My name is John Fernandez. I’m 17, but I turn 18 at the end of the month. I’m a theater major at Lehman and I want to make my minor Dance when we return to the campus. I prefer he/him/his.

After reading the syllabus, I’m excited about this course. The main thing I’m excited about is just to be writing. I love writing because I find it low-key relaxing (depending on the topic). One thing I’m not excited about is that this course looks very fast pace and I’m worried that I could fall behind in this course. But besides that, I’m looking forward to this class.

A quality of a good writer is being able to let the writing flow. This is important because when the writing flows, it grabs the attention of the reader. If there’s no flow, there is no structure to the writing and it’s just random words. To be a good writer, one needs to not only be creative but to be able to just go with the moment and let the words come to him/her. When I write, I don’t plan what I’m going to write. I just read the question and I just write what flows in my brain. Sometimes it’s easy and other times it feels like there is a mental block. Being able to write well is important because I think developing good writing skills translates to having good communication skills.

I don’t think there’s the easiest part of writing for me. I have strengths and weaknesses. One thing I do well is letting words flow if I can get creative with the topic. The hardest part of writing for me is when the topic is difficult for me, I get blocked and I don’t know what to write and that’s the biggest thing I need to work on with my writing.

For my major, I’ll most likely be writing things like scripts and lyrics. Being an effective writer can help my opportunities because it gives me more options in my field.

Hello, My Name is Rohit Lal (He/Him). My intended major here at Lehman College is a combined degree of Economics and Mathematics.

In regards to the course syllabus the one thing I am excited most about is increasing my ability to properly analyze a text and comprehend it clearly. The thing that I am unsure about in regards to this course would be the readings. I have a tendency to get bored pretty easily regarding what it is that I am reading. If I get bored easily, it will more than likely hinder my overall ability to analyze anything in order to understand it properly.

The qualities of a good writer would be having the ability to get the point across to the reader so they can properly perceive the main idea. In order to be a good writer one must introduce the topic in a concise and coherent manner in order to help the reader understand what it is the author is trying to say. The importance of having the ability to write well can lead to a number of different positive qualities, one being the ability to properly defend an argument with the use of evidence to establish a proper ethos. If you can properly write an argumentative essay then you would be considered unstoppable when it comes to arguing a point.

The easiest part of writing for me would be using evidence in order to argue about a specific topic. What I would considered myself good at is looking for evidence to write about an argument.

The hardest part of writing for me would be the correct use of grammar. I have made countless grammatical errors in my essays from high school that have dropped my grades significantly. I really do need to work on my grammar when it comes to writing and I need to work on my understanding of writing.

The genres I would be expected write in major/field of study would mainly consist of mathematical equations and symbols, however within the study of economics I would be expected to use writing properly in order to realistically understand the economy. When it comes to mathematics and economics being an effective writer can be very beneficial, especially if you are doing proofs. However, when it comes to career opportunities no matter how good my analytical skills if I can not write properly then it can have a huge impact on my job placement.

Hello, my name is Eliana Espinal (she/her). I am a transfer student here at Lehman and currently my major is undecided though I plan to major in Biology.

As I start a new journey at Lehman I look forward to several things. After reading and reviewing the syllabus I am excited for a few things specifically in this course. I have always enjoyed writing though not all topics grasp my full attention. However, I am excited to write about social and cultural issues. I sometimes enjoy stating and explaining my opinion about certain topics and issues that we may face today. I am also excited to improve my writing skills. I know there is always space for improvements, so I look forward to that as well.

Generally, there are a few common qualities I believe good writers attain. For example, good writers are organized and clear with their writing. The goal is to not perplex the reader and ensure the reader understands the writer. Also, they tend to have powerful and complex vocabulary allowing the writer to develop a detailed and well written work. Good writers also always find a way to keep the reader engaged whether through the hook, style of writing or through the information written in the text. It is important to be able to write well because firstly, life mainly involves being able to express yourself regardless if it is done through writing or verbally. Also because knowing how to write well is essentially a useful skill.

The easiest part I believe writing is for me may be getting words written. As mentioned before, I enjoy writing so I can write and write and write. Once I start writing, it becomes hard to stop. However, in connection to it, it is something hard for me because at times, I write so much I get off track. Also, another hard part for me is getting started at times. When it is time to begin a paper, I tend to get stuck because I do not necessarily know where or how to begin. Lastly, another hard part for me is my vocabulary. It is not as strong as I wish it was. However, those are things I hope to improve through this semester.

In my intended major which I believe as of right now may be Biology, I expect to write a lot about the science of the human body. Also, how certain illnesses or bones of the body affects another part/bone of the body. I believe that Biology will include lots of writing.

Hi, my name is Mary Tenesaca (she/her). I intend to major in Biology and minor in Political Science. 

As I commence my journey at Lehman College, I’m definitely excited to learn, explore, and grow in many of my classes. Hence, I’m interested in how we’ll be able to write about different topics like political and cultural issues. I know I’ll even enjoy raising social awareness through our responses. Also, the only thing that is nerve-wracking is having grammatical errors and not getting my point across in assignments.

