I am just emailing you to thank you for everything this past semester in Eng395. More specifically, I submitted the resume I did in your class, the one that you had looked over. I got the internship and just wanted to tell you I appreciate it.
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I want to thank you so much for taking the time to write me a letter of recommendation. I never got to read them (I elected for confidential submission), but I imagine your letter must have been wonderful due to the positive response I have received from both of the aforementioned programs. The frame for my personal statement was my experience of feeling isolated from mainstream magazines as a young woman and how your business writing course helped me channel my interests and concerns into a concrete goal of creating a magazine for young women of color. As you know, the final proposal I wrote for your class is also a large part of why I now have my current job as a junior technical writer. I do not know if you realize how much that professional writing course has impacted my future since, but I am, and I want to thank you for contributing in such a positive way to my professional, undergraduate and graduate experiences.
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I don't know whether all other Business English courses are taught the way you taught at the University. But, I never expected to benefit as much as I had from a school English course as I have from yours, to be honest. For my personal experience, I do not know any other class that was more practical and meaningful than the one I took with you. As a business person, your class was absolutely invaluable to me on so many levels!
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To be perfectly honest, when I originally signed up for technical writing I imagined it to be a walk in the park. Most writing courses focus entirely too much on the structure of an essay or research methods. At this point in my college career, I had heard enough lectures on ‘what exactly a thesis statement is’ and ‘this is the proper way to internally cite a source.’ However, I was pleasantly surprised when I first reviewed the syllabus to see nothing as expected. I spent this semester working to improve my ability to recognize flaws in my own rhetoric and to get a head start on my upcoming thesis.
The first few weeks turned out to be a harsh wake up call that my writing had a long way to go. With each revision and editing session, I was able to recognize a new tendency in my writing to focus on correcting. As my grammar and sentence structure improved, I became more aware of the structural inherency that made my writing less effective. The essays assigned this semester, while tedious most times, helped me recognize and organize an effective way to present my thesis.
So in the end, I concluded the semester with 15 weeks’ worth of research, 5 papers that provide a working structure for my thesis, and a new sense for my ability as a writer. A former teacher once told me, “There is no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing,” and I finally understand what he meant. Great rhetoric is the process of applying new perspectives and knowledge to writing; and I believe that I finally have the abilities to do just that.
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I just wanted to take the time to actually thank you for all you have taught me this semester. And I never EVER do this, so I must really mean it:). I heard some scary things about your class, but those same people said you were an amazing teacher... and you are. I can't say this about many classes, but I actually learned something from you. And, I believe a great professor can do that.
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Hi, I don't know if you remember me but I took your English class last semester. Last semester when I came to you with problems regarding my paper and my writing ability, you told me that I was still capable of writing, I just had to find a new way to do it. I've been trying to follow your suggestions and I have found that I am having an easier time writing. I just wanted to thank you for listening and helping me.
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I have been thinking a lot about our class information. Lo and behold it turns out that not only are the topics we covered relevant to most classes (well, that's a no-brainer) but now I am actually in a position to draw up lesson plans for teaching high school students persuasive writing.
In the process of considering actually teaching in the future, this helped me realize how much I really valued the time I spent in your class. To be honest, at the beginning of the summer I had the very wrong attitude of thinking, "I'm an English Major, what do I need to take this class for with all of these non-English (and therefore lesser) individuals." You have not only convinced me that I needed that class, but have also surprised me with how much I enjoyed my time there. I can't recommend the class experience enough to anyone I run into. In essence, you have become a symbolic pillar of my education.
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I was writing to you because of something that happened this past weekend...I was at work at the hospital and a doctor that I work with had offered to write a recommendation letter for me. I had given him my whole packet, you know the personal statement, resume, etc... And he was very impressed with the way that I handed it to him in the first place, with everything together and a cover letter on top, and after going through it he also said that of all the students he'd worked with, my statement was one of the few he considered to be well written such that he actually learned something about me as a person. He seemed to be very impressed, and all of this just reminded me of you and how your class actually helped me in putting all of those materials together! I know that writing the ps and resume was supposed to be a part of all junior English classes but I am very happy that I came away with pieces that I could, and did, actually use in real life.
