End-of-Semester Reflective Essay
Directions: For this assignment, you will write a three-page reflection paper
(double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font) explaining what specific
skills you have learned since the start of the semester, how you have improved as a
student writer with each course assignment, and what skills you think will be most
beneficial to a successful completion of assignments in other English classes
and/or courses related to your career.
You must illustrate your points with relevant examples or specifics from course
assignments and/or your papers to help the reader gain a better understanding of
your progress as a writer.
As such, your paper should not consist of a free flow of ideas without purpose. It
must be constructed as any other formal essay, with an introduction that ends with
a clearly stated thesis statement, body paragraphs with topic sentences and
supporting details, explanations, and a conclusion.
Grading Criteria
Each section is worth 25 points for a total of 100.
Content and Development of Ideas
The paper meets all the content-related requirements of the assignment, as
specified above. It includes a clearly stated thesis statement (topic + assertion) at
the end of the introductory paragraph, supported with sufficient and consistently
relevant examples and clear explanations in each body paragraph. The paper has a
concluding paragraph that summarizes the main points and gives the essay a sense
of completeness.
Organization and Structure
The writing is planned so that it progresses by clearly ordered and necessary
stages, is developed with consistent attention to appropriate proportion and
emphasis; paragraphs are coherent, unified, and effectively developed; transitions
between paragraphs and between the sentences within each paragraph are explicit
and effective.
Word Choice (Diction), Tone, and Style
The paper uses words appropriate for a college-level audience. The words chosen
are precise and concise. The writing is free of colloquial (i.e., conversational,
informal) expressions, such as clichés and euphemisms. The tone is objective and
logical. The style is formal, consisting mainly of complex and compound-complex
sentences.
Grammar and Mechanics
The paper demonstrates careful proofreading. Sentences are clear and
straightforward. Clarity and effectiveness of expression are promoted by consistent
use of standard grammar. The paper is free of errors such as subject-verb
disagreement, sentence fragments, comma splices, run-on sentences, dangling
modifiers, etc. The writing follows rules for capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling
