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            Throughout this semester I have grown so much, both in this course and outside of it. I have often had trouble feeling proud of my work, but through this course I feel I was able to write a few essays that I really am proud of.  Have also become much more comfortable speaking and class and travelling into the city. It was an amazing experience getting to take this class my first semester of college and learn so much about both writing and myself.

            In the beginning of the year I was definitely stuck in the High School 5 paragraph essay format. I was used to getting number grades as feedback and spending a lot of time on papers. Through the semester I have learned how to write a paper quickly without just listing the events that happened during my day. I no longer feel obligated to have a five paragraph essay and have learned how to create my own prompt and thesis- something I never had to do before. Through conferences I’ve learned that feedback is much more important than grades and that editing an essay can often mean starting from scratch if that’s what it takes to create the best essay.

            I have learned countless techniques this semester. When trying to play in writing I used to be very far on the critical play end of the spectrum, but I am slowly working myself over to the deep play side. I’ve learned to alter my experiences viewing art, amongst other things, by how I choose to view them. Looking at things from the multiple perspectives we have learned about. I’ve broken down essays and put them back together, creating beautiful mosaics. In the beginning of the year when we listed the tools in our toolbox the list was only 5 or 6 strategies long. No, with the help of my classmates, I can create a toolbox quite literally the size of a blackboard.

I have made many friends in this class and have become much more comfortable speaking than I was the first few weeks. I feel like I was very present in the discussions and I really enjoyed listening to everyone else’s take on the topics as well. Serendip has been a great place to learn about my fellow students, particularly Anne’s, since I don’t get to speak to them in person a lot. I always found muni’s comments very insightful and really enjoyed taking trips with ecohn and clarity.

            I said in my first essay this semester that the city was not my home. Now when I think of the word home I think of a few places. The first is, of course, my house in Bucks County. The second is Bryn Mawr, which I often find myself calling home. And the third is Philadelphia. Over the semester I have become very comfortable in the city, although I still have to consult Google Maps quite a lot. I never would have thought that I would travel into the city on my own, and in inclement weather no less. But my trip to Philly last Sunday went so smoothly and I felt at ease as I navigated my way through the snowy streets.

This course has helped me to become more comfortable as a writer and as a college student. As stressful as it sometimes was with all the reading, writing, and trip-ing, I thoroughly enjoyed this semester and getting to play both in the city and in the classroom.