Mid-Session Check-In Blog

March 26, 2011

Dear Laura,

I am enjoying the college experience after being out of school many years. I find education more challenging now than ever before. I have heard the saying, “the older you get, the harder it is to learn.” This seems to hold true for me. I have always been a pretty good writer, but the algebra and chemistry classes are a frustration. I really thought it would be the other way around being an electrician an all. This English class, in general, has brought out strengths and weaknesses in my writing. Most of my writing in the past has come right out of my head, so my challenge has been getting back into the practice of research and documentation. I have learned new technologies, such as blogging and making videos, which have brought me up-to-date with the world. This will all prove very useful in the future for technical writing and publishing journals.

Lord Byron

The reading content you have chosen has been very interesting to me. I am not one to place people in a high position just because they have published a book or play.  My favorite of the bunch so far is Tim O’Brien. His stories bring back memories of my younger days. His style of writing, for me, is of a high quality with a depth which provokes one to think rather than react. The poetry has also been intriguing. I had difficulty finding the same depth with the other authors. I do believe if I were to experience the “Sand Storm” in play form, or even in a public reading  by the author, that I would feel more emotional about it. Somehow, by just reading the script, it lacks the impact it might otherwise carry.

Literary analysis is different from normal research in that I have been able to incorporate my own view point into the text. Where a regular research paper contains straight forward facts, critical analysis demands personal insight along with the use of facts to support a point of view. I seem to do pretty well with this form of writing but see room for improvement. My goal is to become more succinct in my delivery and to become more comfortable and  competent in my MLA citations.

Sincerely,

Dan Wirt

An article about Non-Traditional Students