Jake's+FInal+Reflection

=__My Final Reflection__=

//Cover Letter//
English 103 has been a roller coaster of a course for me. I’ve procrastinated and slacked off far too much, and it’s shown in my writing. In high school, I was easily one of the best writers in my class, but now, I struggle to find the words that used to come to me so easily. It’s frustrating, to say the least. As a writer, I’ve slowly gotten worse over the past few months, showing my decreasing skill more and more as time goes on. This class is simply a rut in my writing career. I’m almost certain I’ll bounce back from my block and eventually write something decent again. I remember a few papers I did in high school, and I’m positive they would’ve been “A” papers in college. Hopefully I find motivation to write something worthwhile again. Now Mr. Hartman, you must surely think I'm the laziest student you have ever had, and if you do indeed think this, you are correct. Please step to the front of the stage and claim your prize, sir. Honestly, I have been a habitual procrastinator since my freshmen year in high school. Prior to my freshmen year, I was a model student, completing all my homework diligently and on time; post-freshmen year I became a typical "slacker," and I learned how to successfully procrastinate. I was a damn good procrastinator.

//Memoir: The Day I Tried To Live // 

 I wrote this paper in three hours the day before it was due. I didn't edit or revise it at all, even though I was aware of the many grammatical errors in it. I felt very positive after I finished it, but I was still nervous as to how you would react to it, seeing as how it revolved around me taking an illegal drug. After the paper was graded and returned to me, I felt ecstatic. I told my friend majoring in English that I got an "A-" on my acid paper, and he said he wasn't surprised at all. "You're a great writer Jake." I'm not too sure about that, especially once I re-read my paper for this portfolio. Now, I think of my memoir as an average writing, something that I've done numerous times. It's depressing, discovering that what I once thought was a great paper is actually just a normal memoir.

//Open Letter: Dear Terry Jones // 

 This paper was most likely the first instance you realized how much I really do procrastinate. Like my memoir, I ended up doing this paper last second; but unlike my memoir, I got up slightly earlier than usual to do it on the day the paper was due. It was very poorly done. The topic I chose should have engaged me, but because of its small scope, I couldn't make the paper meet length requirements. I wasn't at all surprised that I received a "D" on this paper, I fully anticipated it. Although I felt as if it wasn't poorly written, I was aware that the tone and length were inappropriate.

//Research Paper: The Last Temptation of Contraception //  I don't really know what to say about this particular paper. I guess if I had to describe writing it in a few words, I'd say "It was a bitch." For my college English class my senior year we had to write a research paper similar to this one, albeit longer and with more sources. I didn't write that paper at all because I had such a high grade in that class that not writing it didn't drop my grade much at all. I really just think there's something about research papers that trigger my anxiety problems. As you are aware, I had terrible writer's block when I attempted to write this paper, but what you may not know is that I actually had a panic attack when I first tried to write it. I simply freaked out. Eventually, after speaking with you about turning the paper in late, I calmed down about everything and finally got it done. Admittedly, I wrote it all at 3 a.m. the night before I turned it in.

//Multi-Genre Essay: Porky-Porkchop// [|//http://porky-porkchop.weebly.com///] This was the essay that I had the most fun writing. It was also the easiest to write. Honestly, I wish that I would've tried to make it a great writing; I had so many good ideas for pieces I could have added in. But of course, I procrastinated. I did most of both poems in class, and the rest of it was written as I hung out with my friend who owns Porkchop. I believe that if I would've tried my hardest and put some effort into this writing that it would've been spectacular.