Introduction:
Writing academically is something which I have always wanted to do in my life and this course has certainly enabled me to do that. I have learnt several new techniques in writing and this has improved my skill quite substantially. Hereunder are a few areas in which I felt I improved and others which have perhaps kept me back as a proper academic writer.
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Most of all I have learnt how to use correct punctuation and grammar when writing essays and papers. I have also learnt how to use quotation marks and how one must correctly quote texts which are referred to in the paper such as to avoid plagiarism. Another important skill which I have learnt throughout the course is the facility to properly use citation and to write correctly in styles such as MLA and APA. The construction of particular essay types, be it argumentative or compare and contrast have also come to my knowledge.
A typical example where I put my newly learnt skills to test was when I wrote my compare and contrast paper about pressures at college. I managed to lay out a detailed plan before writing my essay which included the carrying out of research on the topic. After sifting through the various details which I had gained from the research, I began writing out the essay as a rough draft. This procedure helped me to correct certain areas of the essay. Although I found it hard at first, I managed to complete the essay in around four days and was quite pleased with my efforts since I showed that I could work under pressure. The major difficulties I found when writing the essay were related to grammar and how to eventually revise the mistakes I made in the paper.
I have also improved my writing skills by listening to the constructive criticism which I gained from my teacher and professor since my weaknesses were pointed out and identified so I could work on them. Another positive development was the discussion with my peers regarding my difficulties and this also assisted me to improve my situation in the writing field.
I feel that my writing skills have improved considerably throughout this course as I have learnt to be very critical of myself before writing a paper and this has enabled me to improve my writing considerably when producing a quality paper. I really feel that my last paper which dealt with college pressures was definitely my best effort in the course since the transcription of the personal interviews was a skill which continued to improve my own capabilities. This assisted me in the development of my ideas and of course in the writing of the finished product.
Conclusion
