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. Tasha Charles says:

    I can’t really finger point any favorite topics due to the fact of I have never liked writing. However, I have learned a tremendous amount of information taking this class. even though I am still a work in progress, I have learned that when I am writing, it is unacceptable to have one paragraph as one sentence. I have also learned to proof read my writing. Before this class I would just write and submit. I never experienced constructive criticism when it came to my writing assignments. I would submit and the instructor would grade it and that was the end of the assignment. So for Ms. Young to assist me in the manner that she did really helped me a lot. I have also learned that just because something makes you nervous or a little scared, doesn’t make it ok to walk away from it or ignore it. It is in you best interest to face your fears. At the beginning of the semester I was so nervous to communicate with the team. for some reason I thought the team was going to judge me. Once I embraced it, I really appreciated every single one of my teammates. I will continue to work on my punctuation, formatting, and learning how to put visualization to my writing.

  2. Krystal VanWoerden says:

    I have learned so much over this past semester! Coming into the class I was skeptical because it was an intensive writing class and I assumed it was going to be 10-15 page papers, one after another. I realized there was more to writing then just papers. What I liked doing the most was the types of letters. People don’t realize how much resumes, cover letters, thank you letters and so on, are going to do for them. those are the keys to getting a career started! I am really appreciative of how much you’ve helped me over the semester. I really thought going into this class that I wouldn’t get the help I needed since it was an online class and I do better face to face. you exceeded my expectations to the max! You always answered every question I had or explained the directions to me if I didn’t understand them. I couldn’t have asked for a better professor for this class!

  3. Katie Bridges says:

    I found that reading and writing about cultural sensitivity was one of my favorite topics. This topic was very eye opening and I remember putting a lot of effort into that forum because I cared a lot about it. I also enjoyed the last forum about leadership and purpose because it was an another topic that really made me think. Writing that forum made me think about myself and who I want to be and where I want to go with my life.

    Throughout this course I relearned grammar skills that had slipped my mind. For example comma rules and semi-colon rules. Aside from those rules, I learned a lot about communicating and working with teammates. I have noticed myself applying a lot of those concepts at work. My listening skills have expanded as well. Although I knew how important it is to listen to your coworkers, I have truly listened and applied their critiques and advice at work.

    When I complete my degree and begin my career, I know I will remember all of the skills I have learned especially communicating. Since everyone has different points of view and different ways to communicate with one another, I will continue to work on how to communicate with other types of personalities and attitudes. I find that to be the most important skill because everyone has to talk to others in order to get the job done.

  4. Allison Treba says:

    My favorite topics in this class were, probably, a lot of the writing assignments. They helped me learn things that are going to be beneficial towards my future. Also, Professor Young gave us a lot of opportunities to make the assignments our own. I learned a lot, from commas, to different ways to phrase things. I’m honestly applying everything that I learned. I had to write a lot of papers towards the end of the semester, and I applied all the things that she said, in them. My skills have definitely changed. I notice myself writing a lot different than I use to. I think that my thinking has changed as well. I don’t go into papers, hating that I have to write them. I actually try to enjoy writing them. I definitely need to continue working on my comma rules, and some of my phrasing. I believe that with future papers, I will be better at it in no time.

  5. Anita Dimitrova says:

    I would have to say my favorite topic was Chapter 9, “Getting a Job.” I really liked how it showed us the different types of papers to write and how to write a professional resume.

    I learned a lot this semester. There were so many topics I did not know that I was doing wrong. For example, I was very confused when it came to the semicolons, colons, and commas. I didn’t know there were so many ways to use them. I am definitely using all of those principles that I learned and using them for any future papers I will have to write.

    My skills have changed. I now make sure that I reread everything that I write. I used to just wait until the last minute to write a paper and then I would just send it in. Now, I start my paper as early as I can and actually take my time with it. Also, when I am finished with the paper, I make sure to take time and look over everything such as the grammar, the punctuation, and just making sure my paper makes sense and comes together nicely.

    I will probably still be working on my commas, semicolons, and colons. I have to make sure I become a pro at it before my next paper! Also, definitely going to look into working on my APA writing style.

  6. Sheena Herrod says:

    What were your favorite topics?
    My favorite topics were punctuation and shockingly APA become my favorite learning point. Another part I really enjoyed was the writing interview. Also during the class I enjoyed using my creativity for the letter and memo assignments.

