Ten Core Concepts

Upon entering Columbia College, writing was one of my weaker areas. It was very important that I gained the necessary knowledge and confidence to become a better writer. I didn’t know how to express myself and felt as though my writing was not my interest. As a result of taking English 101, I have gained a better understanding on how to properly research and build a satisfactory paper. Every paper that was assigned seemed like a struggle to complete. Before entering this class, I did not know the meaning of a thesis or why it was important, however, I obtained this skill quickly. I noticed that every paper has an argument and the thesis helps clarify the rebuttal. Now, I have a new outlook on writing. It’s a way to express my thoughts and allow others to see things through my eyes. There is no doubt that I still have a long way to go, but I know if I continue to write, I will get better. Just as I developed more skills in class, the various papers assigned helped to better structure the writer in me. In addition, the subject areas were not only interesting, but very informative and made it much easier to write about my experiences.

Writing is one of the most important skills that I have learned throughout my years in school. I have learned that no matter how much I love or hate it, writing is a necessity; I might as well try to be good at it. Writing has been in my life for many years. There are many types of writing, educational writing and personal writing are two that I will mention in this essay. I have learned how to allow writing to help me in my daily life. When I began writing I hated it, however, I have learned the many uses of it, and it has become a huge part of my life.

There are six elements or “common characteristics” (Connelly, 2013, p. 55) that make up an effective thesis statement which include one sentence, a viewpoint, be specific on your viewpoint, be able to backup it up, be organized and use distinct words. One sentence for your thesis statement should “summarize the main point of the essay” ("Thesis Statements," n.d., para. 1). You want the reader to read in this statement why it is important and if it’s worth reading. Grab the reader’s attention. Make them say, this is interesting and I want to read more. Everyone has an opinion and your thesis statement is your opinion or viewpoint. Since we have a wide-range of opinions make sure you

It is essential to understand that classes taken in grade school do not give students a full understanding of each subject. With the topic of writing, there will always be a new lesson to learn, an aspect to improve, or a differing way to explain. Author Craig Vetter states in Bonehead Writing, “This is your enemy: a perfectly empty sheet of paper. Nothing will ever happen here except what you make happen.” Each story, essay, or response comes from a writer’s experiences. With each attempt at a new piece comes an underlying story of emotions the writer is facing. Each person’s writing is unique and the ideas people have are related to their past experiences and what they believe to be familiar with when deciding which writing style to use. As a high school student, I have learned many things about writing that helped me become the improved writer I am today, but the most essential advice I have received is practice makes perfect. Although there is no actual perfect way of writing, I have discovered that each essay I write, my writing improves. It is easier to spot mistakes, find areas to improve, and ponder elevated word choice to use.

Writing is a skill that many authors use to show their style or qualities. Writing is such a great experience and it allows you to tell stories, or speak your opinions. It gives you opportunities to speak up and show your worth. There is two important steps for writing, one is to always think positive, and two is always believe in what you have to say. Many people struggle with writing at times and that's because they haven't thought out their ideas all the way or showed their full potential yet. It takes time to become a good writer.

Research types of writings at college helped me strengthen my writing skills because as I started to research on a topic, not only I learned more in depth, but also learned how to draw further connections outside of the course(class). I want to improve my writings in making correct connections and organizing ideas. Sometimes, I misunderstand the readings and end up making the wrong connections. In fact, my ideas are all over the place whenever I try to make connections, which does not clearly show that I have understood the assignment. These mistakes often led to downside of my grades. The most useful advice I received that helped me improve my writing is that “the word ‘writing’ actually means to put things together, so don’t be afraid of express your opinions in your writing your opinion.” This encourage me not to be afraid of writing and expressing my opinions.

Starting my ENG101 class, I felt like it was the basics of learning grammar and English material from high school. However, I quickly learned that I needed to brush-up on some of my writing skills. I acquired skills of the past, as well as some new ones. Writing may still be slightly confusing to me when using correct punctuation, run-on sentences, and organizing my thoughts. Learning to use an outline, create a topic to answer questions, and brainstorming has taught me to become a better writer.

Your thesis statement is no exception to your writing: it needs to be as clear as possible. By being as clear as possible in your thesis statement, you will make sure that your reader understands exactly what you mean.

I learned the use of Standard English rules and styles in constructing sentences. I also learned how to organize my thoughts, ideas and experiences. Furthermore, I learned how to construct and maintain a coherent transition of paragraphs, as well as, how to select words, idioms, sayings and phrases that best suited the topic or purpose. With time, I even started to use diagrams to help organize my thoughts, ideas regarding the intended topic even before I write it. Learning how to remain relevant to a topic has enabled me to improve my grades.

We learn to write at an early age. First, we learn to write words. Words become sentences, which forms paragraphs, then becomes essays. Overtime, we learn the rules of writing, and we practice them. Whether or not the expertise level of writing is met, we learn the basics and eventually become confident writers. Although I have been taught the art of writing, I have gathered from the feedback of my previous teachers and peers that my writing still needs improvement.

Writing skill is a very important part of communication. Writing is the process to express emotions and ideas, allowing us to put them on paper. Throughout this class I have learned more than I ever thought I would. I have learned different writing techniques, such as, using vivid detail, MLA format, and how to use sources from books or websites. I was able to accomplish these skills from class exercises and writing the four assigned essays. I believe my writing skills have changed throughout this semester because I can recognize what has impacted my writing skills, along with my strengths and weaknesses.

A thesis statement is determined usually based off of what kind of paper you are writing. The popular thesis statement is the argumentative, which a person would have to state a claim and choose a position. Knowledge problems differs by size; Basically, knowledge problems are broad statements and without a single, simple definition to be stated. In addition, knowledge problems are a form of point of view, or written on basis of how one feel about a situation. A writer could write and make an excellent thesis statement with a few points. First, make sure the argument(s) reflect the main idea. Next, make sure the statement is clear and specific as possible. In addition, Thesis statements should not be depth in one's’ writing assignment. Finally,

The most important thing to remember about a thesis statement is it gives the reader your opinion and you are entitled to your opinion. You are also giving the reader a new article to read and allow them to give feedback if necessary. This isn 't new to me, for I 've done a thesis statement before and received good feedback from fellow classmates. What 's different is all of us were focused on once topic and had to come up with our own thesis on that assigned topic. It worked out well.

I have completed several research projects and I find that developing the thesis statement is the most difficult part of the process. The thesis is the over-arching viewpoint of the research and states the writer's position for the project (Hardy & Ramjeet, 2005). It can be an analysis of issues and facts surrounding a topic or an argument for or against a particular subject or idea. Without a concise thesis statement, the project lacks direction. It can easily end up a general reporting of descriptions and details with no clear direction. The thesis provides the framework for the project guiding it towards a definitive conclusion.

Whether for high school, college, postgraduate students, or even for an industry research paper, a good and effective thesis statement will have certain key qualities including scope, relevance, flexibility, etc. These will be revealed in the described in the next section