Reflection

It's been a great ride so far! I feel as though I have learned so much in so little time.  At the beginning of the year, I sort of returned to my old writing habits and had trouble analyzing and providing commentary on my writings.  But now, I feel as though I've really started to understand what it means to write a good essay.  Sure, it can still be hard to put into practice, but I can at least say I know what I'm aiming for.  Before, I used to just write aimlessly, without knowing what I was doing in the slightest, however, now when first starting an essay and reading a prompt, I know what to look for and how to organize into an essay that makes sense.
The only trouble that I really still have is taking it from middle-of-the-road writing to a score of 8 or 9.  Sometimes, I'll look at my essay and think, "Hm, I can see the message and what I'm trying to prove here, but it's just not written that well."  It just doesn't flow very well.  It tends to be way too choppy.  Of course, that beats barely writing anything that makes sense whatsoever.  Overall, I'd say I've grown a lot as writer.  And although writing isn't necessarily something that I'll take with me into my career and my future, it is still a very valuable lesson that I am forever grateful for what I have been able to learn.