What I've Learned...

When I signed up to take this class, it was not a choice. It was just another requirement that I was working my way through in order to graduate. I was a little worried about taking it--I hadn't taken an English class since high school. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I was worried about having to write a bunch of papers--expository, persuasive, the usual. However, the mix of different genres has been interesting and informational. I really enjoyed the spin put on the class. Instead of writing paper after paper for academic purposes, we took a direct look at what things are like in the real world and constructed our assignments in that sense. In this sense, this has been one of the most useful classes I've taken. Writing comes up in whatever line of business you choose. Even if you don't have to write lengthy technical reports, you will most likely have to write a memo or a write-up of an event or meeting or some other unstructured form.

With all the focus on the reader, I have definitely learned to take a look at my writing and see how a reader would see it. I may think that I've written the best piece of work ever, but if no one reads it, then it's worthless. I need to target what I write to my reader. I also need to make sure that what I'm writing has a purpose for the reader. One of the biggest realizations for me of this concept is when writing an objective statement for a resume. I struggled with this in the past, not knowing how to word it. But after reading about how it should be targeted to your employer and what they will gain, not what you will gain, then it has a purpose.

Overall this has been a great class. I've learned a lot, been entertained, and definitely improved my writing. I've always enjoyed writing and been good at it, but this has transformed it into something useful for my future career. It has changed it from a hobby, or something to get a good grade, into something that will be an asset to me in my future career.