A reflective essay for English class, my prof is not going to revise anything she wants us to do so. So I need help with my structure of the paper and start my first draft.
My prof gave us special topics that is recommended and the length of the paper was suppose to be 3-4 or so she said not too long...
But how am I going to write near as perfect passing paper that is 3-4 or so about my experience in English class? If I cant get to specific since it leads to more pages, does anyone know powerful impressive topics should be in the paper, when to be specific and when to be general? please anyone would help me out here
Sorry I'm not able to fully comprehend your prompt. If it is what I think it is, perhaps you can pick out a specific thing that happened in class. Elaborate on an event. Most good writing is concise, so I'm sure you will do fine! :-)
Basically how can i write a passing reflective essay within 3-4 pages without extending over it? should it be just not specific... so i need good topics that is considered general and specific in between though that should be in the paper?
and can anyone help me with a thesis?
Anyone?
hello anyone? please help me
Sorry, it has been busy here... took me a while to get to you.
The key to good writing is similar to good rap music or good "rapid induction" of hypnosis. You should not lull the reader into inattention by writing a lot of generalities. The thing to do is create an experience with each paragraph.
If you are writing about your experience in English class, that seems very broad. You should narrow the focus by writing about a specific experience.
Decide on a meaningful experience from class, and brainstorm a few related ideas. Let each idea have a para of its own. Start the essay with an intro that states clearly the main theme of the essay, and then the whole essay will be... fortified by the introduction.
The most important thing is to make every para meaningful -- no stating the obvious! Make each para worth typing. As long as the MAIN IDEA is worth writing about, and the subtopics are related to it, the essay will be great! 6 pages will be 1 intro para, 1 conclusion para, and about 16 paragraphs to support your main idea! Be brilliant!
I understood that in somewhat way, or maybe I'm just to dumb? =[ I understand what you said the whole point of this particular essay is an evaluation on your experience blablabla... but how would it be SUPPOSEDLY structured?
Intro - What should be included?
Body- What should be included?
Conclusion - What should be included?
everyone prof is different in every way, a portfolio reader and her will determine if I pass or not, so how can I structure this as strong as possible to make them say " wow " ? I mean i need the correct structure and what should be included and what shouldn't, remember its 4pages tops.. so how can I structure this? can anyone help me do it the correct and my better way?
and thanks so much for the reply Kev!!!!!
edit: its a self reflective essay of defining myself as a writer through english class
anyone?
I hope you'll go give some suggestions to other members, and write more than just a single line. Give some thoughtful feedback, and then ask them to return the favor.
Just link them to this page.
i try to asnwer man, sometimes I can't help people I apolgize for that. but if I dont know or what to say for others.. and why im asking here for help kev
hope you'll go give some suggestions to other members, and write more than just a single line.
there's nothing free in the world; what goes around, comes around.
if this is a reflective essay, the structure doesn't need to be so 'structured.' this isn't a block-by-block research paper. reflective essays are almost narrative essays, and narrative essays rather go with the flow than a fixed structure. with that said, I think you should rather write a rough-draft of your topic is (that is if you have one), and we'll be more than happy to advise you as to how you should reconstruct your essay. if you don't have a topic yet, then think of a significant moment that you experienced in English class. maybe you had an epiphany? We weren't in your class, so we couldn't know, and most importantly, we're not you!
good luck, Moe! hope to read your essay soon. (:
Moe T.
November 19, 2009
Self Reflective Essay, First Draft
Sometimes you can't find the perfect pen, to express what's going through your mind. The moment my pen point presses on the empty sheet of paper my mind begins to move like a highway of ideas and thoughts. While stranded in the middle trying to figure what route and exit to take with two risk factors; taking the wrong route which leads to a complete wrong thought and getting hit by a speeding car which can be a direct thinking process melt down. I have developed how to critically analyze at a much rapid rate then I normally would. I also would categorize specific ideas and general ideas, realizing when and what needs to be critically discussed.. Lastly, but not least I learned that re-reading out loud to yourself presents you another perception in your writing rather than free writing. Overall, this course was far more effective and concise way to develop myself as a better writer and aspects in life.
Self reflective essay? Say what? The second I noticed the word, I said to myself "oh god another paper". Yet as my professor was defining the basic meaning, "to look back in the past and to see the growth you made as a writer". As what change, developed the writer you are now and so forth which was a good technique to actually look on the changes in the past you made. Sometimes it might look very odd in a way how you changed throughout the time and how you reached to A to B, but this strategy can also be used throughout life itself. The past changes in the past that created the future outcome of you today.
