Quiroga 1

Gael Quiroga

English 1301-102

Dr. Sharity Nelson

4 December 2023

A Final Reflection Essay on English 1301

Throughout the course, Dr. Nelson provided me with valuable skills that have

significantly improved my ability to analyze details more effectively. The class analysis activities

and the three essays were instrumental in helping me understand what to look for and how to

conduct a thorough analysis. The class activities were especially helpful in teaching me how to

identify critical elements and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Analyzing

various texts and artifacts taught me how to identify key themes, arguments, and rhetorical

strategies. This helped me better understand the underlying messages and meanings of different

genres. The essays I read were also crucial in helping me develop my analytical skills. Essay 1,

for instance, taught me how to analyze an artifact like an informative flyer. This helped me

develop skills to understand the meaning behind such flyers. I learned how to identify the flyer's

intended audience, purpose, and message and the rhetorical strategies used to convey that

message. Essay 2, on the other hand, taught me to explore visual genres like the Revenge of the

Sith movie poster. Analyzing the movie poster helped me see the deeper meaning of visual

genres and how the illustrator may convey a message through the poster's illustrations. I learned

to identify the visual elements used to convey meaning, such as color, composition, and

symbolism. Finally, Essay 3 taught me how to analyze an academic peer-reviewed journal

article. This helped me better understand Rhetorical Analysis and how a peer-reviewed article

employs pathos, ethos, and logos to persuade an audience and convey information effectively. I
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learned how to identify the author's argument, evidence, and rhetorical strategies, as well as how

to evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies. Overall, the skills I learned in this course have

been invaluable in helping me analyze and understand various texts and artifacts. I feel much

more confident in my ability to identify key themes, arguments, and rhetorical strategies and to

evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies. Thanks to Dr. Nelson's guidance, I am better

equipped to conduct thorough analyses and make informed decisions based on my findings.

During the course, Dr. Nelson gave me valuable skills to analyze details more effectively.

I can now analyze details more efficiently thanks to the knowledge and techniques I learned from

Dr. Nelson. I also had the opportunity to engage in various class analysis activities and read three

essays that significantly contributed to my understanding of conducting a thorough analysis. The

class activities were particularly helpful in teaching me how to identify critical elements and

develop a more profound knowledge of the subject matter. I learned to identify key themes,

arguments, and rhetorical strategies by analyzing various texts and artifacts. This helped me

better understand the underlying messages and meanings of different genres. The essays I read

were also instrumental in helping me develop my analytical skills. Essay 1, for instance, taught

me how to analyze an artifact like an informative flyer, which helped me develop skills to

understand the meaning behind such flyers. I learned how to identify the flyer's intended

audience, purpose, and message and the rhetorical strategies used to convey that message. This

essay was beneficial in teaching me how to identify the different elements of an artifact and how

to analyze them effectively. Essay 2, on the other hand, taught me to explore visual genres like

the Revenge of the Sith movie poster. Analyzing the movie poster helped me see the deeper

meaning of visual genres and how the illustrator may convey a message through the poster's

illustrations. I learned to identify the visual elements used to convey meaning, such as color,
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composition, and symbolism. This essay taught me how to analyze visual genres and identify the

different components that contribute to their meaning. Finally, Essay 3 taught me how to analyze

an academic peer-reviewed journal article. This helped me better understand Rhetorical Analysis

and how a peer-reviewed article employs pathos, ethos, and logos to persuade an audience and

convey information effectively. I learned how to identify the author's argument, evidence, and

rhetorical strategies, as well as how to evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies. This essay

taught me how to analyze academic texts and identify the elements that contribute to their

efficacy. Overall, the skills I learned in this course have been invaluable in helping me explore

and understand various texts and artifacts. I feel much more confident in my ability to identify

key themes, arguments, and rhetorical strategies and to evaluate the effectiveness of those

strategies. The class analysis activities and the three essays have provided me with a solid

foundation for conducting a thorough analysis and have significantly contributed to my growth

as an analytical thinker.

