Surviving English Comp.
At the start of the semester, I’ll be honest — I was completely dreading my English Comp class. It had been years since I’d written a real essay, so when I first looked over the assignment list, I felt my stomach drop. Nothing about it looked easy or fun, and I definitely wasn’t thrilled about jumping back into writing. I kept worrying that I wouldn’t remember how to structure an essay or come up with strong ideas, and the thought of being graded on something I felt rusty at made me even more nervous. Walking into the class on the first day, I wasn’t confident at all and pretty much expected the whole semester to be a struggle.
Lost! Finding my way
I was completely lost when it came to writing an essay or even figuring out what a good format was supposed to look like. I didn’t know how to start, and every time I opened the Canvas assignments and saw the long list of modules waiting for me, I felt instantly overwhelmed. There were so many instructions, examples, and links that it was hard to tell what I should focus on first. I kept clicking in and out of different sections, hoping something would give me a clear direction, but instead I just felt more confused. It honestly seemed like everyone else already knew what they were doing, while I was still trying to figure out the basics. Even though it was frustrating, taking my time and slowly working through each module helped me understand the writing process better. Little by little, I started to recognize formats, outlines, and strategies that made writing feel less intimidating and more manageable.
Growing up: How I grew as a writer
When I look back at the start of this class, I can really see how much I’ve grown as a writer. One of the very first assignments we worked on focused on formatting, literary narratives, and different prewriting strategies, and that ended up being a turning point for me. At first, I didn’t think learning about formatting or brainstorming techniques would matter much, but once I started using them, I realized how much easier writing became. The literary narrative assignment pushed me to reflect on my own past experiences with reading and writing, and it helped me understand what had been holding me back. Prewriting strategies like mind-mapping and freewriting also showed me how to break big ideas into smaller steps, which made starting an essay way less intimidating. All of these early lessons built a foundation that made me more confident and prepared for the rest of the semester, and they played a huge role in the growth I see in myself now.
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When things started clicking
Throughout the course, each new module introduced me to different writing strategies, and I could feel myself growing a little more each time. Instead of trying to figure everything out on my own, I started relying on the resources the class provided whenever I felt stuck. I spent time on the FSW website looking at examples, used Purdue OWL to double-check formatting and citations, and even visited the Writing Center on the Lee Campus when I needed someone to walk me through my ideas. Little by little, all these tools and bits of guidance began to connect in my mind. I started understanding how to structure an essay from the ground up, how to organize my thoughts clearly, and how to revise my writing so it actually said what I meant. With every assignment and every bit of practice, things that once felt overwhelming started to feel familiar. Eventually, I realized I wasn’t just completing the work — I was genuinely getting the hang of writing an essay and starting to feel confident in my abilities.
Learning to use my own voice
As the semester went on, I realized something surprising — I didn’t actually hate writing. I just needed to write about topics I genuinely cared about instead of ones that felt boring or like busy work. One assignment that really showed me this was the Google Earth project, “Do it: Places That Define You.” For that assignment, we chose meaningful locations, added pictures, and explained why those places were important to us. I ended up really enjoying it because the ideas came naturally, and I didn’t have to force myself to think of something to say. For once, I wasn’t stressing about meeting the word count or feeling stuck staring at a blank page. Instead, I felt connected to what I was writing, and that made the whole process so much easier and more enjoyable. That assignment helped me see that writing can actually be fun when the topic means something to me.
She’s growing! My growth
I could really see my growth as a writer in ways I didn’t expect. Every project pushed me a little more, and all the practice actually helped the process start to feel natural. Instead of staring at the screen not knowing what to write, I found myself coming up with ideas much more easily. The steps we learned — like brainstorming, outlining, and revising — started to become habits, and they made writing feel a lot less intimidating. Looking back, the assignments didn’t just teach me how to write better essays — they helped me build confidence and showed me that I’m capable of creating strong, thoughtful work when I give myself the time and tools to do it.
The End
Looking back on this English Comp class, I’m actually surprised by how much I’ve grown as a writer. At the beginning of the semester, I was nervous, overwhelmed, and honestly clueless about where to start. But each assignment and module helped me little by little. Using resources that were recommended made things so much easier, and I started to feel more confident. I also realized that writing isn’t so bad when the topic actually means something to me — like the Google Earth “Places That Define You” assignment, which I really enjoyed. By the end of the semester, I wasn’t stressed out like I was at the start. I actually felt like I knew what I was doing and could write a solid essay without panicking. Overall, this class showed me that I really can grow as a writer, and it feels good to see that progress.