    What did you learn? What principles are you applying?
    I learned the importance of professionalism in writing through learning about how to properly compose an email and memo. I also learned more about proper punctuation. My struggle with punctuation was initially how and when to use a comma. I learned when in doubt leave it out. This really works for me. I learned to be more concise in my writings, to eliminate repetition, and to properly format papers. Formatting was a huge issue for me because I never understood it before this class. These are tools that I am applying on a consistent basis.

    Have your skills changed? Has your thinking changed? Please elaborate.
    My answer is yes to both of these questions. I felt like your constructive criticism and your tough grading helped push me to become more aware of writing errors. Also once we made the errors you’d have use to look it up in the book and change the error. This form of correction really helped me. The assignments caused us to think critically and to practice at our weaknesses. I feel that the areas where we were weak, we now are stronger. I feel stronger in areas of punctuation and APA because I gained an overall understanding of it. You helped my thinking changed with the positive and encouraging messages you sent us to keep practicing and moving ahead.

    What are your current growing edges? For example what will you continue to work on until you become proficient?
    From my point of view there is always room for improvement in writing. I will continue to following formatting guidelines, practice proper use of grammar and punctuation, and continue to seek ways to become more proficient in writing. I know that practice makes perfect.

  7. Joceli sanchez says:

    This class would have to been one of my harder classes simply because my writing skills are just not perfect. I learned so much with this writing class. i learned how to format the letters, memos, e-mails. How to compose a proper resume which I needed to know because you can’t get a job without having a good resume so that was the most I appreciated from taking this course.

    Im applying how my paper should be formatted as far as the spacing, indent, the closing, and the structure of how blocked letter format should be. I’ve always had trouble with grammar so my skills in that I think changed a little for the better. I think i need to continue to work on my formatting specially the APA since that is what I struggled with the most. I learned more in this english class then I did in 3 english classes in high school. I’m glad I took this class because I truly learned so much.

    I took a lot from this course on acceptable writing and how it should look, sound, and come off as.

    I hope everyone has a good summer and do well on all their finals and Thank you Professor Young for teaching me right way to write and format. 🙂

  8. Elizabeth Castro says:

    My favor topics were learning how to formatting and getting a job. After, reading, reviewing, and actually putting into play what I read and learn made learning fun and easy. I also found that these two topics were very informative to students that are pursuing careers. Like Professor Young, mentioned in her book, when people review an applicant’s resume they look for neatness and white space. Both of these topics went hand in hand. I loved writing my resume (since I have never made one) I love that I finally learned how to properly format an APA paper and job documents.

    I learned how to properly format an APA paper (for the first time in my life). I was also unclear on how to properly format an APA paper and having Professor Young, take me step by step and providing me with feedback really helped me to learn how to format an APA paper today. As of right now and the rest of my university days, I am using all the principles that apply to formatting an APA paper.
    I also learned how to write job documents, both in the job and how to get a job. I learned to write memo (which I never knew why they were used till now), I learned how to write complaint letters, and how to write and responded to job rejection letter and acceptance letter. Honestly, I have applied a letter of apology recently. In which, I received a highly “thank you” from the person.
    I have learned so much in this semester. I found this to be one of the most beneficial and informative courses I have token. Even though it was online, I felt that I could learn and my own pace which really helped me a lot. I have also learned and improve in my word usage (so I’ve been told).

    Yes, my skills has changed. They have improved. In my recent final paper I was told that my writing has improved massively throughout the semester and I must say I have to thank this class and the textbooks. My thinking has also changed, I remember I use to just writing without proof reading my own paper before someone does. My thinking about that has changed. In stand of me writing my paper and having someone else that has no idea where I want to go with the paper or how I want my paper to my organized, I decided that from now on I will first read all my papers edit and organization them the way I like and want, and then have someone look for my errors.

    My current growing edges, is editing and using word usage correctly. Like, mentioned throughout the whole semester English is my second language, it is still hard for me to adopt myself to certain rule and principles that the English language requires. These two principles are my mean goals to achieve by the end of my university years. This course has given me a step on accomplishing this edge which mean I am a step closer to my goal. I will continue to work on my growing edges to fully mastery my goal on knowing how to edit and use word usage correctly.
    I also wanted to say thank you to my team members, they were awesome. They were also very supportive! Thank you guys and thanks’ to Professor Young for making learning fun and informative.
    Best Wishes,
    Elizabeth Castro

