Pulling It All Together

This semester, we covered diverse topics from punctuation and formatting to team building and getting a job. You learned how to produce letters, memos, and e-mail. What were your favorite topics? How have your skills and thinking changed? In short, what did you learn and how are you using it?

Comments

  1. Joe Lipscomb says

    I must say this class could not have come at a better time. This has by far been the most I have learned in a English course in quite some time. Writing has never been a strong trait of mine, but the semester has been tremendous for me. I believe the handbook helped a lot. The way each week the broke the rule down to its simplest form and just add piece by piece while explaining. Still learning with APA but, it is a process.

  2. Alyssa Graves says

    Although we did learn a lot this semester, my favorite thing to learn about were resumes, follow-up letters, and cover letters. I liked learning about this topics because they will be useful for me in the future. I never had a legit resume until this class, so it was very helpful for me. It was nice to get feedback on it as well.
    I also learned about APA formatting in this class. Although I have not perfected the whole thing yet, it’s nice to have a general basis on the formatting. I’m sure it will be very useful for the remainder of my schooling.
    My thinking has changed in the sense that I question my punctuation. Before, I would just write something out without wondering if it was right or wrong. Now, I ask myself if everything is correct. I noticed that I spend more time editing than I have in the past.

    Alyssa Graves

  3. Hannah Aulinskis says

    My favorite topic was learning the differences between similar words, like affect and effect. I just find it interesting that changing one letter or adding one, like with who and whom, can change the meaning of a word. Some principles I am applying are making sure my punctuation is correct, especially with dashes, hyphens, colons, and semicolons. I never really thought of using punctuation like those because I didn’t know how, and I’ll try to use them more now. I think my skills have changed because I take grammar more seriously now than I have in the past. My thinking has changed because I think more about my grammar while writing instead of when I proof read, although I still do that to make sure I get it right. I will continue to work on my punctuation, since it is something that never really stuck with me, even in high school.

  4. Abigail Bryant says

    My favorite topics were punctuation and formatting because I enjoy that aspect of writing. I like knowing how and were to use certain punctuation marks and correct formatting.

    I learned a lot of new things; however, I think that I learned the most in formatting in APA style. Coming into this class I knew little to nothing about APA style, and now I can format letters, e-mails, memos, and etc. all in APA style. In addition, I learned where to properly place commas and how to use semi colons.

    This class has changed my thinking so that I try to focus more on the “you” viewpoint rather than the “I” viewpoint when writing formal letters. I have also changed the way I leave a voicemail thanks to the information that I’ve learned in this class.

    I plan to continue working on writing in APA style, especially for business letters and e-mails, so that I will be prepared for the future. This class has had a major impact on my writing and I believe it was very resourceful for furthering my education.

  5. Amy Sayger says

    This has been a crazy semester! I found this class very stimulating and engaging. I have learned a lot and found a lot that I need to work on. The biggest topic I learned was APA formatting. APA formatting was completely new to me. I have never been asked to use that form and I wish I did.

    My favorite topics were talking about email etiquette. I learned more about how to leave voicemails, write memos, and emails. That chapter seems to be the most useful in my present day life. It also helps set the tone when working with customers. If I have to leave a voicemail, I really focus on being clear, short, sweet, and to the point. That way I know that people will call me back and not be angry about it.

  6. Apryl WIlliams says

    Hello Professor Young,

    I truly enjoyed working on all of feedback letters. Writing these letters have helped me focus on different ways of stating that I’m not interested and still keeping it positive You class has been very beneficial. I feel that I will use the knowledge that you have provided throughout my professional career.
    The little things make a big difference when it comes to writing. Unwanted spaces, incorrect punctuation, and white space can make the difference between unemployed or not.
    Thank you for taking the time to review my assignment and providing appropriate feedback. I have learned a great deal this semester. It was a real pleasure taking this class

    Apryl Williams

    • Latrice Williams says

      Hi Professor Young,
      This is the best writing class I’ve had during my college career. I enjoyed positive and negative feedback the most. Practicing positive/negative feedback will help in the workplace. Correcting someone can’t be avoided. It’s important not to offend someone while doing it. I think of the Golden [Rule]: “it’s not what you say but how you say it”.
      Writing can be intimidating but organization helps with the process. Also revising and editing continuously makes the writing sharp. A message is more effective when the writing is sharp.
      Thank you for a wonderful class!
      Latrice Williams

  7. Erin Mullaney says

    This class gave me the opportunity to improve my writing skills and become more confident in my work. For the most part, I enjoyed every assignment that we had to do. However, the area where I was challenged the most was APA style. This was the first year where I was required to use it. It was difficult at first, but after continuous practice, it started to get better. Everything that I have learned from this class will benefit me in my future jobs. I am grateful to have taken Professor Young’s class this semester.

