Joseph Turner

Professor Lamb

English 1102

ePortfolio Spring 2017

Reflective Essay

Over the course of my first and second college English courses, I have grown quite a bit in my writing capabilities. Through the individual papers, reading analyses, and peer reviews, I have learned many new ways of writing as well as sharpen the skills I already possessed. For example, prior to taking English 1101, my writing was barely descriptive or detailed and I always found it difficult for my papers to flow. However, after taking this course, I became very aware of new descriptive ways of writing and this helped my papers flow so much better in English 1102. Through taking these classes, my skills in research and peer review have substantially grown. Even though I have learned a ton in these courses, I do still have qualities I need to work on such as time management and procrastination, in order to succeed in in future classes.

To begin, throughout these classes we have had multiple opportunities to find research on a specific topic given or topic of our own. Because of this, I was able to figure out the proper way to research. For example, I used to not know which websites or articles were credible sources. However, through trial and error I was able to differentiate the credible sources from the non-credible sources. Also, by doing research for papers, I quickly learned how to correctly cite those credible sources in MLA format for the bibliography page. The more and more I did research over these semesters, the faster I got when it came to finding the right websites or articles to help provide my papers with the information needed. Because of this newfound speed, I was able to write my papers much quicker than I would have not knowing which websites were credible for the papers I was writing.

Secondly, through peer review sessions in the classroom of English 1102, I was able to not only sharpen other people’s skills in writing, but also sharpen my own. By reading and analyzing other classmates’ papers and picking apart the mistakes and flaws, it kept me very aware of not making those same mistakes in my own writing. Also, by seeing how other people wrote their papers, I found out new writing strategies and different ways of writing in order to enhance the quality of my own papers. Through peer review, others were also allowed to review my own papers and help correct any mistakes I had. This helped me to make sure not to make the same mistakes in the next paper they would peer review.

In conclusion, although I have learned so much in these past semesters, there is always room for growth. In my case, I still struggle with my time management skills and procrastination. Throughout these courses, I wouldn’t always begin working on the papers as soon as they were assigned and this influenced the quality of my papers. I believe I could have written a lot stronger papers if I would not have procrastinated. My poor time management also came from taking forever to choose a topic for a paper and because of this, I would have to rush and pick a topic I wasn’t always satisfied with. As for future classes that deal with writing, I believe if I use the descriptive, research, and peer review skills I have obtained and work on my time management skills, I will succeed in every paper I write from now on.

In my ePortfolio, you will find examples of my descriptive writing, research, and peer review process by reading through my rhetorical reading response, my artifacts, and my papers from English 1101 and English 1102. Enjoy!

Rhetorical Reading Response

Value of a Liberal Arts Education

In Andy Chan’s cultural criticism, “Value of a Liberal Arts Education” (2010), he explores how obtaining a liberal arts education can lead to a better career and overall life. In this article, Chan explains how through embracing a college education, students are highly exposed to great opportunities that can strengthen the skills they need in order to succeed in their job of choice. Throughout this piece, Chan details the purpose behind a college education and what the liberal arts is all about, in order to get the audience to ask themselves questions that he believes are fundamental to their education. As the author speaks to students, parents, mentors, and teachers, he hopes to help them see education from his point of view.

As I read this article, it really gave me reassurance as to why I am in college. At the time when I decided to attend college as I graduated from high school, I still wasn’t quite sure of my career of choice for the rest of my life. My hope was and still is to find my purpose as I go throughout these years of college. I believe over time, through experiences of trial and error, I will arrive at my destination, whatever that may be. I enjoyed reading Chan’s perspective on this topic because it gave me more confidence in the decision I made coming out of high school. I also loved how he included the transcript from Steve Job’s speech. His speech showed me that anything is possible, especially considering he started out similar to how I have; not knowing what to do with my life.

This text was very well organized and did an excellent job of proving how a liberal arts education is valuable. I think it was a great idea for Chan to start out by giving his own testimony of where he started in education and where he ended up throughout the course of his life. This helped to make everything he said after believable and make a lot more sense. For example he states, “I went off to college, and unencumbered by personal or parental concerns that I come out with a professional skill, I majored in History.” This shows how he started, then going on to explain the many steps through life he took in order to be as successful as he is. He finishes his testimony by saying, “None of this journey (none of it!) was even a glimmer in my mind’s eye when I was sitting in a lecture hall in my freshman year at college.” This statement resonates with me because it shows how anybody can become successful, yet have no idea how it will happen in the beginning stages. As Chan brings his article to a close, he includes important life questions that one should answer while progressing through college. These questions include, “Who am I? What am I passionate about? What’s important to me? What doesn’t interest me at all?” He concludes by saying, “For me, embracing a liberal arts education was a great way to find some answers.” I completely agree and hope to find my own answers to these questions.

