Standing halfway through my degree, and having completed two writing courses, there is a difference in the way I write now compared to when I had started. In the beginning I never understood why a writing course was a requirement in our degree, but sitting here now, writing this, I have realized all the minor and major reasons why we are being taught to be professional writers. The most important thing I learnt is why, the importance of knowing how to professionally write.

Something that really helped me understand my writing was the peer edit review. My fellow classmate, Nahom, was able to read my opinion piece and alongside Martha, my writing professor, his comments also helped me realize how much my writing has evolved. "I enjoyed reading your piece, as being someone who isn't too educated on fashion your piece had great examples that proved all of your points," Nahom said. He also added that my work was very descriptive, and the use of my knowledge made my piece sound strong and credible. These remarks helped me reflect on how much I have learnt over the course of this degree.

A part of me always did enjoy writing, at a very young age I journaled my thoughts which I learnt later in the course that journaling/ reflection are all a version of writing and can also be done professionally. I learnt that writing can be both fun and intimidating or stressful at times. It just depends on what you are writing, and if it is for work or something a little easier going. There is so much to writing, the way you write and the tone you use really shapes your piece.

There are many new ways of writing that I learned, specifically this semester and it was how to write an opinion piece. Now, everyone has an opinion, but it is very important on how you write an opinion piece, to make it appealing to your targeted audience and the most important thing is to have strong counterarguments and use reliable sources to support your arguments. Writing an opinion piece may sound like something write off the bat but it is important to sound sure about your opinion and in a way convince your targeted audience on your chosen topic.

To be a professional writer in my mind would be being able to write on any topic and having clear polished writing with having little to no grammatical mistakes. I would have thought writing is a skill that someone is born with and cannot be learnt or shaped into but seeing the progress I have made, from completing two writing courses, I believe it is possible to become a professional writer. If you are just starting school, and you are reading this, I hope this helps you understand the importance of writing because it is also a way of communicating, whether it be on a hard topic or something more heartfelt and softer or even your personal opinions and thoughts, it is a great skill to have for your future.

As a communications major, the role of writing is vast. Writing is in itself a form of communicating and having this skill will help me excel in any field that I plan to work in. I have used and needed my writing knowledge in all my courses this semester and it only made me realize how important it is to know how to professionally write, in both my personal and professional life. From writing professional emails to drafting letters or even just having a professional conversation on text, being able to write and communicate your thoughts all are very important.

I would not have been able to be the writer I am today, without the help of my amazing professor Martha. It is very important to take feedback and remarks positively in order to grow and learn and I would like to thank Martha for continuing to push me and believing in me. Writing is a rollercoaster, you start at the bottom but eventually make your way up, with the help of good peers and educators. There will be days where you feel like you can write pages and pages and some days you may have a writer's block and sit in front of an empty page for hours, but it is important to understand that you can also bounce back. I am grateful to have learnt so much and am looking forward in continuing to learn more and one day become a professional writer.