Writing, in general, is a way of being able to express one’s feelings and opinions about something, as well as a way of showing the amount of information someone had researched, or the amount of knowledge that the writer knows. College writing is being able to write and fulfill that purpose in an orderly structure, meaning that the written work is neatly organized. There are different ways of writing that will vary depending on the student’s major in college; there are many different types of writing that a student can apply to, like writing argumentative essays, research papers, or lab reports. I believe college writing is writing that is mainly on how well an individual is able to write, and not about a student’s grade level, so it shouldn’t be categorized as “college” writing. This type of writing should consist of little to no errors, filled with accurate information, flows smoothly, contains “big words,” that shows the vast amount of vocabulary that the student knows and can use, which shows how many words the writer knows and indicates lots of knowledge, and has a distinct writing style/voice of that writer. College writing should not be characterized by a level of skill that college students are expected to be able to do. People should not categorize a student’s writing skill based on an individual’s grade level, and one should not just claim that college level writing is a skill that can only be done by “college students,” because each individual’s skill differs from one another. Students, regardless of their grade level, have just the same and perhaps more potential to be a better writer. There are many different views as to what college level writing is defined as, and I believe it depends on the individual’s ability an... ... middle of paper ... ...s perspective is on what college writing is perceived as. I think that college writing, when compared to high school writing, is characterized as a way of writing that makes students not only explain what an author talks about, but interpret what their words were and will have to think why the author would claim something, by analyzing the passage, which I have noticed when I took Honors and AP level English course classes in high school. Works Cited 1. “College Writing.” The Writing Center. UNC College of Arts & Sciences, 2004. Date of access: April 20th, 2014. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/college-writing/ 2. Joseph M. Williams and Lawrence McEnerney. “Writing in College.” University of Chicago. University of Chicago Writing Program. Date of access: April 23rd, 2014. http://writing-program.uchicago.edu/resources/collegewriting/high_school_v_college.htm
Wardle, Elizabeth and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing A College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2011. Print.
In Downs and Wardle’s article, they argue and identify the flaws in teaching writing in college. Demonstrating the misconceptions that academic writing is universal, but rather specialized in each case. Citing studies and opinions from esteemed professionals, Downs & Wardle state their points and illuminate the problem in today’s many colleges.
In Patricia Limerick’s article “Dancing with Professors”, she argues the problems that college students must face in the present regarding writing. Essays are daunting to most college students, and given the typical lengths of college papers, students are not motivated to write the assigned essays. One of the major arguments in Limerick’s article is how “It is, in truth, difficult to persuade students to write well when they find so few good examples in their assigned reading.” To college students, this argument is true with most of their ...
Writing with Readings and Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. 52-57. Print.
College Writers. Sixth Edition. Ed. X.J. Kennedy. Dorothy Kennedy. Sylvia Holiday. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002.
Kozol, Jonathan. "Fremont High School." 2005. The Norton Field Guide to Writing. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. 641-48. Print.
I had always been a strong writer in high school; I know how to form an argument and support it fully, but this did not prepare me for the writing at a college level. I expected to be reading long and boring books about topics that did not pertain to my life; as it turns out, this assumption was completely false. All of the three essays that we were required to read in class were fairly difficult to understand, but after a second reading, the essay's meaning became clearer. I also feel as though their messages and key ideas are captivating. I definitely thought they would be extremely dry and difficult to understand.
Thomas, C. (2011). Is the American Dream Over? They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (2nd ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
Transitioning from high school to college can be overwhelming. Before English 1301, I thought that I did not have to worry about being prepared for college. I quickly realized that my little background in writing essays was not going to be enough for college. Writing is not just something that I will use in English classes. In college, I will have to use effective writing skills in all my classes to complete research papers, essay tests and communicate to professors. Throughout my education, writing strategies persisted to be something that did not come easy to me. I dreaded writing because I could never find ways to get my thoughts down on paper. Ironically, a class that petrified me due to the amount of writing that was required ended up helping me in so many ways. English 1301 and my professor prepared me so much for college and real life.
Dual Enrollment English was the first real college-level class I ever had. I actually have taken other college-level classes before it, but Dual Enrollment English was the only course that gave me an accurate representation of how college will really be like and what it will expect of me. My journey through Dual Enrollment English began with a sense of fear and self-defeat and ended with a sense of satisfaction and confidence with many highs and lows along the way. This portfolio catalogs the evolution of my writing during my two semesters in Dual Enrollment English including seven different types of papers as well as each of their respective drafts and tutor feedback.
For me, being a college writer means writing well-organized essays that readers enjoy reading. Being a well rounded writer was also important. Each unit in this class challenged me to write in a well-organized, concise way. During each unit, we conducted some sort of revision activity where I was exposed to other students’ writing. As I read their work, I picked up on their use of transition words and separation of paragraphs to make the essay flow. Naturally, I began implementing more transition words in my own work and learned the appropriate ways to split paragraphs. The structure of the class was key to the organization of my ideas which was crucial to the development of my essay. During the third unit of this class, we were asked to identify an issue on campus, conduct research on the issue, and finally propose a solution to correct the issue. At first, it was difficult to get my ideas down and figure out what it was I would research. What I learned in class allowed me to first identify the issue I would research, write a rough draft, and hear what others had written before the final paper was due. This helped me to identify the main points, brainstorm and figure out what additional research I would need to find to support my argument. Being able to organize my thoughts from the beginning made writing the paper a much easier process. This course has helped me to grow as a writer and make
This semester was my very first semester as a college student. Being the first, it was probably the semester I would learn the most in. I learned the expectations for writing that I will have to live up to for the next four years of my college career. Though my high school teachers were usually demanding because I was in the Honors English section throughout high school, writing in college has still ?raised the bar? for me. Also, in high school, we would have weeks to pick a topic, create a thesis, outline the paper, write the paper, and then revise the paper. In college, the time restraints are not quite as lenient. I?ve had to learn to manage my time and be more productive with what free moments I have. Strangely enough, I?ve found the college English experience to be much more rewarding and enjoyable than in high school.
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Lerych, Lynne, and Allison DeBoer. The Little Black Book of College Writing. Boston, New York:
I am a stern believer that education goes beyond high school. Not only does it apply to college but throughout life. As a child whose parents were unable to attend college I feel privileged with the opportunity. There was no question that I'd be enrolling in college after high school graduation. This experience will enable me to obtain the two things that I think are most important in my college career. That is to gain knowledge of the people and world around me, and become a critical thinker so that I am able to analyze any situation. The purpose of a college writing course to me is to help do both. I have realized that those are the two most important in that if you have the knowledge and thinking ability then you are open to learn. From elementary school forth I have practiced perfecting my English, as if it's not my native language.