When I first heard that the ENC1145 class I was taking was based on community service and action I was

extremely excited. In high school I acquired over 600 community service hours when I only needed 200 to

graduate. Since it was something I was passionate about, I thought it would be a great topic to write about.

Now, at the end of the semester, my experience in the class has proven that it was indeed. When assigned

a new essay to write I never found myself at a loss for words. Most of the prompts were based off our

experience with volunteering at an assigned organization so it was easy and enjoyable, all you had to do was

express how you felt about your time there or relate it to your research. However, if community service is

not something you enjoy, I suggest finding a new ENC1145 class. Writing numerous papers on a topic you

have no interest in can be a very long and painful project.

      Although I enjoyed the class, it was a lot of work. The essays were not the only things I was responsible

for as a student. There are also assigned readings, and journal entries. My advice for you is to make sure you

do not wait until the last minute for these assignments because they will add up, and if possible, come to

class with a good rough draft every time you have a workshop so you can get other students input and advice. In the beginning of the semester I failed to do that and would come to class with a terrible two page rough draft that I threw together in 30 minutes and my partners didn’t have much to work with. Luckily they still managed to give extremely helpful input so I learned to come prepared. Over the past semester I feel that my writing has made a significant improvement. I was able to try out different types of writing in this class including journals, brochures, research papers and more. Also, we had student workshops for our drafts and because of this I feel like my grammar has also improved because my partner would point out things I would never notice on my own. However, that is not the only way I have benefitted from this class. I was placed at the Tallahassee Museum where I was able to explore the nature trails that they have. It inspired me to start looking into different places in the Tallahassee area were I could enjoy the outdoors. Because of this, Tallahassee seems a little bit more like home to me and I love it even more! The project that has taught me the most has to be the research paper on whatever organization we were placed in. Even though it was the toughest, it made me learn about the community, my organization and a problem that Tallahassee faces.  While in the process of writing my paper I had to research the Tallahassee Museum and learn their history, what their mission is, what they have to offer. I had to connect it to the problem I chose (conservation of natural areas) and explain the significance of both. The assignment helped teach me how important a community is and that it’s vital to help in any way possible.

      Even though the class is over, I feel like I will continue to use the lessons I have learned in the future. When I moved to Tallahassee I did not think I would continue to volunteer but now that I Ms. Langs’ class has given me a place to start and opened my eyes to how imperative getting involved in the community is, I know I will continue volunteering at the Tallahassee Museum and reach out to other organizations as well!