You can! Your teachers may have told you to never use "I" or the first person in formal or academic writing. In fact, many scholars use "I" when they write, in fields ranging from literary criticism to scientific research. When is this rule not a rule? How can a writer effectively use the first person in academic writing?
Warning: Please remember as you read the articles in this section that writers must always remember their audience (i.e. if your writing instructor has ruled out using "I" in your papers, it may be difficult to convince him that you're justified in using it!)