"This class helped me become more aware of my weaknesses
and also gave me tools to strengthen them. I recommend this course
to all the underclass students I know. Its teaching helped me
understand how I could become a more effective writing. The group
project also helped me realize my own strengths and weaknesses
regarding my writing skills and working in a group environment."
"I start to question myself when I write after taking
this class. I expect a higher quality of my work. I am already
recommending the class to some of my friends who are interested
in improving their writing skills. The class is a lot of work,
but it's totally worth it."
"I learned a variety of writing elements and principles
to guide my future writing. I learned how to better edit, read,
and compose documents. All exercises were useful and helped highlight
key writing concepts. This class teaches you a skill and puts
it into practice. It is very useful for students transitioning
from college to the working world. I particularly enjoyed the
résumé and job sections."
"I am a more effective writing as a result of my work
in this course. I am now aware of the importance of considering
the audience I am targeting. I am also aware of the ways to properly
structure documents. Students can learn a lot if they are willing
to take criticism-understanding that it isn't personal (i.e.,
an attack) but a way to help them."
"I learned to write on a professional level. I realized
in writing professionally and in my résumé I have
made many mistakes, and the course helped me change that."
"Best course I've taken @ UCB as well as the most applicable/useful
for the future. [Aspects most worthwhile include] the résumé
and job application/cover letters in the job unit. [Aspects not
worthwhile include] I'd say dealing with lazy group members,
but I learned from that, too."
"Before this class, I wasn't even aware of the style
principles. Now I know the impact you attitude, positive emphasis,
wordiness, etc. can have on a document."
"I got more confident in writing memos and letters as
well as always trying to keep in mind the writing strategies.
The materials presented in the course were very useful for everyday
communications and working in the project gave students a sense
of real life writing."
"I heave learned how to be more concise and accurate
when writing."
"I found the professional communication principles inspiring.
I think everyone should learn these principles. The course has
been a great help in starting my pathway to a successful career.
"I am more aware of knowing what my message is when writing,
and the group projects shows people their communication skills."
I am now able to 1) apply writing techniques such as you attitude,
active voice, positive emphasis, ext., 2) write in a professional
business manner, and 3) write persuasive and informative messages.
The only reason I didn't give this class a '7' out of seven on
the overall evaluation is because it has too much work compared
to other 3-unit classes."
"I have learned to pay attention to nuances in writing
to get the right message across."
I find that my writing has improved, particularly in professional
situations. For example, I feel more confident in writing letters
and emails at work. Two thumbs way, way up! I would recommend
the class, but I would also make sure students realized what
they were in for. The course requires a lot of work that some
people may not be willing to put into the class."
"The best class I've taken at UC Berkeley so far. I loved
the 'real-world' approach and the possibility of working on a
real project. The part of the course about cover letters and
résumés was extremely useful for my future career."
"I learned how to better address the needs of an audience
and improved my writing at the structural level. Best class I
took in my four years at Berkeley. I want a part-two of this
class. The only thing I want to expand upon is the résumé/interview
section, if there is time. It would be great to have practice
interviews."
"I understand what writing formats to use in different
situations and am able to write documents with the skills I learned
in class more quickly. My writing has improved drastically, especially
in terms of making documents more audience-oriented and adding
positive language in the text. I found the exercise handouts
worthwhile, for we had to edit them over and over again =>
solidifies the skills in the mind."
"I learned how to format memos, how to write informative
and persuasive documents, use you-attitude and positive emphasis
and client-appropriate work. Lots of examples and assignments
to practice each area. One of the most worthwhile courses at
Cal. Even though I am a business major, this communication course
is much more valuable than the communications course I took at
Haas. Worthwhile aspects of the course: Practical advice on job
search, practice using styles learned in class, real document
work with real client, and work with a group."
"I learned about you attitude and how to formally and
professionally compose written documents. The most worthwhile
aspects of the course: lessons on résumé building
and cover letter writing."
"I can now structure my sentences in a more concise manner
and I have learned what not to do in my writing. The course is
very helpful for future career aspirations and although the course
is difficult, I learned a lot from it. Everyone needs to write
résumés, letters, email, etc. To be successful
in writing those documents, you will need this information. Too
much work crammed into one semester, though, and no enough time
for group project work at the end."