One of the major problems that I found constantly throughout my coursework was thinking critically. I always used to pause at every start but slowly brainstorm my ideas and thoughts as I proceed to write. But it was hard to chronically structure ideas as soon as the question first processed in my head. I just knew how to structure in my head but slower pace. After draft after draft and after detailed help self-awareness skills as the course walks right by, I realized how it all fit as a puzzle. When the professor gives a certain question in class and expected to be fully analyzed by the end of the class I will begin to write as depth as possible at a rate I used to be. For example my professor asked us history and struggle on Listening is an Act of Love, "Write a mini essay in which you select one of the stories from your section the best describes an act of heroism in your view. Who is the hero of the story? What does the hero do that is significant? Why do you think this person deserves to be called an "everyday hero"? I have written, "A hero is someone who is distinguished for their ability to things others can't. Admired by squeezing the last drop out of nothing" I don't want to brag but I think that piece of text was one of my best writing. I know I had it in me, but I just needed a hand, the tutorials by my professor gave me that hand I needed to stay on my feet. And now I have implemented all developments and growth to my everyday life including my job, which was a attorney's office. I figured all the assignments and class work all assembled into a major essay.After all the preparation I picked up the pattern; with that being said my critical thinking began to improve at a fast rate then I used to.
If you can organize a paper, you can organize your life. Another note that I might address is categorizing ideas, which is second step into being a successful writer. At first I realized, bunch of paragraphs is a bunch of paragraphs nothing more. But after I was began to quickly realize that there is more depth than just paragraphs. As for the introduction should always be "general" to inform readers what they are untitled of an overall description of your paper. To organize in a paper, must arrange logically ideas in order to have full interpretation of a paper. A flow must be connected from paragraph to paragraph at the same time stick with the same idea. It was no more than through the peer and teacher class reviews that I made aware of my weaknesses and strengths throughout my work. There are times where my professor's comments on specific paragraphs on with " explain more" or " say more! " as draft after draft I realized when she commented it and what's she commented I said to myself "duh". Then I used her technique of knowing when to and not to be general and specific in an essay.
An unnoticeable mistake I found myself when I started this course was free writing. I would classify that as not proof reading or re-structuring. Have you ever begin writing an idea mentally, along with writing and later on it makes no sense? In the middle of the course when I was brought to this matter I started proof reading and reading what was written to myself, and I had a serious confused face. For example the last draft for the final essay, Many Diaz Jr. interviewed by his friend Bianca Vasquez in the book Listening is An Act of Love, "She attended Haaren high School and was told somehow it was the most influential school in New York City, after her reason for love of the school it considered the best because all she ever did was make "model airplanes" though". Which resulted into not proof reading and reorganizing, I noticed that readers may have my confused face on as well. What was missing was introducing the text to readers so they don't get lost in a dark room. I knew what significance or idea I was trying to convey and presumed that readers would recognize it, but I was mistaken. So I restructured the sentence to, "Manny Diaz attended Haaren High School and was told somehow it was the influential school in New York City, then again his only love for that school was the fact that all he and everyone else did was making "model airplanes". Here I introduced the reader who I am referring to, and in a more stable understanding. There was not much to rephrase, but something simply is a piece of something complex and without understanding a simply concept, your unable to understand the big picture. So that's why reproofing and restricting is very important in writing, with leads to being beneficial in the future.
Depth is the ability to penetrate analyzation into anything. Throughout the course I realized and classified myself as a better writer before I stepped foot in class. After a comparison and every "good job" and "good analysis", from my professor's confidence gave me the motivation to take writing and life to the next step. And after demonstrating how I improved as a writer, I found the true principal of "self reflective essay" which is to examine critically, an evaluation on your experience. Your opinion on experience can determine who you are today and in the future.
Can anyone comment on my paper?
I dont know or what to say for others
Yes, I understand that, for sure. The thing is, though, part of what we give each other is encouragement, and the other part is perspective. Only a small part is expertise. You can tell people how their essays affect you; your unique reaction to the essay will help them know their own essay better. That is what is cool about this forum. That's why everyone has something to contribute -- even someone who just recently started learning english...
:-)
your right kev!