Introduction
Higher education is the place where students first enter the field of professional research and analysis. It is where they learn how to fully cognize every moment and element of the subject of their interest. Educational courses such as English 132 that teach students how to “write, read, think critically, and use information at the college level” are some of the many means by which they gain an understanding of the processes of academic research and writing (“ENG-132: College Writing and Research”). Introspection, especially in written form, helps one recognize and understand newly gained intellectual skills. This paper aims to analyze how English 132 develops personal and scholarly qualities and abilities and teaches one to be interested in global topics such as immigration.
Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, and Teamwork
I was amazed when I realized that I learned such personality traits and abilities as critical thinking, communication skills, and teamwork towards the end of English 132. As noted above, this educational course mainly aims to develop the academic aspect of the students’ mindset. However, it also appears to enhance the person’s overall abilities. To be more specific, I have developed the ability to inquire, analyze, and evaluate topics and things in a critical manner. I also became good at thinking creatively and doing innovation. Communication skills are another crucial thing that 132 English taught me. It is worthy of mention that these are those abilities related to the efficient giving and receiving of relevant information (Indeed Editorial Team). Now I can express and describe my complex ideas and concepts to colleagues and peers with various visual and written means simply, quickly, and efficiently. Moreover, this course also showed me the essence of teamwork. I learned how to understand other students’ perspectives and be supportive, and contributive to a common cause.
English 132 and Immigration
During English 132, my peers and I were introduced to many themes through writing assignments and literary works. There were global and relevant topics such as immigration and immigrants’ new hardships in host countries. As a result, I learned what motivates and forces people to move to a radically different linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and weather setting. The reasons are diverse; for example, these include driving factors such as new promising economic opportunities and wartime (“Migration”). It is good that even basic college courses motivate students to take an interest in global issues and develop moral qualities such as empathy.
English 132 and Academic Skills
The educative impact of college courses such as English 132 can only be fully realized towards the end. Now I understand how to approach the research process and structure the academic paper appropriately. English 132 also taught me information literacy and the proper ways to “identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively” (“Information Literacy”). I developed a better sense of timing during the course and gained additional knowledge of effective scheduling. In addition, English 132 helped me develop the mental mechanisms for dealing with deadlines and recurrent bouts of loneliness.
Conclusion
This work serves as an introspection where I reflect on my experiences of completing English 132. I describe how this course influenced my critical thinking, communication skills, teamwork ability, academic skills, and worldview. Interestingly, it has been found that composition courses like English 32 help one to develop not only the skills associated with research activity but also personality. Modern higher education is a phenomenon of a global and intersectional nature, and it is not a narrowly focused thing.
Works Cited
“ENG-132: College Writing and Research.” Henry Ford College, 2019, Web.
Indeed Editorial Team. “Communication Skills for Career Success.” Indeed, 2021, Web.
“Information Literacy.” Common Sense Education, Web.
“Migration.” United Nations, Web.