Reflection Essay
Tyler Kelsey
Composition 2
Professor Hammett
Reflection essay
May 8, 2026
Word Count: 547
Reflection Essay
When I enrolled in Composition II, I was not afraid to admit that I was a bit apprehensive
about what to expect. Having knowledge of what composition was all about, I was aware that
this course would pose a significant level of difficulty above anything else that I had attempted
before. Although I believed that my prior experiences with writing an essay were sufficient for
this new endeavor, I was uncertain as to whether I could write something that seemed college-
worthy.
While tackling obesity solutions in my Project 1 essay, I faced one of the most
challenging assignments ever done by me. My main difficulty was searching for reliable
resources. I did not know at first how much impact old data can have on your essay and how to
look up and analyze the information properly. The other problem was related to time
management because I did not anticipate the period it will take me to gather, sort the evidence,
and format everything according to the requirements. Although I liked the topic, it became clear
to me that writing requires a lot of preparations rather than being done in a rush.
The second project posed a new challenge to me. It required me to write on Alfred
Hitchcock and the issue of sexual harassment. The task demanded greater analytical skills than
before. Rather than presenting facts, I was supposed to give my opinions on what Hitchcock
intended through his actions and to link his actions to the issue of sexual harassment in the wider
context of society. Creating an outline for analysis proved to be difficult since I needed to
arrange my thoughts in a logical order and make each paragraph serve a particular purpose.
Among the greatest advancements that I have achieved during this semester is mastering
APA style. Prior to taking this course, my experience with APA was limited to almost nothing
since it involved switching from MLA, which I had been using all through school. However,
after having written two essays, done the necessary revisions, and corrected my citations, I feel
comfortable using APA style, and even know how to format the title page and write in-text
citations.
One other key improvement for me was that of confidence in writing. When the semester
began, I had quite a bit of doubt as to whether or not what I was saying in my papers was good
enough or whether I sounded “smart enough.” However, as I got used to writing papers more and
more, learning how to structure my essays properly, I became much more confident. While I am
by no means at the top of my game yet, there is definitely a marked improvement from the way
that I was writing when the semester began.
In summary, Composition II has made me evolve in many aspects I never expected. I
have learned about time management, research strategies for finding reliable sources, writing
techniques for analysis, and confidence while putting down ideas on paper. I am exiting this
class a much more prepared student than when I began and although there is always room for
improvement, I believe I am now more than ready for any future writing tasks.