Below you can expect an example of a thoughtful reflective essay that effectively and substantively captures the writer’s growth as time passes at CSUCI. We claim that you write your personal essay before reading either of these models-then, having completed very first draft, read these up to consider areas in your own background that you haven’t yet addressed and which might be strongly related your growth as a reader, writer, or thinker.
Any mention of either among these essays should be correctly cited and attributed; failure to take action constitutes plagiarism and can lead to a grade that is failing the portfolio and possible other serious consequences as previously mentioned into the CSUCI Code of Conduct.
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Sample Reflective Essay number 1
Author: Prefers to remain anonymous
As an English major I have discovered to appreciate the peaceful, yet exhilarating moment when my mind engages with an author’s ideas on a typical page. As Toni Morrison says into the Dancing Mind , “reading is to experience a person’s own mind dancing with another’s.” During my early days as a college student, i desired to know the “true” meaning of a work or what the author intended, however, I have now realized this might void literature of its most noteworthy complexities. Individual interpretations bring varied insights to a work and it is also interesting to indicate messages the writer may well not have realized s/he included in the piece.
We have for ages been a thinker, but throughout my coursework, I have greatly sharpened my critical analysis skills. Rather than concentrating on proposed meanings or biographical background, I have learned to continuously ask “why” on lots of levels. I challenge evolutionwriters myself to dig into a text as deeply as possible and unpack every detail to produce a satisfying close read. Also, by reading multiple novels by the author that is same have discovered to recognize different writing styles and then make connections that weave texts together; this helped me develop a deeper comprehension of the novels. Once I look at one of my freshman level novels to see clean pages, I understand that I didn’t actively read the book. I assume you could say because I am able to connect back with my initial insights marked on the page that I have learned to read with a pen, which has drastically taken my writing to a new level.
Writing had always been one of my strengths, nonetheless it was difficult to take that step that is initial the senior school, five-paragraph essay form that constricted my ideas for such a long time. Moving past this form, however, has greatly opened my mind. My thoughts can now be more complex because We have learned simple tips to sustain a logical argument in an organized manner. My writing has become increasingly more concise and I not any longer have room for added “fluff” or “padding.” Another improvement is my capacity to point out complexities that are multiple a text, in the place of adhering to one-sided arguments in my papers. Furthermore, learning how to find peer reviewed journal articles and order books through interlibrary loan has significantly widened the scope of my research, which has lead to more scholarly papers with credible references. My writing is really significantly more interesting than it used to be.
It is difficult to identify gaps in my own knowledge as an English major, only like I have learned so much because I feel. I feel that We have largely expanded my literary analysis and writing skills, but i have to expect you’ll teach senior high school students their required literature. I do believe it will be useful to identify commonly taught novels within our local high schools and study them myself. By studying the necessary literature and thinking on how to teach it, I will have a sturdy foundation to work from once i will be within the classroom.
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The English program at California State University Channel Islands prepares students for a range that is wide of and rewarding careers, including:
- English teacher
- Social media strategist
- Media production (film, TV, internet)
- Print and digital publishing
- Law
- Corporate communications
- Foreign service
- Human resources
- Foundations/non-profit management