Essay Sample: Approaching Academic Writing
Headed in the right direction is where I would say I am in my writing journey. I believe I am on the right track. I felt successful with a few of the assignments this semester. It is probably safe to say my writing skills are about average. To grow and achieve an academic level of writing, I must become intentional in the writing process. I must practice writing often and consistently to become a successful, confident writer.
Practice is the best way to improve any skill. In my opinion, I am not prepared to write successfully at the college level. This semester has presented opportunities for me to practice writing with feedback and constructive criticism. High school provided few opportunities for me to write with feedback. “High school teachers typically teach five courses a day and often more than 150 students. Those students often have a wide range of backgrounds and skill levels.” ( et al. What's Different about College Writing?) High school teachers design their lessons for students who read at an elementary level to college-bound level. The history teacher may assign a writing activity but grade only the content, not grammar or mechanics. Practices such as these leave students with assignments that lack challenge with no positive or negative feedback. I believe lack of rigor and criticism are two reasons students feel unprepared to write at the academic level after high school graduation.
My writing strengths include pre-writing, revising, editing, and utilizing appropriate tools which enhance my writing. One strategy that has improved my writing is starting my assignments early. Getting an early start provides time to pre-write, revise, and edit my paper. Writing in shorter sessions gives me time to process and organize my thoughts and ideas. Google docs, Grammarly, Plagiarism Checker, Evernote, and cite generators are examples of helpful tools for editing and revising your writing.
My writing weaknesses include; clearly understanding the assignment before beginning, using MLA and APA in-text citations, and choosing a topic with appropriate resources and content. In chapter eight, the author states that “Successful academic writing starts with recognizing what the instructor is requesting, or what you are required to do” ( et al. What's Different about College Writing?) Understanding the assignment is problematic for me. Time is too valuable to waste on the wrong approach. The more I practice using MLA and APA, the more comfortable I become using these formats. MLA is my preferred format. The last weakness mentioned was choosing appropriate resources for my writing. If the topic is current and has a fair amount of information, I feel comfortable using the sources available.
This semester has been challenging yet rewarding. The errors in my writing; and the constructive criticism early in the course has helped make me aware of my high school approach to writing. I feel that my writing has improved this semester. The author stated, “Often college students begin to understand what academic writing really means only after they receive negative feedback on their work.” ( et al. What's Different about College Writing?) I learned from every mistake. Correcting my graded assignments is probably the most valuable practice I will take away from this course. Writing for me is a journey. I have a long way to go. My future will render many opportunities to practice and grow as a writer. The skills acquired in this course will help me pack my proverbial tool belt. My goal is to use what I have learned, practice regularly and consistently, and be intentional in my writing journey. So whether I am writing for a college-level course, writing for pleasure, or writing for a scientific journal, I will possess the tools and confidence I need to succeed.
Work Cited
“What's Different about College Writing?” College Success, University of Minnesota Libraries. Publishing, Minneapolis, MN, 2015.
