23 April 2019

Portfolio Committee
Northern Oklahoma College
English Department
1118 West Hall of Fame
Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074

Dear Mrs. Nordquist,

The writings that I have chosen are from the classes that I have taken this school year. I think
that these are some of the best papers that I have written, and I wanted to share them. These
essays show that I am prepared to do what needs to be done for any assignment. They also show
how much thought I put into each part of my writing. These writings show that I can cover the
points needed to back my opinion or argument.

My first writing that I have chosen is from my composition one class. This was a fun paper for
me because it opened my eyes as I was writing it. It made me realize what I was going to have to
do in the next couple of years to prepare myself to be independent. This essay was a compare
and contrast paper, and the similarities and differences were not too similar and not too different.
The key to this paper was to find something that was not too closely related, but it could not be
so different that I could not compare them. The next paper that I chose for this assignment is
from my high school government class. We were required to write an argument essay, and I
chose to write mine on the death penalty. This was definitely one of the most interesting papers I
have ever written, but it changed the way I felt about the death penalty. I used to almost be
completely for the use of it, but once I wrote the side against enforcing the death penalty, I could
not say that I was for or against the use of it. I became torn between both sides of the argument,
and it changed the way I viewed the whole situation. My third artifact is from composition one
also, and it deals keeping teens out of trouble. I chose this topic for this paper, because I have
played sports for as long as I can remember. This helps me relate to the topic of my paper, and I
can better explain my reasoning behind my beliefs. Growing up playing sports took up a lot of
time, and I think that if more teens play sports that it will help keep them out of trouble. I know
that once I have gone through a full practice, I do not want to do anything other than go home
and relax. I think that if we can keep teens occupied with something that they like to do then we
can help keep them out of trouble. The last writing that I have chosen is from this class, and it is
the This I Believe essay. I chose this one because it shows what I believe in, and what I strive to
be each and every day. This was my favorite assignment this year, because I was able to put my
beliefs into it. Anytime I can pour my heart and soul into something I love it, and I feel like it
could be one of the best essays I have ever written. I think that having a good work ethic, being
able to work with others, and being able to stay positive are some of the biggest things to have in
our lives. I would hope that people would be inspired if they read this essay, and that is all I
could ever ask for.

Throughout this semester I have learned a lot about writing. My biggest problem that I have had
in the past is producing strong thesis statements, and I think that I have improved on that. It
usually takes me a while to figure out what exactly I want to put on the paper, but once I actually
get started, I can go through it without much problem. There have also ben times in the past
where I have run out of information to put, but during this I have learned to expand my thoughts
and complete the work. I think overall, I have improved my writing tremendously over the past
months of taking this course. I think that I have been able to fix some of the issues that I have
had in the past and I cannot thank you enough.

The biggest thing that I would keep in my writing toolbox would be a citing website. I have
written a lot of papers that have dealt with source work and having a website to help cite is a life
saver. They make sure that you site correctly, and the last thing that I want as a writer is to not
give credit where credit is due. The next think I would have would be taking it slower.
Sometimes I get too far ahead of myself, and I lose track of what I am working on at that instant.
I need to focus more on what I am working on at that time more than looking at where I am
headed. The third and final tool would be planning out in advance. There are some cases where I
start writing and I do not have much of a plan. When this happens, I usually run out of
information really quick, and it makes it very hard to complete the assignment. If I am able to
make a plan and provide enough information it will help my writing greatly, and I would
potentially be able to provide more detail within my paper.

Before this class I never really put my thoughts out there in class. I am a very talkative person,
but I never gave my thoughts on something that we talked about in class. I would just keep it to
myself and then once class was over, I might would talk about it with a friend, but this course
has allowed me to express my opinions with my fellow classmates. I have become more
comfortable with putting my thoughts out there for people to read or hear. I am now able to get
into conversations that go on during class and take part in them. I think that this course has also
helped me strengthen some of my strengths also. I have been able to incorporate some sources,
and I think that has helped me improve working them into the paper. I have been good at putting
them in the right place and using the right sources, but I have not done as good at working them
in properly.

I can say that this course has helped my prepare for the rest of my college classes. I have never
believed that writing was a big part of life, but after completing this class and the one before I
have realized that writing is a big part of my life. Writing is a great skill to have no matter what I
do with my life, and without this class I would have as good of an understanding of how
everything works. This class has prepared me for anything that might have to deal with writing.
Even though I may not have to write a lot with the profession I am choosing to follow, I will be
ready for when I do have to write something. I think that I am more than ready to tackle any
writing assignment that is headed my way thanks to this course.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Akin