  8. Corbin Lawson says

    At first, I was dreading this writing class. Professor Young has taught me so much about the importance of composing a letter. The ability to show another how to do something correctly speaks volumes. This makes you shine when you are communicating professionally. The tools she had given are easier to understand and the feedback given has given me such perspective.

    Thanks for everything Professor Young.

  9. DaLanya Hamblin says

    Learning how to be a better writer has been the best experience in this class. I have learned many key points that have improved my writing skills as a whole. These key points have helped me structure my written pieces and generate my ideas clearly.
    I have learned how to communicate my thoughts better. I notice when I use simple sentences my ideas are not running together. I have also learned that less is more and writing with substance is the key. This process helped me cut to the chase and not add empty words that prolong the idea and sentence. The main point I have learned is every paragraph has a beginning, middle, and an ending. This helps the writer organize and explain the ideas and allow the sentences to flow.
    Writing is an important part of life, which should come from within. With this new skill I am exploring new ideas and sharing them. This class has helped me find my voice and has given me a sense of pride. I am grateful for the experience and skills I have learned.
    I want to thank you Professor Young for helping me to find my creativity through writing. I have learned writing techniques in this class that I never knew existed. I appreciate your kindness, patience, and quick responses throughout the semester.
    All the best,
    Dee

  10. charlene heuer says

    This semester has taught me so much! It has really helped boost my confidence in my writing. I have a lot to improve on, but will be doing so by practicing. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this class as much as I did. Prior to starting the class I was very anxious, and wasn’t sure if I was going to succeed. I have proven myself wrong, and am looking forward to applying these skills to my professional career, along with my college career. This course has taught us so many professional skill building exercises that we can take with us for life.

  11. Heaven Reyes says

    I feel I have more of understand with grammar and punctuation. I still get confused often but have gotten a lot of help throughout this class. Also, understand the differences between the business documents that we have covered in this class. I feel making a report was relevant to me due to the major that I have chosen. Becoming a social worker requires reports and constant e-mailing through out the entire process. Thank you and hope you guys have a great summer!

  12. Ihsan Shaheen says

    Some of my favorite topics in this class were learning how to create a paper in APA format. I cannot say how much to has helped me this semester in every other class I am taking. Getting to see the instant benefit of something you’ve just learned is a great feeling, and I’m sure this skill will be valuable to me as well in the future. Which brings me to my second favorite topic this semester, and that was learning how to apply to a professional career, and doing the writing interview. The hands on experience was very eye opening as to what one might expect to go through post-graduation, when entering the “real world”.

  13. Stacey Puplava says

    Professor Young,
    I have enjoyed this class more than I expected to. I have learned to write professionally, to tune up my grammar, and I feel more confident with my APA from the handbook. It is nice to learn all of the skills that we will use in the real life work situations. I enjoyed that you had us write process letters, to keep up with each of us personally and I think that made this whole class and online experience a little easier. Thanks for your guidance this semester I hope everyone has a great summer!

  14. Ja'Kwanna Biffle says

    I have learned so much this semester. With me pursing my dream in becoming a social worker, this writing class has helped me with the long papers I have had to write over the semester. My favorite topic was getting a job. I learned how to write my resume and cover letters without using a template. Also, I learned how to write memos and letters. I have been using APA since my senior year in high school, but this semester I learned how to use it the right way.

    • Stacey Puplava says

      Ja’Kwanna, us being in the same classes all semester I know first hand what you mean and how APA in this class has benefited you. I am not sure how I would have wrote all the papers we wrote this semester without the help of this class. Wishing the best for you and your social work career!

  15. matt Peterson says

    Professor Young, I really enjoyed the writing class this semester. For me I have always liked the online versions of classes and I thought the writing class would be extremely difficult to do over the computer. However, I found the course to be extremely pleasant; I enjoyed the daily feedback from classmates on the discussion boards and the assignments were challenging and fun at the same time. I definitely think my writing has improved over the semester. Also the templates in your book for resumes and letters did and will come in handy down the road.