When I received the request to revise one of my essays, I knew I wanted to work on Essay

1. It was my first essay this year, and I wanted to see how my writing had evolved throughout the

course. As I began to revise Essay 1, I quickly realized that numerous grammatical errors and

weak sentences needed to be addressed. I was disappointed to discover that I had made several

mistakes while writing the essay, which required significant work to correct. To improve the

essay, I followed Dr. Nelson's guidance and focused on correcting all the second-person pronoun

grammatical and punctuation errors.

Additionally, I attempted to rephrase many sentences to make them more concise and impactful.

However, revising the essay was challenging, and I encountered several obstacles. One of the

most significant challenges was recollecting my thought process while writing it. I found it
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difficult to remember what I was thinking when I wrote the essay, which made revising it even

more challenging. I revisited week two, reread the prompt, and analyzed my artifact to overcome

this challenge. This helped me to understand the prompt better and gave me a clear idea of what I

wanted to convey through my essay. Despite facing several challenges, the easiest part of

revising the essay was identifying grammatical errors and secondary person pronouns. These

were easy to spot since almost every paragraph contained at least one mistake and a secondary

pronoun. Through this experience, I learned how sloppy my writing was back then, and I realized

that I could write a better essay if I had the same prompt today. Overall, revising Essay 1 was a

challenging but rewarding experience that helped me improve my writing skills significantly. I

am grateful for the opportunity to change my work and learn from my mistakes. The skills I have

gained through this experience will help me become a better writer in the future.

When designing a website, giving your audience a crystal-clear understanding of what

they can expect from the course is crucial. This includes the assignments that come with it and

the course concepts that underpin it. These concepts, such as the writing process, analysis, genre,

and rhetorical situation, are often overlooked but play a pivotal role in the course's success. To

ensure that my audience comprehended the content during my presentation to an unfamiliar

audience, I took several steps to provide a detailed explanation of each concept. Firstly, I

explained each genre in detail, providing a comprehensive understanding of its meaning and how

it was used. I went into depth with each explanation to ensure my audience could fully grasp the

concept. For instance, I explained the different genres, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and

drama, and how they are used in writing. I also provided examples of each genre to help my

audience understand how they are used in different contexts. Secondly, I shared with the

audience what I had learned after the writing unit. I explained what I had learned and how it
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would benefit me. This helped emphasize the course concepts' importance and relevance and

how they can be applied in other courses. For example, I explained how the writing process

helped me organize my thoughts and ideas and how analysis helped me critically evaluate

different perspectives. By highlighting the significance of the course concepts, I helped my

audience understand the value of the course and how it could benefit them. This is especially

important today when online courses are becoming increasingly popular. With so many options

available, it is essential to provide your audience with a clear understanding of what they can

expect from your course and how it can help them achieve their goals. Therefore, it is crucial to

emphasize the course concepts and provide a detailed explanation of each idea to ensure your

audience thoroughly comprehends the content.

During this course, I faced several challenges that tested my skills. I also encountered

various obstacles that helped me grow and learn. However, among all the challenges I faced, the

most difficult was selecting three persuasive arguments. With every essay I wrote, finding the

three main points I wanted to focus on and support my essay was always a challenge. Finding

evidence to support a specific point was particularly challenging. It was in Essay 2 that I could

grasp the process and find the evidence to support my arguments.

Along with those challenges, I faced some in the writing and analysis processes. The

challenges I faced during the writing process were my grammar and fluency. Almost every single

essay I drafted had multiple grammar errors. I always made sure to look for these errors when

revising. The challenge with the analysis was constantly needing to see the deeper meaning of

the artifact. An example of me not seeing the deeper meaning was when I first drafted my visual

analysis essay. One of the three main points was based on the background, which was also filled

with red. I didn't notice this when I wrote my first draft. I didn't touch base with the idea of the
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color red. But after meeting with Dr. Nelson, she pointed out that red can mean many things.

After she shared her insight on the subject, I started to uncover more from the artifact, and I

believe this has helped me gain more evidence and be a better writer.

