When
first learning something new, we think we understand that subject forever and
think of ourselves as experts. Then, when we learn more, we start to realize
that we actually know little to nothing—and only once we are humbled can true
learning occur. That was my experience with English. I thought I was a master,
an expert at his craft, creating prose and poems alike which would one day
shock the world, but I soon began to realize that in reality I knew very
little. Soon, with an open mind to learning, I leaped into taking an English
class at Foothill College to expand my knowledge. And I am glad to say that I
have, at least to some degree, improved. From learning English this quarter,
not only has my writing gotten better, but understanding the importance of
research, knowledge of sociological concepts, and seeing issues from multiple
perspectives.
As
one might expect, taking an English class will enhance the student’s English
and writing skills. At the start of the class, my English was in a tattered
state. Sentences flowed like a clogged pipe of muddy water, and my paragraphs were
flipped in the wrong direction—with the paragraph’s point at the bottom rather
than the top. The first step to making up one’s errors is to realize that
errors are occurring. Many of these mistakes only became apparent as I improved
my writing from essay to essay. I only started seeing errors after my second
essay. By the end of the class, I could see that my writing skills—following
paragraph development, and sentence flow mainly—became much clearer and better.
Each essay, I looked at what could have been better in the last one, and in
those areas I improved.
Another
thing that was learned from writing was the importance of research, which not
only is useful to use as one’s sources, but also to understand reading and
information. Doing research is a very important skill will be useful in many
classes and the real world as well. Making sure you cite them correctly and
ensuring that you use them well are also important. However, what is the point
of doing research without understanding what you are reading. During the class,
students made to pre-read, which means to know who and what was being read.
While reading, one was made to annotate our text, to make notes, questions, and
observations. Then, after reading finished, and waiting some time, the
knowledge from reading stayed in our heads. To embed this knowledge, we wrote
down reading journals, noting what we read and what we thought about it. Doing
this makes reading an active process, and anything that has been read will be
remembered for much longer.
While
improving our English, we were made to learn about sociology, which granted me
many insights, including but not limited to understanding my place in society
and realizing who are you. Sociology, or the study of society and social
relations, can grant a student an understanding of where and how they stand in
society. By viewing the roles we fill, the small things that change us, and
finally the classes that we are inside, we gain an understanding on who we
actually are. Answering the question of “who are you?” can help one
define their goals, find out their opportunities, and grant awareness to an
area of life that usually doesn’t get much attention.
Studying
sociology grants a student not only the ability to view society, but also to
view any issue through multiple lenses. Sociology has three main theories on
how to view things in our world: Symbolic Interactionism, Functionalism, and
Conflict Theory, which all view things a little differently. A sociology
student must view complicated topics like identity and addiction through the
lens of these sociological theories. Looking at things from different angles
can make understanding topics in classes much easier. Different perspectives
are key to digesting any topic to its fullest potential.
Throughout
the class, learning new things in new ways was key. Whether it be changing how
I wrote or did research, becoming an active reader, learning sociological
concepts, or viewing things differently, everything I did was new and
efficient. Future classes may ask for a higher level of English or more sources
than I usually find, or my job may ask me to tackle tough problems through many
angles, and either of these will be helped by what I learned in this class. Of
all the skills one can learn, English is one of—if not the most—useful skills
to learn. No matter where you go, proper English is key to living a good life.
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