In regards to assignments in our course schedule, I am interested in the video, “Writing a literacy Narrative” Lecture and Amy Tan’s story “Mother Tongue”. I remember reading “Mother Tongue” in high school and relating so much to what she said about “broken” English. As a first-generation Latina, I had to help my mother understand and learn English. Moreover, I remember and felt the embarrassment Tan explained in her writing. Hence, my mother and parents in general, are like the primary visual or image of your family. So, they reflect on how the family functions and what status they have in society. Therefore, when someone speaks “broken” English in public places like supermarkets, they are seen as inferior and or not taken seriously. Due to this, it supplied Tan, and my younger self, to feel ashamed. Anyhow, I’m wondering what type of responses my peers might have on Amy Tan’s work.

After reading “Composition as a Write of Passage,” I think qualities of good writing must follow a particular formula. I think writing should stay on topic, be well structured/organized, zero grammatical errors, and have the author’s voice portrayed. To acconplish all these aspects of writing, I think one must practice writing with a variety of styles like argumentative, narrative, persuasive, and even free writing. But, a critical thing is always to have someone look at your work. So, being able to handle criticism, even if you do or don’t agree with it.

Writing has been part of my whole K-12 education. So throughout the years, I believe I’m well at organically structuring my essays. Additionally, I think I’m good at analyzing, identifying, and explaining evidence to support a claim. But, I think maybe I could be better at editing my essays like knowing the correct writing conventions. If I can apply this, then it can help me in future writing pieces.

The future feels far, but I know that becoming a PA involves writing.  I think I’ll be writing scientific journals and research papers. These types of pieces require the report to be clear and well organized. Especially if your explaining data or any kind of results from a study. Plus, being able to portray your ideas and thoughts clearly, helps in a team-based environment where I defiently see myself working in.

Hello, my name is Ariel Mendez,

My intended major is undecided for now and my preferred pronouns are he/him. I am excited to continue working on my writing skills and to see how much progress I’ll make from taking this class, my previous school had a low standard when it came to school work and I have many bad habits I need to break. I am anxious about the nights I will spend working on assignments I procrastinated to the last minute. Writing is one of the most crucial aspects to life and being able to fluently convey my feelings and ideas will continuously help me in the future no matter the field I head into. When writing towards someone or a group of people it’s important that you imagine yourself having a conversation with your work, having passion and pride for your writing is what makes a good writer. Writing is a prideful activity and I enjoy sharing my work with others when I believe what I wrote is valuable. The hardest part about writing is the absence of inspiration or writer’s block. There are times when concentrating on my work is too difficult and causes me to become frustrated with the piece I’m working on and at times I’ll start projects but delete the entire piece if the writer’s block is bad enough. While I’m still undecided about my major, I still believe that good English comprehension skills are crucial, and I can always use improvement on them.

What’s popping people, my name is Andrew Polanco and I identify myself as a male. (he/him) I definitely want to major in computer science, as I am interested in coding programs and perhaps code games in the future. After looking at the syllabus, I am excited to expand my writing even further and improving my ability to analyze text. One thing I am a little nervous about is receiving feedback/criticism. This is because the suspense kills me when you post something and you’re trying to figure out if what you wrote is good enough while waiting for someone to respond to you back.

Qualities of good writing include; organization, powerful language, an excellent hook, and writing that doesn’t completely bore the reader. To be a good writer, one must be keen to exploring new opportunities to expand their writing even further. Additionally, a good writer never stops writing. It is important to be able to write well because writing is a form of communication and expression. Writing and speaking are two different things. With writing, I believe it gives you more freedom than speaking.

I wouldn’t say I’ve knocked down these parts of my writing, however, I believe the easier parts are correctly using grammar and using sophisticated language. The hardest part about writing is deeply analyzing texts. Sometimes I exceed in it, and other times it needs work.

Obviously, coding involves typing and writing. If in the future I start coding games, I will need to use powerful language for dialogue when it comes to characters interacting.

That is all the information you are getting out of me today, I’m going to take a snooze. Peace.

Hello, my name is Daniel Price (he/him), I am currently undecided,

After reading the syllabus, I am looking forward to the well thought out writing assignments we will be writing, and the group discussions we will have about the texts we will be reading, I will also be looking forward to real classes in person because that just sounds pretty cool to me. One thing I am nervous about is the lectures because I have a problem paying attention to literally ANYTHING but trust me when I say I will try my best.

The qualities of good writing is whether it grasps your audiences attention or not and whether it has any feeling or emotion to it. If your writing piece doesn’t get the job done and gets a hold of the readers attention is it really something you can consider good? Well that all depends on the persons mindset. I think for one to become a good writer they need to read. Reading allows you to gather knowledge and you can pick up tips about how to better oneself as a writer along the way. Being able to write well is an important skill because it displays intellect, brainpower, and most of all it displays how capable you are with expressing oneself.