"I incorporate the principles learned through this course
in my writing on class and outside materials. All concepts in
the class are practical and useful. The readers are amazing,
too. A more in-depth instruction for professional writing is
beneficial over short seminars or just reading books on the topic.
The job section of the course was most worthwhile. I appreciated
the instruction and assistance pertaining to cover letters and
résumés."
"This course allowed me to practice and remind my skills
in a professional setting, which is something I am not able to
do in my other classes. One of the most practical classes I have
even taken at UC Berkeley. Actually teaches subjects we can use
in the 'real world.' Building of soft skills, especially job
interview portion and résumé/cover letter sessions
worthwhile."
"I learned you attitude, passive/active choice, relative
terms, how to write informative and persuasive messages, letters/memos,
cover letters and résumés. I learned a lot of soft-skills,
such as writing letters and preparing for job interviews, résumés,
and cover letters. I had difficulty with relative terms, though.
I am not sure whey I had to remove them even though I provide
information in addition to the adjectives."
"After this class, I can write a letter or memo using
the format and set up that I've learned in the class to inform
or persuade the reader. Most worthwhile aspects of the course:
Building on skills that will be applicable in the 'real world'
as well as to effectively communicate. I wish we had more time
to work on the client project because I felt rushed writing the
documents."
"Most worthwhile aspects of the course: learning writing
formats and specific techniques."
"I learned the basic principles of professional communication
and know how to apply them in my writing. This course introduces
students to useful professional communication principles. Writing
informative and persuasive documents and the client project are
worthwhile. Everything was worthwhile."
"I learned about style elements and how they improve
writing and integrated them into my personal writing. I know
what to look for and how to improve writing. This course really
teaches writing, way more than UGBA100, Business Communication.
One of the best courses at Berkeley to improve soft skills, such
as writing, and we learned some oral communication elements as
well. Most worthwhile aspects of the course: résumés/cover
letters/interviews and the client project."
"Through this course I learned how to be more concise
and effective writing. The principles that we discussed throughout
the semester helped me to be more critical of my work, evaluating
based on the clarity of the presented information and how it
is received by the desired audience. This has been the most valuable
course I have taken at Berkeley, because it provides practical
knowledge that can be applied to other academic areas. Most worthwhile
aspects of the course: client project and revisions. Everything
was worthwhile."
"Things learned in this class are very applicable after
graduation."
"My writing skill dramatically improved. The proof is
that I've saved over $500 in 'non-refundable' fees by writing
two letters. I have told the transfer student program to introduce
CW151 to the new student transfers. Very useful course. It should
be mandatory for all graduating students in the social sciences."
"I am now aware of the mistakes I would make in the past.
I knew the proper business formats, to avoid relative terms and
write concisely. Although this course was only three units, it
felt as though it was more. But all of the effort I put into
my work has significantly improved my writing and the way in
which I approach communication. Everything was beneficial and
worthwhile."
"I was surprised by the job unit, which I found incredibly
helpful during my internship search. Out of all of the courses
I have taken this far at Berkeley, this class is by far the most
useful and applicable as far as skills which I can bring into
industry."
"My writing is more concise, incorporates you attitude,
and positive emphasis makes my writing more effective. Specific
aspects of the course I found worthwhile: resume and cover letter
assignment, booklet/readers for students to use as reference
for informative and persuasive messages."
"I have learned very practical writing structures, like
memos and letters, as well as elements of style to make overall
writing more appealing. This is one of the most practical courses
I have taken here, yet we dealt a lot, still, with theory and
abstract ideas in discussion. Lots of examples and exercises,
but I still felt like there was a lack of personal touch."
"I was able to practice on a daily basis in a real-life
setting. Best class at Cal."
"Before, my training in professional communication consisted
of bits and pieces-something I read online, a tip someone gave
me... This course consolidated all that information and more.
Just looking at the memo I wrote at the beginning of the semester
compared to now is testament enough... [College Writing 151]
is the most useful course I've taken here. This course should
be required for graduation (but I'm glad it's not as it gives
me an advantage!)"
"I now have an in-depth knowledge behind the theory and
practice of professional communication. I understand the psychological
reasons for writing certain ways and how to execute those methods....
Not enough courses are practical like this one!"
"I feel I am a better communicator than I was 15 weeks
ago."
"Although this is a lot of work for a 3 unit course, it
definitely pays off in the end. This class has helped all of
its students communicate more professionally. The exercises at
the beginning of the course were worthwhile because they ingrained
certain concepts into our head, which were useful for the rest
of the course."
