If
you’re reading this, you’ve survived your first week of the fall semester.
You’ve
conversed with your classmates, met your instructors, and read all of your
course syllabi in their entirety (nod your head in agreement, then go back
and read those handy documents again). You’ve gotten or ordered all of your
textbooks, added phone numbers and emails to your contact lists, and transcribed
all due dates into your organizer or planner.
And
now you’ve noticed all of the papers you will need to complete this semester.
All.
Of. The. Papers.
Some
of you now have broken out in a mild sweat at the thought of those papers.
We’ll keep the smelling salts handy, but no need to faint. Your heart may
squeeze at the thought and your stomach may drop with dread, but you’ve got
this.
Now, we know you don’t
feel like you’ve “got it” when we see you walk around campus. It may feel like
you’re about to jump across a huge embankment, unsure if you’ll fall (or fail).
You often tell yourself (and us) numerous self-defeating thoughts ahead of
trying to make the leap:
“I’m
not good at writing.”
“I
never had to write like this in high school.”
“I
don’t like to write.”
How
do we know all this? Just ask any consultant in the Writing Center—we work with you. We see you grappling with not only a writing assignment but also with the anxiety that comes with the writing
assignment. And, quite frankly, we’ve been there ourselves. Even if you enjoy
writing, the anxiety never goes away.
We
also know the bigger concern you have:
“How can I write a good
paper?”
That’s
what you really want, isn’t it? To write a good paper, and to build the
confidence necessary to write those papers. That’s your reality.
But
here’s another reality: Everyone is capable of writing well enough to prove him-
or herself successful in their career fields. That’s what all these papers are for, after all (even the ones outside your major)—to prepare you for your
career field. And here’s the rub: One of the top skills employers are looking
for is good writing.
We
know you think we’re just saying this (we are the Writing Center, after all),
but don’t take our word for it; take it from Jeffrey Selingo, New York Times bestselling author and Washington Post columnist. He recently wrote “Why
Are So Many New College Graduates Such Bad Writers?” and it is only one of
many articles (like this and this)
out there that bemoan the state of writing coming from newly minted college
graduates.
That
said, not many people write in the workplace because they love it; they write
because they must. There’s not much that’s exciting about drafting an
intra-office memo or completing a budget proposal. Yet, savvy job applicants
understand that writing well is an important key to professional success.
For
now, though, it’s the same with writing papers. College is a good place to hone
your writing skills. Professors already know this—they know students have to
prove themselves on paper before they can get into the room for a job
interview. Your cover letter and resume won’t make it beyond the HR office with
sloppy grammatical mistakes, typographical errors, inconsistent capitalization,
or run-on sentences. Writing also will sharpen your ability to think critically
and deeply, to take complex ideas or instructions and break them down, and to
do all of this with professional clarity. Keeping all writing skills sharp will
prove that you’re an invaluable team member within the workplace.
Remember
a key thing: You don’t have to go it alone. In the workplace, you have team
members you can rely on. Here at MU, your writing
consultants at the Writing Center are those team members—we’re
trained to guide you through the difficulties you encounter with writing, from
brainstorm to revising, so you can develop confidence. Come visit us in Davis
Memorial Library (veer right at the circulation desk) in Room 111. Make your appointments early, bring a copy of your writing assignment, and be prepared to
write multiple drafts. We’re on your side and we’re ready to help.
See
you soon.
(By Vicky Allen, Writing Center consultant; Carrah Royal, Writing Center assistant
director; and Robin Greene, Writing Center director)
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