Let's start from the top, shall we?

It's the beginning of a new quarter, and with a new quarter comes a whole new slew of fears and hopes for each and every one of my classes. I’ve had a pretty good experience with writing classes at UCI in the past (given that I’ve taken only one prior to this) and I have very few qualms about Writing 60.

My only real fear is the workload. I’ve heard that this class requires a load of reading through articles and scouring through sources to find the pieces of evidence that we need to back up our research. I hope that this class has enough guidance to the point that I never really feel lost about where to go next or how to do the tasks assigned to us.

As for myself, I feel that my writing is at a decent enough level to formulate an argument and my point across. My close reading skills have been honed in Writing 50, so I feel as though reading closely will not be my biggest area of improvement over this class. Some of my problem areas include: creating a flow between sentences, pacing my work, and critical analysis of fictional literature. I excel in grammar, spelling, and varying my vocabulary. I haven’t done any real research, save for the wikipedia rabbit hole that I sometimes find myself at the bottom of.

One topic I found interesting from the TIME articles were the chimpanzees who could speak. Granted, their speaking was literally just pointing to words and symbols on a sheet in order to communicate, but the variety and complexity of their sentences baffled me. To think that animals are capable of communicating with us and each other in such a complex manner is awe-inspiring.

Another topic I found interesting from the TIME articles was the social nature of dolphins. Dolphins, according to the second article, are able to form friendships, and mourn the deaths of their friends. I was under the impression that dolphins only had one other dolphin by their side, and that was their mate. The idea that dolphins find utility and pleasure in friendships is interesting, because it mirrors our own reasons for friendship.

All in all, I’m excited for the challenges and interesting information that this class has to offer. Writing 60, here I come!

Me (pictured left) and my girlfriend posing in front of the giant Christmas tree at Knott's Berry Farm