  9. Wilbert Davis says:

    My favorite topics this semester were, formatting, conciseness and word usage, team communications, and networking and interviewing. These topics helped me develop my skills as a writer, and effectively communicate in the business world.
    I learned that word usage, formatting, and punctuation are key elements to effectively communicate as a professional. When these principles are applied, your documents receive creditability and your readers will take them seriously at a glance. I have written two thank you letters, for recommendations that were written on my behalf to the BSW program, and I also revised my resume, using a more career focused objective, and I created a new letterhead with my name in bold feature.
    My skills have improved dramatically, as a social work major APA formatting is preferred, and I am confident in my ability to write in this style. I take writing very serious now that I have developed professional writing skills. Each document that I produce, is done so with care and great consideration to my readers.
    My growing edges are, punctuation and word usage. I am committed to improving my editing skills, taking the time and care to produce creditable, professional quality documents.
    This has been a wonderful learning experience, and I want to thank Professor Young for your encouragement and great feedback, you have been an inspiration and great motivation. To each of my teammates, I thank you for the great feedback and support. I hope that you all have continued success and best of luck in your future endeavors.
    All the best,
    Wilbert Davis

  10. Alyssa Verde says:

    I have learned so much over the course of this semester. Before I took this class, I was a bit skeptical because I had never taken an online class before. However, I’m definitely glad I decided to take this class.

    Over the course, I think my favorite topics were Getting a Job, Communicating on the Job, and Formatting Business Documents. These topics were my favorite, because I know they’re going to help me in the future the most. Before I took this class, I had no idea how to even correctly format a business document. I had no idea that something as little as not putting a colon after the salutation can get your document thrown out. Leaving this class, I feel like I can practically do it with my eyes closed. For practice, I even redid my dad’s resume. He hasn’t updated his resume in quite sometime, but I was surprised to see how incorrect some of his formatting was.

    In addition, I also learned that the writing process consists of three phases. Before this class, I always had a difficult time writing because I would edit as I was composing. After learning that it’s important to only compose during the composing phase, I’ve been better about not editing then. I’ve also learned things like controlling sentence length, eliminating empty information, and the “you” point of view. I feel like knowing things as little as these concepts are critical for your future. They’ll not only make us sound more professional, but they’ll be concepts we will always need to apply.

    I think my skills and thinking have definitely changed over this semester. Since I know more concepts to apply to my writing, I’m more confident. I know ways to improve my writing, editing, and revising skills. For example, I know I’ll be able to elaborate my ideas more when I don’t edit as I compose. I also think my outlook on writing has changed. I no longer feel like it’s a bother to do. I actually enjoy expressing myself through writing now.

    I’m going to work on formatting business documents until I become proficient. For as much as we’ve done it throughout the semester, I think I still need practice. I believe that practice makes perfect and this is a concept I want to become “perfect” at. Not to mention, this is a skill I will need throughout my career and future. I don’t see business documents ever going away. In fact, I think as time goes on, I see formatting business documents only becoming more advance. Therefore, I think it’s important to get formatting down now so I’ll be able to adapt more easily in the future.

  11. Lauren Doreski says:

    Hello everyone,

    My favorite topics were cover letter, resumes, formatting, and team work.

    I learned how to use these topics effectively. Also, how to correctly format and make yourself stand out just by letters on a word. I am applying all of these topics in my daily life when I write e-mails and when I applied for a job I needed my resume. I also have applied my teamwork skills we used from our dialogs with our teammates and giving constructive feedback rather than negative feedback. I believe this class has opened my eyes to a new style of thinking.

    My skills have changed dramatically. I always struggled with learning where to put semicolons and commas; I do believe I have improved with this issue and now I can differentiate between the two. I also believe my formatting and my sense of thinking have changed throughout this semester. I have actually been thinking about what I am going to write before I write it and take into consideration the formatting and wording.

    I believe my current growing edges are semicolons and commas. Those are my two things I really need to work on until I become proficient. I also need to just keep writing so I do not fall behind on my writing strategies. Also, I always have an issue with writing run-ons. I believe there is always room for improvement in writing.

    I honestly have learned so much from this class in a semester. I enjoyed doing all of the writing assignments, forums, and discussion forums. Each time I opened my book I learned more and more each time. Also, the feedback we received from Professor Young were very beneficial. If I were to take another English course I would request Professor Young.

    Hope everyone is doing well on their finals,

    Study hard :),

    Lauren Doreski

  12. Jasmyn Mendoza says:

    Hello all,

    It was hard for me to decide which topic was my absolute favorite. I found each topic to be beneficial in some type of way. I really enjoyed the topics covered in Chapter 2: What is Good Business Writing and Chapter 4: Office Communications. It ranged from topics about formatting, punctuation, and properly formatting emails, memos, and business letters. The Professional Writing textbook was a great help; it was very well detailed and easy to follow. I was able to start my writing assignments with no hesitation. I enjoyed the helpful tips and examples listed in the textbook.