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I learned a lot in your class, and I have told many of my friends about how useful professional writing has been for me and how great of a teacher you are. Right now I'm taking an editing and document design course, and I know that the skills I learned in your class will help me to succeed. I wish that I could take another class with you, because I believe that your teaching methods and style were perfect for me. Thank you for teaching me and my classmates how to become better writers and for providing a fun and productive learning environment.
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I have been meaning to email you since the semester ended, but somehow have let it slip my mind… However, I got a free moment and just wanted to send you an email to tell you how much I enjoyed your class. As you could probably tell English has always been one of my least favorite subjects and I was not looking forward to junior English one bit. However, a few weeks into the year I found myself looking forward to your class and found that I learned a lot of important skills that will become useful later in life.
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You made an effort to understand me in a way that other professors did not. You recognized and genuinely appreciated the things I did well, and you provided targeted criticism of the things I did not do well. When I asked you for help, you happily took the time to meet with me after class.
I know that I can be a less-than-ideal student; at times I am hopelessly disorganized and easily distracted. But your class was nothing short of inspiring to me, and I thrived under your instruction…. It was exciting and flattering to have an instructor who expected as much out of me as you did. You challenged me, and I knew that if I worked hard in your class, my writing abilities would surely improve.
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Thank you so much for this semester. I really enjoyed your class and have already used what you have taught us to help my dad write an executive summary for a business plan he is proposing. I found it incredible how quickly I needed to use the skills I learned in your class.
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I am happy to inform you that your recommendation has contributed significantly to my success in applying to medical school…. I was surprised to receive their acceptance almost immediately after my interview. I believe that this decisive victory had a lot to do with your backing as a recommender. But also, I think it was due in large part to the skills that you helped me hone as a writer. Most admission committees know that a good physician must be an excellent communicator, and they look for a competitive medical school applicant to convey this on every line of their application. Throughout your course, I felt that you appreciated my writing and this made me work even harder to make it more refined. Since then, I have tapped this invaluable resource over and over again. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me.
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I want to thank you for being my teacher at College Park. Your encouragement and enthusiasm got me to start on my personal statement early and that lead to me filling out my AMCAS application early and the acceptances that followed. I owe my success with the AMCAS application process to you. I graduated last December and have been offered the Dean’s Scholarship for Outstanding Achievement to attend the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine beginning this July. I have always wanted to study medicine and this is like a dream come true. I worked hard but the credit to this in no small way goes to you, who taught me how to write effectively to best present myself….You demanded my very best and put me on the right track, something I will always carry with me. You have inspired me to stay involved with teaching after I graduate.
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Thank you so much for everything this semester. You did not make things easy. You are a tough teacher with high expectations and I am grateful. You continued to challenge me through out the semester and I feel that I have grown because of it…. I will use the skills you have taught me while applying for grad school and entering into the workforce.
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I also want to thank you for all your insight pertaining my thesis. I must say that when I found out I had to take Professional Writing, I was very worried; it had been so long since I had written a collegiate-focused paper. You have, however, made my experience in this class interesting, engaging, and quite educational.
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I took your Professional Writing course in fall 2006. You had said that the skills we learn in this course would be used over and over again. I have seen exactly that. Since the summer, I have interned for Worldwatch Institute, a DC based research NGO. I have been fortunate to publish a couple short articles. In one of the earlier meetings with my supervisor, he seemed almost apologetic about the rigorous editing process. He was surprised and thoroughly impressed that your course had ingrained "writing is editing" into my brain. For all that (as well as introducing me to Zinsser), I sincerely thank you.
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This class is entertaining and life changing. Whether I am composing an email, structuring a proposal or creating a handbook, 3 things stick: audience, context and PURPOSE!!!
I write concisely without confusing people with WORDS. More words are confusing, not better!....
I don't know what life would be like without taking these classes. Information should make sense, it should be organized and it shouldn't give you a headache! That's what it's about--simplicity. I recommend PWP classes whole heartedly. The knowledge I gained from my professional writing classes gave me direction at work, school and even in my quest to plan my wedding!
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I want to thank you for your praise and most importantly all your help throughout the project. You were especially helpful in providing the general outlines and deadlines for the final paper. Throughout the semester you were very clear on what you expected from us, and I believe that has much to do with our success in the class and on the final. I know it has been a while since class has ended but I wanted to take the time to express my gratuity [sic] for all your help. I think you are a wonderful teacher and hope you continue to help students like myself this coming semester.
