Preston Thompson

English 113B
Professor Spitter-Lawson
Reflection Essay
May 11, 2016
Reflection Essay
During the course of my English 113A class, I had reviewed much of what I had already
known and went through that course without really learning much of anything different. During
this course of English 113B, I implemented what I learned in my previous course to apply to the
writing for this class. Although, some of what I learned was basic and not very polished.
However, this course helped to refine them and reinforce the topics of what I have already
known, it helped me with citing and using references during my research. Research and citing
the research in my work has always been an obstacle for me and I always dreaded the end of my
projects. It has become a lot easier as I do it more and more often but even now at the end of the
course I know I still have more room for improvement. The writing for this course has not been
too challenging, I do admit that my writing is not perfect but I haven't struggled too much with
the projects.
I think this course has helped me better understand how to research for a topic and use
the knowledge to better my thesis. I have learned that it may not always be an argument that I am
using research for but also just facts that I use research to back up. The project that I had the
most trouble with was Project Web, because it required to defend facts that are not your own
opinion, although I was able to have some input it wasn't a argument that I created. Project Web
and others like it have been a struggle for me to distinguish the differences between making an

argument and stating facts. Even though facts and arguments come hand and hand they have
different purposes in the essay, informational essay states facts without too much argument and
an argumentative essay uses facts to defend the stance. In most of my writing proving a point has
been easier to write and has been an easier way to develop my thoughts, which is why Project
Web was the most difficult for me.
The one project that I feel I did best and most interested in was Project Space, which
involved me to do field work at a place that I have been going to for a very long time. I used
Branford Park to observe because it is a place that I grew up with and a place that has so much
culture and a place that I have been a part of for so long. This project has been interesting for me
because I have never really looked into depth and really observe the park. I observed the culture
that the park invited and the age groups and why that was so, and it is a community within a
community. The surrounding community was reflected on the park, the same culture and same
ethnic group was seen in both the community and the parks community.
Overall the class has helped to refine my writing and along with specific writing skills,
like citing and work cited pages as well. I feel as though each project shows a different type of
growth in my writing. Each project asked for a different set of skills and different type of writing,
so they reveal how well i have grown in each category. This class to me was necessary for me to
further my knowledge of writing and the format of different types of writing.