Blog Eight – Reflection

While I came into this class a little late in the game, it ended up fitting well with my schedule this semester. In the throes of my other coursework–and being constantly told what I had to do and what I had to write about–it was a relief to be able to choose my own topic for a paper (although, not that surprisingly, I chose a canonical Southern play instead of something more new and less written about, like a film). I really enjoyed being able to spend the quality time with Streetcar–more than I already had, anyway–and to try and get my thoughts about it down on paper. It really forced me to confront my own feelings about the play, and even though I didn’t include them all in the final product, I feel decently satisfied with the end result. This project also made me seriously consider a bachelor’s essay…. which I might still attempt at some point next year.

It was really nice to be able to take my time and slow down a bit in writing this essay. I feel like too often, it’s 2 am, and I’m three quarters of the way done with a paper that’s due the next morning. While that usually works out fine, I feel like I’m missing something in the paper writing experience–which obviously, is the drafting process. With this paper, I enjoyed writing it initially and then being able to take a step back for a while and reflect on what I’d written, and what I wanted to do in order to enhance my work. I think the week (and the office meetings) in between the initial draft and the final project was helpful to me because it allowed for some reflection and revision that I otherwise wouldn’t have taken the time for.

I think I have always known that I’d end up as an English major (even in my freshman year before I had officially declared) but it was nice to be reminded of why I chose this major, and why it means so much to me. Sometimes I get so busy that I forget.

I’ll go ahead and agree with Nora and Harrison and say that I probably should have taken this course earlier in my college career. Second semester sophomore year would have probably been the best time, but this was good too!