My Academic Writing Experience

I had been surprised to find, after returning again to the University of Windsor approximately twenty years after dropping out, that enrolling in academic writing courses had become a requirement to become eligible to graduate. This idea had frightened me at first for legitimate reasons. But with no talking myself out of it, I quickly decided that taking academic writing courses was probably going to be a very necessary practice for me. Realistically, possessing academic writing skills, and I could admit, was an area in which I was sorely lacking. I knew in my heart that I really had no idea how to write a paper, and if I could recall correctly, I did not have to write papers in any of my classes of twenty years ago. Although I knew that Foundation of Academic Writing (FAW) courses would likely be very difficult for me, and in fact they have been, I have persevered and I expect to achieve a comparably higher grade in FAW II than I did in FAW I. While the desire to achieve good grades helps me to have a target to aim for, my target is to become a good writer. With so many complex rules to follow, FAW courses are indeed a definite challenge to that end.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the FAW I and II textbooks, and I have found while navigating through My Canadian Computer Lab(MCCL) that there is a bounty of instruction and practice material there on every topic in the course. All of the study guides, resources, and outside links MCCL provides are most helpful in the learning process. The study plans that MCCL produces upon completing a quiz gives the student further practice for the areas that he or she has the most difficulty in. On the subject of textbooks, I have particularly enjoyed The Write Stuff (TWS) text...

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...on off by concentrating primarily on this area of study.

Works Cited

Aaron, J. E., & Morrison, A. (2012). The Little, Brown Compact Handbook. (2nd Custom ed. for the University of Windsor.). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada, Inc.

Colella, J., & Morrison, O.P., & Oullette, D. (2012) Faw Peer Review Guide. (2nd Custom ed. for the University of Windsor.). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada, Inc.

Colella, J., & Morrison, O.P., & Oullette, D. (2011). Foundations of Academic Writing I. (4th Custom ed. for the University of Windsor.). Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions. creativity. The Free Dictionary, by Farlex. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/creativity

Sims, M., & Chan, W., & Sethuram, P. (2012). The Write Stuff: Thinking Through Essays. (2nd Custom ed. for Foundations of Academic Writing II.). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada, Inc.