Directions:​ Answer each of the questions below with specific examples from the work

you've done in this class, as well as from your own personal experiences as a college
student this quarter. Be sure to use solid paragraphs and demonstrate attention to
editing details: capitalization, punctuation, grammar, etc.

1. Choose one word that describes how you feel about yourself as a student
today, at the end of the fall quarter. Define the word and explain why you are
feeling this way today.
Now that we’re at the end of the fall term I feel Internalized which is to make or feel
apart of one’s culture. I feel this way because through this class I was able to get to
have a better understanding of my culture as well as get a better knowledge of the
school’s culture. An aspect of what a proper well educated student looks like. One that
is critically challenged by the literacy and knowledge of others. Through this class I was
able to critically challenge myself to become an even better student. I can also describe
myself as boisterous student, which means cheerful, noise or active. I consider myself a
boisterous student because Instead of dreading school I learned to appreciate it more
than I did in high school. I normally couldn’t go a week in school, now I can’t go through
a four day weekend without thinking and waiting for Tuesday to come. Through learning
all these topics that touched upon my ethnicity and the problematics of other public
schools that didn’t get the same beneficials as I did; is what pulled me more into
learning and wanting to read.
2. What metaphor or symbol would you use to describe yourself as a college
student today? Explain.
I’m a sunflower, sunflowers are bright and grow very fast and long. I describe myself as
sunflower because I’ve grown these past couple weeks into a stronger, confident
student rather than allowing others words bring me down. Bright because I’ve glowed
into a better person internal and external. I’ve allowed the aspects of learning to help
me better understand others and the topics we’ve been focusing in on in class. I’ve
grown very fast as a student, it usually takes me longer to process things but through
learning more about the reading process and writing process such as the annotations
we had to do as well as the activities in class it allowed me to grow as a student.
3. What have you learned about yourself and your process as a critical reader?
Explain.
I learned that I am a great annotator, I honestly had no idea that through proper
annotating and skimming I could get a ‘larger conversation’ out of the main topic. I
learned how to get more out of chapter before even starting to read. For instance,
turning the title of an article into a question. Turning it into the question helped me
furthermore increase my knowledge on the topic, rather then confuse me. It gives me
another point of view that what I had before. In the first article reading that we did on “
What we really miss about the 1950s” by Stephanie Coontz, I turned the title into this
question: What were people actually missing about the 50s? Why were were people
missing it? Who is this “we” Coontz mentions. I do this before in order to get a better
idea of what I’m about to read and as I read I annotate, through my annotation I can go
back and answer this question. As I did this when It came down to my essay it was
easier for me to make connections with other articles.
4. What specific types of in-class activities, homework assignments, and/or
strategies have you found helpful this quarter in strengthening your skills as a
college-level reader? Name 2-3, explain what they are, and explain how they
have helped you develop a stronger practice in reading.
In class activities that we’ve done is Give 1 Get 1, when we read a section of a
paragraph and go around the class giving people our interpretation of a paragraph and
getting back theirs. That way when it comes down to when I have to actually read the
article it’ll be a faster process and all I have to do is skim and get the same knowledge
from it as if I were reading the whole thing. Paraphrasing with a partner after a reading
made me a stronger reader as well because It made it easier to break up paragraphs
and make them into one short description this as well helped me process the reading
faster and make paragraphs more understandable. Sometimes when I see a huge
amount of reading with a lot of information it makes it more difficult for me to understand
what the main topic of that paragraph is. So through paraphrasing it, it made it easier for
me to point out what’s actually more important within it.
5. What is the value of research when it comes to understanding complex topics
and texts as a college reader? Explain how conducting your own research
this quarter has helped you better understand yourself as a college reader.
When I research I normally look up 3 words max 4. For Instance I used: Ethnic Studies
and Arizona/Students of Color and education/ money and education/students of color
and money. I would switch the words around until I found the proper articles. I would
normally use questions to find article but I found that to be more difficult when It came to
research. Researching subtopics and main topics made me as well a stronger reader
because now when I’m reading and theres a conversation about a certain topic I won’t
be as confused. For instance, when Susie gave us the reading on the banning of ethnic
studies in Arizona, I already had some knowledge of it through research. But since I had
a little bit of knowledge of it I decided to add on more to that and do my own research. I
began to find more articles that touched upon this topic and as to why It’s going on.
