McKenzie 1

Tayler McKenzie

Mr. Vyvial

ENGL 1302

11 May 2017

One Last Essay

I did everything I could in order to not have to enroll in an English class my senior year. I

took Composition I over the summer and had plans to take the second part online over the winter

break. Sadly, a mix up led to me being dropped from the online class, leaving me no choice but

to enroll into Composition II for my spring semester of senior year. The last thing I wanted was

to be plagued with meaningless essays with monstrous word counts my very last year of high

school and I was initially dreading it. However, throughout this course, I gained some insight

about who I am as a writer and strengthened the skills I know I will utilize for the rest of my life.

One of the most beneficial skills I acquired from this class was not only how to have a

sophisticated argument, but how to win one. By studying the Rogerian and Toulmin arguments, I

now know how important it is to support your claims and understand your opponents side.

These new skills will aid me in almost any situation I will face in the future. Along with

acquiring skills, this class also strengthened some. I have always had the worst writers block. I

can have all the information needed to formulate a beautiful essay, but still struggle with the best

way to articulate it. This class taught me the importance of using brainstorming tools such as lists

and mind maps as tactics to overcome writers block. Overall, these skills both new and old will

make me a better writer. Even after my many years of English classes, I still struggle with

forming the introduction of my papers. I always strive for the perfect opening sentence and will
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linger on it instead of continuing with the rest of my essay. I should try not to overthink it, or try

writing it last since so that I do not get stuck on it.

Despite my reoccurring writers block and difficulties with introductions, the easiest

essay for me to write was the textual rhetorical analysis. Having taken AP Language my junior

year, I was very familiar with the format and best ways to analyze speeches. The most difficult

essay to write was the proposal not just because it was the longest, but because it required so

much research and thought. However, it did teach me the most. Not only about the importance of

bees, but it also showed me that writing a lengthy essay really is not all that bad. After

completing it, I felt a sense of pride. Because of this class, I will no longer groan when

instructors assign essays since I have gained and strengthened the skills needed to succeed.

While writing this reflective essay, I realized that it is the very last one of my high school

career. It is a bittersweet feeling since I have been complaining about essay writing for four

years, but now those four years have come to an end. Looking back, I do not regret anything

from high school, especially my decision to take this course. It has taught me that essay writing

does not have to be a pain because I possess all of the skills needed to formulate exceptional

essays that I can be proud of. So for that, I am thankful and I cannot wait to continue to utilize

these skills as I move on from high school and onto the next phase of my life.