Dear Malcolm,

Ive really enjoyed University Writing 1103. Ive always loved writing, and this class has
been no different for me. However, I have learned far more than I could express in words, and I
believe Ive even grown as a writer.
From the beginning of the class and throughout each various assignment, Ive had many
learning opportunities. Free writing in the daybook has been quite enjoyable, and while I feared
that it would be stressful at the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually
relaxing and that it allowed me to express my personal feelings in a unique way. I think one of
my favorite aspects of the class was the blog. I cant name an article or video we blogged about
that I didnt find at least somewhat interesting, and I liked getting the chance to form and express
an opinion on something other than controversial political issues in a way that I feel was more
popular and appealing than a Facebook post (I love seeing my amount of pageviews continually
increasing!). I also enjoyed incorporating a few of my own blog posts, showing more about me
as a person, though I wish I could have incorporated even more of my own elements to it. Both
the daybook free-writes and blog posts have taught me more about critically thinking and just
letting my thoughts flow, a concept I was rather unfamiliar with before. For example, I had the
opportunity to write in response to an eye-opening quote about open mindedness by Shunryu
Suzuki in my daybook, prompting thinking on a higher level than is necessary for my more core
classes of biology and chemistry.
The peer critiquing has also been an experience for growth. I havent ever been optimal at
accepting criticism, but I think this process as well as my helpful peers have allowed me to
improve in those areas. I also learned from editing my peers papers, about writing, their topics,

and each of them as individuals. I love to edit papers (Grammar Nazi!!!) so the process was
rather enjoyable for me, too.
The group work in this class has been extremely productive, and Ive gained much from
working with peers with similar goals. Some of them are older and have acted as mentors, while
others have already become great friends. Whats not to love?
While the readings werent my favorite part of the class, I do think that they were
educational and likely improved my writing style. Some of them were even kind of interesting.
Im glad Ive been exposed to the material because I think it will be highly beneficial in my
future, such as the one about revision, which has not notoriously been my strongest point.
Ive always loved research, and that has not changed. However, I truly enjoyed having
the power to choose my own topic, allowing me to stay intrigued for longer, from the very
beginning through the present. I dont know if Ive ever been so knowledgeable on such an
obscure topic as dystopian literature, but it is somewhat exhilarating, and I know that the inquirybased process we used is going to be vital in my future.
My most important work in the class was undoubtedly my research paper and project. As
a Biology major, the majority of my writing from here on out will be in the form of lab reports or
formal research compilations, as I also hope to participate in research with a professor of
biological science here on campus. It was a significant learning experience for me to conduct
unconstructed research much like I will have to in my future college assignments. While I do
love the topic of dystopian literature, I look forward to the days when I am well-versed enough to
write a research paper as profound as this one in a branch of biology.

Some strengths in my writing include my clarity, my flow, and my knack for proper
grammar. If at all, I think the only changes Ive experienced in this area are that these strengths
have been amplified. To name but a few of the countless, some of my weaknesses in writing
include that I am often long-winded, highly academic, and digressive. While writing long
sentences or too many of them may not be entirely bad, it can cause problems in my writing.
Though I dont view my tendency to use an academic voice as a weakness as it will be an
advantage in my major coursework, it was somewhat detrimental throughout the course of the
class, as I have only ever written in such a tone and have been taught how to do so since grade
school and then had different expectations in this class. Regardless, I believe writing informally
is a valuable skill to possess, so I am glad to have now learned how to do it, or at least have a
better handle on it. Im a talkative person, so it is slightly difficult at times for me to stay on topic
in writing, and while I have not completely eradicated this problem in this class, I plan to
continue working on it in the future.
Upon rereading the Student Learning Outcomes, I can tangibly see how I have improved
as a writing student. Ive definitely learned to compose writing throughout various technology,
like using the blog and creating my own website, and it has been great practice for similar
assignments Ill likely have later on. Ive developed flexibility to fit tone and formality among
different audiences, as well, like in the research paper. Doing the research process and preparing
blog posts, I had the opportunity to not only work on my writing ability, but on my critical
reading skills, as well, evaluating a diverse range of medium for bias and using reading not only
for engagement or studying, but for inquiry. Ive grown in my ability to revise my drafts and
deepen my engagement with sources of information, and I have realized the ability to use