The easiest part of writing for me is just gathering thoughts and putting it on a screen/piece of paper. When my head is clear it is very easy to just let the words flow out of my mind onto paper/a document.

The hardest part of writing for me is making sure it all makes sense or struggling with making errors which is an essential part of a writing piece but sometimes I really need to look over my piece at least three times to make sure these words that made sense in my head makes sense aloud to another person or making sure I made no spelling errors. I need to work on pacing myself and not going to fast and reading what I write when I write it and ask myself if it fits what I said before and what I will say after.

I’m not sure what genres I will be expected to write in my future career field because currently I am undecided, but if  I had to make a guess it would probably be creative free writing. Being a effective writer is important in any career field because it displays you’re educated and deserve the title you have earned.

My name is Odalys Garate and I am Freshman at Lehman. My pronouns are She / Her . My intended major is Nursing.  I was born and raised in Queens.  My parents are from Ecuador. I have 3 sisters and I am the youngest of them. In high school activism played an important role in my life and it continues to play that role. That is only a little bit about me 🙂

After reviewing the syllabus, one thing that I am excited about is the class discussions because now that everything is virtual this will be the new way that we will communicate with everyone. I am also very excited about being able to not only write about certain texts given but also about social, political, economic and cultural issues. The things that I am most nervous about is that most of work will be done independently since it is an asynchronous class and the amount of essays that are given are pretty overwhelming but I do understand that with time management they wont feel so overwhelming.

The qualities of good writing are well formed and detailed thoughts and analysis. You should be able to provide a good amount of evidence while also being able to transition your thoughts. It is significant that you are able to get your point across and that your writing is well organized and formalized, that way readers aren’t confused. Nobody wants to read something poorly written. For me the easiest part of writing is probably being able to sort out well your ideas in order to formulate a very well detailed analysis. Something that has helped me a lot is writing an outline of my writing that way my ideas are organized and well thought of. I believe that this is something I do well. However the hardest part of writing for me is coming up with smooth transitions into my new ways of thinking or in other words starting a new topic sentence. This is something I need to work on because this can affect the writing a lot. 

I don’t believe that I will be doing so much writing for nursing but types of writing that I will most likely be doing are charting, care plans and narratives. Being an effective writer can affect my career opportunities because I need to be able to properly write down every patient of mine correct information and just be able to analyze them well so that if anything changes everything is being kept track of and so that everything is being taken care of properly.

Hello, my name is Lianie Vega (She/her). My intended major is Nursing.

After reviewing the syllabus, one thing I am excited about is reading “Let America be America Again,” by Langston Hughes. I am excited about that because I am familiar with the work of Langston Hughes. I learned about him back in high school. One thing I am a bit nervous about is writing the final drafts of my essays. There has been times when I felt like I could of changed something or included more to my essays after submitting them in.

Good writing should always make sense. Good writing shouldn’t include run-on sentences. A good writer must be observant so they are able to see and fix any mistake they have in their writing. It is important to be able to write well so you can express the ideas you have and get your points across. A lot of jobs require people to be able to write well. Writing well is a useful skill.

The hardest part about writing is starting an essay. Sometimes, I have no idea what the first sentence should be or what to include in my introduction. I don’t have a hard time writing the body paragraphs of an essay. I usually have a lot of ideas that I want to include in my body paragraphs. The easiest part about writing is rereading what I just finished writing. That is the easiest part because I have already expressed all my ideas and I’m just looking for any mistakes I made.

I will be expecting to write nonfiction. Everything that a nurse writes must be accurate. Nurses must be able to record their observations, fill out charts, and record any data. Nurses must be able to write well because they want what’s best for their patients and make sure they’re properly taken care of.

Hello, my name is Wyline Hilaire (she/her). I do not have an intended major for now.

After reading the syllabus, I am exited to read and write about different types of topics. During high school, it felt as thought I could not expand my writing skills to the fullest. I am not really sociable so I am hoping that this course will help me with my social skills as much as my writing. Even while enjoying writing, I still find difficulties in writing essays. Of course, I have written many essays in the past. However, I still find it difficult to write them.

The good qualities of writing are clarity, details, organization, and no mistakes. While writing, one need to make sure everything is clear, in order for the reader to fully understand what is being said. Adding as many details as possible is necessary in a writing. It shows that the writer knows what their talking about and made a few research about the topic. An organized writing is pleasing for the reader. It helps the reader go through the writing smoothly. Although, not making mistakes in one’s writing is nearly impossible, trying to minimize the number of mistakes is as good.

The easiest part of writing for me, is editing. Once I am done with my writing, I look back at it and remove or change sentences. If I am not please with a paragraph, I delete it and start over. The hardest part of writing for me, is my organization. I have had many problems with organizing my writing. Although, I thoroughly plan out my writing before I start, I still manage to lose myself in my writing. It has always been a problem. However, I hope to get over this handicap in the future.

Since, as of now I do not have an intended major, I can not say what genre will be expected to write in my intended major

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