As I prepared for this portfolio, I got a chance to look back on all the writings that I have accomplished for this class. And it made me realize how much my writing skills have improved since the beginning of the quarter. I remember after getting your feedbacks on my first paper that I turned in, I was so disappointed once again at my writing skills. The paper was full of silly grammar mistakes, lacking analysis/examination of the text and had an unclear organization. Now I think about it, the problem there was that I spent so little time planning before I started writing. So, for the other assignments, I spent some quality time to come up with a detailed outline. I met with you outside of class to get more perspectives, so I could construct a complex claim that led me to write an engaging paper. The outlines made my writing process much simpler and effective. Not only did the outline shorten the writing process, but it also helped me keep focused on my main claim throughout my paper.   

I have also learned the different elements that a good writing should contain (the elements were also known as the Course Outcomes). They were used to explore the course texts and serve as the framework for our own writings. The most important outcome in my opinion was Outcome 3 which was to produce a complex and persuasive argument. A complex claim differentiates my paper from a non-college-level writings. The best demonstration of this outcome was shown through my Major Paper 1. Having a good claim is highly important for any type of writing because it controls the rest of writing elements and provides both the writer and the readers a clear road map for the paper. After making a claim, then I could start searching for sources and writing strategies to back up my claim. For example, in Major Paper 2, my argument directed me to look for specific sources that could be used to support the argument (this strategy was explain in depth in Outcome 2).  

There were also many other writing strategies that I learned by accomplishing the outcomes in my assignments. I learned how to adjust the style, tone and convections according to the intended audience. And, Outcome 4 which was to develop flexible strategies for revising enabled me to make my writing look more professional and convincing. 

The feedbacks you gave me on the later assignments proved me that my writing skills were improving gradually. The number of revision feedbacks from you decreased. Instead, I was getting more compliments on my writing skills from you. As much as it is important to have those writing outcomes down, it was equally important for me to know that I am not as bad of a writer as I thought I was. Now I feel more confident in my writing skills and I hope to continue to practice to become a better writer since there is always a room for improvement in writing.