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MatthewKniest
ProfessorBeadle
English115
8December2015
KooktoPro
Nooneisbornwithasetofskillsthatallowthemtodogreatthingswithoutpracticeor
trialanderror.Whetheritisplayingasport,masteringaninstrument,orwritinganessayin
class,inordertobecomeproficientatanyoftheseactivities,onemustpractice,learnandgrow
asanindividual.Oneofmygreatestpassionsinlifeissurfing.Ienjoypaddlingoutintothe
lineupandhavingamomentofrelaxationawayfrommychaoticandhecticlife.Ihavecompeted
innumerouscontestsandplacedwell,eveningfinishedthirdamongst300surfers.Ihavesuch
greatsuccessfromyearsandyearsofpractice.Ididnotenterthewaterandobtaintheskillsto
getmeintoacompetitionskilllevelimmediately.Iwasakook(inexperiencedsurfer).Itook
numerouswipeoutsandneardrowningexperiencestogetmetowhereIamnow,andIstill
continuetogroweverytimeIsuitupandpaddleout.Surfingisacloseparalleltowriting
essays.Notintheaspectofhavingasignificantpassionforit,butinordertogrowasawriterI
mustgothroughobstaclesandwipeoutsinordertodobetter.
BeingenrolledinEnglish115,Iknewitwouldtestmywritingabilitiesandmakeme
workharderthanIhaveinmypreviousenglishclasses.Myprofessortoldtheclassthatessays
makethegrade,givingmeanincentivetotrythatmuchhardersothatmygradewouldreflect
mywritingabilities.Ihadanticipatedthesignificanceessayswouldcarryonmygrade,so
alreadythisclasswaslivinguptomyexpectations.Ireallyenjoyedthematerialdiscussedin


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class,genderrolesinsociety.Thisintriguedmebecausemembersinmyfamilyhaveadifficult
timewithfindingtheirtrueidentities,soitallowedmetoaskmorequestionsthatwouldlater
helpmedevelopastrongthesisandargument.TheinclassopendiscussionsandassignmentsI
participatedinfeltlikeafreesurfbeforeacompetition.Freesurfallowsmetogetafeelfor
thetypeofwaveIwillbesurfingandgetconditionedformyheatandtheopendiscussionsin
classactedinthesameway.Igatheredmythoughtsandputthemintowords,foundaclear
voice,foundmyevidencetosupportmyargument,andgotreadyfortheessayathand.
Goingintothisclass,IthoughtIhadasolidfoundationonwritingandknewhowtowrite
efficiently,butthisclasschallengedmeandallowedmetolearnsomanynewtoolsIcoulduse
foranessay.Ilearnedtheimportanceandeffectivenessofusingrhetoricalappeals(pathos,
ethos,logos).Usingeachoftheseappealstiestheessaytogether,makingitstrongerandflow
betterforthereader.Usingethics(ethos)gavememorecredibilityinpersuasion,applyinglogic
(logo)allowedmycommentarytopersuadebyreason,andconnectingthetextwithemotion
(pathos)allowedmetoconnectwiththereaderonapersonallevel.Therhetoricalappealsare
liketrickstoasurfer.Theyallowthesurfertoconnectmaneuversandkeeptheflowoftheir
rhythmgoingdownthewave.Alongwithwriting,oneofmybiggeststruggleswasincludinga
citedsourceinaparagraphandusingitasevidence.MypunctuationwaswrongandIcouldnot
getittoflowwithinthesentenceIwantedtouseitin.Ihavealwaysstruggleswiththisdating
backtomyfourthgradeclass.Theonlywaytofixthisproblemwaspractice.Iwouldkeepusing
quotesinmyargumentsandfiguredouthowtouseitwithoutchangingtheintegrityofthe
sentence.ThisclasswasthegreatestlearningexperienceIhavehadyet.Ididnotthinkthatthere
wasmuchmoreIcouldimproveonasawriter.Ithoughtthatmyskilllevelwassetandthatit


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couldnotgetbetternorworse.Thisclassgavememoreconfidenceinmywritingskillsand
developmentofargumentsandparagraphs.Ididtakesomewipeoutsononeofmyessaysnot
performingtothebestofmyabilities.Ilookedovertheessayandtooknoticeofallowthenotes
leftbymyprofessor.AfterreadingitoveronceInoticedthatifIjustproofread,Iwouldhave
caughterrorsandfixedanyflawsinmyarguments.AfterthisexperienceIrealizedthatsticking
tothefoundationofmywritingabilitieswithonlyhelpmeintheend.InordertodobetterIhave
torememberallIhavelearnedandapplythem.Itgoesthesameforsurfing.Inordertobecome
bettergoingdownthelineofthewaveorperformingatrick,Ihavetoapplythefundamentals.
Forsomeonewhoisgoingintothisclass,mybestadvicewouldbeistogoforit,meaningput
everythingyouhaveintoyourworkandyoucanonlysucceedbydoingthis.Evenifyougeta
lowerscorethanyouanticipated,itonlyhelpsyouseeerrorsmadeanditshowswaysonhowto
fixtheseproblemsanddobetterthenexttime.Probigwavesurfersgoforiteverywave.They
dropintoamassivewaveandeithermakethedropinortakeahardwipeout.Eitherwaythey
resurfaceafterthewaveandseewhatwentwrong.Theymakeadjustmentsanddoitagainand
againuntiltheycandoiteffectivelywithease.Ihavetakenmyfairshareofwipeoutsoverthe
years,oncelandingmeafewbrokenribs,butIjustgotbackoutintothelineupandkepttrying
todobetterwitheverywaveIcaught.Ihavenotbrokenanybonesduringthisclassdueto
essays,butIhavehadafewwipeouts.Ijustgotbackupandkeptpushingtobebetter.Afterthis
classIhavedevelopedskillsIdidnothavefivemonthsagoandfeelthatmywritinghas
improvedsignificantlyallthankstomyprofessor.