Works Cited

"Heart of the Matter." Value of a Liberal Arts education | Heart of the Matter | Wake Forest

University. N.p., 25 June 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Artifact (Brainstorming)

The following artifact is evidence of my brainstorming process for my Cultural Criticism topic written in English 1102. In the first page shown below, I simply listed four potential topics I was thinking about writing on for my essay. In the second page shown below, I decided on my actual topic out of the four I listed previously. After this, I described the exigence, criteria, components, and types of evidence I would be displaying in my official essay about “Emotionally Disturbed Millennials”. The next artifact shown displays my revision process. In this, I included the introduction to my Cultural Criticism essay.

Artifact (Revision)

Growing up through school, I’ve always felt like I naturally stood out from the crowd. I’ve always felt as though I didn’t belong in my generation of millennials. This could have been for multiple reasons such as I never fit in with the “popular” kids or maybe because I was placed in a small “gifted” class in elementary school that I would attend once a week. However, for me it always seemed to come back to one thing that set me apart: my parents. As I’ve gotten older, I realized through meeting and growing close to all kinds of different people my age and comparing their values to mine that I was raised a very specific way that made me different. Not saying I was perfectly raised, but three of the most important qualities I was raised on were honesty, care, and responsibility. Seems simple enough, right? Well if I was to speak for my entire generation, I’d say we struggle far more than we should with all three of these basic concepts. Because of the parents who have/have not raised us, as well as the lack of honesty, care, and responsibility that millennials share, we are slowly becoming increasingly emotionally disturbed, making it very difficult for the typical teenager to live an ideal, “happy” life.

Peer Revision

Paper from English 1101

Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and College Students in America: The Purpose and Effects Behind It

According to an article by CASA (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse), “half of all full-time college students (3.8 million) binge drink (a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL), abuse prescription drugs and/or e illegal drugs” (Califano). Between 1993 and 2001, the rates for college students’ dangerous drinking per month and frequent binge drinking have increased (Califano). However, this increasing drug abuse dilemma stretches far beyond just alcohol. Going as far back as the early 90’s, daily marijuana use among college students in America has more than doubled (Califano). Because of this growing trend, other drugs such as cocaine, heroin, psychedelics, and prescription drugs such as opioids, stimulants and tranquillizers have also increased in use. This abuse of alcohol and other drugs have become a huge part of American college living, and the effects that they bring are becoming worse as the years go on.

To begin, why do college students choose to drink, binge drink, or begin using any other drug regularly in the first place? This may be because they were already drinking or using a specific drug before entering the college life and chose to continue (See Image 1) (University of Minnesota). “According to the nationally representative Monitoring the Future Study, in 2012, 42 percent of high school seniors reported having had alcohol (more than just a few sips) within 30 days prior to the survey, and 24 percent reported binge drinking within the previous two weeks” (MTF). Furthermore, according to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, “78% of the 2.4 million people who began using marijuana in 2013 were aged 12 to 20” (NIH).

However, what causes the students who may not have touched a drug in their life to begin using in college? According to a Core Alcohol and Drug survey done at the SIUC/Core Institute, some of the top reasons students gave as to why they began drinking and trying other drugs include: it enhances social activity, it makes it easier to deal with stress, and it gives people something to do (SIUC/Core Institute). Other reasons may be because it “breaks the ice”, causing bonding opportunities, and even sexual opportunities. Although these reasons may seem legitimate to the student, they may not realize the effects these drugs are having on them and their everyday college life.

In an article by the online magazine, SeattlePi; Ashley Miller, a psychotherapist, explains how drug and alcohol abuse can lead to a decreased academic performance, a negative physical and psychological impact, a financial impact, and of course, a criminal record (Miller). For example, students who abuse drugs and alcohol may miss an early morning class because of a hangover they might’ve had that morning, or they may not complete a specific homework assignment because they chose to stay out late and party. This partying can also lead to many dangerous physical consequences, especially when a student is drunk and has to drive on the road to get back home. “On average, 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 to 24 die each year due to alcohol-related injuries, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism” (Miller). However this doesn’t count for the number of deaths coming straight from alcohol poisoning itself (See Image 2) (National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Multiple Cause Files, 2010-2012).

