Throughout my four years in high school I was rarely pushed to do well in my classes. I never did my homework or properly prepared myself for any upcoming tests, or assignments. I rarely had to work hard to a achieve a good grade. My literature classes, in particular, were very easy and were basically a joke, to put it honestly. Most of the time, in class, we would just mess around and rarely pay attention to what the teacher was saying and never apply it to anything. We never worked on writing papers and were almost never required to read anything over more than ten pages. I was not prepared for college, at all. I thought that I would be able to take my lazy studying habits to college and be able to achieve a mediocre grade.
This class, however, has opened my eyes to a whole new world. One where I realize that you MUST read the assignments to succeed and I MUST learn from my previous mistakes to become not only a better writer, but better in other classes and in life itself. I believe that I have learned to better transfer what I am trying to say into a more educated way. I have also learned how to read information, get the message of the author, and put it into my own summary. The most important thing that I have come to realize is that I am more able to argue about a topic I am passionate about, and also to incorporate other individuals' points of view, which will help me in literature classes in the future.
I really enjoyed this class and wish I was able to take your class next semester. Although I would rather take your class, I believe what you have taught in this class will enable me to excell in my remaining literature classes.

Final Blog

Over the semester I believe that my confidence in writing has improved dramatically. While I question whether or not my grammar has seen any improvements, I have the courage to write like an educated student. I do not believe that I came into the class with major errors in the content of my writing, but my grammar was lacking, specifically my incomplete sentences. Concerning the content of my papers I do hope that I am not arrogant in the belief that I have minor issues. I came into this class deeply concerned that my English papers would be ripped to pieces, and that my style of writing would be uncomfortably changed. I do realize that with different teachers my style might have to make a dramatic one eighty, but in this class I found writing extremely comfortable. Regarding major issues that I came into this class with, they include; writing a thesis, run on sentences, punctuation, and conclusions. These issues are now much more relaxed in my writing. Throughout the semester the careful revealing of my mistakes and issues helped me to grasp what I had issues with, without destroying my confidence in writing.
I was so glad that you were a teacher that allowed class discussions, and debates. I already had a good amount of comfort in dealing with class conversations, but the conversations allowed more critical thinking and analyzing of debate topics. I enjoyed hearing my educated peers thoughts and views on current issues. We discussed many issues that otherwise I may not have even considered. The discussion over racism though language, many topics came up that altered my attitude in an issue that I did not even realize was still an issue. In high school teachers teach issues of the past, but are careful with the current, in order to avoid scaring or altering each student view of the safe, secure world they are about to be thrown into.
Overall, I am happy with this class and its end. I find that writing a 300 word essay is not as scary as the beginning of the semester, and becoming emotionally involved in my writing is much more comfortable. I still worry about grammar, but I am aware of my issues, and must continue to progress.

Final Blog

When I first came to college I was a little bit worried about how my English class would be. Last year in high school my English teacher who thought she was a college teacher taught us a very hard curriculum. She graded very hard so when I came to college I thought that I would never be able to make it. But then I came to my first college literature class and was surprised because I actually understood some of the things I was hearing. I was not extremely confident with my writing and critical thinking abilities. One of my biggest problems is not being able to put enough content into my writing. I feel like I get to the point when I am writing but then I can’t add enough supporting ideas or sentences. Sometimes I write papers the same way I talk and it is hard to tell when I am doing it. This makes it very hard to correct it, but I think that I have gotten better at spotting some of the errors. Critical thinking has always been one of my weak spots. I remember studying for the SAT and having to work a lot on the critical reading section. It has been tough for me to read something and then tell you what the writer was trying to say or what kind of message they were trying to send. I think the only way to get better at it is to practice and that is one of the reasons we go to school. I have never been much of a talker in class. Although my comfort level with regard to adding to class conversation has increased, I still feel a little shy and awkward when trying to present an idea to the class. I have gotten better since the beginning of the semester but much more improvement is still needed. I believe that this class has made me a better-rounded person because I have learned about a lot of things that I didn’t know much about. These include Ebonics and linguistics. Thank You for making this an easy transition from high school to college; not to say that this class was easy but you know.

