Comparative Reflective Essay
Rayna Kucharyski
Professor Hammett
English 1302
April 27, 2023
Word Count: 528
My Progress Through Composition II
The topic I chose to write about for this course was Depression. While learning about how our environments and experiences affect our mental health, I also learned a lot about writing. Before this course I thought the only thing that mattered in an essay was the emotional appeal and impact I left on a reader, I shortly learned that there were a lot of areas my knowledge of academic writing lacked.
Taking this course during my senior year of high school was challenging because, in my high school classes, I was not taught how to properly cite my sources. The biggest challenge I faced in Professor Hammett’s course was in “Project 2” I referenced far too many sources and only had an in-text citation for a few. This caused Professor Hammett to give me a 50 on my assignment and mark it as plagiarised. After deconstructing and revising my work I was able to get my project properly graded. This experience taught me that the “easy way out” is not an easier alternative and it will lead you to more work and stress down the road. It is important to do your work correctly the first time, even if it takes more effort.
Another area of my work that will be changed for the remainder of my career as a student will be how I research and sort out good and bad information and sources. In project one, I had a very hard time finding sources that supported exactly what I wanted them to say. Professor Hammett recommended using research databases and it made my search for legitimate information easier, in this course and my high school classes. Project one taught me your essay is only as good as the information your work holds. In order to have a compelling work you need to be finding high quality, reliable sources.
After going through Composition I last semester I really enjoyed the concept that in this course you write on the same subject all sixteen weeks. Due to the repetitive and extensive research I spent focused on one specific subject I felt very knowledgeable about the depression epidemic and it made writing my essays easier; It felt as if all of my works flowed together and connected.
The way Professor Hammett structures her assignments and due dates has made me immensely more responsible when it comes to my schedule and taking care of my responsibilities. This being only my second semester in collegiate classes resulted in me entering into this course very conformed and adapted to the concept of my teachers pushing for me to get my assignments in and having reminders to meet deadlines. Even without set class times, near the end of these sixteen weeks, I found myself having a structured coursework schedule of my own.
As a whole, I am leaving this course with a better understanding of how to professionally present information. Alongside with how much my writing has improved from this course, I am thankful that I got the opportunity to do in-depth research on the depression epidemic. Hopefully, I can use my deeper understanding to help those around me with poor mental health.