Reflection of the writing and editing process

    It has already been quite a long while since I started my first lesson in ES1102. So far, I have learnt that aside from academic stuffs, teamwork is definitely an important component in learning. I have realized that I can learn a lot more when I exchange views with my peers, as the views which are exchanged are not only basic information, but other people's experience as well. Also, the basic materials which were taught (parallelism, word forms, comma splices, sentence fragments, etc.) are really rich information that normally people would overlook in writing academically, and so I feel truly grateful that Misty is here to show us the light.
    In terms of content writing and structure, I have improved a lot thanks to all the writing assignments given to me. I realized that I had been writing without putting too much though on the whole body structure of the essay, and now I actually start to notice this aspect in my writings. Content-wise, I realized that we have to be smart in choosing information to derive, so that it matches the whole concept we are trying to express.
    From week 10 onward, I would like to learn more in terms of essay writing, for it is the last few weeks that we have in this module, and I believe that Misty still has much useful writing tips in store for us.
    The comments on my assignments were clear enough for me to understand, but my opinion is that audio feedbacks should be added in in all assignments because it really gives a better understanding. Upon rating my own work, I think I were somewhat accurate as I understood which parts I wasn't confident about. I think that with continuous writing exercises, these doubts can be erased over time. Regarding the feedbacks, audio and written feedbacks are a good combination to help us understand better as to what we are supposed to do. If it's possible, I believe that having written and audio feedbacks in all other modules will be a more efficient method for students to improve.

Reflective Writing - My Path of Martial Arts

Since the age of 13, I have started practicing martial arts. At first I joined martial arts just out of curiousity, with not much of interest in it. I took part in a competition in my second year of training, but to return empty handed. I was quite frustrated by then, with all the peer pressures and such, which drove me to set a goal of earning myself a medal someday in the future.

Even until then, I trained myself blindly, without much of a passion. It was only in the third year of training did I start to learn to appreciate martial arts as an performing art, and passion grew in thereafter. I used to see trainings as strenuous work, but then after 3 years of practice, I started to enjoy my training sessions. I believe that influence from people around me is a great factor in this change of attitude. My fellow society mates have successfully created a positive environment for everyone to train in, without leaving anyone in isolation. They seek to help others achieve greatness, and at the same time tried their best to keep the competition as friendly as possible. 

I realized that I have actually entered a really great martial arts society, it's just that I did not take my time to notice it well enough. I started to put in more effort, guided by my much respected coach, a man in his late-thirties. According to him, the key is to really enjoy what you are doing, whether it be strenuous training or tiring workout. He also told me something even deeper, he said that in life, everything works in that way exactly, whatever field you may be associated with.

It was in my fourth year of training, that I am finally confident enough to step up to another competition. This time round, a much different story is told- I got a gold medal.

I believe that without the help from all my friends and especially my coach, I couldn't have come so far. It is important for us to assist each other in need and render each other support when it is needed. Also, I have come to light that love and passion for what you are doing is ultimately important. Greatness can be achieved by people with aspirations, and it can also be drawn closer by people vibrating with positive energy. What I have learnt from years of practice is that nobody can achieve great success solely on their own, and that we should really notice all the people around us, for they may actually play an important part in our lives.