Reflective Essay
Taking English 1302 class as a condensed six-week summer class was always going to be a tough challenge; however, I did not expect it to be as much of a challenge as it turned out to be. At the beginning of the class, I found it difficult to follow the point, evidence, and explanation (PEE) format in my essays. I also struggled in properly citing my references using the modern language association (MLA) format, especially in-text citations. However, during the duration of the course, I worked diligently on these deficiencies, and at the end of the course, I learned how to write high-quality essays following the PEE format and with proper MLA citations.
My first essay in this class was an argumentative essay on my chosen topic of gun violence in American schools. In this essay, I struggled to keep up with the PEE format as this was a new concept to me. Rather than make my point, back it up with evidence, and provide an explanation, I kept on stating my own opinions without backing them up with any evidence or quotes. In her feedback on my essay, Professor Hammett said “development/research needed in places to prove your claims.” Additionally, I was not very familiar with MLA in-text citations, so I struggled to properly cite the resources I used. I did not know that in addition to the author’s name, I also had to include the page number in the in-text citation, leading to me incorrectly citing the resources I used to prepare my essay. This caused my essays to be of less quality than would be expected in an academic setting.
In my final essay, a rhetorical analysis essay about absurdist author Albert Camus, I ensured to stay strictly within the prompt and follow the MLA and PEE formats religiously. Before beginning the essay, I spent several hours studying the works of Albert Camus and noting everything I thought would be helpful in my essay. Next, I gathered several primary and secondary citation sources and developed an outline of my essay. In the essay, I provided several quotes from Camus to support my arguments. I ensured that after stating a claim, I backed it up with evidence and explained how the evidence supports my claim. For instance, to prove my claim that Albert Camus despised violence, I provided two quotes from one of his books he wrote during World War II where he mentioned the “loathing we the French had for all war” and about needing to “find out if we had the right to kill men”. By including these quotes, I provided evidence to support my claims to my audience, thus ensuring that my essay is credible.
As this English class comes to an end, I look back on the last several weeks and feel a sense of pride at the progress I have made and my personal growth as a writer. I look forward to continuing to improve my essay-writing skills and having my essays published online so they can be accessed by a broad audience of intellectuals all over the world.