Retrace Forwards,

In this past semester in writing 2150, I was able to do research on my major and figure out what kind of writing would be required in my line of work. Even if it was not based on my major, I still was able to develop skills that will definitely help me with my future career and years in school. The skills that I have developed from my teacher and classmates along with myself will be incorporated in my writing in future writing classes, emails, and professional letters. Such techniques may include the use of images and maps or other sorts of visuals to help convey my points and making the paper easier and more interesting to read. In my future, I will spend more of my time researching businesses and trying to convince people to invest in the company, whether it’s with writing or presenting. I will also need to apply for jobs or internships at banks or firms, which would mean that I would need to write applications and cover letters explaining why I would like to work at that specific place and why I am a good fit for them.  As I have looked back at my essays from the beginning of the year until now, I have noticed a significant advancement in my writing style and grammar and am sure that in the next few years in school, I will continue to progress in order to be successful with my career. As technology becomes more relevant in my writing, I will learn to use it to my advantage. This year I have learned some ways of taking advantage of it. Whether it was from teaching or not, I have already begun to be a much faster typer, allowing me to write my thoughts down much faster than I would on paper. I have also gained access to many databases and tools that have undoubtedly assisted in gathering information to support my ideas. I am fortunate to have the Baruch library database at my disposal to search for articles and graphs that have been integrated into my writing. I have also gained access to websites that serve as tools, such as ArcGIS, which has allowed me to create maps and organize my essay in a professional manner. I am sure in my next few years of school I will learn many new tools that will aid me in my future career and help me network with people that will be crucial to achieving success. Although I am proud of how much I have improved my writing, I know that there is still a long way ahead of me, and I need to strive to enhance my writing skills. I now know that I should always use whatever is at my disposal, whether it be technology or people. I believe that I improved the most on the structure of my essays and the information that I write in the paragraphs. However, I understand that they are not the best they could be and will continue to put effort into its progression.

Retrace Outwards,

As a student in English 2150, I have an obligation to try my best when writing essays so that they can fulfill my desire to express my opinions. When receiving class assignments, most often, I have the liberty of choosing my own topic, and if not, I still have the opportunity to communicate my thoughts on the assigned subject. When I write my essays, I do not just write about what I believe; I am instead aware that there is an audience that will be reading my paper, so I would need to provide backup to convince them or help them see where I got this information. In order for them to agree with what I am writing, I have to appear credible through the use of multiple, credible sources. Further, my punctuation and writing style must be formal, correct, and clear to reflect a high level of academics. In more informal assignments, I personally believe that incorporating pictures and other graphics can help guide the reader. This is particularly beneficial in giving more context to what they are reading so I like to put them before the start of each topic. In particular, in English class, we have learned that it is helpful if we include quotes and statistics from a variety of reliable sources to further your argument or point. As students in this English class, we have formed some sort of community that works together to help each other grow and succeed. Advised by the teacher, the students in our class comment on each other’s posts and provide feedback to help each other improve through constructive criticism. In my comments to my peers, I usually say something that I agree with or that I thought was interesting, followed by something the writer should improve on. This way, my peers are not pessimistic about their writing style but are instead reminded that there are many positive aspects to their writing but that there is always room for improvement. Another strategy that has helped me and I believe has helped most of the class is setting aside time during class to meet up with partners or small groups to discuss what we need help with. This allows for a new perspective on our topics which allows us to better understand how to develop our arguments. In these groups, we also read each other’s papers, leaving comments or suggestions as we read. When reading my peers’ writings, I tend to gain a lot of knowledge about the topic and strategies for writing my own essays, while their responses help me realize the mistakes I am currently making in my writing. This has helped me gain insight into how I can improve my essay drafts so that my final draft can be more polished. Outside of the classroom, this has taught me invaluable writing skills, which will help me in my future career. Without the skills I have learned thus far, I will not be able to navigate graduate school and my future career, but because I have gained this knowledge, I believe I will have a greater chance of succeeding. 

Retrace Backwards,

When I first began writing, I struggled greatly with converting my ideas into words. I did not know how to phrase my thoughts properly and felt that my writing never effectively conveyed the complex ideas I had. Unfortunately, I was always too nervous to ask my instructors for help, so I did not improve my writing. In elementary school, I would often be disappointed in my grades but did not take any action to improve my scores. As I grew older, I realized that the main reason I would struggle in my writing was that I never tried to improve or ask for help. When I entered high school, I began growing a strong relationship with my English teachers and sat down with them multiple times throughout the year to work on my writing skills. Each time I wrote an essay and met with my teachers, I learned something new about the writing process. One of the lessons that carry with me to this day is that editing and revising are crucial in improving the quality of my writing. Even if I believe I am done, I always revise my work multiple times. Often, I do not catch my mistakes on the first pass but upon rereading my work I notice my errors. 

 One of the first essays that I saw significant growth in was a very personal essay about my struggle with ADHD. While writing this essay I realized that if I connect personally to my writing instead of mindlessly typing words onto a page, I can produce a more cohesive essay. I have looked back at my papers since then and noticed a significant improvement in not only the quality of the content but also the formatting structure of my writing. This improvement is evident in the upward trajectory of my high school English grades. In my freshman and junior years of high school, I had the same English teacher. I started my freshman year English class with a C average, but in junior year, I brought my grade up to an A. My teacher was impressed and told me that he has never seen more improvement in a student’s writing than mine. However, I am still not even close to where I would like my writing to be and will not stop trying to develop my writing skills further. In this class, I look forward to reading both professionals’ writing and reviewing my classmates’ essays to learn new writing techniques from their works. I believe looking over other people’s work and incorporating their writing techniques into my own writing is an essential strategy in improving my writing skills. As I encounter new strategies for writing through this course, I will be able to incorporate them into my writing and improve its overall quality. I am excited for the ample opportunities to engage in peer review through this class so that I can better improve my writing. Additionally, I would like to review my essays with you to receive constructive criticisms on my writing techniques.