I have learned a variety of lessons and information from the ECL 305 course! When we first began this class I was not expecting to be learning about different mermaid tales each week. While it has been fun learning about these mythical creatures, I have also taken away many skills from this course. I am now much more confident in my close reading skills, essay writing, and thesis writing skills. The prompt of what, why, and how to write a thesis is something that I will always remember while writing it in the future. I have seen an immense improvement in my ability to close read since the beginning of the semester. I used to get confused while reading the passages and I can now analyze and understand the deeper meanings. I have also improved my speaking skills through this class. I am usually not the type to raise my hand in classes but this class brought that out of me. I have been able to express my thoughts and gain feedback which has been very helpful for me in not only this class but also other aspects of my life. Overall I really enjoyed this course and have learned a lot. I have made friends, learned real-life lessons, and learned academic skills that I will carry out through the rest of my time as a student.