Alessandra Medrano

One of the most challenging moments in this class was writing Paper 3. I had a hard time organizing my ideas clearly and connecting my evidence in a strong way. At first, I felt frustrated and unsure of how to improve, but I used a growth mindset by reminding myself that writing is a skill I can develop with practice. I asked for help by going to a tutoring session with Loisa, which helped me understand how to explain my examples better. That experience taught me that asking for support is not a weakness; it is part of the learning process. Another challenge was writing in English with confidence. As a non-native speaker, I sometimes feel insecure about my grammar or my accent, especially when sharing my writing. But during office hours with Professor Lee and Loisa, I never felt judged. Instead, they encouraged me and gave me clear advice to make my writing stronger. I realized that making mistakes is part of learning, and that helped me stay motivated even when I felt stuck. Reflectin...

Paper 3 helped me grow a lot as a writer because it was my strongest paper, but also the one I worked hardest on. I learned how to organize my ideas better, include multiple sources, and explain quotes clearly. Meeting with Loisa really helped me understand how to improve my body paragraphs and make my argument more convincing. A meaningful lesson I learned was that writing is a process. I revised more than before, and I saw how each step made my writing stronger. I also felt more confident using evidence and connecting it to my thesis.

Paper 2 was a new challenge for me because it was the first time I had to find and include outside sources with proper citations. In my first draft, I did not include any quotes, so I had to learn how to research, choose good evidence, and use MLA format correctly. A meaningful lesson I learned was that finding strong, relevant sources helps make my argument more convincing. I also realized how important it is to explain the quotes clearly and connect them to my main point. This paper helped me improve both my research and writing skills.

  Writing Paper 1 was a meaningful experience because it was my first opportunity in this class to express my ideas in a more personal and academic way. At first, I struggled with organizing my thoughts and writing a clear thesis. My first draft lacked focus, and some of my ideas were underdeveloped. One meaningful lesson I learned during this process is the importance of revision. I used to think that once I finished writing, I was done. But I learned that going back to my paper reading it out loud, reworking sentences, and making my ideas more clear; actually helped me improve a lot. Another thing I discovered is that writing takes time. I can not expect my first draft to be perfect. What matters is that I keep working to improve. This experience showed me that writing is not just about talent it is about patience, feedback, and growth.

  I finally got to meet with Loisa so she could help me review my draft for Paper 3. It was a very rewarding experience because I was able to understand how to improve my writing. I wish I had gone to more tutoring sessions with her, since I understood things much better in person. I had a great experience with Loisa, and also with Professor Lee (I don’t have a photo with her), but both sessions were very positive. I never felt judged for my accent; in fact, they both made me feel very comfortable, and I learned a lot. By the way, at the end of the session, they were giving out free salad lol!