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Thank you so much for helping us learn/discover so much more about professional writing, and especially ethics. I have honestly learned so much from your class. My boss has been praising my efficiency in communicating with our clients at work.
I really, really appreciate the effort you put into making sure we learn the material, through effective applications.
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I am so happy I was able to take your class in my final semester on campus. The fine arts is where I'd like to take my editing career in the long run…. With the experience of writing long reviews, grant proposals, and press releases, I can't WAIT to get my resume out into that artsy-fartsy world I love so much!... I truly feel as if the skills I've learned from you will help me….
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I'm not sure what would have happened to me had I not learned what the "true" proofreading and editing marks were. Up until that point, I had no qualms about explaining my horrible, handwritten scratchmarks. Your class helped hone my skills in a much more professional setting--an asset that has been HUGELY important in the interviewing process. Now, when an employer gives me an editing quiz on an interview, I smile and pull out my pen, ready and willing!
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Your three classes [two PWP and one English class] are the only ones-yes, the only ones- which have prepared me for what I'd like to do with my career.
You gave me the insight to see just how far I could expand my knowledge and skill in the world of editing. From day one, you assured me that despite the fact that I had no background in the enviromentalist's world, I could still apply my knowledge to those who did, and still be a critical asset.
Thank you for taking the time to teach me not to be nervous in a scientific field--a fear I'd expertly honed in high school.
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I just wanted to thank you for a great year. I feel as though my writing has thoroughly improved since September, and I have only you to thank for this.
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I wanted to thank you for everything this semester. You were very understanding of some of the personal problems I was having this fall and it meant a lot to me to know that one of my professors was being supportive.
On a less personal note, I wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed this course because I felt it is the most practical classes I have taken in college…. this English class made me feel like I was actually learning something I will need to apply latter in life.
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I hope you still remember me. I am currently at the University of Iowa College of Law on a merit scholarship thanks partly to your letter of recommendation.
I am sure you get a lot of this, but legal writing in law school is manageable solely because of your class. Students that have not been exposed to legal writing seem like fish out of water. I recently submitted the final draft of a memo worth 50% of my grade and feel confident about it.
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I was a legal writing student of yours at the University of Maryland. I am in my third year of law school and think about our class often. You were the first teacher to push my writing, to be a true critic and to expect more from me than proper grammar and sentence structure. You gave me some of the harshest critiques I have received to date. And, I am grateful for that. You certainly gave me a glimpse of what law school would be like, but more than that, you taught me to challenge myself.
I still write and when I have one of those inspired moments, when my heart races as the words pour on to the screen in front of me, I think of your class. I think of this one piece in particular that I wrote about my ex-boyfriend in college. You probably don't remember it but that was the first time I was truly honest on paper. I ultimately turned it in as my final Personal Statement for our class. Anyhow, I wanted to write and say thank you. You are one of those teachers to whom I will always be indebted.
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Surpisingly, I have been writing a lot lately for work and I am constantly consulting notes from your class and trying to remember things we went over. I am writing performance reviews for 130 analysts that are being sent to their managing directors, so obviously these are serious communications. Since they are business people who think their time is precious, I keep repeating your mantra "say more with fewer words." …Just wanted to fill you on and let you know that your efforts were not in vain and I really took away a lot from your class.
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I was in your ENGL395 class in Fall 2006 and you encouraged me to submit my review assignment article for publication. I just wanted to thank you for all your help and encouragement as the article was just recently published in the Journal of Young Investigators.
In the next few weeks I should be submitting a second paper for peer review.
I have also gotten a job as a freelance tech writer for a health industry contractor. All this because of you and your support.
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I just wanted to take the time and say thank you for all of your help this semester. I have taken many classes since arriving at this university and I can say with confidence that none have helped me prepare for the real-world as much as this class has. Even as I am writing this email to you, I am making sure that I am doing everything in the proper format.
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I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your help this semester. Thanks for being real(sincere is a better word I think, but real works best) with us. Your class was by far the most interesting class I have ever taken.
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Thank you so much for recommending me for graduate school. I really appreciated the time you spent looking over my personal statement and resume. My experience in your class was far from what I expected (in a good way). Your vibrant personality and sincere admiration for your students helped me to build confidence not only as a writer, but as an academic as well.
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I would like to extend my appreciation to such a special and unique educator. Please accept my appreciation because you deserve my honor and esteem for the work that has been placed on my education. Your dedication and talent has shown me learning opportunities and ideas that has changed my life. Teachers like yourself are the local heroes.
