this semester has definitely been much better for me in terms of school. Last semester I was getting the hang of college and I didn't feel like moving on just yet. The weather had made this semester much better for sure. I came from Sandia High and played varsity baseball there all four years. I initially did not know if I wanted to go the academic route or the baseball route, so I did what was best for my family and I and decided to take up on the prestigious scholarship that was awarded to me. I intended on studying architecture all four years, but I be-friended a couple of upper-class engineers who inspired me to switch my degree to Civil Engineering. I think that it was a great choice because honestly, I am more of a math guy than an artist. Therefore, as this semester began, I learned so many things. I learned how to manage deadlines much better, especially because I was transitioning into much harder classes than last semester. I learned to simply just get things done and not stress entirely on grades because I know I am trying my best. So that has helped me calm my stress levels and just always trust in the product that I turn in and to overall learn from it.
In terms of my writing process, I began with writing on my own for as much as I can and as best as I can. Then, I would ask questions to the teacher to make sure I can succeed in the assignment. I would have trouble sometimes being able to write, so once I turned in my project for peer review, I really took in consideration of what others had to say and how I can improve. Then, I would randomly think of things as I am at the gym, or hanging out with friends and I would write down simple notes on my phone to broaden my ideas. When it came time to turning in the final project, I would have either my sister or my friend peer edit the prompt again and they would add comments that were very beneficial which led me to feeling confident and also feeling accomplished. The lessons that we went over throughout the semester this year can be useful in other classes because I know I will have to collaborate with a lot of new people, so this class really helped me get out of my comfort zone and interact with others.
overall, peer review and interactions within the classroom has helped me better understand of what is needed to build a project because sometimes, my group peers would talk about what our project is about and how ahead or behind we were. That allowed us to feel comfortable knowing that at times, we were on the same writing schedule in terms of what is finished and what is not. Lastly, one of the most important lessons that I learned during this course was the different websites that we can use to find information, but most importantly, websites that show us how to do citations because I know citations will never go away as the world is full of writing, doing research, and learning new things that require an immense amount of knowledge that will require citations. In the end, I really enjoyed this class and how well structured and helpful this course was. Not only by the help of peers and recourses but also the help of a passionate teacher who really cares about their student's education. With that said, I appreciate your time and best of luck in the future.
sincerely,
Juan Portillo