Some of my favorite revision strategies include the trash bin technique and the reverse outline. From day one, I’ve been using the trash bin technique. It really helps to write out all of my thoughts for my free draft then go back after and recycle through everything I need to keep or throw away. Especially because then if I find that I am lacking evidence, I can go back and look in my trash bin to see if there’s anything I can use from there in my other paragraphs. Additionally, the reverse outline helps for pre and post writing. Before writing, I usually use the clustering technique just to get a feel for where my essay is going to take me. And in the middle of editing, if I find that I keep straying from what I want to say, the reverse outline helps me to sort my ideas to make sure they are fluid and support my claim. Overall, I do believe I am getting better at writing. I thought I would struggle through this ENG110 class because writing is really not my favorite. But the more I write, the better I get. In the future, I plan to use these strategies as I begin taking occupational therapy courses. After talking with upperclassmen, there are 10 page papers coming my way and several of them. I will use the clustering technique to begin my essays and a reverse outline throughout my essays. These I believe are the tools I used to excel in the last two essays I wrote for ENG110 so I hope to continue to use them as I write papers in the upcoming semesters. Additionally, for graduate school I’m sure I will have to write several papers specifically about myself and all of my accomplishments. These tools will definitely come in handy as I continue through undergrad and graduate school.
Your words are uplifting! As you revise for your ePortfolio, try to project a bit into the future, and imagine how you plan to use these skills in other classes. 3/3