Final Blog.... Thank goodness!!

I just have to say that this English class was probably my most fun class I have had this year and will probably be very hard to beat in the years to come might I add. When I was in high school I was awful at righting papers. But that does not help either when I had 4 English teachers in the last 3 years at my last high school. I have to say that they did not really teach me to express myself but rather that I had to write in a "specific" manner. You on the other hands Dr. Hughes, taught me how to express myself and explain my reasonings behind my writing to sound my papers sound somewhat better haha. Granted I have not written the best of your papers I know but what I do know is that this is the first class I have ever had to where I can be myself and express my own personal feelings about certain topics. For instance, I honestly never cared about linguistics and the conflicts that there have been around that particular subject but now that view has changed as well has my view changed on several topics in your class. I guess you could say that my weakness was expressing myself through my writings before because I did not know how to do that. But now thanks to you that is not as much of a problem but of coarse I still need help with that a little bit haha. I was honestly scared coming into college and what to expect about my English class because it seems like to me all I heard before was that English was your hardest class. Coming into your class room, I knew everyday that I could come in there and relax a little bit and thats always good especially when our class is that early in the morning. But I just want to thank you sooooooooooo much for making my first English class experience in college amazing and fun at times. Thank you so much again. I wish I was in your class next year but I tried and tried and I just could not get it. Hopefully next year! :)

Grasp Every Opportunity.

Beginning the introduction of a final blog is not an effortless of a matter. The initial thoughts of a “final” anything in classes tends to shout HOORAY! Along with the excitement of completing anything, there is also a disbelief in how quickly time passes. Within the many emotions at the close of the semester there seems to be a crucial point of reflection. Within my personal experience, I must say that I am relieved, excited, and quickly recharging for another semester at Young Harris College. As I have already examined the academic transition I experienced in such a short span of time there is no way I would have made my decision on college any differently. I am not going to deny the initial fear I experienced inside because of the general idea and thoughts of college, along with the doubt within myself to not be capable of experiencing success. Specifically, within this class I have seen the difference of attempting to do something on your own, especially when you do not place confidence in your own work, and completing a task in which you have to seek additional help to be directed in the more clear path. There is nothing comparable to the end of that path in which you see the importance in believing in yourself and accepting additional help only expands your awareness and knowledge. That confidence enables us to see beyond the obstacle at hand and see more into the finished and unique product that could only be created by each individual author.

Within my writing style I have seen the way I have transformed doubt of my personal style into a powerful tool to express myself. I have realized something very simple but also very empowering…it is okay for us all to not think, talk, and write in the same exact fashion. Our uniqueness is what makes us valued for the individual person we have grown into and the distinctive reasoning, and knowledge we are capable of expressing. Although I have reached a new comfort with my writing style, I know I still, and will probably continue to struggle with the simplest grammatical errors. The minor details are not the most important though, right? Either way, I am delighted in my writing progress and feel that I surpassed previous limitations I had placed upon myself. It has been a very surreal experience to be capable of writing on a specific topic, but then also having the freedom and ability to tie a major concept back to a personal reflection of how many topics revert back to the individual person. There has been an insightful enjoyment within the freedom to have many class discussions. I know that many of our discussions enlightened my views and helped me in becoming more accepting and respectful to the different views expressed by my classmates. It may seem odd, but if there were one class that I would not want to be over already, it would be this class. This class was often anticipated and because we had discussions in class, it seemed we were all able to get to know each other more than the average class. As it is always said, even the best things must come to an end…I can say that I look forward to the opportunities that lie within future classes and the influence each class will hold in order to expand my knowledge and deepen my critical thinking.