Thank you for a job well done.
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Student's Comment:
As an engineering major I thought an English class had nothing to do with my major. Instead I ended up learning new challenges within
my field and developing a writing sample for future employers. The writing I did in class always had a specific audience; not some
general audience or a paper written to all mankind. :)! A week after I made my resume in class, for a specific audience, I used the
resume and was hired for the position.
Student's Mother's Comment:
I have often commented to my son, one of your current students, that I have risen to the ranks of the Federal government's Senior
Executive Service largely because of my communication skills. I want to commend you for teaching your students writing skills that are
directly relevant to the workplace. As a case in point, last week I shared with him that one of my day's challenges was being handed a
15-page legal agreement and being asked to craft a brief summary to share with interested Congressional staff -- in 5 minutes. He
laughed and shared that you had set up a similar hypothetical writing scenario for them in class that day. The ability to summarize
information into concise "so what" messages for busy bosses is a critical professional skill, and I again commend you for your efforts!
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I wanted to write this e-mail to thank you for the help that you gave me this semester. I felt as if I didn't have an opportunity the other day to let you know how much I appreciated all the help. I just found out that I received an "A" on a paper I had to write for another class and I really think that it was because of your class that I was able to accomplish this. My writing has improved tremendously and I have a lot more confidence behind it now. So, thank you for that.
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I wanted to thank you for a great semester. Your class was one of the few i looked forward to attending. I wanted to let you know because people are often quick to say cruel or negative remarks instead of complimenting instructors.
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I wanted to thank you for all your assistance last semester with helping prepare my dental school essay. Yesterday, I recieved excellent news that I was accepted into NYU dental school. I just wanted to share my good news with you and thank you again for your help in preparing me for the challenges that lie ahead. Hopefully you are having a good semester and have a class half as good as ours!
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The first day of class spring 2006 you scared me away! Luckily I ended up "stuck" in your class for my last semester, because you ended up being the most helpful teacher I've had throughout college. Thanks!
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My name is Z. S., and I recently completed ENGL395, Writing for Health Professions. I wanted to comment on how much I personally learned from this class as a result of the professor's instruction, both from his experiences in academia and in his anecdotal references to medicine in general. His willingness to help students out of the classroom on his own personal time in addition to his approach to continuous revisions have helped improve my writing such that I now feel comfortable in a professional setting. Furthermore, his approach to resume and cover letter design have been an invaluable asset to me as I begin the application process for medical school.
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My name is B.J., and I was a student of yours for ENGL395 this past semester. I'd like to share with you an experience that happened to me recently, one that involves something I learned from your class. Recently I decided to apply for a lab position at the Shady Grove Fertility Reproductive Science Center. In the past, I've applied to many lab jobs and have gotten rejected from them. Despite this fact, I decided to apply using the new CV and cover letter that we prepared for your class. I had three separate interviews for this job, and all of the interviewers complimented me on the appearance of my CV. I was hired by the Center today. I'd just like to thank you for helping me to get this job, as I am sure my CV and cover letter made a significant impression on my new employers.
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This is M.R. from your ENGL393 [Technical Writing] class spring semester. I just wanted to thank you for the instruction and guidance that you provided in your class. I learned so much from that one semester, and my writing has definitely improved as a result. This summer I had the opportunity of interning at ExxonMobil in their Research and Engineering section. I had many responsibilities throughout the summer, which included an oral presentation, a poster session, and two technical reports. My supervisors told me at the end of the summer that they were impressed with my writing skills and even wanted to know where I had learned my technical writing skills! They said I presented a strong understanding of the technical information, and was able to present it in a clear and concise manner. While he was telling me this, all I could think was Thank goodness for your technical writing class!! They also said both my visual and oral presentations were professional and impressive.!!
Because they were so pleased with my work this summer, they nominated me for an ExxonMobil Technical Scholarship. I just found out this week that I was awarded that scholarship for this upcoming school year. I just wanted to let you know how appreciative I am of the instruction I received from you. I will hold on to the lessons you shared as I continue in my path to becoming a successful and professional engineer.
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Thank you for the remarks regarding my paper. They were greatly appreciated. It was a pleasure attending your class each week and I hope you are able to take some time to enjoy the summer!
