To reflect is to think deeply about something. The activity of reflection does not need to be formal in nature.

Simply sit down with a copy of your past assignments and consider the time and effort you spent writing it.
Areas to consider:

Time management (Did I plan out time to complete this assignment effectively? What steps should I
devote more to in the future?)
Exam Essay:

Yes, I did manage my time while I was writing this essay. That week was extremely stressful and
hectic, but I made sure to plan time to write my essay and study.

Literary Analysis:

I feel that I could have spent more time proofreading and looking for mechanical mistakes.
Overall, I managed my time fairly well for this assignment but should have spent more time
editing.

Use of sources (Did I use my sources effectively to articulate my argument?)

Exam Essay:

Of the three short stories that I chose, I used each one to help my argument and support my
claim.

Literary Analysis:

I used the three short Dark Romantic stories that I chose to exemplify that Dark Romantic period
and its key characteristics.

Critical reading and note taking (Did I read the assignment closely to make sure I fully understood the
expectations ? Did I utilize any prewriting strategies? What prewriting strategies seemed to work for me?
What strategies might work for me?)
Exam Essay:

Yes, I read the assignment closely and understood what was expected of me. Before I began
writing my essay, I created a detailed outline that helped guide my writing and allowed me to
jump in and begin my paper.

Literary Analysis:

Yes, I read the assignment closely and understood what was expected of me. I first made an
outline of what my 3 body paragraphs where going to be about, and then brainstormed ideas and
themes from the three short stories that I read. I then organized my ideas into a more detailed
outline, which allowed me to jump right into writing my essay.

Organization (Was there an introduction and a conclusion? Did each paragraph have a topic sentence?)

Exam essay:

There was an introduction and a conclusion and each paragraph has a topic sentence. My
transition sentences could be improved though.

Literary Analysis:

There was an introduction and a conclusion and each paragraph has a topic sentence. My three
body paragraphs were all a bit long and may have worked better if I had spilt some of them into
two.

Argument and analysis (Was my thesis statement clear and specific? Did I explain the evidence for the
reader by integrating analysis with summary?)
Exam essay:

My thesis was specific and clear to the topic and gave an introduction into my body paragraphs.
In my introduction I gave specific examples from each short story that I focused on.

Literary Analysis:

My thesis clearly lays out the specific ideas and themes dealing with Dark Romanticism that I
discussed later in my body paragraphs. Over all I feel that my Introduction paragraph lays out a
strong starting point for this essay.

Rhythm and style of the language (Did I use transitions to show relationships between ideas? Were my
sentences a variety of long and short? Did I vary the way my sentences and paragraphs began?)
Exam essay:

I did use transition sentences, but in my opinion they couch have been much stronger. This is
where I would significantly improve my paper. The length of my sentences did vary from short to
long. My topic sentences in each paragraph varied and were unique to the specific topic.

Literary analysis:

I used transitions between each paragraph to show the connection between the two ideas, but
some of my transition sentences were very similar. My sentence length varies somewhat
throughout this essay; I need to work on making sure I have short sentences as well as long
sentences and look for run-ons. My topic sentences in each paragraph do vary, but could be
stronger.

In-text citation and references (Did I cite sources appropriately? What aspects of citation or references
are still confusing to me?)
Exam Essay:

I did not have to cite the short stories that I used to write this essay.

Literary Analysis:

My citations in this essay were correct, and I understand how to cite my sources, but I do need to
make sure to cite every single website that I use.

Grammar, punctuation and formatting (Were all sentences complete, with a subject and verb? What
punctuation was problematic for me? Was my document in the proper MLA style? What areas of the MLA
format were problematic for me?)
Exam Essay:

All of my sentences were complete, but I need to work on my use of the semicolon. The format
of my paper was in correct MLA style, but I need to master the proper punctuation to use when
quoting something.

Literary analysis:

Almost all of my sentences were complete, but some of my sentences that I used quotes in were
not. The format of my paper was in correct MLA style, but I need to focus on block quotes and
never leaving a quote in a paragraph by itself.

Actions to consider:

Take notes on what difficulties you encountered during the writing process and brainstorm solutions for
the future.
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Beginning essays

Solution: make detailed outline / come back to the introduction sentence after writing
the other paragraphs

Transitioning to other paragraphs

Solution: writing center / try to connect the two ideas

Organization

Solution: brainstorm ideas first before creating an outline / organize my idea in two
different ways and see which one flows better

Record your instructor's comments and track these for each assignment from first quarter.
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Punctuation when quoting (MLA format)

Overused words

Breaking overly long paragraphs

Run-on sentences

No floating quotes

Further explanation on certain topics

Make sure all pronouns are clear

Read through your papers, highlighting problem areas in one color and successful areas in another.
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Problem areas: yellow

Successful areas: light blue

Compare an earlier paper to the one you just completed. Do you see positive change?
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Yes, in comparing my literary analysis to my midterm essay I can see a major difference in the
level of writing.

Planning for Improvement

Reflection can help you identify the areas for improvement, but in order to actually move forward, you will need
to make a plan and remind yourself of your goals. After identifying your writing strengths and weaknesses:

Celebrate your strengths by congratulating yourself on what you did well.

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Strong introductions

Nice organization of both essays

Strong word choice

Sign up for writing center appointments to help you elevate your writing. Keep a reflection journal of your
writing center appointments.

Use the automated grammar checker Grammarly, free for EHS students. Create a folder to keep all of
your Grammarly reports. Revise until you are in the mid-high 90s in correctness for each assignment.

Create a checklist for your next writing assignment. The most important thing to remember is that
becoming a better writer takes time.
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Checklist:

No run-on sentences

Not comma or semicolon mistakes

Check punctuation at the end of quotations

No floating quotes

Is every idea fully explained?

Paragraph size (too big?)

Check for overuse of certain words

Clear pronouns

Correct MLA format (font, spacing, quotes, header)

No spelling mistakes

Strong transitions

Make a list of online resources that will help you with each specific area of weakness.
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Grammarly (commas, semicolons, overused words, run-ons)

Pocket style Manuel online version (MLA format and punctuation, run-ons, pronouns)