Final Blog

Final Blog
Ryan Carr
Dr. Hughes, Comp 1101


One of the major issues that I have had to overcome in composition 1101 has been simply getting started on the subject matter. I have struggled with some of the reading, having to go back and read again what I have just read in order to fully understand the content of the text! This is a battle I have faced most of my life as I have to compensate for seeing words and letters backwards. It is a form of dyslexia. Oddly enough, having this type of disability has only made me work harder and longer in order to academically survive and achieve my goals as a student. I know that my writing has improved as a result of perseverance and hard work as well as my ability to read and comprehend Standard English as well as other variations. Argumentative writing was unfamiliar territory! I did not like it at first but have since learned that it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are “arguing” but that you are persuading your reader to share your view on the subject matter. This course has taught me how to “attack” a subject rather than just write about it as in a book report. I believe I have a much clearer understanding of descriptive and prescriptive English. I did not grasp their meaning before this class. I want to continue to work on my writing style. Conversations in class have been uncomfortable at times because of my confidence level in English. I am more confident now because I have learned a great deal, however I feel there is much more I need to work on such as grammar and sentence structure. My goals as a student have not changed since the beginning of the semester because I have always been serious about succeeding and that will never change! My attitude has been like a roller coaster! I have felt overwhelmed at times as well as feeling a since of accomplishment others. I am sincerely grateful that I have been able to participate in this course as it has enabled me to become more articulate and skilled as a writer. I will continue to use what I have learned throughout my college career and life.

Reflection

During my high school career, I had around eight language arts teachers. They ranged in age from early to mid 20s and aged to late 60s. Each teacher has their own beliefs about grammar and the way passages should be read and perceived. The younger teachers believed that it is what you believe and make it out to be, while the older teacher believed there was a concrete way of reading a piece of work and understanding it. They all had different teaching techniques and stressed different departments of grammar. The one thing I did not have a full understand of and felt a little worried about graduating from high school was my ability to write a good paper. Even to this day I am still worried that I can not write a paper that meets college level expectations, but I do think I have made improvements. The last semester of my senior year I had a teacher fresh out of college, who taught us a little more detailed view of writing a good paper. This is when it started to sink in for me, I was just worried that it was too late! I have been a little surprised, in a good way, at the papers I have written while attending YHC. They may not have all be A material, and actually very few have, but over this course I have had a better feeling about the process. Having Dr. Hughes walk us through, step by step, and always there for support has helped tremendously. One thing I have learned is not to use fillers. I have always been worried about meeting the word or page requirements, but I was taught by Dr. Hughes that even some of her papers didn't meet requirements, yet she still made impressive grades because she did not throw in any unecessary wording or sentences. In the area of argumentation, I have been taught over this semester to be more aware of it. Even on this paper we are in the process of writing, I was advised to use a stronger argument. This is one thing I am still working on, but it has been brought up to my attention that I need to work on it. I have enjoyed the group discussions in class a lot. I like it most of the time when teachers try to get their students involved and active with each other. It has helped us not only be more vocal and outspoken about our beliefs, but we have also learned about each other in the process. Who knows, we may have even learned a little something about ourselves along the way too. Looking back, there is a not a single other class or professor I would have rather had than you Dr. Hughes. You have been a great professor for us incoming freshmen and your teaching techniques are effective and helpful. This class was a great introduction into the life of a new college student not knowing what to expect. I have become more comfortable with writing and have learned to seek and ask for help if needed.

FINAL BLOG :(

At the end of high school I was always worried about one thing more than any other worries a young high school student might have. I was going off to college in the start of the fall, and was going to have to please some professor I didn’t know with the style of writing in which they liked. Having always been told that I would have to learn the likes and dislikes in different writing styles of a professor, my outlook in the fall for the sake of my English grade seemed to prove doomed. However, all of that turned to mush the day after I received my first paper back from Professor Hughes. I quickly learned that she liked my “scholarly” tone of writing and was very pleased with her as my English professor at Young Harris College.

There were a couple of errors to my writing still, even with my lovely high school education. For some odd reason I could not find it in myself to use the word “is;” it just wouldn’t happen. Professor Hughes helped me realize that the word “is” was not going to kill me if I just used it a few sparing times in a paper. I have also improved in some citing techniques which has not only been helpful in English, but also other classes that require research papers and a bibliography. As far as my argumentative skills, I don’t know that I have made any progress in them. (Hopefully they haven’t gotten any worse) When writing on a topic in which I truly take a side of opinion, I find that it is easy to write with a flowing tone without the hassle of trying to insert “fluff” sentences.
My developments in critical thinking have definitely taken a turn for the better. This is due to the eye opening influences of other’s opinions throughout the class. I found that debates and simple conversation allowed by the teacher throughout the course enabled not only me, but the others to comprehend and understand different views on different subjects from different people. This open atmosphere provided many great opportunities for learning throughout the semester. THANK YOU DR. HUGHES!!!!!!!!! Due to the great learning opportunities, I have learned that not all college professors “have to give a student in their class a failing grade in order to think that they are better than their students.”(Hughes) Therefore my first English class college experience has been one of the greatest life achievements for me and will always be remembered.

