Top 5

There have been many different writing pieces that we have worked with throughout the year. Each of these pieces has taught something significant that I will carry with me during the next years of my education. This course has improved my writing but it has also given me new perspectives.

One of the first things that I learned was to stop using the five paragraph writing style (Intro, three body, and conclusion). This was the foundation of the new way of writing. This taught me to not focus on a specific length or structure of a paper but more on the ideas needed to write a paper. The five paragraph essay encourages us to engage only on the surface level without digging deeper and finding the deeper meaning of the topic at hand. Writing isn’t as simple as the five paragraph essay makes it seem. 

Suspending judgment and not coming to quick conclusions was something that was taught early in the year. This may have been one of the most important things I have learned. The TED talk, The Danger of a Single Story, by Chimamanda Adichie has a powerful message behind single stories and not jumping to conclusions about people. Adichie shares stories and tells us the danger in a single story. Adichie tells us that “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” This not only had an impact on my writing but more importantly my view of the world. 

Analysis was a large unit for this course. Before taking this class my idea of what analysis was not even in the ballpark of what it truly is. The New Yorker Cover was what showed me how to analyze a piece, giving as much detail and trying to describe it to someone who has never seen it before. Being able to analyze different works is an important skill that will carry with me. 

Something that we practiced throughout the year was how to write a good, strong thesis. We learned that the thesis isn’t something that is always placed in the same part of every piece but rather that it should be placed in a thoughtful spot. The thesis statement should go beyond the blatant theme and it should grab the reader, making them want to read more. 

Lastly, being able to find good sources to use in our pieces was a skill that arguably can be used in any future class. Being able to differentiate between good/bad sources and being able to weed out the bias is a very important skill. Furthermore, we learned how to properly cite, format, and incorporate the sources that we found. 

Out of all the English classes I have taken, there hasn’t been one that has taught me more than 105. We didn’t solely write, (as I imagined at the beginning of the year) we challenged ideas, analyzed works, argued against topics, and much more. I have and would recommend this course to anyone who wants college credit without taking a final and in our case, at CNS you have a chance to get an amazing teacher!