Week 1_1/15/16_My Incredibly Normal High School Writing Education

I recently transferred from another university to SLU for this semester. At my old university, I took an English class my freshman year that involved rhetoric. That specific class was more challenging than high school but not too difficult. It was relatively easy to receive a good grade without doing much, but I did learn about rhetoric and research essays. In addition, I was encouraged to strengthen my critical thinking and argumentative writing. Something I didn't particularly enjoy was that we were also required to read a fiction novel; our essay topic would revolve around technology. Much to my displeasure, we weren't allowed to freely choose what to research because our essays had to involve how our generation's use of technology has changed how we relate to each other socially. Although I use technology daily, I wasn't passionate about that topic, and it definitely showed in my work. The most important instructions that my teacher gave in terms of editing were to create a stronger and more narrow thesis.

            Fortunately, before I graduated high school, I was also required to take an in-depth research writing class. There, I wrote my longest essay to date: 12 pages. Our process for writing was thorough and sluggish, so I knew exactly what I was doing at each step, which relieved a lot of stress about procrastinating. What I liked most about this process was that little parts of the essay were required at earlier dates, so we didn't have to worry about waiting too long to write the entire essay in one sitting. The only thing that I wasn't keen on was the large time consumption due to our continuously editing and researching. Otherwise, I ultimately enjoyed the class and felt grateful that my high school prepared me so well for college.

            When it comes to my writing, I tend to struggle with writing about a topic that I'm not passionate about. It will show in my work that I don't really care and don't like wasting my time on something I'm not interested in. I also struggle with making my ideas flow from one paragraph into another. The most beneficial lesson that I brought along with me to SLU was my expertise in where to look for sources; my experience with annotated bibliographies while also being able to correctly cite sources in the text and in the bibliography have also greatly benefitted me. Another benefit is that I've learned to include arguments against my opinion to seem less biased and more open-minded. While large research papers don't particularly bring me joy, I am not afraid of them due to the fact that I've written several before.

            In college, I've been expected to use professional language and a diverse vocabulary. Many professors have presumed that we would enter their class with the ability to write direct and strong sentences instead of "fluff". Compared to high school, my professors have been more vigilant about how much substance is actually in my paper. In high school, I could get away with a lot less research and effort, but now, I'll be marked down points for lack of rational argument and unnecessary, round-about view points.

            I can confidently say that my writing abilities have definitely improved since high school, even though I was lucky enough to have a challenging and vigorous academic life even then. As I've gotten older, I've started to understand just how important it is to be able to express yourself through words in a professional manner. We're adults now, and there's no way future employers would accept the work of a teenager. With each course, I think I've learned more, but I don't think I've learned everything yet. I still want to sharpen my arguments, make my sentences stronger, and expand my vocabulary. What I've learned in the past has so far been very helpful to me, but I've still got a long way to go before I can know for sure that my writing skills are at their peak. Rhetorically speaking, I think I can still improve since I've only been introduced to the style for a year or less. Practicing my rhetoric skills and converting them to paper would only further bolster my confidence and willingness to use rhetoric in the real world.