The End is Here (Blog Assignment #8)

I struggled in the class initially. I felt it was necessary to check for new assignments about fifty times a day! It was ridiculous, I know. It was the first Internet class that I had ever taken. But, eventually, I became acclimated to the more relaxed format and used it to my advantage. I believe that is was a great online class to begin my new experience with. The course work was not unbearable. And the independent research required to complete some of our blogs has helped me to become more investigative in my searches.

I came into the class knowing that I enjoy writing. I just always wondered if I would be able to write for a deadline. I have a problem of writer’s block. It can be difficult to power through. For this class “writing when inspiration comes over me” was not always an option. I was forced to chisel out my work and submitted it by the deadline. It conjured up stress, anxiety and frustration. All in all, I feel like I’ve been able to conquer writer’s block. It has also become clear to me that journalism may not be my strongest field.

One thing about the class that really worked for me was how well the syllabus spelled out the professor’s expectations. It was nice to see the list of blogs and articles. It was easy to keep in mind all the tools necessary for writing a good article or great blog. Also, it was very helpful to receive emails from the instructor reminding us to check out the D2L page for changes in the syllabus or new blog topics.

I suppose that the only real aspect of change I could see for the class was a little bit more forewarning as to what the next blog topic would be. I tend to like to mull over possible angles and phrases—giving myself time to experiment with thoughts, and allowing for minimal brain freezes. It would have been nice to have at least the two weeks time prior to the next blog for accomplishing our writing. Instead, it seemed that a lot of the assignments were officially given to us with about 4 or 5 days to complete them. This left a week or so of potential research untapped. But outside of that, the class moved very fluidly.

It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of the semester. I have really enjoyed this class—people’s thoughts, blogs, and comments. The encouragement and feedback that I have received from everyone has allowed me to grow more self-confident. This class has been wonderful.