Going back to college after ten years away has been both tough and rewarding. As a non-traditional student, a mom of two active boys, and a full-time employee taking part-time classes, I’ve learned how to juggle many responsibilities while staying focused on my long-term goals. I chose to return to school and finish my bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on Human Resources because I want to grow, move forward, and create new opportunities for myself and my family. This English course has been an essential part of that journey, helping me build communication skills I’ll need in my career.
This semester, I learned more than just grammar and formatting. I learned how to write with purpose, clarity, and for a specific audience, skills that are important in any job. The course taught me how to approach different writing situations, adjust my tone, and create documents that are both effective and visually appealing. Whether I was working on resumes, memos, proposals, or multimedia projects, I started focusing more on structure, clarity, and sound design. I also became more confident in my professional communication skills, which will help me as I work further in my Human Resources career, where strong communication and understanding others are essential.
The revision process was one of the most valuable parts of this course. Feedback helped me make each project better by guiding my changes with clear criteria. For instance, in the proposal project, the rubric emphasized enhancing the argument’s coherence and detail, which led me to reorganize the content for better flow and add more detail where my first draft was vague. These changes met the audience’s need for clarity and thoroughness. I also modified my design choices, ensuring everything was easy to read and accessible, in line with the goal of user-friendliness. In future revisions, I would focus on making my writing more precise and concise, as my early drafts contained excess words. Additionally, I recognize the importance of incorporating more research and reliable sources to enhance professionalism and trustworthiness in my writing.
Looking back, I see how valuable these lessons will be as I continue to grow in my career. Most jobs today need strong writing skills, whether it is writing emails, preparing HR documents, creating training materials, or sharing company policies. Clear and respectful communication is essential for success at work. The writing strategies I learned in this course will help me express myself, support others, solve problems, and contribute to my workplace with confidence. For example, my improved writing skills have enabled me to draft emails faster, share my ideas more effectively, support others, and contribute to my workplace with confidence.
This course reminded me that it’s always possible to grow, even when life is busy. Balancing motherhood, work, and school hasn’t been easy, but it has taught me that sticking with it and staying organized can turn tough challenges into tangible achievements. I’m proud of what I’ve done this semester, and I’m excited to keep improving my writing as I get closer to finishing my degree and continuing to grow in the career I’ve worked so hard for.