Although I have faced my fair share of challenges while taking this course,

constructing the essay was the least challenging aspect of this course. Throughout the process of

writing my essay, I found myself fortunate to have access to a plethora of resources that proved

to be immensely helpful in developing my ideas. In particular, the multiple videos that were

provided to us were instrumental in guiding me through the process of crafting a well-written

essay. The assignments that accompanied these videos were also incredibly valuable, as they

allowed me to put into practice the skills that I had learned from the videos. As I worked through

the various assignments and videos, I began to realize that I possess a natural talent for analytical

and writing skills. The frequent practice in class has bolstered my confidence in my ability to

analyze things more deeply beyond what is presented. I have learned how to identify key themes

and ideas, and how to effectively communicate my thoughts in a clear and concise manner.

Furthermore, I am now more self-assured in my writing skills, having learned how to structure

and write a compelling essay through the various assignments we have completed. I have gained

a deeper understanding of the importance of proper sentence structure, grammar, and

punctuation, and have learned how to use these tools to enhance the clarity and impact of my

writing. Overall, this experience has been incredibly rewarding, and I am grateful for the

opportunity to have learned so much about writing and analysis.

Throughout this course, I have gained abundant knowledge and skills that have prepared

me for the academic writing community. I can confidently attest to this because I have delved

deeply into the intricacies of rhetorical situations, analysis, and constructing a well-written essay.
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The course has equipped me with the tools to identify and analyze various rhetorical situations,

comprehend the audience, and tailor my writing to meet their needs. Moreover, I have learned to

conduct extensive research, effectively organize my thoughts, and present my ideas clearly and

concisely. Overall, I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to take this course. My acquired

skills will serve me exceptionally well in all my future academic endeavors.

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Works Cited
“A General Analysis Draft 1.” Peer Review Draft. 19 September 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, student paper.

“A General Analysis Draft 1” Draft 1. 19 September 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, student paper.

Malik, Bibek. “Peer Review.” 26 September 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M International

University, student activity.

Nelson, Sharity. “A General Analysis Draft 1.” 19 September 2023 ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, Conference.

Nelson, Sharity. “English 1301 Genre Analysis Notes Assignment.” 14 September 2023 ENGL

1301, Texas A&M International University, homework assignment.

Nelson, Sharity. “Pre-Writing Demo.” 12 September 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, Video.

Quiroga, Gael. “A General Analyst of Vaccine Informative Flyer.”28 September 2023. ENGL

1301, Texas A&M International University, student paper.

“A Rhetorical Analysis Draft 1.” Peer Review Draft. 7 November 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas

A&M International University, student paper.

“A Rhetorical Analysis Draft 1” Draft 1. 7 November 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, student paper.

Nelson, Sharity. “A Rhetorical Analysis Draft 1.” 7 November 2023 ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, Conference.

Nelson, Sharity. “English 1301 Rhetorical Analysis Notes Assignment.” 31 October 2023 ENGL

1301, Texas A&M International University, homework assignment.

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Nelson, Sharity. “Pre-Writing Demo.” 7 November 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M International

University, Video.

Quiroga, Gael. “Rhetorical Analysis of a Peer-Reviewed Article .”

7 November 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M International University, student paper.

“A Visual Analysis Draft 1.” Peer Review Draft. 19 October 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, student paper.

“A Visual Analysis Draft 1” Draft 1. 19 October 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M International

University, student paper.

Jeffrey Garcia “Peer Review.”19 October. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M International University,

student activity.

Nelson, Sharity. “A Visual Analysis Draft 1.” 19 October 2023 ENGL 1301, Texas A&M

International University, Conference.

Nelson, Sharity. “English 1301 Visual Analysis Notes Assignment.” 14 October 2023 ENGL

1301, Texas A&M International University, homework assignment.

Nelson, Sharity. “Pre-Writing Demo.” 14 October 2023. ENGL 1301, Texas A&M International

University, Video.

Quiroga, Gael. “A Visual Analyst of Revenge of the Sith Movie poster.”12 October 2023. ENGL

1301, Texas A&M International University, student paper.