Reflection on a Semester Past...

Upon reflecting for this reflection assignment, I was shocked at myself for finding it quite difficult to sketch a specific outline of what all I learned in English class this semester. That isn’t to say I didn’t learn anything! (Phew… that was close…) But, I must admit that, in this area, English is much more abstract that other school subjects. After a really thought-provoking English class or satisfying completion of an assignment, I am not able to respond to my parents’ nagging question of “What did you learn today?” with any sort of coherent answer. It’s just not that clear cut. However, I do find that I feel different afterwards, as if I had unraveled part of myself in the process.

There were some key steps in that process that I happened to stumble upon over the course of this semester, beginning with the trials and tribulations of Orlando essay at the beginning of the year. Now, coming into sophomore year, I just wanted to get everything right. In English class, I dreamed of smooth and intelligent writing, and by heavens, it should always be correct. I’ve realized over the years that being correct isn’t very hard; there will always be those low-hanging fruits. But, after rolling the ideas of an Orlando thesis around in my head for a couple days, those easy-picks just seemed boring.

It was then that I decided I was going to push myself. I was going to build myself a ladder and get to some of those juicy fruits at the top of the tree. But when I chose a thesis that was more complex and tightly woven, I was jumping into uncharted territory, and that was scary. In the end, however, it is what made that project so fulfilling for me. I had grown from that step, and learned that I was actually capable of digging deeper into literature than I had thought.

In addition to just thinking farther and deeper, I also took the step of organizing my thoughts. The means to this end was the King Lear University Personal Statement. The pursuit of conciseness which this assignment entailed was such a challenge to me that I thought it was counterproductive. I mean, after we were told to cut down our essays further by 100 words, I couldn’t possible grasp how that would enhance our writing. I put everything in there for a reason, I thought. It was like telling an artist to just paint with a certain number of strokes.

That’s why there’s no telling just how surprised I was when, at the end of the cutting-down and re-sculpting process, even I could understand my train of thought better. I was forced to analyze and organize my thoughts so that the real gems in my thinking can shine through. Without all the unintentional clutter, I could hear myself much more clearly.

So, through the stretching, digging, cutting, and re-sculpting I performed on my work and my mind this semester, I didn’t learn any pretty, packaged lessons as such, but I did learn how to expand and clarify my thinking and voice. And I’m not likely to forget that after the final exam.