Checkpoint. Somewhat full hp (thank god for those caffeine power-ups), a couple of test bosses defeated and countless hours of assignment and project quests logged in. Wait, what? All of this happened within the course of 6 weeks?
Hav
e you ever been so immersed into a video game that you lost track of time? You intend to just play for an hour or two, but before you know it…its 3 in the morning. That’s what school has been like for me. It feels like I’ve barely started; yet now, I’ve already reached the 1/2 mark of the term. Wow.
Taking a look at the list of my completed quests, I’ve come to realize just how important writing has been in many of them.
In my online French class, I’m constantly writing. Sometimes, it’s in a casual setting, where we’re assigned general conversation questions to discuss in groups on a forum and sometimes in a more formalized way, like writing a poetry analysis. In general, I enjoy it because the topics of writing have always been quite engaging and fun, but because it’s writing in another language, it sometimes becomes a whole ’nother beast. In French, I have to pay extra close attention not only to the content of what I’m writing, but also to the structure of it. Conjugating verbs in perfect past tense, masculine and feminine subjects, reflexive verbs- OH AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON IRREGULAR VERBS FFS, WHY? JUST WHY? The French language is just filled with so many little and intricate grammatical rules. I find it to be tricky as I’m still in the process of trying to understand it all.
I’ve had writing assignments in art history class too. I think reading summaries will be the death of me. As interesting as some of the themes in our assigned readings have been, (I genuinely do find the impact of media on Holocaust memorials and 19th century Western interpretations of Oriental art to be cool since I’ve never been able to study and interpret art in such critical and reflective way before) the nature of how they’re written, *cough cough academic essay* leaves me confused and wanting to pull my hair out most of the time. Even after reading, I’m scanning through these essays 3 to 5 times, just to find the gist of it, buried somewhere in the often convoluted web of other information. Then, I’m hit with another obstacle. I’m given a 500 word limit-a mere 500 words, to summarize a 10-page essay…
English 109 is probably my favourite class in 
terms of the writing assignments I get to do.
For one, I have so much fun typing up these blog posts, and there’s even the added bonus
of getting to integrate memes into them (Memes are love, memes are life.) The videos we watch, the selected essays we read and the peer work that we get to edit, always get me thinking and inspire me a lot in the direction I want my writing to be in. So far, I like learning about rhetorical analysis the most. It has made me a little more aware of the persuasive techniques used all around me. But something that stands out the most to me in English class, is learning that writing is a process. You can’t defeat the final boss without going through the other mobs, exploring the map and completing all the other quests. Writing a good paper, I’ve learnt, isn’t just something done in one go either. It consists of multiple stages and drafts, which is why it’s also important to space yourself and have good time management. The idea that writing is a process is something I hope to apply in my other classes. Perhaps conjugating verbs is part of a process in writing en français, or that reading and scanning over an academic art essay multiple times is part of the process in writing a summary.
I know there will be a whole new set of other challenges on its way, but I hope that the experiences-both good and bad- and skills I have gained will help me conquer the second half of this semester. Besides, aren’t challenges what make a good game all the more fun?
Reflecting on Writing 
Roller coasters, just like challenges, are what makes the entire trip worthy. You may have heard this but I am going to say it anyway; “Roller coasters have their ups and downs. But it’s your choice to scream, or enjoy the ride” (unless screaming is your way of enjoying the ride)
I liked your coding image, simply because it differs from the normal images or memes that are present. So that was a creative aspect. Especially because one leads to another, and it could continue for all you care.
I took French too and I understand the complaints. Like why French why? What are you trying to prove? Passé composé too ugh! Funny thing is I did well in that class, simply because I loved the idea of knowing an extra language. Despite the extra homework, oral stories and writing essays, I still loved the language. I, too, am enjoying English 109 simply because I am learning something and enjoying at the same time. Whatever we do in class eventually assists with what we are doing with our essays, helping us integrate our learning into our writing. Thus, writing is definitely a process. A process with its ups and downs.
Good job!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can’t believe I saw a pepe meme in a school assignment 😀 I loved all your videogame analogies, I’m a sucker for them and it helped me relate to your article in an instant! Aside from that, I like how detailed you were when you were breaking down the ‘process’ of writing, it made it pretty easy to wrap my head around.
Nice job!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks very much 😀 I was thinking of how I could compare my university experience so far, and I realized it was very much like a videogame!
I have a very unhealthy obsession with pepe memes, so whenever I have an opportunity to use them, I fully take advantage of it haha x)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the visual imagery you used and tied it into memes, it created eye candy! I can relate to your feeling of bewilderment with the pace of university and how it feels as if we’ve just begun, yet we’re almost over! Have you gone to the writing centres or Paige/Jon to see about any study or work techniques- i found some that helped me. Maybe they could help you too! 🙂 Keep up the memes
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel so sad about Pepe – poor Pepe. He was co-opted by the alt-right and so when he appears, then you now you are dealing with a neo-nazi – NOT YOU! I am not sure how to get him back – it might be impossible. On a happier note, your comparison of writing essays to fighting a boss is brilliant!
LikeLike