Dear Mr.

Kase,

I have experienced several new ways of writing different kinds of essays. I took this class

because I have always had a strong interest in a class that helps bolster my writing skills. I have a

strong passion for writing and regardless of how challenging this path might seem, I am

determined to pursue it. Taking this course has helped me have a clear insight into my strengths

and weaknesses as a writer. It has provided me with an opportunity to fortify my weak areas.

Without a doubt, my writing skills have evolved significantly throughout this semester because

of this class and with the guidance of the lecture notes. Initially, I really struggled to separate my

ideas into different paragraphs and I also found putting my ideas into the correct order laborious.

Furthermore, I had several grammar and spelling mistakes. Nonetheless, with constant practice

coupled with your comments on all my papers and the lecture notes, I managed to eliminate most

of my previous challenges.

The essay I was most pleased with was the persuasive research paper because it allowed

me to express specific reasons for my standpoint as well as to research factual information

related to it. I supported the perspective that social media improves our society and used the

three rhetorical appeals to support my claims. Learning and writing this paper equipped me with

the skill of communicating persuasively, which is important in our everyday lives as professional

writers and future leaders. Also, the persuasive research paper provided me with an opportunity

to share my opinion on the impact of social media, which is one of the trendiest topics at the

moment.

The other paper I was pleased with was my letter to the editor because it was also more of

a persuasive writing. In my letter, I talked about the problem of cyberbullying in Utah schools,

mentioned characteristics that make students vulnerable to cyberbullying, and finally proposed a
solution to the issue. The cyberbullying issue in my letter to the editor was connected to the

shortcomings of social, which I discussed in my persuasive research paper.

The essay that I was least pleased with was my summary and critical response paper.

Compared to the other papers, I found this paper a little bit challenging to write, especially the

critical response part. Although I love writing, I have never been a great fan of the critical essay

because of the huge bulk of work that awaits writers in terms of interpreting, processing as well

as analyzing information. Moreover, I do find it quite challenging to interpret and analyze

someone’s work without forming any bias. At times, it is nearly impossible to remain neutral,

particularly when writing a critical response on a topic that is of great interest to me. For

example, although I agree with Amitai Etzioni’s argument that occupations negatively influence

school contribution and participation in awful ways, I felt he overlooked the fact that some

students like me are negatively affected academically because of financial concerns. Even so, I

had to stay objective in my interpretation and evaluation of his arguments.

In addition, I must say there were levels in all the essays that were challenging for me.

For the critical summary and critical response paper, the critical response section was the most

challenging part. When writing my analysis for the first time, it was so hard to stay objective. As

for the letter to the editor, the hardest part was choosing the right words and facts to persuade my

readers that cyberbullying is a serious problem in Utah schools. As for the persuasive research

paper, I was torn between arguing for and against the impact of social media on society. This is

because social media has both far-reaching benefits and shortcomings that one can expound on.

Even so, I eventually managed to form my opinion on the issue. Therefore, every essay took

effort, time and numerous ideas to form a final piece.

 Moreover, the format of this class is simple and clear, which made it easy for me to

access all the necessary resources throughout the semester. Although the textbook was helpful,

not every part of it applied to the assignments. Nonetheless, I appreciate the fact you provided us

with the textbook as a reading resource. Your comments on all my papers were also really

helpful. They helped me identify my mistakes as a writer as well as gave me a clear idea of the

specific areas I had done well and the ones I had to improve on going forward. For instance, your

feedback on my summary and critical response paper was really helpful in my persuasive

research paper as well as the letter to the editor. The lecture notes were very informative and

clear. They guided me and helped me understand every concept and assignment without

difficulty.

Finally, I have gained a lot from this course. It has expounded the knowledge I acquired

from my previous English classes. It has improved my skills in critical thinking, rhetoric, and

even drafting. As I continue to further my knowledge in the field of writing, I hope to maintain

these writing skills and also advance them. I now feel more confident as a writer and aim to carry

on applying all these writing skills as I continue to grow in this field. Also, I am now ready for a

new challenge. Overall, this class taught me writing techniques and skills that I intend to use to

establish myself as a professional writer in the future.

Sincerely,

Ahmed Aldossary.