What Did I Learn?

The lessons I have learned from this class are going to be taken with me for the rest of my life; such as dialects of America that are not the standard, are not wrong. Every teacher I have had in the past corrected my speech with a right and wrong basis using the standard. This is only one of the unique lessons I have learned. I have been taught how to write on demand and in small time periods. Writing in short periods of time on an unknown topic requires being able to think quickly about a response, and being able to recall information previously read on the exact point being written on. Using the reading of the previous weekend and the discussions of the first day of class to propel my ideas was always difficult for me to grasp. In high school I needed to take my time and read the material more than once and gain a personal, unique understanding if I was going to be able to write on the topic, but I have now been forced to write on topics based on others understanding and my original comprehension. This ability to react in short amounts of time to a topic and write intelligently on the information presented is a skill I will be able to use for the rest of college, if not the entirety of my life.
Another tool to use in my writing is the use of a larger amount of quotes. I have learned this helps establish credibility, which is very important in persuasion writing. Also, the creation of an effective thesis statement is a very important. I have learned that when creating a thesis, the establishment of credibility, openness on the subject, and a concise statement on my stand on the subject must be in place. This is the building block for a persuasive paper, and I look foward to sharpening these skills in the future.

Final Blog!!!

At the start of fall, my main writing errors were connotations and the use of semi-colons in inappropriate areas. Over the semester, I feel that I have eradicated connotations from my work and am starting to use semi-colons in more appropriate areas instead of just using them to try and make my work look fancier. My argumentation skills have also improved as the course has allowed me to look at a vast number of controversial cases in society today. In each of these cases I generally feel that I have been able to reach a decent conclusion, mainly through sound logical reasoning. The class discussions have helped me broaden my critical thinking, in order to reach these conclusions as I have been able to see other people’s perspectives of the situations in hand.

I still do not always feel at ease with engaging in class discussions as I feel that other members in the class will not understand my perspective of the world as I have experienced different cultures to them. From listening to other people in different English 1101 classes, I feel very fortunate to have been in this particular class because they have often talked very frustratingly about their classes but I have on the other hand, enjoyed every minute. The variedness of the course has been very enjoyable and interesting as I have able to expand my knowledge of language. The parts I found most enjoyable were the history of how languages came about and the discrimination between different dialects. The story of the American Indian Boarding Schools also highlighted me how contradictive society can be from its supposed values. Overall I loved the class and believe I have the correct foundations to progress with my college career as it has improved my ability to write precisely, perceptively and persuasively.

Last Blog

In college, I thought that the hardest subject for me was going to be English. This subject has never been my best, and I often struggled with it in high school. The first day I was dreading coming to this class but my feelings quickly changed. Instead of hating English, I soon came to love this class. The topics we discussed were very interesting and some were even funny. This was something I did not expect because it was so different from what my classes did in high school. My favorite subject that we covered was the article about American Sign Language. I liked learning about how even though it is not spoken vocally it is still a language. This class made me reflect on not just improving my writing style, but also learning about other cultures and their languages.
Some of the improvements I have made throughout the course of this semester are learning not to use contractions and how to do in-text citations. It was extremely difficult at first not to use contractions, and sometimes one or two will still slip in somewhere. Recently I discovered that I have even stopped using them when I write text messages. This year in-text citations have proven to be a troubling factor for me, and I am constantly confused about the proper placement of the period. However, in my last few papers, in English and other subjects, I have finally gotten it right. In this class I believe I have become a more overall confident writer.
One thing that I wish I would have worked on more is my participation in class discussions. I have realized that I am not confident enough in my thoughts to discuss them. This is something I intend to work at next semester. I need to overcome my shyness and not let it control me.
Next semester I was not fortunate enough to get into one of Dr. Hughes classes. I am going to miss having this class so much, but I hope to carry forward all that I have learned from this semester into my future endeavors!

