Personal Narrative Cover Letter
As someone who looks forward to her English class every year, I was excited to face the new challenges that my college English class would bring. When we were first presented with the assignment, I was completely baffled. English had always been a part of my identity, but I did not pay much attention to my relationship with it. The assignments I completed before beginning to write this essay had already encouraged me to reflect on moments in my life and to examine the author’s writing. After much thinking and picking out what could be a significant moment in building my relationship with English, I decided to write about the time I fell in love with books and reading.
We were tasked with writing a paper that captured trivial details of the moment we chose to write about, with the audience being my fellow classmates. I chose to write my paper in a way that would provide context for the importance of the moment I wrote about. The details in my paper were written in a way that could make the readers feel what I felt, on the day that began my relationship with books. I took inspiration from the various books I read previously, and picked out styles authors use to captivate readers while they read. By collaborating with my peers and revising drafts, I was able to gain valuable feedback to improve my paper. Through reading my peers’ moments, I was not only able to learn about each of their unique relationships with language, but understand mine better too. I was compelled to hone in on my experiences with English and isolate them from the others. Overall, it allowed me to think about the important memories in the several languages I speak.
By ensuring that I made the appropriate edits, I appealed to the readers’ needs. One strategy I kept in mind while doing the same for my peers was, going back to the prompt and reminding myself what we were supposed to write about.
After completing the initial outline for the paper, I focused on improvising on the details of the paper. This included improving the language to better convey details, and adding minute details about the setting of each place. For example, I added more details about the setting of the book, how that enchanted me, how the writing of the author made me feel as if I was standing right there, and how I was able to visualize each character vividly. Overall, writing this paper has exposed me to all the hard work that goes into writing a book, understanding important moments, and more.
Peer Review Cover Letter
Going into the Phase 2 assignment for this class, I was excited, curious, and nervous. This assignment, at this length, is unlike an assignment I have before. Since this assignment required me to work in a group, I was excited to read what my peers had written their Language and Literary Narrative about and connect with them.
I was a little wary of working in a group, since many people don’t have good experiences in group work. However, I was assigned a group of peers that respected and communicated with each other well. Engaging with my peers on a smaller level allowed me to learn about them as an individual versus listening to them share their response aloud in class. Reading their narratives made me figure out that they are just like me, even more similar than I thought.Reading my peers’ narratives and understanding the beauty of their language was a major learning moment for me.
The main part of the assignment that I found difficult was identifying enough rhetorical situation examples that conveyed the same meaning. However, coping with such challenges taught me to analyze essays better. It taught me how to comment on work appropriately, without criticizing or judging the piece. That was difficult too. Working on this assignment taught me to put into words the underlying thoughts that we as readers understand subtly while reading.
I learnt the reason behind why the author wrote in the way they did. For example, they interwove certain phrases in their narrative to convey their feelings in a way that was more accessible for them. Overall, completing this task has taken a lot of thought but it has allowed me to develop my skill of recognizing and applying key rhetorical terms and strategies while engaged in writing. It improved my skill of using language appropriate to address the range of audiences who may read my essays.
Research Essay Cover Letter
The Research Essay for Phase 3 in English 110 class has taught me many valuable lessons, including the value of outlining an essay. Moreover, I learned research methods like capitalizing connecting words, and adding phrases in quotes. These new methods are something that I will definitely carry forward with me in my writing journey. Reflecting upon my research methods, I would improve the sources that I selected. My preliminary selection of sources consisted of some that overlapped with similar information, while the others gave me information that did not coincide with my research. While I found researching for sources enjoyable, I would give myself more time next time to do so and strictly look for sources that back my claims.
The revisions that I made to the essay showed me the strengths and weaknesses of my research, as a result I was able to focus on those and improve on them. The peer edits suggested to me also helped me to improve on various aspects of my essay. Moreover, the thesis workshop in class helped me to edit and strengthen my thesis. Even though I had previously written research papers, this essay was challenging, since I had a few hurdles in researching sources for the paper. However, since I do like to challenge myself, this essay became a fun challenge to overcome and learn from. Choosing a topic of my interest enabled me to have a more creative approach to it.
Phase 4
Writing the last cover letter for this class is a bittersweet moment. I am proud of all the work I have completed in this class, I am grateful for the assistance I received throughout the semester, and very happy to have met some amazing people. This class has allowed me to explore my creativity in writing like never before. I did not have to confine myself to traditional “standardized” conventions of writing. Additionally, I got the chance to write a detailed paper about a memory that I now realize is extremely important in my journey of self-growth.
Reflecting on the impact of each text has reminded me of the first day I walked into the class. Getting an opportunity to reflect on all of the assignments that we did this semester, have allowed me to look at my strengths and weaknesses through a fine tooth comb. In this Self-Assessment Essay, I was able to point out specific points such as, when I didn’t know what to write or when I could not find enough information for my research topic. I was able to learn how to tailor my language so that it engages my audience and makes my writing more enjoyable to the readers.
Gaining feedback from my peers, about not only this paper but all of them, has proved invaluable for my growth in this class.
