Over the course of the semester, I interacted with the works of several renowned authors, creators and thinkers; from the likes of Chimamanda Adichie and Ta-Nehisi Coates, to Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. In documenting my responses to their ideas and thought processes, I was able to improve my own critical thinking skills, and take my knack for rhetorical analysis to new heights. Composing these journal entries reinforced the importance of active reading and constantly asking questions about the material, the author's intent, and certainly, how their arguments and expositions apply to everyday life.