informal conventions (appropriately, of course). And, as displayed now, Ive learned how to use
writing as a means of reflection, a skill Ill carry with me through my senior year and beyond.
The Student Learning Outcome translation was definitely not my favorite but I enjoyed
getting to see my expectations early on in the class. I found the assignment to be really easy,
probably because I love simplifying synonyms. However, I would change my composition
process to be less about shortening the terms and more about capturing the essence of each goal
to better evaluate my progress. Regardless, I feel as though this assignment actually enriched my
semester in this class by preparing me for what turned out to be a wonderful course.
I think my progress as a thinker, writer, and questioner have improved overall. I now
think deeper upon reading, and I attempt to not only understand, but to form my own opinion on
the sources I encounter. Ive learned very much about my writing and writing in general. Ive
always been one to ask questions, but not necessarily in the context of writing, like in the
extended inquiry project, an interesting method I hope to use again soon. A major challenge I
dealt with throughout the course, however, was forcing myself to write informally, instead of
formally informatively. Ive been taught for years upon how to write using the most impressive
vocabulary and impeccable grammar, but at times, it is okay to escape this and write more
conversationally, Ive found. Id totally forgotten about utilizing a more relaxed tone in favor of
academic writing, and Id never truly stopped to appreciate informal writing; wow, was I missing
out! Clearly it was hard to overcome that barrier, but I loved the challenge to do it. I think the
new quality has made me a stronger writer, and, potentially, a better person, as not only did I get
to practice overcoming obstacles, but I got to learn a new skill, as a common comment on my
Topic Proposal and Annotated Bibliography was to utilize a less academic voice, while on my
Extended Inquiry Project draft, I did not receive such comments; I assume I improved, gladly!

I had never written a paper having a format even close to the Topic Proposal, so it was
definitely challenging for me. However, loving my topic as much as I do made it both doable and
worthwhile. I was actually surprised by the formal format yet informal writing style on this
assignment, seemingly contradictory but only complementary of each other. I did end up being
better at this assignment than I had envisioned, perhaps in part to the diligent works I put into the
assignment.
The Annotated Bibliography was rather boring, but I think it helped in my research
compilation. I thought this was difficult because I had never done an annotated bibliography
before, but it was an important skill to learn. I would change my composition process by paying
less attention to formatting and being more attentive to reflecting on my sources. I ended up
doing well, though, fortunately.
My first Extended Inquiry Portfolio draft was my favorite assignment! I love researching
interesting topics like my own, and I thought this assignment was fairly easy, even though I
ended up writing way, way, way too much. I ended up doing well on this assignment, though,
So thats cool. Thats gonna be cool. And it made writing my final draft for the EIP that much
easier. I took each comment you made on my paper and truly considered how to best incorporate
new, interesting elements into my research. I did find that I was better at writing a research paper
than I would have assumed, as Ive only ever written three or four before. I would have to say
that this was probably one of the best assignments as a whole, and even though I was daunted by
the prospect of a semester-long project in the beginning, I found it to be intriguing and less like
work than the majority of the other assignments. I sincerely think it contains my best work from
this semester.

Lastly, creating my ePortfolio was actually fun, as it was neat looking back at all the
work Ive done this semester. I thought the assignment was smooth, and I wouldnt change my
process, as it was both effective and timely.
Overall, Ive genuinely liked University Writing 1103, and though Ill miss the class, Im
looking forward to possibly taking extra writing classes in the future. Ive grown as a student,
writer, and person in this class, and Im glad Ive gained knowledge to apply later in life. I
couldnt imagine having any other class as my very first one in college, and it has been a
pleasure getting to know you, Malcolm! Thanks for a wonderful semester. Take care!
Sincerely,
Kayla Blackburn