  16. Kaliegh Quick says

    My favorite topics include writing and communicating with business professionals, using commas, and learning how to correctly punctuate sentences. To me, the most useful bits of information came from learning how to communicate with your employer/future employer and fellow employees. Because we are college students, we will definitely need to know and understand these skills. Soon enough we will be applying for our careers, and when doing so we need to stick out. I think Professor Young has really guided us well through the process and what we learned in this class will definitely aid us with moving forward in our careers.

    My skills and thinking has changed significantly. I am definitely more confident in my writing, as well as applying for jobs and talking to employees and employers. I can not stress enough how much confidence this class has given me! I’ve learned a lot on a variety of subjects, whether that be about sentence structure or how to live up to your fullest potential. This class was a lot more than a writing class, it helped me realize my potential in some aspects as well.

    Overall, I’m really glad I took this class and will recommend it to everyone. It was a wonderful class that provided a wonderful online experience.

  17. Claudia Airey says

    I learned a great deal in this class. I enjoyed the assignments that we had assigned to us because they all focused on different aspects of writing, but still will all be very beneficial to know and understand how to operate. I learned how to properly write business documents, how to correctly use salutations and valedictions, and what the correct formatting of cover letters and resumes looks like. I also learned the importance of knowing how to properly cite APA citations. Knowing how to do this has been very helpful with writing papers throughout the semester. Also learning how to correctly give and receive feedback was helpful. My favorite assignment was the Follow-Up Letters. This assignment allowed me to think about what I would say under certain situations that are rather likely to occur at some point in time. Another major principle that I have been applying with my e-mails, papers, and projects was the PEER model. This principle has helped me to stay on track and keep my thoughts organized. I would say that my skills have improved quite a bit since the beginning of the class. I have learned so much helpful and beneficial information by taking the Professional Writing course, and I know that it will not only help me throughout the remainder of my college career, but everything that I learned will also help me in my future endeavors, as well as in my future career.

  18. Paige Smith says

    I excelled in this class far past my expectations. The concepts we have learned have made me an overall more credible person. This class intrigued me the most because the assignments we covered can be used in real-life situations, such as thank you letters and resumes. I find it very beneficial that we have learned how to compose many types of business documents. I appreciate this class because it has boosted my confidence in my writing skills. Therefore, I learned that I am a better writer than I had thought I was. Also, I am now more familiar with APA format, which should help me throughout the rest of my professional career. My favorite topics were punctuation, being concise, and I enjoyed interacting with my classmates through the discussion questions.
    This class was an overall great experience that I will take with me for the rest of my life.

    • Stacey Puplava says

      Hello Paige, I agree, this class has made me more of a credible person in the professional world and I think that is the perfect way to put it. I really liked that we learned how to make a resume the correct way, because I had no idea before! I have also gained confidence in my writing skills and I am ready to take on my last semester of college. Good luck to you!

  19. Neal Broad says

    Even though this is only my freshman year, the information learned this semester will stay with me my whole career. Whether the lesson was about learning formatting skills, editing, or even culture diversity, I feel that everything we learned holds its own value equally. Personally, learning about patience in writing seemed to affect my process the most. Previous to this professional writing course my writing process was to short, in fact, I would usually turn in my essays the same day I wrote them. By just slowing down a little bit and giving my work a few days to edit, I can see my papers improve greatly. After seeing such improvements, I even decided to transfer this process in my life events as well. In conclusion, after taking this course I just realized that we all need to slow down at times. I had just been going at life with this “get through fast” policy, and as a result, I would make ignorant decisions that I now recollect on with regret. Rather than just dwell we should make lifestyle changes so these mistakes don’t occur again, because mistakes are good. We need to learn from these mistakes though, so that we can progress and make the correct choices to get better every day.

  20. Jayleen Maldonado says

    This class has taught me so much that I had not previously been taught. We covered APA, writing business letters, and even important lessons in life such as receiving and giving feedback. These are some of the most important things I was able to take from the class along with many other thing. We covered real world problems and things we would encounter as we grow up. Professor Young always gave helpful feedback and never let us go unsure of why we received the grade we did. This class also reviewed many skills and rules that I may have forgotten over the years. This improved my writing significantly. I had a great semester and am glad I took this course!

