The materials and objectives of SUPS History has given me the confidence to feel capable of meeting college standards upon my arrival to a university. The first term paper I was assigned stressed me out! I was so overwhelmed by the thought of having to write at a college level and how my professor, Ms. Kelly, was going to grade us by college standards. Although I was a nervous wreck, I scored a solid 80%. As I reviewed my actions taken towards completing the essay, I realized that I had waited till two days before the due date to start it and I didn’t feel confident in my thesis or essay layout.
I remember making myself a mental note weeks before it was due to conference with my teacher for reassurance of the deletion of which my essays focus was going however, I mutinously procrastinate and pushed It to the back of mind. When I actually did start It, It was too late to make a conference. From that first essay Eve learned a lot. Procrastination not only escalated my stress levels but hindered myself from performing at its most greatest capability, which could have earned me a higher score.
As the year progressed, I adjusted my habit to starting the term paper at least eight days prior to its due date, giving myself plenty of time to review, research, and conference with Ms. Kelly. Although I didn’t conference with Ms. Kelly for every essay, I at least had the time to have some other educated person proof-read it. My term paper grade remained a 80% until recently when I was marked a 75%. Although my grades weren’t as pretty as I would have liked them to be, I can understand how I mess up and learn from my mistakes.
As a maturing student, Eve learned to take criticism against my work respectfully and rather than being offended or Jumping to conclusions, I absorb the side comments and apply them as best as I can the next time around. For my most recent assignment, I only scored so low because of a misread of the directions. But see, I even learned from that so I’ll be sure to clearly comprehend directions from now on! Furthermore, I’ve also mentally grasped the formatting of in-text citations, citation pages, and title pages along with the significance of research.
Effective research comes from reliable sources, such as the books and documents found on the Syracuse library website. It has become a habit of mine to verify information and check source accuracy. For instance, when I’m researching science related topics for my HUBS (Human Body Systems) class, Eve refrained from the typical Coach answers, Yahoo or Wallflowers and directed my attention to the official Mayo Clinic and Webmd site as well as documented experiments and publishing. Something new this year that I never thought I’d enjoy all that much were the group discussions.
Normally I hate group discussions because the same two or three people will cut everyone else off just to hear their voice more critical thinking, analytical practices. I felt motivated to Join in and address mentionable areas and topics of whichever book it happened to be that we talked about. Experiencing group discussions in Ms. Kelly’s class has strengthened my inference in getting involved in debates and group talks with people that aren’t necessarily my friends. Eve found that the best way to really interpret meaning and messages within a book is by really discussing with others.
While it was uncomfortable at first, Eve learned to appreciate them. Getting to experience SUPS History has honestly changed me as a student in many ways. Eve learned so much from managing my time to the importance of criticism and book discussions. Although the year was challenging and involved much work effort, it was all worth it in the end. I feel stronger as a writer and I am grateful for critiques. Every critique Ms. Kelly has made was made with reason and aided me in my development as a writer, which can help me to continue growing as a student overall.
