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?
Pulling It All Together
April 28, 2019 by
My favorite part of the semester was making emails. I had no idea going into this class that there is a proper way to format an email. No matter what job you get, it is almost inevitable that you will have to make an email every now and then, so it was great learning the most effective way to produce emails. I also really liked learning how to apply to jobs properly, and how to talk about my skills and past jobs. I learned a lot from these topics that I know I will use in the future. I also really enjoyed learning how to write using a positive attitude. It was very interesting to learn how to respond to denial letters, and how to not burn any bridges because I think that it is really important to not leave a bad mark for yourself if you ever need a letter of recommendation in the future. Overall, i loved actually learning about skills that are helpful and useful.
All the best,
James Morris
Hi Professor Young,
My favorite topics were writing e-mails and letters to you and “people” that were in our professional field. I had the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from you to help me improve for my future e-mails. I felt like I improved drastically because I proof-read my writing all the time now and fix my mistakes right away. Another assignment I enjoyed doing was the writing interview with people from our professional field. I had the opportunity to network with students in the class who are into the nursing field and with multiple nurses in the hospital. I see multiple of nurses everyday at my job, but I never have the chance to ask them questions about the field in general. It prepares us for our future interviews and ways to respond back to office manager. I think this class was beyond helpful to us all and prepared us for our professional field. It helped me get out of my shell and to be able to express how I feel in writing. I really enjoyed this class and I wish you the very best!
Yours truly,
Mariam Shatat
Hello Professor Young,
My favorite topics were the resume and also learning the capitalization rules. I feel that the resume format you have given to us is very useful and looks organized. It will be great to use in the future for potential job openings. I have improved my skills dramatically from the beginning of the semester. I am much better at writing professional emails and letters. Before this class I always felt that I would not format my formal emails right when talking to someone important. I will continue to use your tips on formatting emails and letters once I am in my professional field.
All the best,
Andrew
Hello Professor Young,
Through this course, there were many topics that were very informative. If I had to choose one topic as my favorite, it would have to be the section over colons and semicolons. In all honesty, before this class I really did not even know the purpose of a colon and semicolon; however, now I do. The colon is like a sign on the highway, announcing that something important is coming. It acts as an arrow pointing forward, telling you to read on for important information. While a semicolon is quite formal and is used as an alternative to a full stop (or ‘and’). It is used between sentences that have a common theme and creates a pause and emphasis effect rather like the effect of a full stop. One can use either a semicolon or a colon to join two main clauses, but one can only use a colon to join a main clause with a noun. This background information about colons and semicolons helped me understand the use of each. It is always better “the more you know” and this definitely applies to grammar. Just knowing what a symbol or character does helps extremely when trying to put a piece of work together. You can’t make a masterpiece without all the tools.
Your class has grown my knowledge and has expanded my view on writing. I appreciate your work and thank you for the opportunity to be in your course.
Best regards,
Bryan Keyon Hatami
Hello Professor Young,
My favorite topics this semester were the letters and memos. For as long as I can remember, I have never been a great writer, but throughout this semester I have learned a great deal about the proper way to write professional correspondence. The Thank You letters and the Memos were the most helpful considering I hope to begin applying for internships in the near future. I also found these assignments very interesting and engaging because they were very applicable life now. If not for this class, I would not have learned the proper formats of specific written communications. I enjoyed what I learned in this class and feel much more prepared and aware of the format and key aspects necessary in written communication. I also learned a lot from Professor Young’s feedback, which helped to improve my writing and correct my common mistakes. Finally, I would like to add that this was the most I have ever learned in an English class and I definitely owe it you a great deal of thanks.
All the best,
Cooper
Hi Professor Young,
I enjoyed learning about punctuation. I always had trouble with punctuation and would get confused where to put a semicolon in the right place. The book has taught me so many punctuation rules. I also never had to write a memo before this class. I usually do respond to e-mails at my job but never memos. I learned to write a memo now. I have also learned it’s important to always be professional in my writing and make sure my grammar and punctuation are correct. I enjoyed this class and will continue to apply what I learned to my other classes and writing in the future! This was a great class!
