The course materials have been very engaging and exciting. The readings I have particularly enjoyed as they are not typical readings which makes them less dull. This has been my most different class. Most of my classes are just doing the same thing over and over again, I.E., reading similar readings and then answering the same type of questions. in this class, our activities are different and vibrant, which makes me feel like I’m not just doing the work to do the work. I’m always excited about the course and what we are going to learn. I look forward to seeing what activities are following as they are always interactive and engaging. My favorite activity so far has been the tea tasting. It was incredibly cool of Dr. D to do that because she did not have to, but there is no natural way to write about the tea unless one has tasted it themselves. I think I’m doing well at commenting on my peer’s comments and engaging in class, especially when we split up into small groups to discuss specific topics. I enjoy the group work as it gives me an opportunity to see what my peers think about certain parts of the reading and helps deepen my understanding of the text as a whole. The blog posts are alright its different from typing up a google doc, and there are a lot more options to personalize your blog, but to be honest, I’m not the most tech-savvy person, so I do not explore the different options and settings that much. I will get better at writing my blogs and being more creative with my blogs over the semester. In this course, I have learned the history of tea and how to prepare it. The free writing exercises help me improve my writing as a whole. This course has taught me and continues to teach me how to write on the college level, and the blog posts allow me to compare my work with my peers and see where I can get better as a writer. For example, in my history class, I had to write an essay, and before writing the paper, I free wrote, which helped me get my ideas down. After I finished getting my thoughts down I began to construct and format my paper around these ideas. When I look at my work, and I see how progressively my writing is becoming more analytical and less restating what the document said, I realize that this class has helped me improve my writing and expanded my understanding of how to be a successful writer. College writing so far for me has been easier to understand than high school writing. I enjoy that there are no rigid five paragraph system essays that limit one’s writing and creativity and make writing a chore. I also appreciate that there are way more topics to write and learn about in college than in high school. My goals for this class are to become a confident, fundamentally sound, strong writer and use the skills that I have learned and will learn in this class throughout my college career and beyond.