FINALLY!!!!!!!

Well, when it comes to my first college literature class, I will have to say that it has been quite a surprise. But in this case, a surprise was a good thing as I have really learned to appreciate linguistics and some of the finer aspects of it. Before I go on, I must say that this was one of the classes I was most worried about being a freshman in college. All I heard throughout high school was how tough college English was and how that if you weren't a good writer you would struggle. This class however changed my opinion on this simply because of the way the class was constructed. I enjoyed the fact of how all of the linguistic topics we discussed in class were applicable to everyday life. This made it easy to stay interested during class and also gave me more incentive to spend more time in the writing assignments.
As I entered college, I knew what my writing weaknesses were and I was hoping I could develop these weaknesses into strong points and become a more dynamic writer. From the beginning I felt like I had difficulty forming a solid point for my paper to revolve around. This is where I feel the in-class writings have helped me tremendously in the aspect of quickly developing a point and expanding upon it in a short amount of time. Having this ability in your writing helps tremendously when it comes to writing timed essays, articles, etc. I also feel that my argumentative ability in writing has greatly improved. In speech, I can argue anything. My dad has always said I can argue with a road sign and win. Though there is a difference in arguing in speech and arguing a point in a paper, I have found some similarities that have helped me argue my points in my formal papers. These papers have no doubt been a learning experience as I feel like I have been able to get better at one particular each time I wrote or rewrote a draft.
Overall, I have greatly enjoyed every aspect of this class. Everything from the sometimes heated discussions in class to the final paper that takes so much thought has helped me improve my writing techniques.

Y@y! Th3 53m35t3r i5 o\/3r! r0x0r

Whew, this semester has definitely been a long one! I’m glad that it is almost over, and I have learned a lot over the course of these past four months. Being in this English Composition class, I have learned a lot; my writing skills have increased dramatically, as well as my self-esteem regarding my writing. Coming out of high school, I thought I was a horrible writer. I didn’t expect to get an A in my college level English classes, but now it seems possible.

I think my biggest downfall with my writings were a lack of experience and my confidence towards my writing. Since then, we’ve written so much that I feel like my vocabulary and flow in my works has increased. I know that I don’t struggle at all with piecing together opinion pieces, however come next semester when we have to analyze pieces of literature I may have some trouble. After that semester, if I improve the way I did this semester, than I should be skilled with that too!

When it comes down to argumentations, I feel like I really have a good handle on how to piece together a good argument and establish my points and opinions well. I can debate well, and use information in ways that enforce my ideas. I’m a good critical thinker, I have had no problem developing opinions and using good examples to support them.

My comfort level with class discussion is very high, at least in most classes. In this English class, at nine o’clock in the morning, I’m usually pretty tired and don’t get as involved as I do in classes such as chemistry or biology, which I find very fascinating. However, I have never had any problem talking in front of people or adding to conversations in classes.

Now that this semester is over, I feel so much better about my writing, my school work, and just my life. I love it up here at Young Harris, and I’ve been able to get good grades thus far. Since the beginning of the year, though, I’ve given up on having a 4.0. I’ll have all A’s and one B, in my one hour Honors Program seminar. It stinks that I can’t make the 4.0, but sometimes things happen. The Honors class is just something I haven’t really been able to get a good grasp of, but only one B isn’t bad! All in all though, I’m just glad to be able to go home for a month and relax.