    Throughout this semester, I have learned a lot of new information about different topics. Each topic, I was able to learn something new. For example, I learned how to develop a cohesive and coherent paragraph, which was not easy for me at all. I always experienced trouble making sure that my writing was clear for my reader. Thanks to the text, I am now able to clarify that my paragraphs are a mixture of both. Also, the comma and punctuation rules were extremely helpful during my revisions. I never knew there were different rules to follow when applying a comma in a sentence. In addition, I enjoyed learning how to properly format a business letter and resume. These two types of documents are very important to format correctly in order to obtain our future career goals. I knew my writing needed some work, but I was unsure of how to start. I want to thank Professor Young for all the helpful advice and guidance she offered to improving my writing.

    My skills and thinking has improved a lot. Now, I make sure to start any writing assignment on the day it is assigned. I focus more on getting my ideas down on paper then worrying about the editing process. It is easier to cut unnecessary information than coming up with new ideas. Before, I would start a paper the night before! It was horrible, because I would write it and not go back to proofread it. It was becoming a bad habit and I knew it was time for a change. I started to become more familiarized with different topics throughout the text and understood what my paper needs to consist of to be effective. For my other classes, I use the text as a reference guide when I’m editing my assignments. As of today, my grades are improving. ☺

    My current growing edges are correctly formatting business letters, following punctuation and comma rules, and APA citation. My goal is to be able to properly format and edit my papers without looking back at a reference. I want it to be like second nature. I know it will take time and practice but I am ready for the challenge. I also heard many times that APA citation style is a must for nursing school, so I hope to improve on it before I start nursing school.

    Best regards,
    Jasmyn

  13. Natasha Kendle says:

    Hello Everyone,

    I believe my favorite topic was learning the proper way to write letters, memo, and e-mails. I will be using these types of communications everyday in my field of professions. I will know feel confident when it is time to send out my first professional thank you letter, memo, or e-mail. I learned something at the very beginning of this class and now it is a habit no matter who I am writing, which is to have an introduction, body, and conclusion when emailing someone. I also learned to end with my first and last name at the end. Before I took this class I would just type what I had to say and thank the person whom I am writing all in one paragraph. I will never do that again now that I know the proper way to emailing others.

    A Skill that has changed for me is being clear when I am writing and using the rule of conciseness. Eliminate Redundant Pairings of words that mean the same thing (Young, 2013, p. 210). This has been beneficial to my writing and makes it easier for me when it is time to edit. I will definitely continue to work on my punctuation, grammar, word usage, and my editing skills. I do not have time to concentrate on these things like I want to but, every time I go to the writing lab I learn something new. I think my writing has come a long way and I am always grateful for constructive feedback. It has helped make my writing what it is today. I am happy to have these two books for reference because they will come in handy for the rest of my time at IUN. I will definitely put these books on my book bookshelf.

    Enjoy your summer classmates and Professor Young.

    Natasha Kendle

  14. Gerri Massey says:

    This class was harder for me because it was online. I usually do better in class room settings, but I had to take this one online. I thought it would be easier because English is my strong suit, but it wasn’t. I do feel I learned a lot about myself and what works for me and what does not in terms of my career. My favorite topics were learning how to properly format APA, the right tenses to use, colon, and semi colon rules.

    I learned a lot from this class on editing and proper formatting. Although I am still struggling with it, I hope to improve in the future. I think my skills have not fully changed yet, but I am working on it. I think the book is a good learning tool and I can refer back to it for many years to come.

    I am going to continue working on proper formatting until I become efficient. I always forget to change the margins and the right spacing between paragraphs. I hope to improve on these things throughout my lifetime.

  15. What were your favorite topics?
    My favorite topics where getting a job and the interview. I enjoyed giving an interview to some one that is in the same field as me. Giving that interview gave me so much insight of how much work and time I have to look forward too. The chapter “Getting a Job” really helped me to learn how to write professionally and to also have a great resume.

    What did you learn? What principles are you applying?
    I have learned a lot of good information from taking this class. I have learned how to write e-mails and memos. I know now both in an e-mails and memos I don’t have to write so much to get my point across. I also learned how to format my e-mails because I always end my e-mails wrong.

    Have your skills changed? Has your thinking changed?
    Yes, my skills and thinking has really changed. I know I need to start re-reading everything I write. When I write now I try to watch out for run-on sentences. I have learned if I have a run on sentence try to stop it by using a comma or semicolon.

