Dear reader,
    Throughout this semester, this course has influenced my ability to write drastically. Writing has always been my favorite form of self-expression since you can explain your thoughts without fear of criticism. I grew up on fairytales, especially the Grimm Brothers versions and Disney princesses, so taking this course helped me revisit my childhood and expand my knowledge of them. I learned through this course how to improve my grammar and get my mind to flow when writing for class. Journals have surprised me because I could quickly write the journal prompt requirement within the required time, and I was never a fast thinker or writer. Journals in class helped me practice opening up my imagination when writing and allowing the words to flow. However much I struggled with writing and grammar before this course has improved a ton over the few months I spent taking this course. I have brought this skill with me to other classes, and I am thankful because it has been beneficial.
   Although there will always be room for improvement, my organization and structure when writing, clarity, language, and critical thinking have all morphed into a better version of my abilities than last semester. I was never confident in my writing, but with the help of this course, I now feel more understanding of the writing process and am prepared for the writing I will be tasked with next semester. One thing I’ve finally understood due to the lessons learned in this class is proper MLA formatting. Before taking this course, when id be given an assignment that required MLA formatting, it would stress me out because everyone seemed to understand but me. I realize now that I was overthinking it, and it’s simple with a proper explanation which I thankfully gained in class.
   College writing requires a lot of time, but it’s more enjoyable than any other writing I’ve done before. Writing has become more creative and thought-provoking, and I appreciate it because I once dreaded writing for class, but now I find it enjoyable. This class also helped me to improve my drafts. Once a draft is completed and submitted, when the final version is required, I notice everything wrong in the first draft that I initially saw no issue with. I learned of the benefits of revisions and how much a paper can improve with them. I learned of the benefits of outlining my essays and revising my drafts which helped me to organize my ideas into a paper that flows rather than a messy first draft. I will admit that my biggest weakness was my ability to focus. After a while, when I’m writing, my train of thought takes multiple detours, and I need to remember what I meant to write about. This caused my first drafts to be incredibly unorganized, but I used this weakness to lay out multiple ideas for my papers so that when it was time to complete the final draft, I could figure out my plan to structure and organize my scattered thoughts from the first draft. I am incredibly grateful to of had the opportunity to take this class as it has been my favorite class all semester; the lessons I’ve learned on how to improve my writing process could not have been learned if I had not taken this class.
                                    Sincerely,
                        Adrienne Singleton.