I am doing. Essay three revealed to me that not
everything is as black and white as it may seem, there is almost always a specific reason for
something that was done, or an ulterior motive to someones actions. This writing assignment
educated me on how to pinpoint what the purpose or message of something is, and how it was
delivered. The grade that I received for this essay showed that my writing has improved over the
course of the semester.
Revising and editing through ratiocination is what improved all of my essays
tremendously. I was not aware of all of the elements that were included in this process before this
course. Some of the steps in ratiocination that I feel made the most difference in the
improvement of my essays were upgrading diction, varying sentence beginnings, and making
sure that the pronouns I used were clearly understood. Ratiocination is a process that I will
continue to use when writing any future essays because it is an effective way to refine my
compositions.
Academic writing, learning to conduct an analysis, and revising my papers were a few of
the skills I gained in this class from writing essays one and three and using ratiocination. This
class had a pleasant environment that made me feel comfortable enough to ask questions.
Professor Collins is a very helpful instructor and she taught in a way that made concepts clear
and I appreciated that she was very specific on what she expected from my writing. I consider

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this class successful as I am ending it with more confidence in my writing and the knowledge
that no matter how difficult a topic may seem, there is always something that I can write about
and elaborate on.