Reflection Essay

Brubaker 1
Emily Brubaker
Professor Jon Beadle
English 115
7 December 2017
Change is a Good Thing
Throughout life, communication with others is one thing we cannot avoid. Learning how
to send emails, letters, create resumes using engaging words, and writing essays, are all tasks that
everyone must perform in their lifetime. Throughout the semester, my confidence in my writing
has increased proficiently. While my writing skills can always improve, I have taken the first
crucial steps in becoming an excellent writer. I have gained knowledge in writing by using
educational words, expressing analysis using my own words, and creating intriguing thesis
statements that encourage my reader to keep reading. These skills that I have obtained while
being in this class are what is going to push me through the rest of my years at Cal State
Northridge in my Journalism career.
When I used write my papers, I only turned in my first draft. Making this mistake cost me
the chance to use more well informed words, and have more credibility towards my audience.
Using interesting words in an essay is one reason a reader keeps reading. If I had used boring
words in my essays, my audience would not have enjoyed reading it. In my Project Text and
Project Space essay, words I used were excellent. I used to often write words that could have
easily been changed to sound better. I now know to look through each essay I write, and have
multiple drafts to consistently fix my essays. Even during my final draft of these essays, I always
tried to find better words for each word I used. Changing simple words into intriguing words is
what assisted me in writing better analysis.

Brubaker 2
Another issue I have struggled with in my writing is not writing enough analysis. I tend
to summarize someone else's words from a quote I had mentioned, and not write using my own
thoughts. In my Project Space essay, I failed to write analysis about a part of my thesis regarding
values and fears. My analysis should always connect back to my thesis in every paragraph.
However, while revising my Project Space essay, I have now learned to try and find points in
each paragraph that connect to my thesis. In my Project Text essay, we had to watch two movies
about Godzilla. This pushed me to summarize both movies in my essay, and ignore that I had to
include my own thoughts and opinion as well. I revised my Project Text essay by including
analysis about significance, and why I think Godzillas changes are important. While connecting
back to a thesis statement is essential in an essay, writing one is the first step.
Writing a thesis is one of the most important parts in an essay. Without a thesis, there is
no essay. While writing a good thesis is a great start, every thesis should be flawless. I have
always struggled with writing thesis statements that do not make a lot of sense, or do not really
connect with the essay prompt. In my Project Space essay, we were assigned to discuss our
values and fears about ourselves. I mentioned all of this in my thesis, but could have always
written even more. I used to only write about certain parts in the prompt. In my Project Text
essay, my thesis was very clear. I answered every part of the prompt clearly, and said the facts
that I thought were true. Writing a thesis is about putting your opinion forward in an
argumentative way.
Some who have read my essays may say that I can write more analysis, and make my
thesis statements more clear. This is a statement that can be made against any college student
who is learning about writing. Unless I have a professional revising all of my essays, I will make
some mistakes. As previously stated, writing analysis in my essays has always been something I
Brubaker 3
have struggled with. My Project Space and Project Text essays have showed me that I am
allowed to have my own unbiased opinion. It is important for me to get my points across while
writing, which is what an essay is about. I have also had issues with turning my good thesis into
a great one. Trying to fix every little detail into one or two sentences regarding a prompt is not
always an easy task. In my Project Text essay, the prompt we were given helped the class write a
lot of information in their essay. However, squeezing all of the information into a thesis was
difficult for me, but I did it. Overall, my analysis has improved because I know that my opinion
in an essay should be heard. My thesis statements are as clear as I want them to be, and I am
confident that I have included everything from both prompts.
This writing class is one of the best writing classes I have taken. I truly feel like I have
learned so much about writing, and how to get my argument across. I am now prepared for the
rest of my Journalism classes at Cal State Northridge because I know I have what it takes to
succeed. Using knowledgable words has turned me into a credible, college-level writer. Writing
my own analysis is the main reason my writing has improved. Analysis is the first thing your
audience looks for, because I am including why I think my points connect back to the thesis. My
thesis statements are what have made my Project Space and Project Text essays stand out
because I am clear and answer all of the questions in the prompt. Many websites teach a student's
thesis to be simple and boring. I have turned my thesis into one that makes my audience curious
about what I am arguing about. Many do not realize that they will be writing for the rest of their
life. Whether it is mailing a letter or writing an email to a boss, my writing skills I have learned
are going to assist me in everyday life.

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Brubaker 1

Professor Jon Beadle

Change is a Good Thing

Northridge in my Journalism career.

what assisted me in writing better analysis.

confident that I have included everything from both prompts.

are going to assist me in everyday life.

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