ENGL 298 B: Intermediate Writing Social Sciences   Autumn 2011, University of Washington

This class is very different from any other English class that I have taken in the past. The English courses I took in high school usually asked for the classic five paragraph essay. I feel really comfortable with that type of writing assignment. This class has put me out of my comfort zone. In the first week of class there was a handout that listed some of the major differences in writing between the high school and college level. I think that within the short, but productive 2.5 weeks of this class I have started to make some headway in conforming to the differences of college level writing. I am trying to adapt to these directives. It is a process and I do not think I have completely altered my writing style since the start of class, but I have noticed some improvement. I have chosen to adjust the way I write, because I believe that this will have a positive effect in how I communicate my ideas either on paper or orally. One of the big differences in the assignments of this class is that I really have to engage the text to be able to produce a well composed paper. I find myself pausing throughout reading a text and asking myself what the author is trying to tell me and what I think of their message. I have noticed that I have become more accomplished in being able to realize how authors make their points and the way they want their ideas to be interpreted. I am excited with how much I have learned in the last 2.5 weeks and I hope that the next 2.5 weeks will be as productive for me as the last.