Reflection

At the start of this year, I had my priorities set in stone. Applying to

many different colleges was my top precedence, however I was blind to the
fact that I was not confident in my writing ability. The previous year, I
specifically signed up for Dual Enrollment because it was the only 12th grade
class that focused on writing instead of reading. Knowing that I would be
applying to colleges and therefore, having to construct different essays, I
assured myself that I would improve upon my ability as a writer. The
particular areas that I improved upon as this semester has progressed are as
follows: purpose, writing process, and grammatical and mechanical
conventions.
The purpose in many of my earlier essays was often unclear and
misleading. This was due to the lack of detail that I failed to enclose in each
piece. My first write-up of the year was on how the neighborhood that I grew
up in has shaped who I am. I wrote this essay with high-esteem, and was
fairly confident that I had answered the topic question to its entirety. To my
surprise, my different peer graders had much difficulty finding the purpose I
wished to portray. After receiving the essay back with all the attached
annotations, I quickly realized that my purpose was indistinct, and thus, I
would need to better define my purpose in future papers. Through later
assignments, I determined that the thesis statement is a key factor in
establishing purpose. As seen in my essay, One Wheel of Entertainment,
the thesis was Though unicycles can play a major role in the art of
entertainment, they can also be used to relax and let loose (One Wheel of
Entertainment, paragraph 1, lines 2-4.) By establishing a strong, central
thesis statement, I quickly helped my reader grasp the purpose I desired to
inaugurate.
The writing process can seem extremely complicated, however once it
is overcome, can quickly elevate the potential of ones essay. In the
beginning of the semester, as well as years prior, I have not implemented
the writing process to its full extent. For example, in my essay Ping-Pong
versus Tennis, I applied the writing process however, wanting to finish the
essay in a timely manner, I skipped the pre-write, and went straight to a
rough draft. As I was writing, I found it extremely difficult to construct the
essay, as well as plan the organization. After writing this essay, I quickly
realized that in order to give an essay structure, it requires the full writing
process.
Setting sentence pieces together has always been a personal
challenge of mine when it is affiliated with grammatical and mechanical
conventions, nevertheless I believe I have improved in many aspects. In my

essay, One of Americas Favorites, I struggled with a few cases of repetition

and also succumbed to improper word usage. Yet, through peer editing, I was
able to dismantle these obstructions in time for my final draft. Also, in an
alternate essay where I described a personal event at one of my family
reunions, I was, again, defeated by word repetition. I also lacked figurative
elements that wouldve better enhanced my essay as a personal narrative
for the reader. By adding these beneficial elements, I was able to give life to
my paper and make it more interesting to the audience.
Over this semester, I have improved in many various aspects of
writing. I have learned efficiency and organization. I have seen how they are
integrated into the factors that determine the success of a written piece. I
believe I have developed a better approach to essay prompts, and have used
this style to draft my college essays. Next semester I hope to expand my
creativity and continue to develop my writing ability as a whole.
Furthermore, I have really enjoyed this particular class, and appreciate the
peer reviews we do on most of our papers. Although this semester is drawing
to a close, I know that I have much to learn, and look forward to whats in
store for next semester.