AJ,

            Upon determining that this quarter was the perfect time to knock out some required composition credits, I became quite disappointed that I had to take another English class. Based on my high school career, courses like calculus and physics were much more exciting to me than composition (yes, I’m insane). In addition, I failed to consider that the topics covered in the course would be anything more than I had learned in high school or would be used at all in the engineering field.

            Now that I have reviewed the pieces that I’ve written throughout the year and reflected on the material covered in class, I realize that this course has solidified a variety of skills that high school barely grasped. This course has bolstered my argumentative skills, as I can now easily articulate a strong claim that I can support with outside evidence. I’ve also made my essays clearer and more persuasive by improving my revision techniques and learning how to adjust my paper for a specific audience.

            In this portfolio, I’ll guide you through my greatest pieces from this quarter and detail how they exemplify my vastly improved my writing.  Not only does this show how my work has followed the outcomes of the course, but it allows me to once again form a claim and support it through the pieces in my portfolio. Whether it was a fictional exchange between two writers or a paper analyzing racism’s effects in the movie White Chicks, this quarter has been full of interesting pieces that have allowed me to grow as a writer. Not only has writing about popular culture bolstered my interest in composition, but it greatly motivated me to improve my writing ability. Much more so than in previous years, I’ve been driven to give everything I can to my writing assignments. Even after my first draft is completed, I know that there are changes to be made that will enhance my essay’s argument or better clarify my ideas to my audience.

            Hopefully what follows will help you understand the writing skills I’ve learned through my experiences in this course. I believe that with your guidance throughout the quarter, I’ve definitely implemented the four outcomes of this course into my writing and used them to enhance the persuasive impact of my arguments. This class has certainly given me the compositional techniques that I need to succeed in my future as shown by what I’ve written throughout the quarter. I hope you enjoy seeing my improvement as much as I have!

Thanks,

Jack