"I am no longer looking to write B.S., and I have forced
myself to write more concisely... This class will help me prepare
for the world after Cal."
"The homework assignments and project have helped me
become more skillful. Whenever I send an email out, I am always
thinking about how it should be professional."
"If someone wants to make his or her own writing more
concise or clear, I would recommend [this] writing course."
"Helpful course. Very applicable to post-college."
"Now I know how to structure my letters and memos, giving
only the useful information to the reader. [In response to evaluation
prompt "Please note specific aspects of the course you found
worthwhile"} How to learn how to create different kinds
of documents and how to work in a group for a project."
"After taking this class, I became more confident and
effective when I am writing, especially because I am in a club
and need to write emails to our members to inform them of the
events, and my emails became more effective. I accomplished things
I wanted to accomplish when I enrolled in this class. A very
worthwhile class. The skills we learned throughout this class
about writing different types of materials are very useful and
worthwhile. The job section is not that worthwhile as I expected,
but overall it's till very helpful."
"By taking CW151, I now pay much more attention to writing
elements, such as relative terms, positive emphasis... to produce
more effective documents. All writing elements taught were helpful.
The final project felt somewhat crammed with time and was a lot
more work than was expected."
"After taking College Writing 151, I am able to understand
what is 'Business Writing.'"
"I never learned formats and outlines of professional
letters and memos before. I feel more comfortable writing letters
to recipients I don't know. Class materials for interview and
job application process were helpful. All the writing exercises
we did in class were worthwhile because I think they really helped
my writing skills. I already recommended this class to five of
my friends because this class is very practical and helpful for
post graduate activities."
"Please make this course into 4 units. I think we should
have spent a little time on non-written communications."
"I learned to be more direct and concise in my writing.
I also understand the main differences between professional writing
and academic writing. I learned how to address different audiences,
think in audience's perspectives, write in ways that would induce
the audience to accept the writer's opinions/offers. I would
let other students know that this class is very useful
once they leave the academic word and enter a field of work.
It's perhaps the most helpful class outside of my major that
I've taken here at Cal."
"I can make decisions much easier regarding professional
documents. Useful for our future after college."
"This class has given me the knowledge to write appropriate
professional documents. I would tell other students that this
class is a lot of work but that the work is extremely useful
and the knowledge gained in this class can be used in many aspects
of their lives and writing."
"Everything I learned is applicable to my present life.
Seeing that I will be looking for employment in the near future,
everything I learned in this class will help during this process."
"I can effectively communicate in a professional manner."
"This class was amazing! It might be the most useful
class that I have ever taken here @ Cal. My writing skills have
improved drastically. All aspects of the course were worthwhile."
"I have learned to effectively create documents and convey
my point to a higher level than I even realized I could. The
most valuable course I have ever taken. Made the class seem like
a business; you took your work seriously almost as if it was
to impress the boss or make a sale. Best class I have ever taken."
"I can identify styles of professional writing or effective
writing for the professional world. The course materials were
very helpful in the effective style of writing. The total amount
of work was good for this class, especially because it helps
you learn revising techniques. I was very happy with it. Specifically
styles of writing, resume help, and the final group project were
the most helpful. This class needs to be more well known and,
hopefully in the future, there will more classes like this--not
just business classes I can't get into. This is the most worthwhile
class I have taken at Cal."
"This course has helped me develop strategies for conveying
information effectively and with you-attitude. I have learned
how to organize information in persuasive and informative contexts
to provide details in the most effective order. I have also gotten
compliments on cover letters and enthusiastic replies thanking
me for informative emails. This course has been very relevant
and taught me skills I have applied to emails with professional
and cover letters/resumes throughout my internship application
process. By helping me learn strategies and concepts, this course
has allowed me to effectively produce other materials and transfer
my you-attitude to other contexts. This course was extremely
worthwhile and improved my writing to the extent that I received
responses to my cover letter from recruiters, such as "great
cover letter." I also correspond with professionals to recruit
them for my student organization's professional development events
and received positive feedback on informative emails. I found
all aspects of the course worthwhile as exercises helped me develop
concepts/strategies that I could apply in common documents, such
as informative and persuasive letters, memos, resumes, and cover
letters."
"Everyone--social, professional, academic--needs to get
to the point! These are skills I will use for life and will benefit
me for life! Thank you!"
