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Georgios Nassos
Prof. Spitler Lawson
English 113B
9 May 2016
Portfolio Reflection Essay

The End of A Semester

Another semester came to an end. I wont lie, it feels like a huge load off my chest. That
was my second semester as an international student at CSUN. Definitely a lot more challenging
than the first one in all aspects but, I gave it my all and I know I delivered. As far as this class is
concerned I feel that even though I learned a lot of new things I didnt rise fully to the occasion. I
regret admitting it but its true. I could have achieved far better results if I did things differently. I
know it will sound like a total clich but I did learned a lot from my mistakes and I will be sure
not to repeat them next semester.
What I struggled with the most was deadlines. Deadlines were strict. The final grade of the
class is derived mostly by three essays that required a lot of work, time and preparation. I barely
managed to submit one of them on time. I know for a fact that I could have turned them all in but
somehow I didnt. It all slipped through my hands and before I knew it the semester was over.
Looking back, would I have taken an alternate route? Of course. But opportunity only strikes
once. Okay, maybe twice, if you're lucky.
During the semester I also learned a lot about my writing process. I realized that if I want
to achieve my best possible results I need to plan ahead of time and follow certain steps of
preparation. Its an equation of things; first you need to have the knowledge necessary, followed

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by the formation of a good strategy and then comes execution. There are no shortcuts neither can
you change the order. Sure, proficiency in the language or the ability to express yourself is
important but those alone are simply not going to cut it for you if youre not well organized.
I believe the best work I presented this semester was Project Space. The fact that I got to
pick a place based on my own preference made me a lot more interested and enthusiastic about
my topic. I chose to talk about Falafel Palace which is a Greek & Middle-Eastern restaurant
located in Northridge that represents successfully both cuisines abroad and correlates directly to
my Greek roots. In my essay, I described meticulously the exterior and interior (including the
staff) of the restaurant. A friend of mine who read the essay told me Ive never been to the place
but I feel like Ive actually seen it and had its souvlaki so Im guessing that should mean
something. I provided a list of personal favorite dishes from the menu and partially analyzed its
business model which to me was the most interesting part of the essay since I'm majoring in
Business Management.
Then came Project Text the third and final essay of this semester. Project Text was based
on the dystopian novel The Giver by Lois Lowry. Even though the book falls under the
category of childrens literature it offers some powerful and in depth meanings. I chose to talk
about Diversity where I expressed my views in about five pages. Yet, the complexity of the topic
is such that it demands at least twenty pages to analyze it critically and exploit fully the
metaphors and pedagogic messages that the book tries to convey.
In the end, Im still learning. In fact, we all are. We come to college not only to receive
education but to learn how to learn and thats definitely working out for me so far. Coming to the
States is more than an experience, its a dream come true. The amount of information Im
receiving on a daily basis is immense, compared to what I was used to in Greece, and I love it

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because Im becoming better and Im learning to adapt. Europe in general is a bit slow, its true
that we enjoy taking our time and doing things at a different pace. However, it is clear to me now
that deadlines are a very important detail not only of an organized academic environment but
especially life after college. If Professor Lawson was more flexible with her deadlines it would
have surely been beneficial to my overall grade in the class but not to my personal development
as a student.