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Daniela Torres

Professor Corri Ditch

English 115

09 May 2018

Improving for the Better

Retaking a course was something I did not plan to do, but realized that it was an

opportunity to improve myself as a writer. I have learned more this semester than from the one

before. This allowed me to improve, practice, and comprehend my writing style. This semester

also helped me discover my strengths, my weaknesses. Throughout the process of learning to be

a better writer, I attended new workshops and tutoring sessions, talked to the professor (during

class when given the time), and analyze the feedback I received from my professor and peers.

I learned that one can always improve in their writing, even if they have to retake a class.

I entered the class thinking everything will be the same as the first time I took it, but was

surprised and at ease that my professor was stern and clear with the requirements. I knew we

would need to attend tutoring and every class meeting in order to receive feedback and be graded

for the essays and class. I did not think I would need to attend the tutoring sessions at the LRC,

but discovered that it was very useful and beneficial for my writing. I was able to use my thirty

minutes on whatever I felt I needed to improve on. I have always felt that my introductions and

conclusions were not my strong suit, but by attending these sessions, I was able to take the time

to learn a format or style on how to write my introduction and conclusion. I was always too

general all the way through, but through the time and practice this semester, I was able to

improve from being an all around general introduction, to a general to specific introduction.
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I was also asked that a few of my works were too general when describing, or when using

quotes. I took the feedback I received from my first essay, Project Space, and tried to improve

my analyze on my quotes and complimentary sentences. I also took the time from my LRC

session for Project Text to go back and reorganize the paper structure. I was able to rearrange

paragraphs, move sentences, and take out repetitive ones. I managed to create a better essay for

Project Text from Project Space by listening to the advice I was given.

Aside from listening, I also tried to ask questions for the feedback that was given. I talked

to the professor on certain portions of my paper she told me to clarify or go deeper in, and I

talked to my peers that reviewed my papers. I took all the information and managed to improve

my writing. In Project Text, I wrote clearer sentences to help get my point across, however, in

Project Space I lost some of my deeper meanings, and did not follow a proper format or

structure. In my new revised Project Space paper, I rearrange a few sentences, and added a

couple more in depth analysis of situations. I also added sources to areas that needed to help

support my thoughts.

In my revised Project Text essay, I gave a bit of background to the novel because I go

deeper in my paragraphs when describing why certain characters were and acted the way they

were. I also shortened some quotes, and changed or added a few more sentences to help clarify

my points. I was able to help the paper structure by providing the info in the introduction, adding

these simple changes, and also add transitions from paragraphs. I think transitions is also

something I was not very strong in, but managed to add them in both of my new revised essays.

In conclusion, I improved as not only as a writer, but as a person. I took retaking this

class as an opportunity to improve. I improved by following new formats for introductions,

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clarifying my points, and providing in depth analysis for the evidence I provided. I also took the

feedback I was given and used it for my future essays. I also took the critique of my writing style

from this class and used the advice to help me in my essays from my other classes. I think this

class help me improve because I also put the effort and time I did to help myself.