Reflective Journal

Zekrit

Building 165

Street 14

Beirut, Lebanon

Friday, December 1^st, 2017

Dr. Zane Sinno

Department of English

American University of Beirut

Beirut, Lebanon

Dear Dr. Sinno,

I assume that you already know that I am French educated. For the last fifteen years, I have been taught things that turned out to be different from what was required in English 203. It affected me in a way that affected my confidence in writing. I used to write with assurance and confidence. I never had to triple-check my work, not that rechecking is a disadvantage, but I did not know when to be satisfied with my work. On the other hand, the French baccalaureate taught me through the dissertations and the commentaries that there are always more details that we can add and write about. Even though sometimes it can get me off track, but more often than not it is an advantage.

Moreover, to get over the French system, I actually started to listen more in class and pay attention to the guidelines you provided with every assignment. I also used templates of formal writing by professionals from other universities that I found on the internet. Furthermore, I had a problem with finding words in English without having to translate them from French. So, throughout the semester I read some stories to enrich my vocabulary. It worked in some areas but I still need to further reinforce my English.

In order for me to get through the many obstacles I faced throughout the semester, I first used the English handbook. For the questions, I could not find an answer to in the handbook, I either googled them or asked you the following day in class. I would like to use this opportunity to thank you for your invaluable help during the semester, especially in the problem solution report. You helped us through every step and directed our attention to the things we would have never figured out on our own.

One of these obstacles, was the online sessions. In these online sessions, we had to work in groups and write collaborative essays. I never liked to work with people, because I usually do not get along with them. I also have trouble coordinating with them because I tend to be bossy and people do not like it. So, over the years I stayed as far away as possible from group works. But, this semester, I had no choice. So, I tried to find due dates that work for every member of the group and made sure to take everyone’s opinion into consideration. It worked pretty well, but right now I am just glad that it is over.

Additionally, I believe that it is easier to talk to people when they look easy-going, they always have a smile on their face. I consider this to be my major strength. I like to make people feel at ease when they are talking to me, like they could talk to me about anything and everything. So, I try as much as possible to make people laugh before engaging them in a conversation. On the other hand, my major weakness is that I get rapidly bored. So, I divert my attention to other things and pay little attention to what the other person is saying. Right now, this habit does not affect me as much as it could in the future. Therefore, I have to start working on fixing it as soon as possible. I plan on trying to engage further in the conversation by asking questions and sharing my opinions. It is not for the sake of my future only that I plan to improve, rather because I believe that even in the most insignificant and fast conversation, we can find meaning and purpose.

Finally, I would like to sing your praises, even though you said not to. It does not get me any extra credit, but you deserve it. First, I would like to thank you for making my first semester in college less unbearable. Even though I was always the first to start nagging when you talked about assignments, I really enjoyed them. They represented an opportunity to learn, in-text citations, run-ons, formats as well as topics that never really crossed my mind. Furthermore, your classes were fun, not at all mainstream. I actually enjoyed them. One last thing I would like to tell you this semester, is that I would appreciate it if you could reserve a place for me with the “old folks”, so we can make our secret code, cursive writing, great again.

Sincerely yours,

Nagham Assaf