1.) What was your final thesis statement? Paste, then analyze its strengths and weaknesses in a focused paragraph (considering specificity, taking a stance, narrow focus, multiple components).

My final thesis statement was, “Social media should be taken less seriously and children should be monitored or not use it at all.” I think I could’ve made it more specific and focused around my ideas. I honestly wish I had volunteered it to be workshopped with the class I think I would’ve benefited greatly from that. I do hit my topics and make my claim but there was so much more I said in the essay and even more I wanted to say. I think part of the issue was this was only a four page paper. I could’ve written about this for much longer than only four pages so it was choosing which ideas were most important and what I should focus on.

2.) In a separate paragraph, describe what you learned or were reminded of about your own writing process.

I was reminded that I need to force myself to sit down and write things. I think the process I use to write my essays works well. I lay out what topics I want to hit and what I want to talk about, gather quotes that fix that topic, then I sit down and get most of it done. I usually skip the intro for last. I get everything laid out beforehand so when I sit and write I don’t have to stop I can just go for it and get it all out there. The problem is sitting down and writing. I get my outlining done days before I have to but leave the writing for the last minute. I need to find a spot on campus where I can just hole up and feel the need to be productive so I can write it. That’s always been my biggest issue with essays or papers.

3.) In another paragraph which aspect of your revision did you focus most on? What changes or adjustments made your essay stronger?

I focused most on making sure everything flowed together. I find that when I write I can think I explained something extremely clearly but I actually didn’t. So making sure my points are developed and coherent are my biggest worries. Sometimes I can leave a sentence or idea half finished so leaving the draft for a few days then returning fresh faced can make me realize just how messy my writing can get. I’m always looking for ways to make my sentences or paragraphs better flow into each other.

4.) How might you approach paper #2 differently from pre-reading and annotation, all the way through completion of your final draft?

I’d try to get paper #2 done and written before the day it’s due so I have time to properly revise and rethink over my ideas. That way if something big or structural about the essay has to change it’s not a race against the clock or a “well too late now” kind of deal. I want to be able to go in and make those changes with the proper time to do so. That way the paper can be as best as I can make it. I’d also like to annotate the things I read more. It’s much more helpful to have good annotations that way I don’t have to completely reread the article multiple times to find the quotes I need or to be able to create a good summary. I want to mark up what I’m reading more so I can remember what I was thinking/feeling when I first read it.