Scarlett Sparrow-Felix

English 100 Course Review

My personal experience in English 100 was not the best. Having attended a university preparatory high school, I had already learned most, if not everything, covered in class. Not to mention, my English 12 class followed the same assignments in the same order that Alana planned for us, which made the course tough to stomach, all because I had already done every assignment in years past. This is to no fault of Alana, but it felt like a redo of English 12. Every assignment is integral in understanding how to exist in a university setting and how to write at a university level.

Because of this coincidence, I did not learn as much as I wanted to this semester. However, I still learned valuable information about university life, even if it was not because of one of the major assignments. A polytechnic/ hands-on learning approach inspires Capilano University’s MOPA program. So I do not experience the typical university experience and how to interact with teachers outside of a high school context. Though, in English 100, I got a taste of university life and how to work alone on assignments. At times it was a tough transition, and this reflects on some of my assignments grades. So even though I understand how to complete the assignments, it was tough not always having direct access to my teacher at all times, especially with having ADHD, a learning disability that heavily affects how I “give structure to [my] daily life,” (Low and Smart 1).

However, tutorials like the self-revision workshop were eye-opening. For years, I had never learned how to edit my work; this was often up to any of my high school teachers. This resource helped my transition from high school to university easier since it taught me how to work independently.

The Research Paper

My final research paper for English 100 investigates the importance of land acknowledgments that are largely quotidian in the lives of people in Metro Vancouver and across Canada. Many people need to learn what the land acknowledgement represents and its meaning. My paper defines land acknowledgments by telling a small part of Canada’s dark history with First Nations People. It also shows the acknowledgment through both a modern and critical lens. Finally, it highlights the shortcomings of the Canadian government and how they can improve the acknowledgment.