Cuddihy 1

Brandon Cuddihy
Professor Collins
ENGL 1301
29 November 2016
College English
My name is Brandon Cuddihy and I took Comp I ENGL 1301 with Professor Collins in the
2016 fall semester. I initially thought this class was going to be extremely difficult and stressful
because I barley passed my high school English classes. I was not surprised to find out it was as
stressful as I thought it would be. Though Professor Collins guided the class through writing our essays
which made it easier to understand and write. Teamwork was also key in the success of the essay, the
class exchanged papers and peer edited the essays to help find flaws. I learned how to construct a thesis
statement, Write body paragraphs using the MEAL plan, and how too revise and edit through essays
One, Two, and Three.
Four years of high school English classes and I never learned what a thesis statement was.
Professor Collins explained clearly what a thesis statement meant as well as giving the class an easy
formula to construct solid thesis statements. In essay one I got to utilize this new skill and wrote my
first successful thesis statement. The blueprint given by Professor Collins to construct the thesis
statement was simple and concise allowing the reader to understand what the essay was going to cover.
In the past I never knew what a thesis statement was. Professor Collins helped me understand what a
thesis statement is, and how it is one of the most important parts of any piece of work.
The MEAL plan made writing essay two simple. Using this plan made each body paragraph
easy to write, organized, and fresh. Essay two was a report so using and analyzing evidence was
important for the structure of the essay. The MEAL plan was flexible allowing the use of a MEAEAL

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or MEEAAL layout to help vary the paragraphs. Different MEAL methods reduced the amount of
redundant paragraphs, and gave me more options to deliver my content.
Revising and editing was a skill I didn't take seriously until this class. Using ratiocination and
peer reviewing to check the rough draft before turning in the final draft helped catch any imperfections
that may have been left. Peer reviewing helped catch any grammar or punctuation mistakes I might
have missed. Ratiocination checked for dead words, excessive Be verbs, and the first words of every
sentence to check for redundancy. Using synonyms or rewriting sentences reduced the number of be
verbs and dead words. Labeling the length of each sentence and varying the length of each made the
essay flow better. Revising these flaws and editing them made enhanced each one of my essays.
Through the essays in composition one I have learned to construct a thesis statement, write
body paragraphs using the MEAL plan, and revise and edit my paper. Through using these new skills I
was able to surpass my expectations of just passing. I have a B, and have learned an abundant about
writing academically. My first semester at Alvin Community College was successful as I learned and
grew as a writer thanks to my classmates who peer edited and Professor Collins who changed the way I
think about composition.