All the best,
Aleksandra
Hi Professor Young,
This semester was enjoyable for me. I really felt I had a decent grasp on writing but overtime I had lost my ability to successfully edit and write with clear communication. I have to write many emails at work and go very lazy using quick, non professional responses, sometimes from my phone. This class has reminded me that whether the office communication is typed from the computer or a device, maintaining a professional format and working is key. Also poor spelling or improper use of words is poor form in the business world even if it comes from a device such as a phone. I have definitely slowed down and proof read all message prior to hitting send. This allows me to verify punctuation, spelling, and clear communication with each message.
All the best,
Mel
Hello everyone,
I enjoyed learning about professional email communication and leadership. I think the book offered insightful tips on how to be a leader and what to look for in a leader, and I think this is a invaluable life skill. APA formatting was new for me in this class, and I’m happy I learned it thoroughly because I know it will be required for my Master’s. A game-changer for me in this class was the section about voice and conciseness. I learned that I lacked conviction in my writing by being too wordy. Now, with every sentence I write, I edit to stay clear and concise. This not only has made my communication clearer, but it has also uplifted my confidence.
Thank you for an amazing class!
Kaylin
Hello Professor Young,
My favorite topic was formatting. I never knew how to correctly format documents until I took this class and had to format a lot of different papers. Formatting is so essential for professional documents, so it is helpful to know how to correctly format. I will always be referring to your textbooks for all my writing needs!
Best regards,
Islam
Hello all,
My favorite topic this semester for this course would have to be writing letters. I have been able to expand my knowledge on different types of styles. Before I never knew the rules. I never even knew what a letterhead was in all seriousness either. When we first started learning how to write letters I never put the letterhead in the header section. I also did not know about the white space. Now I am more comfortable and know to look at the print preview to make sure my letter is balanced. The book was very informative and does a great job with showing different examples. I really am glad that we were able to learn this information, because I have already been applying some of these skills outside of this class. I know that it will benefit my future. Since I am going into the social work field, I believe that I will do a lot of writing. I feel that I am going to be prepared.
Looking at my work from the beginning of the semester to now, I can see the progress that I have made. Although I still need work on topics like punctuation, I am happy with how far I’ve come.
All the best,
Melena Verduzco
Hi Professor Young,
My favorite topic this semester was punctuation. Prior to taking this class I was not very confident with certain types of punctuation. The exercises we did helped me learn the rules and have prepared me to be a better writer. I feel that I have become more confident, and that I am no longer afraid to vary my sentences and sentence structure. I look forward to using all of the information that I have learned in your class as I move forward in my education.
All the best,
Robin
I truly enjoyed writing the memos and the letters. The Writing Interview was also an assignment that really was interesting and engaging for us students. I learned more about the field I’m going into as well as conversing with professionals in a professional manner. I enjoyed writing thank you letters, denial letters, complaint letters, and so on. I appreciated the extensive feedback Professor Young had to share with me regarding things I needed to fix and improve upon. The way I think about emailing has been the biggest change I’ve had since this class started. Now, every time I write an email I make sure to start with an appropriate greeting and salutation. I think this class was great practice for real life writing application for my future.
Hi Professor Young,
My favorite topics this semester were letters and punctuation. For a long time, I was struggling with punctuation. For example, when to put a comma and when not to. I think that I have improved on this issue from the readings in the book and really learned when to use them. I also improved them when writing in essays and papers. I tend to look over my work more, which means fewer punctuation errors. In the end, this improves my grade by really editing my work. I am applying most principles learned this semester by editing my work and applying them to my papers. Overall, I learned a lot of different principles to apply in my future classes. I also learned a lot about writing letters, memos, and e-mails which will help me with my future career. I really enjoyed your class! 🙂
Wishing the best,
Kaitlyn