If there is anything I know about writing, it is that I don’t know everything. This semester I still feel like I don’t know everything, but that is okay because I know more than when I started. In fact, I can see the difference between my papers at the beginning of the semester and final research paper we turned in. One of my strengths coming into this semester was synthesis. I felt that carried through to my research paper and as practice does, it helped improve my synthesis even more. My weakness I wrote about at the beginning of the semester was reaching page requirements. I still feel like I struggle meeting page requirements, but I feel like I improved from where I started. However, the things I improved on this semester are things I didn’t know I had to improve on.
For example, I had no idea the variety of sources we had at our disposal when writing a paper. I was amazed at all the different kinds of sources I found for my research paper and how each source brought something unique to the paper that another source could not have. A great example of this is an image. An image is such a good way to help readers visualize an aspect of your paper that would have been difficult to describe. I also learned how to use informal sources to better my own understanding of my topic but also how those informal sources could help a reader gain a stronger base of my topic as well.
I also learned the benefit of talking about my writing. I never shared what I was writing about with my wife for my parents. But throughout this whole semester I tried to share my topics and things I have learned through my writing to my family members. Doing so has brought an increased passion and more solidified learning for writing this semester. I talked about my research paper with my wife and not only was I able to draw a few good points from our discussion, but realized that when I went back to continue writing it, the ideas came more easily because I spent time thinking about it outside of my usual writing process.
And this brings me to one of the most important things I learned this semester. I learned to improve my writing process. This semester and class encouraged me a lot to think about my writing process, something I had never done before. I used to jump straight into my paper with little thought of what I was going to write beforehand and hope it all came together. Now, I spend a significant amount of time prewriting so that when it comes time to write, my thoughts are already organized, and I already have a direction with my paper.
This semester was instrumental in helping me become a better writer. Not only did I improve on my past strengths and weaknesses, but it helped me discover other parts of my writing that needed work. I am a stronger writer now that I can use a variety of sources more effectively, speak openly about my writing and use those discussions to help fuel my writing process, and have developed a stronger writing process that prepares me before I even begin to start typing up my thoughts onto a word document.
For example, I had no idea the variety of sources we had at our disposal when writing a paper. I was amazed at all the different kinds of sources I found for my research paper and how each source brought something unique to the paper that another source could not have. A great example of this is an image. An image is such a good way to help readers visualize an aspect of your paper that would have been difficult to describe. I also learned how to use informal sources to better my own understanding of my topic but also how those informal sources could help a reader gain a stronger base of my topic as well.
I also learned the benefit of talking about my writing. I never shared what I was writing about with my wife for my parents. But throughout this whole semester I tried to share my topics and things I have learned through my writing to my family members. Doing so has brought an increased passion and more solidified learning for writing this semester. I talked about my research paper with my wife and not only was I able to draw a few good points from our discussion, but realized that when I went back to continue writing it, the ideas came more easily because I spent time thinking about it outside of my usual writing process.
And this brings me to one of the most important things I learned this semester. I learned to improve my writing process. This semester and class encouraged me a lot to think about my writing process, something I had never done before. I used to jump straight into my paper with little thought of what I was going to write beforehand and hope it all came together. Now, I spend a significant amount of time prewriting so that when it comes time to write, my thoughts are already organized, and I already have a direction with my paper.
This semester was instrumental in helping me become a better writer. Not only did I improve on my past strengths and weaknesses, but it helped me discover other parts of my writing that needed work. I am a stronger writer now that I can use a variety of sources more effectively, speak openly about my writing and use those discussions to help fuel my writing process, and have developed a stronger writing process that prepares me before I even begin to start typing up my thoughts onto a word document.
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