    What are your current growing edges?
    I think my some thing I could work on is my comma and semicolon usage. I have a huge problem using commas when it comes to writing a paper. I also think I need to work on my format for APA citations. I think if I look at examples and practice on it a little more the next paper I write will come out a success.

  16. Meghan Gniadek says:

    I was very hesitant about taking this English course being that I was totally new to online classes. I did not know how to feel or what to even expect. With the semester over, I can honestly say that I have gained so much from this experience. One thing that I absolutely loved about this course was the fact that Professor Young didn’t want us to write tons of long, boring papers like most professors do. She wanted us to gain the different forms of writing, whether it was how to write a business letter, professional communications, or the basic mechanics of writing. What good would writing a paper do if we weren’t taught anything? Professor Young genuinely cared and wanted us to grasp and develop skills in all the distinctive aspects.

    It is pretty convenient that we just recently had to write letters about quitting a job, because in a month I be quitting my current job. I will take what I learned, and apply it for when I have to do so. This semester we learned how to write and format resumes, which will most definitely be beneficiary for everybody. One of my favorite topics we covered was the cultural sensitivity. It was so interesting to me reading all the forums from my classmates, learning about their cultures and their crazy experiences. I also enjoyed learning about office communications, learning how to correctly format and structure emails, letters, e-memos, and faxes. I don’t think people actually realize how important this is and how often this can and will be used in the future.

    I gained so much knowledge and experience from this course and cannot wait to apply everything I have learned. I am not perfect and will continue to grow and work on things such as punctuation and grammar (especially verbs). Like Professor Young says, “Persistence is the key to success.” Practice makes perfect and the harder you try, the better your outcome will be. So thank you, Professor Young, for doing all that you have done for me to become the best writer I could be.

    It was a pleasure working with everyone, and I have learned a tremendous amount of material this semester! I hope everyone does awesome on their finals, and has a fun and SAFE summer break!

    • Monica Almy-Boylan says:

      I enjoyed this class and Professor Young. I have been away from school since the late 1990’s and coming back was intimidating at first. While I am not in “full swing”, this class has brushed the dust off and kick started things I had once learned. I still have a lot of brushing up to do, but as mentioned, the more you do it, the better you become.

      The topics that were covered this semester were review for me, and much needed at that. APA format is still the devil, but I have found software that can assist with that as the content of a paper is what is relevant to me.

      Mind mapping is new for me and I like it. I will carry that forward. My favorite topic in this class was the professional communication segment. I meant what I said in my forum post about going back to reflect on the chapters discussed. No truer words about professional communication have been spoken. TONE IS EVERYTHING.

      I have enjoyed my time with my team and watching them grow. I am over the moon that so many of you are nursing majors. I hope nursing school doesn’t kill you, because after you pass your boards, the world is your oyster.

      Good luck to all of you.

  17. Charlesea Calhoun says:

    I actually was worried about taking a class online. I prefer personal interaction and getting my work done in class if possible. I had a slow start and fell behind a little because I kept forgetting about the class. However, once I caught up I actually learned a lot.

    My writing has improved with each assignment. I have got better at using stronger verbs which is one of my favorite things in writing. Another thing I have gotten better with and still working on is grammar and spelling. I sometimes write like I text and have to remember to go back and recheck for those errors.

    I didn’t have a particular favorite topic but overall I am happy about learning to write better. One thing I am taking away with me is how to be more professional in my writing. Whether it’s a resume or a letter. I actually have to do a letter of resignation soon and this class will help me write it. When I write my other teachers now I do it correctly. I am applying everything I learned so that my writing will be the best it can.

  18. Briana Goodfriend says:

    My favorite topics would be learning about diversity and being culturally aware, and values. It was fun to asses those values because they are all so important. I found it so interesting how careful you have to be when working with other cultures. I found it interesting learning about all the things that go in to making a successful business I saw a lot of what my dad has done in the work i learned and grew a new appreciation of how hard of a worker he is.

    I learned how professional writing is. How to keep it short and to the point and how to sound professional. I am apply all the skills I have learned in this class and I will continue throughout my career. The to skills I learned I use the most is keeping letters orientated to the reader, and having an intro body and conclusion.

    I have grown into a professional writer. I was nervous that I would not know how to wound professional but by the end of the semester I was writing professional without even thinking. My thinking has definitely changed. The thought process when writing is very different from essays and business writing. I have learned my thought process for business writing and know how to apply it and when I need to use certain skills.

    I need to work on grammar. I have always struggled and in order to sound professional I need to have good grammar.

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