Author: nishatc (Page 1 of 2)

Nishat Chowdhury

ENG 1101

OL10

Portfolio & Reflection:

   This semester allowed me and everyone else as students to endeavor a whole different experience. Now I’d like to say for me personally, I’ve encountered both negative and positive aspects. It was definitely difficult due to the circumstances we are currently living in but I believe that no matter situation we are put in, we should try our best to adapt and attempt to make the most out of it, and express gratitude regardless of how bad the situation is, because at the end of the day we have control over our feelings and how we react. What I’ve learned about myself this term as a writer, reader, and scholar is that I’m able to complete anything I set my mind to if I just focus, but if I’m being honest, being stuck at home has its ups and downs. A positive that comes with virtual learning is that there’s a bit more freedom but at the same time I feel as if I lack the motivation that is vital for having a productive semester, environmental factors had a large impact on that.

   My favorite writing project would probably have to be Unit 1, where we all wrote about our personal education journeys. I felt like I was able to open up and express my mindset. “Discovering your purpose in this life holds enlightenment that is able to develop character in many positive aspects.” During this time of quarantine, my ideologies about myself and life have greatly changed, I was able to reflect and discover the deeper meanings in life, and I am still continuing that journey. Not only was I able to reflect upon philosophical meanings, but the earlier events in my life, and how those events formed who I am as a person today. “I personally have my struggles with anxiety and societal norms and what is expected of me in my community fuels it a bit more, to the point where I bottle everything up and keep everything private so there is no place for me feeling judged.” In that project I wrote about how my behavior and priorities shifted due to the change of environment and school atmosphere, for example going to a regular highschool after attending an all girls middle school. A similarity from the work I did earlier on in the semester vs. later on is that I was able to express creativity in all the assignments. 

   There were many notable lessons I’ve learned after completing some of the assessments. After watching the I Am Not Your Negro documentary I was able to learn about James Baldwin and his words, not only that but what he stood for. After watching that I’ve realized how insane it is that to this day people are still fighting for basic human rights and facing the same issues. As the assignments and genre changed, I was able to expand my skills in researching and collecting vital details and information concerning my topics. For my unit 3 project, it made me really think about a bigger audience and not just myself and the grader. Thinking about an audience affected the content and the way I created it. I planned on making an infographic for that assignment and thought I executed it well, made sure to keep it simple with images to enhance my message. I felt as if this semester was overwhelming regarding all the assignments and exams we had to complete and prepare for all of the courses, but I attempted to overcome it by managing my time and making the most of my setting. “Numbers and grades felt like it dictated my worth but now I realize it does not.”Although I still believe that numbers do not dictate my character or worth in the grand scheme of things, I think it’s still important to try your best in anything you want to pursue. I really appreciated the fact that Professor Edelson was there with us, guiding and assisting the entire way, and always making time, which genuinely improved my first semester experience here.