Final Blog

This class was probably the most eye opening class that I have ever taken. I really enjoyed every minute of every class, I thought it was great to discuss real life issues and debate them during class. Because I enjoyed this class so much, my writing as a whole improved over the course of the semester. I have always dreaded literature classes during my high school career because I have never been a great write. I usually only squeaked by in the class. This class has taught me to just write simple, not to use big words to act smart. One of my biggest problems that I have always had was that I would use big words in my essays, but I did not exactly know what they meant. Back in high school I would try to incorporate big and educated words to express my view points. You have taught me that I don’t have to use big words to sound smart, I believe this is the main reason I did not freak out during the first day of class. I have successfully eliminated this problem; I think you can tell if you read through my previous blogs. During this class I have also learned how to use my argumentation and critical thinking in a more effective way. I think I have been effective because I have seen how others write in our class and then in turn tried to make myself like them. Also, I have gained a greater confidence in class discussions. I have never been the student to give my input on class debates, because I have always thought that I was wrong. The greatest thing about this class is that there were no wrong answers; I could give any answer with complete confidence (as long as it pertained to the topic). Lastly, my goals have changed since I have been in your class. I now have complete confidence in my writing; I believe that I can write well enough in college (this was my main doubt going into my freshman year at Young Harris College).

Self-Assessment Blog!

Dear All,

For your FINAL blog, please write between 300-600 words discussing your progress in the class. You should consider questions such as:

• What kinds of problems did you have with writing at the beginning of the semester?
• Which of these problems have you eliminated from your writing, and which you still struggle with?
• Do you think you have improved in argumentation?
• In critical thinking?
• How is your comfort level with regard to adding to class conversation?
• How have your goals and attitudes changed since you've finished your first semester?

Keep in mind that it would be tremendously ironic if you were to discuss how much you have improved, but then made errors in this little essay! That is, be sure that this essay represents the best writing you can do. Write carefully and thoughtfully -- and be sure to edit your own writing!

Language Variation

Topic: What is the best approach to dealing with language variation? Should American society become more tolerant, or should individuals be responsible for learning the Standard?

Source 1: “Current Official language law of Georgia” by Congress, 11/22/09, http://ww.proenglish.org/states/georgia.htm.

Georgia is one of the 50 states of the United States of America that has adopted English as its Official language. The law adopted in 1986 and revised in 1996 states in the Official Georgia Code 50-3-100 that “the English language is designated as the official language of the State of Georgia”. It indicates that all public records such as birth records, tax records, and legal documents should be written in English. This law is “enforceable with the full weight and authority of the State of Georgia”. It also allows for the tolerance of minority languages as it gives state agencies such as municipal corporations, county governmental bodies and so forth the authority to use or print official documents and forms in other languages at their discretion as long as an English translation of the document is filed along side the other language used. It seems that this approach is the “Gold Standard” in dealing with language variations especially since we have areas where language, such as Spanish is more prevalent in the community than English.

Source 2: “Language Variation and Change” by Sarah G. Thomason, 11/22/09, http://www.Isadc.org/info/ling-fields-change.cfm.

“Everyone speaks at least one language, and probably most people in the world speak more than one.” Although most Americans speak only English it appears that variations of English such as dialects are used extensively in various regions and demographic areas. How can we be intolerant as an English speaking nation when we are a mosaic of diverse people and their languages? Ignorance is the only answer for this type of intolerance. The English language evolved from Germanic language which is called “Proto-Germanic” by linguists. This single language was spoken over 2500 years ago and includes other derivations such as, Dutch, German, Icelandic, and Swedish. “…When subgroups of the original speech community separated: 500 to 1,000 years of independent changes first produced divergent dialects, and then became separate languages”. Standard English in much the same way has evolved and will continue to evolve into variances caused by regional and cultural influences. As an American society, we need English as an official language to unify and govern the people while being tolerant of those diversities in language that make us such a unique nation. One that says, “ Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”…not one that says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your English speaking huddled masses yearning to breathe free”! (Adapted from Emma Lazarus; poem, The New Colossus)

Thesis statement: The English language has evolved over two thousand years from its Germanic roots. It still evolves today with its variant dialects and slang. Yet this is the language that appears to be the unifying factor of governing our nation in setting forth rules and regulations for the laws of our society. Without an official language we would not be able to communicate those laws effectively and seamlessly throughout our United States. We need an official language as a unified people, one nation of many diverse people and their languages. However, those of different dialects and languages should continue to enjoy the freedom of speaking their native language without fear of the use of English being the official language of our country. It would seem that tolerance is the key to dealing with language variation and the use of English as our official language.