Secondly, when it comes to buying the drugs or alcohol itself, this can take a toll on a student’s bank account. Regardless of if the student is employed and making money or not, constantly paying to get inebriated can negatively affect a student’s financial future. If a college student experiences financial problems because of drugs and alcohol, it could mean that they have a substance abuse problem, says Reed College's health and counseling services department (Reed College). Lastly and most importantly, the usage of illegal drugs and underage drinking can lead to a life behind bars. According to Kayla Smith, the editorial director for Addiction Center, “an estimated 110,000 students between the ages of 18-24 are arrested every year for an alcohol-related violation, such as public drunkenness or driving under the influence” (Smith). States such as Alaska, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Maine have had the biggest increases in drug arrest in college campuses (See Image 3) (Project Know).

Because of arrests such as these, college students’ social and educational lives are forever affected by their initial choice to use a drug illegally.

In conclusion, the over usage and/or illegal usage of alcohol and other drugs across American college campuses has grown a tremendous amount over the recent years. Whether their reason for choosing to partake in this risk filled life is because they were already involved before college, or because of factors such as stress, peer pressure, or social enhancement; these students’ lives are affected in multiple different ways. The effects of this lifestyle can impact a college student academically, financially, physically, and most of all, legally.

Works Cited

Califano, Jr. By Joseph A. "Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Alcohol and Drug Abuse on College Campuses." The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. N.p., 28 May 2007. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"College Drinking Fact Sheet." College Drinking. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Dec. 2015. Web. 7 Nov. 2016.

"Drugs on Campus 2015." Drugs on Campus 2015. Project Know, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Facts and Statistics of College Drug Abuse - Drug Trends and Findings." Addiction Center Facts and Statistics of College Drug Abuse Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Marijuana Use & Educational Outcomes." National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). N.p., 2014. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Miller, Ashley. "The Effects of Drugs & Alcohol on College Campuses." EducationPi. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"2009 - 2011 National Data - Home | Core Institute | SIU." CORE ALCOHOL AND DRUG SURVEY LONG FORM - FORM 194. SIUC/Core Institute, 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2016.

"Public Use Data File Documentation." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Reed College." Health and Counseling Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Welcome to the MTF Website." Welcome to the MTF Website. N.p., 4 Nov. 2016. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"What's Inside." Why Students Drink. University of Minnesota, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

Paper from English 1102

Antidepressant Drugs: Should Doctors Prescribe Them to The Youth?

According to Mayo Clinic, “SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant, can help you overcome depression” (“Antidepressants”). Although there is no problem with adults being prescribed SSRI’s to treat diagnosed depression, doctors should not be prescribing SSRI’s for children and teens. Most parents tend to believe that the doctor knows best when handling their children with drug-based treatment. For example, in Image 1 to the right, it shows parents’ perceptions of antidepressant use by teens (“Antidepressant Drugs”). In the circle chart, it shows that the majority of parents either think antidepressants do not cause harm to teens or are not sure. However, this is a very important topic that not enough adults and parents are questioning for themselves. Based solely on the fact that this is a controversial topic in America shows that a part of society knows that something isn’t right about prescribing these drugs for young patients. At times, younger patients, such as teenagers, do experience major depression and anxiety as they grow into adulthood, however putting them on SSRI’s as the first solution of choice is not necessary or even the right thing to do. According to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life” (“Mental”). If a young patient is diagnosed with depression or an anxiety disorder, every step that is not related to antidepressant drugs should be taken first; examples include long term therapy, counseling (for the child and parents), meditation, exercise, or even joining a small group in a non-denominational church.

To begin, I have a personal relationship to someone who was diagnosed with depression as a teenager and was immediately put on antidepressant pills as the solution. These pills included Zoloft (antidepressant) and Lamictal (for anxiety). Although taking these pills to treat her depression and daily anxiety had its temporary benefits, she also experienced an increase in suicidal thoughts and urges. In an article by Infobase Learning, it states “According to health experts and officials at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency that approves medicines for public use, people under the age of 18 are the demographic most likely to experience suicidal thoughts while taking SSRIs” (“Antidepressant Drugs”). Now that this person has come out of depression over a year later, she can’t easily get off these pills no matter how much she wants to because her body and mind has adjusted to them. She could gradually lower her dosage, however because of how the drugs make her feel after taking them, she feels like she needs them. At this point, she is addicted and can’t go more than three days without taking her medication without experiencing major mood swings, anxiety, and depression. However, the difference between this depression experience and the original depression she was diagnosed with having is this depression experience strictly comes from the lack of medication in her body. If she continues to not take her medication after the three-day mark, she could become very sick and experience many harmful withdrawal symptoms. Because of this cycle she and many other children and teenagers are stuck in after overcoming depression, psychiatrists will continue to make more money as the parents continue to refill their children’s medication bottles.