"The writing skills I learned are very practical for
any profession. The only negative aspect of the course is that
it is worth 3 units when it should be 4 units."
"I pay closer attention to detail and know the standard
professional formatting for memos and letters. Organized, purposeful,
students are given reasons for why certain protocol should be
followed. Learned life lessons that can be used forever after
the class. Taught me life skills I never knew before, but too
strict with due dates, Wild Cards, etc."
"I learned to critically read documents. I also learned
strategies and techniques to generate reader-oriented, concise
and professionally formatted documents. Also learned how to edit
my own work."
"I've learned the structure of professional communication."
"We did lots of writing and lots of revising. The revisions
allowed students to view writing as an ongoing process. I've
done a lot of writing before, but this class taught me how to
pay attention to clarity and conciseness."
"I have learned how to write to any audience and be clear
with my ideas. The skills taught in this class have taught me
how to write to someone and not just myself. I learned more than
I thought I would from this course. When I look back on my first
documents, I know I couldn't have absorbed everything taught,
but I developed an important skill set."
"I am more aware of what makes a document effective and
am able to insert into the documents I write these effective
elements. Almost everything we covered was new to me, and I can
now implement these things into my daily life. Most worthwhile
were components that pertain to finding and obtaining jobs and
those that dealt with writing persuasively."
"The most useful skills I learned from this class is
to write a cover letter and resume. This is a 3 unit class but
[the instructor] makes this class turns [sic] out to be like
a 5 unit class. There are too many HW [sic].Your can learn a
LOT from this class but you have to make sure your are able to
put time & effort on this class."
"A lot of writing practice...a lot of work! Students
looking for an 'easy A' should not take this course. Yes, you
can get an A, but you'll work for it!"
"Everything was worthwhile."
"I learned how to write concisely in a professional manner.
I learned how to format documents. My style of writing became
more elegant. [This class] equipped me with the skills needed
for surviving in the world. The class has been most practical
and rewarding."
"The fact that I could practice a variety of documents
and learn correct grammar helped me tremendously since there
has been no other course that has been so thorough in teaching
me how to become a better writer. Every Cal student should take
this class!"
"the structure of grading [not worthwhile] and too much
homework"
"This class has taught me more about writing and professional
writing than any other. Very organized and effective teaching
method. Great class. Very helpful writing tips and resume building."
"The course itself is good preparation for business writing
but [the instructor] was ineffective in approach."
"The course content was very practical for the work force.
However, sometimes the course gets tedious because students revise
documents over and over."
[In response to question about specific areas of the course
the student found worthwhile...] "multiple revision opportunities
and chances of improvement."
"Most importantly, I learned to write to the needs of
the reader, and more concisely. This class is very helpful, especially
for juniors and seniors. Though there is a lot of work, it helps
in the long run. Students can take the writing skills with them
to the workplace."
"Lots of work, but it's worth it. Very helpful writing
tips. I learned so much about professional writing. I have definitely
become a better writer because of it. You learn about writing
in the professional world (memos, letters, resumes, cover letter,
etc.) Very useful stuff!"
"Before this course I had no professional writing skills.
After this course, I learned valuable skill, such as memo writing,
complaint letters and proposals. I learned the most in this class."
"It was useful writing practice. Whenever I write an
email or class paper, I find myself instinctively trying to apply
the principles I learned in this class. The amount of revisions
help you improve as a writer. I am glad to have learned about
cover letters and other application documents. Also, although
difficult and stressful, the group project taught me how to work
better with team members and how to work with clients."
"I learned to make my writing more concise and organized.
Tips on job interviews were most useful, but the course will
greatly improve your writing skills."
"I have always felt that I am an articulate writer; however,
through this course I have realized that writing an English paper
is much different than being able to communicate effectively
and clearly. Elements learned in this course can be applied during
a student' time at Cal and after--they are skills to carry into
the working world. Grading system did not allow students to get
by without trying. Too much time on concepts at beginning led
to a rush of application of skills during group projects."
"Professional writing helped me improve my use of active
voice, you attitude and relative terms. The final group project
summarized and enforced principles learned throughout the semester
and was worthwhile."
"The course really helped me grow in my ability as a
writer. Specifically, it taught me the principles of effective
writing. One of the best courses I have taken at Berkeley. The
best humanities course I have taken here. This course was absolutely
amazing at explaining principles of effective writing."