I feel that my writing skills have improved in a few ways. When I was writing, I noticed that I was using my critical thinking skills more thoroughly. I was not just writing, but I was asking myself questions about what I was writing and the reason behind why I was typing the things in my paper. I also feel that my ability to analyze opinions and facts improved.
A few areas of weakness in my writing did stick out to me. I realized I have some trouble forming a conclusion after feeling that I have written everything I know already. This also goes in hand with my next weakness which is that I would get major writer’s block and have no clue what to write half way into my paper. I sometimes felt a sense of repetition also.
The most stressful part of my paper was trying to string it all together. I put a lot of pressure on myself which tends to make me spend too much time on each paragraph. Once I spend too much time on a paragraph, I begin to overthink about everything I have written and doubt my ability to write well. To put it simply, I over thought about each and every little word which made it hard for me to put it all together as one cohesive paper. I attempted to overcome this by taking short breaks. I would get up and walk around or work on my other homework. I have no clue if I was successful. I honestly believe nothing will ever fix my habit of overthinking. It has always been my biggest weakness in life as well. COVID-19 and online school really heightens this weakness too.
I want to remember how to use my critical thinking skills well. I feel that these not only come in handy in writing but also life. I truly believe this skill allows me to really think about what I am writing and why I am writing it. This skill will help me write an objective, honest paper.
Thanks for this thoughtful post. The line between really great deep, critical thinking and unhelpful overthinking can sometimes be difficult to identify.