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Benjamin Gold

Professor Ditch

English 115

8 December 2019

Essay Improvements: Beginner to Knowledgeable Novice

To write an essay, one needs to write about point A and how they got to point B. To write

a good and compelling essay, one must describe the steps it takes to get from point A to point B.

I have a general rule when I plan a trip; I always want to know details about where I am going

and how I am going to get there, the same rule applies to when I write an essay. Before taking

English 115 with Professor Ditch, I would argue that writing an essay is just about getting to

point B. However, with more experience and Professor Ditch’s help, I have a more precise

understanding that I cannot get to point B without knowing how to get there. I also learned that I

have to stay on course and avoid detours that are not part of the plan. I applied “staying on track”

in my writing by using practical transition sentences. Throughout my time in English 115, my

writing has improved, as evidenced by my first essay to the enhancements which I made in my

second essay.

To start, the most important thing I learned throughout English 115 was the importance

of the thesis. I knew that it was, in a sense, the underlying theme of my essay, but initially, I did

not give it as much importance as it needs. As a class, Professor Ditch told us to include the

thesis at the end of each paragraph. While writing my essay, I kept that in mind, but I did not

follow through every time. In my first essay, there is not one time where I refer back to the

thesis. However, in my second essay, there are multiple occasions where I mention the argument.

Reintroducing the thesis keeps readers on track, and while it may seem repetitive at the moment,
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repeating the thesis made my writing more precise and better understood. Reiteration also kept

me on track, reminding me of the connection I needed between my points and argument.

Looking back at my first two essays, I can see a clear difference in my comprehension because

of my understanding of the thesis. My writing has improved shown by my use and knowledge of

the argument.

From the thesis, I should have been able to come up with a simple transition to connect

the prior paragraph and the current. However, because my first essay did not have reiterations of

the thesis, it was much more challenging to create quality transitions. In my second essay, I use

much better transitions. My transitions became sounder because I included the thesis at the end

of the previous paragraph. After noticing my mistake with the argument, it became clear that I

needed a transition; without it, the writing does not seem very fluid. My essay became much

more organized by including a transition to make the essay flow better. This semester my essay

writing has advanced indicated by the improvement in my transition sentences.

In all essays, transition sentences lead the reader to the next idea or piece of evidence.

While moving on to the next thought is what I did in writing my essays. However, writing my

next paragraph came with another struggle, providing an analysis of the evidence. Coming into

English 115, I did a decent job of analyzing; however, I still found myself struggling to explain

everything adequately. The lack of analysis in some paragraphs was due to the disorganization of

my essays. I needed help organizing my work, and I found myself using the organized example

essays and outlines found on Canvas. I followed the structure of the example essays, and my

analysis became far more evident. In the first essay, I put general information in each section of

the paragraph. However, in my second essay, I read and understood what each part required. I
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added more specific info, which included an analysis of the evidence. My writing has progressed

displayed by my organization and analysis of my second essay.

In conclusion, my writing abilities have thoroughly advanced since the beginning of the

semester. The main reason for my progress is that I have gained a better understanding of writing

and organizing an essay. Along with a better understanding, I gained more experience in essay

writing. The knowledge I have attained throughout this class brings me to a critical area that

Professor Ditch taught me. My level of intelligence is not set; I must have a growth mindset so I

can flourish. With a growth mindset, I hope to continuously improve not only on my essays but

all other work that I choose to conquer. Even with what I have learned so much throughout this

course, I would say that I came in as a beginner; however, I will now be leaving as a

knowledgeable novice.