At the start of this course, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had a goal for myself to improve and learn skills that would make writing less daunting for me. I have learned so many things about my writing that I didn’t think much about before. Another goal I had was to break the cookie-cutter mold that was set upon me throughout high school. During the process of revision, I discovered many things about myself as a writer and techniques that have been effective for me in the writing process. One of my biggest challenges was accepting the fact that I had numerous habits that I developed in high school which were restricting my creativity. After reading Revising Attitudes by Brock Dethier, I now know that your first draft isn’t meant to be perfect. While writing drafts you need to let it go and not try to perfect anything. A rough draft is called rough for a reason. As a perfectionist, it was hard for me to comprehend the fact that I need to let go. I quickly found out that this would end up being one of my biggest weaknesses. I became frustrated with myself since I couldn’t figure out ways to revise my essay that had obvious problems. I was able to learn from my mistakes from the last assignment and avoid them. I now know to start narrowing your topic down when brainstorming your topic. Then you would continue to be more specific as you do your initial research. This helped me be crystal clear with what I wanted to write about and in the end helped me figure out which claims
Throughout this course, I was able to assess and evaluate my weaknesses and strengths in writing. This class has truly brought out my ability to write, a skill I did not believe I had. I now know what it takes to become a college-level writer. Also, at the beginning of the course I did not particularly enjoy writing. Now, however, I have a greater respect for
Before this course, my writing exceeded above an average level, but now my writing has developed a sophisticated technique. This course pushed me to include higher comprehensive words into every piece I wrote. Continuously, I would be searching the internet for synonyms of verbs, adjectives, and nouns I wanted to include in my writings. This technique forced a maturity to emerge into my writing. As a writer, my options and understanding of diverse types of writing has improved immensely. This course allowed me to discover what forms of writing I write best, and what difficulty each type brings. My writing is strong with formal pieces, like the Prairie Meadows Scholarship Essay; pieces where I am allowed to use figurative language and make
I began this course with goals to significantly improve my writing. I knew there were challenges for me to overcome, because I have not written much at all since high school, which has been more than twenty four years ago. Nonetheless, I was up for the challenge and each week I made sure to do exactly as instructed in the weekly syllabus, reading each every assignment very carefully. At first I felt overwhelmed, but as I completed the homework and discussion post assignments for the weeks prior to the major papers, the overwhelming feelings subsided and I concentrated on each task at hand.
Attitude: Writing has never been my thing, at least when it comes to essays and research papers. It can take me awhile to get my ideas flowing. I’m very excited to complete this course so I can become a better writer. Although I often don’t like writing research papers or essays, I don’t feel that any personal feelings towards writing will have any negative effects on my quality of work. I’m looking forward to what this course has to teach me.
Being a student in this course has taught me quite a bit about my writing process. I went in to this class hoping it would not be too big of a challenge. As it turned out, every part of this course has been a test for me. I have truly enjoyed learning everything I have in this class. The two learning objectives I gained the most from were developing strategies for evaluating others’ work and engaging in prewriting activities.
Writing is something that I’m not good at because for some reason it is difficult for me to organize my thoughts coherently. One of my major weaknesses is that when writing I have trouble expressing my ideas well enough to ensure that my writing will accomplish the intended purpose. As a matter of fact, I tend to use a lot of words when it is not necessary. What I expect from this course is that I will help me improve my writing effectiveness. I’m looking forward to develop the skills that will allow me to have a better writing, and even enjoy from this activity. Furthermore, the course could allow me to improve other writing skills, such as critical
In this course, I enhanced my reading and writing skills. Reading and analyzing stories allowed me to become a better critical thinker. Beside, Learning to review and identify errors with the help of my peers and my instructor improved the quality of my writing. Also, I gained valuable practice in evaluating the credibility of sources that I would include in my writing.Finally, I also want to thank this class since I become more confident in my writing and my reading abilities
My goals I have set for this class are to use this opportunity to strengthen my research, brainstorming, outlining, and editing skills. I understand that writing is a key concept, necessary to excel in my desired field of work. By the end of this class, I am confident that I will put in the work necessary to sharpen those
After taking this course, I look back at the writer that I was at the beginning of the course compared to the end. I have changed significantly as a writer. I am able to look at different writing assignments and determine that each assignment is unique. Meaning, not all writing assignments can be composed or formatted the same. I have instilled in myself that you do not have to write the way the textbook teaches. The freedom to write in your own fashion and still successfully complete the assignment makes someone a good writer and produces good writing.
When I knew that one of my classes would be a writing course I must admit it was reason for some concern. I recently finished my Bachelor’s degree and had to write many papers. Every word of every paper was a struggle. As I looked through this course I am certain it will be invaluable to meet my goals.
Throughout this course we have done three sets of revision with our essays and learned a lot of skill to make our writing better and more professional. In general, I do not think I am a bad writer, but this class has taught me techniques that I can take with me as I advance into my college career.
After looking back at all the writing I have accomplished in this class and experiences I have faced in other English classes, I realized how they have affected me as a writer and where I stand as one as of now. The writer I am today has been greatly benefited with years of learning English in school and other literacy sponsors. Throughout the years, I have learned a number of ways to write and I have been positively impacted by these methods. I now know the type of writer that I am and how I write best and in under which conditions. Now, I have my own writing process that most likely differs from my peers.
Some of these things I'm looking to improve have already come with the few classes we have had, and that has me motivated to strive for the best and better myself in an area where i feel i could improve: and a critical one at that as writing is a skill that is never wasted and carried on throughout a lifetime. By the end of this course, i am hoping i have a better understanding of how to write at a more professional level and to learn to express myself in a way that is heard by the readers without compromising the beliefs that they may
I like to consider myself a writer and often look for ways to improve upon my craft. I found Crafting an Effective Writer and was pleased with the long-term effects completing this course will have on my life. These effects will cross over all aspects of my life: personally, academically, and professionally as I view them as all being intertwined. In this class, I learned to see that the writing process does not have to be difficult. The guidelines that I have incorporated will ensure that my writing stays on track. My writing will be more focused and better organized. Following my outline will take the guesswork out of what to do next in order to complete my project. Another
It is my belief that through this class and the tools provided, that my growth as a writer has grown through leaps and bounds I would never have assumed possible. It is not so much the skill I refer to, although I would think skill has gone up in some levels as well, but more so the appreciation for the craft of writing itself. Intially, at the start of this class my sole goal was to further my understanding and appreciation of the writer's and books that I so love to read. Through further evaluation within the first week, a few other goals came to mind, of which were, making writing a habit, finishing what I start, stop second guess my writing skills and making effective use of detail and description. Through the use of the many articles, various reading materials, whether poems or short stories, and especially through the workshop, I feel I was able to really push myself to accomplishing these goals. I have thus far learned how important it is not to be skilled at writing per say, but to have the will to write, that poetry is as much about it's sound as it is about it's subject, just how important character development is, how the narration and point of view of a story is essential to the way the story is told, and just how much of a difference peer's critiques can make to your writing.