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Most helpful strategy for college-level writing
Most helpful strategy for college-level writing
College level writing strategies
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ARTICLE ANALYSIS Both of the articles “Dancing with Professors” by Patricia Limerick and “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott resolve the issues faced by college students when writing papers. The first article, “Dancing with Professors,” explains why college professors expect more elaborate papers even though they assign dull and un-motivational reading to their students. On the other end of the writing spectrum, “Shitty First Drafts” explains how valuable the first draft is to students, and why students should not feel weary about writing them. 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 ...
The purpose of Baker’s essay and its placement in The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers is to encourage young writers to realize that writing truly is a privilege. It is also placed in the book to show college English students that writing does not have to be a grim task and that thinking of it in that manner will only make the student average.
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.
As I look back into my high school years, I thought I wrote papers well. But then coming into a college environment, my papers were mediocre. By overlooking at my past papers, I found that they were unorganized, sloppy and had bad use of diction. From now on, I will use the tools I learned in English 1100-40 as a foundation for the future papers I intend on writing in college. Following the criteria of organizing ideas so that they flow, impacting the reader with diction and also by being creative, will help become an ideal writer. Following the criteria of staying motivated in short and long term goals, taking responsibility for actions and finally the ability to study well will help me develop into a supreme student.
Murray, Charles. “Are Too Many People Going to College?” They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter In Academic Writing. Ed. Gerald Graff. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 222-242. Print.
Several people have trouble writing college level essays and believe that they are unable to improve their writing skills. In “the Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer,” Sarah Allen argues how no one is born naturally good at writing. Sarah Allen also states how even professional writers have trouble with the task of writing. Others, such as Lennie Irvin, agree. In Irvin’s article “What is ‘Academic’ Writing?” states how there are misconceptions about writing. Furthermore, Mike Bunn’s article “How to Read Like a Writer” shows ways on how one can improve their writing skills. Allen, Bunn, and Irvin are correct to say how no one is born naturally good writers. Now that we know this, we should find ways to help improve our writing skills, and
Many times, high school students are assigned to write essays based on inspirational figures or literature read in class, often requiring the same rhetoric following fastidious rules of English and sprinkling decorative wording across pages. Obeying the formats demanded by teachers is easy enough, but it is not creatively challenging. Author of "What Should Colleges Teach?", Stanley Fish, claims it is to learn the proper ways of composition alone that allows students to flourish; however, I question if it is possible to follow these principles too closely. Can it be so that the curriculum being taught in high schools fail to allow students to realize the potential creativity that can be involved when writing? Instead students are possibly turned
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.
For the entirety of my undergraduate career, I had the distinct ability to successfully write research papers, critical essays and journal entries. On the whole, I feel that my writing was successful due to the fact that I received excellent grades as well as glowing comments of support from my professors. Please understand that I am not boasting about my grade point average, class rank, or even attempting to claim that I am a good writer. However, I do feel confident in my abilities to write papers that speak directly to the question at hand while simultaneously addressing, although not necessarily adhering to, the professor’s point of interest. I must credit much of my success as an undergraduate to Mr. M. of the High School English Department.
Graff, G., Birkenstein, C., & Durst, R. K. (2009). The Growing College Gap. "They say/I say": the moves that matter in academic writing : with readings (p. 379). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
Writing is a skill that not many people take the time to sharpen over the course of their lives because many people don’t believe it carries much weight, as least in a professional sense. And it is a very hard skill to acquire, especially if somebody doesn’t have a natural talent for it to begin with, or just simply isn’t interested. Throughout this quarter I shed the skin of the formulaic writing that I had used all throughout high school and replaced it with a more creative, professional style. Not only has this enabled me to make better, stronger arguments, it taught me how to find flaws in other people’s as well, making me both a better reader and a better writer.
Teaching English Composition, Beth and Julie find a way to convince their students that all of them possess abilities to succeed. Providing explicit guidelines for writing assignments, giving detailed feedback, and understanding students’ perceptions of course material are the main strategies that both professors use in their classes. Beth and Julie encourage students do not give up when faced with challenges. For instance, one of Julie’s students, Collin, says, “When we did the research paper, that scared the hell out of me, she [Julie] encouraged me like nobody has ever encouraged me” (121). Collin considers that Julie gave him the assurance to overcome his fears and succeed even in his further courses. Both professors point out that students have to participate in class activities, be responsible for completing their assignments, and expect to do more than minimal work. Beth considers that students need to be heard and valued. Furthermore, providing constant encouragements makes students feel more comfortable. Julie and Beth show authority in their classroom, but both of them are able to encourage students and reduce the level of anxiety. As a result, students benefit from interactions with their professors and
This paper will examine and explain the process of writing a five-hundred-page paper for a Freshman Composition class.
Every animal on the planet is capable of communicating, be it verbally, physically, or possibly by some means yet discovered. Writing on the other hand is a form of communication exclusive to human beings (and maybe the occasional ape). Children are taught to read and write almost as soon as they can speak. Writing becomes a part of everyday life, and because of this it is easy to forget that writing "is a means of "communication [one] must consciously learn" (Heffernan and Lincoln 3). For this reason writing in college can be a challenge for even the most skilled of writers. While the basics of academic writing may seem like common knowledge, knowing them and understanding them can prove to be quite different. In the writing center it is our job to help writers take what they know about writing, and begin to understand it. Understanding is the basis for ...
“I will hire someone not with just communication skill, but also with the skill that puts words down onto paper.” When I went on the Accounting Bus Trip more than a month ago, one of the staff recruiters at Lids Sport Group in Indianapolis gave an informative speech that made me realize how important writing is towards nearly every aspect of life. Indeed, thanks to the enrolment in English W131 class, I was able to mark my leap from high-school writing experience to that of college level. By giving a deeper insight into rhetorical analysis and placing special emphasis on argumentative essays, the course rendered me chances to a better understanding of these two different types of papers.
Jameson (2007) said that more and more students are getting to college unprepared, without the necessary writing, reading, and analyzing skills that they need to succeed in college (Jameson, 2007). On top of that students do not know how to apply the writing skills that they already know to their college classes. It may be that students get overwhelmed and frustrated when they realize that the writing they do in college has the sam...