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Thank you for an enlightening semester. Even though I found the course difficult, I think the skills I picked up will bring me far into the future. Learning how to be concise and direct in business is an essential tool few are good at. As you requested, I have included my semester works as attachments with this e-mail. Again thank you for your help and I will be sure to let you know if my client gets back to me.
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I greatly enjoyed your class this semester. It was one of the few I have taken in college in which I have truly learned something new, and come out of with a feeling of accomplishment. Thank you again!
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I just wanted to thank you for all the guidance you've given me in terms of my writing. I learned a lot from this class, and I want to thank you for pushing me until I finally started writing at the level you wanted! I am very proud of my work, and I believe my clients are quite pleased with my analysis of and proposal for their firm. They sent me a quick e-mail stating that they had received the documents. They only had a chance to briefly eyeball my proposal, but each one said they were happy with what they had seen so far and were excited to sit down and read my ideas thoroughly.
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I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful semester. I would have thanked you in person yesterday, but I had a final I had to hurry off to. I really learned a lot from your class and feel a whole lot better about entering the world of LSATs and law school. Also, don't be surprised if I hunt you down next semester to ask for plenty of advice regarding law school.
Finally, I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the final project. I actually collected way too much information! I had to start deleting ideas from my outline because I think it would have cluttered the flow of the paper. I used some of the left over information in my presentation since I could not fit it all into the paper. Regardless, it was a real pleasure writing the paper.
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I would like to personally thank you for all that you have taught me in ENGL394. You will be glad to know that I am applying everything you taught me at my current internship.
Today, while I am writing a proposal, I find myself asking questions like "Why is this important?" "How do I know? " "What does the reader already know?" I am reminded of all the questions you asked me during class. Looking back, it was a tough class and at times frustrating, but it paid off. I can undoubtedly say I've learned more from you than any of my other professors in the past 3 years. My boss is highly impressed with my writing skills, and I owe you the honor of making me an effective writer. So, Thank you. I appreciate all that you have done for me. I find you to be an exceptional professor because your teachings resonate in your students' minds far beyond the conclusion of Finals Week and that seldom happens with other classes.
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I welcome and treasure all of your comments and constructive criticism concerning my work . . . . Whether you realize it or not, you have been one of the most influential professors in my college career and I take your criticism and opinion with the utmost consideration. . . .
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I was a student in your Legal Writing class last fall. I am now attending Vermont Law School, a small, private law school specializing in environmental law. I just wanted to thank you for using the Shapo book, "Writing and Analysis in the Law," which we are using for my first year of legal writing here. While some of my classmates are struggling with the memo assignment this week, I breezed through it because of my prior experiences in your class! Thanks!
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I thought you might like to know that I just received word that my grant for Hospice of the Chesapeake is to be fully funded! Thanks for all your help. I enjoyed this class very much and encourage everyone I know to take it. I was not pleased to know that I needed another English writing class after returning to school, but now I can really see the benefit of requiring this type of business writing class. Having worked in positions with several new college graduates who had never written business letters and lacked basic writing skills, I think Maryland is on the right course making this a requirement to graduate. The various types of business writing specific to your major or area of concentration.
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It turns out that ENGL393 is a worthwhile class for future engineers to be taking. I now work at GSFC in Greenbelt, and the fact that I had taken a [PWP] class actually helped me get the job. Go figure! I honestly thought that class was just a formality for my degree; I never imagined employers were specifically looking for students who taken [such] classes.
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I have taken several English courses in the past, but I found this one to be particularly helpful and well taught. It was a pleasure to see a teacher who genuinely cares.
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Of the classes I am taking this semester, technical writing is the only one that I really feel pushed me in any creative way. In addition to learning the nuts and bolts of effective written communication, there was a real sense that [the instructor was] pushing us to think creatively and critically.
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Although almost four years have passed since I took [my PWP] class, its effects have definitely been worthwhile in my career and the development of my character.
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[My PWP class] contributed greatly to my writing ability. Through the process of identifying a problem and its potential solutions, I learned highly valuable skills that are directly applicable to performing research.... By working in groups, I learned many valuable lessons about teamwork. I constantly work with others on team projects and I credit my Technical Writing course for refining my abilities as a team player.
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After my first semester of graduate school, it became clear to me that my writing was not working for me. I took a [PWP class] and got an A+ on a paper for one of my graduate-level classes that semester.
