Self Reflection

What has improved?
I feel that I have improved my writing in the sense that I have become a lot better in articulating my thoughts in a clear and concise manner. My vocabulary has grown slightly, making my pieces flow better. I feel that my confidence as a writer has really improved because at the beginning of this class I definitely lacked confidence as a writer. I feel that I have improved in structuring my essays in an effective manner and have worked to develop pieces that will really attract the attention of the reader. I feel that the quality of my essays have really improved and I finished this year what with I thought was one of my stronger essays.

My voice and style?
My voice and style is, I think, a pretty subtle one. Because I do not have a very elaborate vocabulary, I often state things quite simply. I’ve noticed that my style of writing consists of writing about everyday issues that I can easily relate to. For example I wrote about the lack of sleep and enormous amounts of stress in teenage life a few times. I usually start my essay by presenting my topic to the reader with a scenario or real life example. After doing that I often describe different aspects of my essay topic by painting descriptive pictures with words. Towards the end of my essay I usually try to search for a meaning or a lesson to learn by reflecting on essential life’s values. I write with a more personal approach and style to make the essay relatable and relevant.

What still needs to be worked on?
I would like to continue to become more focused with my essays by conveying my thoughts and ideas in a concise manner. I’ve noticed a lot of times I know what I want to say but oftentimes I am not able to match the correct words to my thoughts. I think if I continue to work on increasing my vocabulary, my pieces will greatly improve. I would also like to work on being more descriptive and original (not cliché) with my words to create images that are new to readers. I also still need to work on “putting every word on trial” in order to create a successful essay.

“Every writer only writes one story” what’s my story?
I typically focus on relevant issues in my life as a high school teenager because they are easily relatable. Most of my topics such as lack of sleep, and stress have close connections to my current life. So I guess when it comes down to it, I tell a story of my current life and feelings with my essays. I often feel the purpose and topics of my essays are driven by my stressful and busy life as a teenager.

Anything else?
Although I still feel that writing is not exactly my strongest subject, I do feel that I have had many opportunities this semester to explore different ways of writing. By doing all these essays I feel that I have a better sense of what my voice of a writer is. I have become more comfortable with expressing my ideas through writing, creating more personal confidence. I really enjoyed many of the essays we wrote this semester and I honesty learned or discovered something new with every essay I wrote.