Goal 3 – American Literature [ENGL 203] {Honors Course}
My American Literature class was an Honors course that helped me meet my General Education Goal 3. I have chosen to reflect on the first paper I wrote for the class, “Essentiality of Bravery in The Indian Princess,” because it is the first paper I wrote that made me feel confident in myself as a college-level student.
I put a great deal of thought into what what aspects of The Indian Princess I wanted to write about. I knew first and foremost that I wanted to include a discussion of Barker’s mythological symbolism because of my background knowledge of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. In high school, I took five years of Latin and studied extensively the history of the Romans and the mythology associated with Greek and Roman cultures. Coming into college, I was doubtful that I would be able to apply much of what I had learned in high school to my college coursework. I was also doubtful that I possessed the ability to write a college-level paper deserving of an “A.”
Writing “Essentiality of Bravery in The Indian Princess” helped me prove to myself that I was able to to use what I had learned in high school to help me in college. Receiving an “A” on my paper from a professor who is affectionately known as “Killer Miller” because of his strict grading assured me that I am capable of producing appropriate work.
The confidence that writing this paper instilled in me has helped with the rest of my college coursework, too. Because I know I am capable of producing high-caliber work, I hold myself to a higher standard and expect nothing less from myself. I hope to continue to be able to use this to my advantage in the coming years.