  21. Carley Siems says

    This class has taught me way more than I thought I ever would learn in this course. The best thing for me was to learn how to use APA; in high school we always used MLA so this was extremely helpful!We discussed many topics that were all very useful in our everyday lives. My favorite topic was how to make a cover letter, resume, follow up letters, etc. This is extremely important when trying to get a job!

  22. karly rentschler says

    I have learned way more than I thought I ever would in this course. We discussed many topics and worked on them until they were right. I like that we were challenged in every single area we covered, this made sure that we got what we were going over. My favorite topic we went over was probably how to make a cover letter, resume, etc. I liked these topics the most because they are a very important part of life, and its nice not to sound like an idiot when you’re trying to get a job. My thinking has changed quite a bit, I am now more professional and sound more professional. All around I am more in tune with people and the way the feel. This was a great learning experience!

  23. Victoria Gardenhire says

    Being in AP english classes all throughout high school, I came into this writing class with the impression that I already knew everything there was to know about english. I was sadly mistaken. There was so much I didn’t know about world of business/professional writing. Writing that will actually be beneficial to me in the future! I learned how to write a cover letter, resume, as well as interview follow-up letters, and how to correctly format them. I also learned how to fix sentence structure errors as well as small grammar errors. Also, I was never taught APA format in high school, so it was a struggle to learn to make the switch from MLA to APA. Overall, my writing has improved in many aspects and I am more aware with my verbal communication as well. There are so many things that I learned and I plan to implement them into my everyday life.

  24. Jacob Galvan says

    This semester I have learned so much. Professor Young is such a great professor and taught me so much this semester. She provided me a lot of great feedback that helped me along the way to become a better writer. My favorite thing I learned was probably APA format, because this is something that will carry with me for the rest of my life. This is because I am a nursing major and one day I plan to conduct research that hopefully will have the opportunity to get published. APA is the only format in nursing so it is crucial I know it. Professor Young made APA formatting a lot easier for me, so I am blessed to have a better understanding of it because I know it is really complicated. This class is a lot fun and I am glad that it is required of us to take. Thank you Professor Young for being so great.

  25. Lauren Vieyra says

    I have learned so much this semester! I am happy with the outcome of this class. I know I will use much of what I have learned throughout my life. My favorite topic was diversity. This chapter taught me how to understand diversity not only culturally, but between age as well. I now understand that everyone is different and has different views depending on how, when, and where they were raised.
    Another important thing I have learned in this class is how to format business documents. Before, I would’ve spent so long googling how to format them. Now, I am very familiar and can write a business document with ease. We have learned about numerous ways to communicate formally and exactly how to write it. For example, we learned that when writing a resignation letter it is important to be respectful in case you would like to ever go back to that job. Also, the resume was very important. I have never made one before this class and it would’ve been challenging doing it on my own. Now, I can make a great resume that will not be overlooked by hiring departments.
    Overall, this class was a positive experience and I know what I learned will come in handy in the near future!

  26. Ashley Soto says

    This semester has helped me so much with school, work, and just every day life. We covered areas from learning more about APA, writing business letters, formatting, resume building, follow-up letters, and just how to set the proper tone to whom you are speaking to. These were all my favorite topics, because they are so important. I believe my skills have changed a lot through this semester. I know how to format the paper correctly, how to create headings, and how to set the proper tone to who I am speaking to. Because of this semester, my thinking has changed as well too. Before I sent an email or letter to someone, I stop and think about how I would feel reading it. Overall, I had a great semester and I look forward to using my skills in the future.

  27. Lauren Stanford says

    I learned a lot this semester. I felt like we covered a lot of different areas and areas I really didn’t expect to cover like learning how to get a job. I think my favorite topics were the topics that I can use in life. Like the proper ways to get a job, how to build a resume, and learning to work with groups. After learning about these topics I am more mindful when I talk to people I learn to listen to the person’s full idea and its ok to disagree with someone because we all think differently and that ok. I also more careful when I write and type my papers for school. I’m more mindful of APA.

    • I must say that Professor Young has taught me many things this semester. I hadn’t seen some of the principles of writing, since I was in high school (26) years ago. I learned how to write memos the correct way and how to properly format them. I also learn the correct way to write papers in APA. I’m glad I had an opportunity to take Professor Young class.