English 101 Reflection

I believe that I am decently prepared for the college level reading and writing that takes place within English 101. There are several aspects of learning that I feel confident in and it creates a sense of preparedness in me for this course. There are a couple points to learning that I have yet to grasp and this leaves me feeling ill-prepared for the course. Flexibility and openness are two of the habits of mind included within Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing that I feel confident in, while persistence and engagement are two of the habits of mind that I believe I need a little more practice with. Having confidence within a couple of the habits of mind is a great start towards me becoming successful in English 101.

One of

This habit of mind, flexibility, was discussed within Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing, as the author(s) describes it as “the ability to adapt to situations, expectations, or demands” (1). Throughout my many years of schooling, I have been able to display my flexibility to my teachers and to other students in my classes. One such example of my flexibility being on display to an audience was just last year, during my Creative Writing class. The teacher told the class that we would be required to compose several poems and that, in order be successful in the class, we would have to read them aloud through a microphone at the front end of the classroom. I was instantly nervous and uncomfortable as soon as I had comprehended what she had said. I did not see myself as somebody that was capable of creating poetry and, on top of that, I knew that performing speeches and presentations in front of an audience had always placed me in my discomfort zone. Despite my lack of confidence and the regret I had for signing up for such a hellish course, I knew that the only way to succeed in the class was by being more flexible. I adapted to the situation

My lack of preparedness and my possible failure in English 101 would definitely be a result of the persistence that I’m lacking when it comes to assignments. When I reach a point in my writings where I find it difficult to continue, I’ll often stop and continue later. The same happens with projects and other assignments. It happens very often. This habit of mind, persistence, was talked about within Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing, as the author(s) describes it as “the ability to sustain interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects” (1). I could not possibly pick just one moment where my lack of persistence was most prevalent. Using just about my entire high school career as an example would not be an overstatement. I would not be exaggerating if I said that most of my papers and projects from high school were not completed until the night before they were due because I could not stay focused and remain interested in any project long enough. Only when I’m in a deadline-induced panic can I muster up enough interest in an assignment to see it through to the end. Somehow I need to be able to improve on my persistence in order to keep on track with the rest of the class and be able to complete my assignments on time without having to deal with the aforementioned deadline-induced panic. If I do not improve my lack of persistence I could possibly fail the course