Through research I was able to go back to articles given to us in class and put together
information I had trouble on while reading the article with information I had found in my
research.
6. What have you learned about yourself and your process as a college writer?
Explain.
My process as a reader is way better then it was in high school. I was able to notice that
after my meeting with Susie, we had structured my essay and by structuring my essay I
was able to properly understand how an essay should be written rather than just writing
out whatever I felt like in whatever order I had wanted.
7. Describe, step-by-step, your own writing process.
My writing process is like this, I take out words I don’t know the meanings to and
I write them out with their definition and as well a quote that supports this. I do this that
way If this would can be included in my essay I will use it.
Than, I move onto paraphrasing some paragraphs. I do this incase when it
comes down to the essay if I want to introduce a paragraph of author the description of
it won't be as long.
Afterwards, I structure it whether it’s with claims or it’s me organizing
paraphrases in an order that will help connect each paraphs to one another. With claims
I am able find my topic sentence without having to struggle to write one. So once I
structure my claims or paraphrases I move onto connecting them with quotes. When it
comes to quotes I find specific words I use in a claim and as well as some that I find in
the quote in order for them to connect. Just like we did when find context words and
using quotes from where we find the context word.
Now that I have all that down I start off with a small introduction which means 2-3
sentences. I only do 2-3 sentences at first because the order of my body paragraphs
may change of I may not find the proper way to word my intro until I have finished
making my body paragraphs.
After that, In order for me to fully start my body paragraphs I have to have my
claims all down, my quotes ready and my essay structured. Once I have that all down I
can continue onto my context and commentary. So I’m basically just doing a fill in the
blanks with 2 or 3 extra sentences. It makes my writing process faster and easier.
After I get my paper revised I go onto myself revising it and getting more
feedback from my peers. I go back and fix my mistakes, by annotating and as well
replacing claims or writing new claims along the way, simple stuff like that.
Once I’m done with all that I finally go back and rewrite my intro and finish up my
conclusion by restating information I have stated throughout my essay.
 8. What type of in-class activities, homework assignments, and/or strategies
have you found helpful this quarter in strengthening your skills as a college-level writer?
Name 2-3 specifics, explain what they are, and explain how they have helped you
develop a stronger process as a writer.
Doing the peer revisions outside of class made me a better writer. I prefer
choosing who to give me feedback because I know I will get proper feedback. The last
two in class revisions those that revised it didn’t do a great job so at the end I go back
feedback. But afterwards I’d go out with Stephanie and Jose and between the three of
us we’d annotate, revise, discuss and reread each others essays. I’d get
acknowledgement on what I really need to focus on and I get one on one feedback from
them as well. I as well found the giving feedback during class after turning in
introductions or our claims. Like when Susie picks someone’s thesis and has the whole
class revising it. It helps me better understand what I should be working on my thesis
and how I should properly write it.
9. What challenges, either internal or external, did you face this quarter and how
did they impact you? What lessons can you take from these challenges to help you
grow more resilient next quarter?
Challenges I faced this quarter was one my mother. My mom doesn’t completely
understand that I need to put education first right now If I want to come out being the
best of the best. My goals are to graduate and get my bachelors and yes she knows
that's what I want but at the sametime she needs to know that there's a process to that.
For instance, staying at starbucks or at the library from when I get off at school until 8 or
9pm because I have a lot to focus on and I can’t do that at home when I have her
asking me what to and I have my little brother being really loud at home. I need her to
get comfortable with the fact that I may be out late on school nights because I have an
essay due or that I can’t be home on the weekend because I need to go work with my
study group or I have a group project due the following week. It made it harder for me to
get things done in one night, I prefer finishing things at my own pace than have to rush
everything through. I won’t let my mom impact me, I need to find a way to get through
these challenging moments in order to get what I want.
10. What are you most proud of this quarter and why? Explain.
Getting a B- on my essay is what I’m most proud, I’ve never received that high of a
grade on an essay especially that now I’m in college it means more to me. My writing
and reading process has increased a lot more, I no longer struggle when it comes down
to reading I take my time and annotate and get the information I need. College English
1S has been very beneficial to me this quarter especially in life lessons. Such as Public
Education and the importance of people or color and women power.