This is where it all started; my self assessment essay. Personally, I loved this assignment since it allowed room for my own personal expression on a topic I would obviously be an expert on. Within this chosen paragraph, I touch on all the things I have said throughout my essay. I was insecure in my writing abilities and intimidated by the potential amount of work I could be confronted with. I can't say this didn't come true. This class surely takes up a lot of my time and effort, but it is for a good reason. I hope that my writing abilities will be greatly improved by the end of this quarter. Then, I will be able to use my ability to effectively write a paper when needed. I mention that I struggled with composing my thoughts into a "sensible paragraph". Indeed, I have encountered this struggle along the way, yet I believe I have found an answer. The key to composing a great paper is to start off with an outline of what I want to say with key quotes I'd like to include. Now that I have a rough outline, I am able to add onto it a little bit each day whenever I feel inspired. This is the best time to write down thoughts freely, since it eventually ends up turning into something grand.

    At times, I struggle with getting what I want to say into a sensible paragraph on paper. Understanding what needs to be done and how I should think about a certain prompt is also difficult for me. Specific prompts asking how things within a book relate to each other can confuse me if I don’t understand the book itself. This is why I advocate having prompts in which the writer is able to freely choose what they want to write about and how they would like to present their ideas. I hope to gain knowledge as to how to persuade others only through writing. In this course, I hope to see progress within my writing ability as well as effectively incorporate new vocabulary words into my essays. My anxieties about this course stem from the fact that it is called ‘Intensive Writing’; this sounds very intimidating. My past experience as a B English student isn’t really helping my confidence, either. However, I will be sure to attend office hours and utilize the writing center whenever help is needed. I am attending college to succeed and, of course, failing is a necessary step towards success.