Mostcolleges and universities expose their students to an English compositioncourse as one of the basic studies. English composition is the study of the writing process, which hasproven to be an essential in the development of writing skills. It’s for thisreason that for many colleges, it’s required the course for most degree programs. English composition allows peopleto learn how to compose their writing in an effective way, understand the language to help them express themselves and besuccessful in education, life, and any profession.
Therefore, English compositionis fundamental to a student’s academic growth.Assuch, it is taken within the first two years of an individual’s college career tohelp to break the student away from high-schoolstandards and introduces them to the basic skills writing skills andcompetencies needed to be successful in college. College is significantlydifferent compared to high school, and that includes the writing styles. Professorsexpect a certain standard to be upheld and highschool students have not yet acquired the skills as a proficient writer.
Incollege, academic style writing is used, and transitioning from high school to college-level writing is a difficult adjustmentbut with the preparation of English composition course students can develop andimprove their writing skills. TakingEnglish composition has many advantages. Firstly, it teaches the student how to conductresearch and use well-developed argumentsto articulate ideas. From experience, I’venoticed a significant improvement in my writing in this aspect. As a dual enrollment student, I also have otherresponsibilities, one of which is my science fair write up.
While I was doingthe draft, I found it easier to combine the information and create an appropriatethesis. Evidently, my teacher has also noticed the difference in my writingstyle.EnglishComposition also helps to establish critical thinking and communication skills.Just as knowing how to use language to articulate ideas, critical thinking is anecessary skill to have for both school and life in general. Students acquirecritical thinking skills in the process of learning how to understand complexlanguage and how to articulate ideas. We, as students, are thrown into the newworld of the English language and are forced to learn to keep up by reading andresponding to essays of a new caliber. At first, this might be difficult, butonce the foundation is laid, it’s easier to go into more advanced classes andadapt to the level of writing expectation.
Criticalthinking skills are useful in future professions. In the future I would like tobe in the medical field and in this field, there are any emergency situationsthat I would need to remedy to save lives, and if the professional isn’t quick tothink of a possible solution then lives could be lost. There could also be anunclear medical situation that requires thinking outside of the box to solve.
Critical thinking in school life is also helpful because it would enablestudents to be able to excel in whatever subject. Communicationskills are gained by having to interact with other students and read andrespond to their works as well as taking criticism and using it to improve.Communication also comes in the form of writing skills, which is the primaryfocus of the course.
Being able to communicate effectively –not only on paper, but verbally– is essential to any profession. For example, it is extremely importantto be able to communicate effectively and respectfully in business profession. Ifa CEO of a company is having a meeting, he must effectively communicate withhis staff the objective and expectations. The rhetoric must be clear so thatthe rest of the employees know in detail what they’re supposed to do to bringmore profits to the company.
I’ve had multiple experiences like this-this year. One that sticks out is myassignment for my New Student Experience class where I had to interview aprofessional in the field that I would like to go into when I grow up, and for this, you can’t just send a casual email. Itmust be respectful and proper. Lastly,an English composition class gives the student the advantage of learning self-expressionand confidence in their writing skills.
Thestrategies learned in this class like brainstorming, pre-planning, andoutlining, will give a student the foundation to being able to write a solidpiece. Once done repeatedly, a sense of confidence is instilled in the student,and they begin to feel more comfortable with writing and expressing their ideasmore freely. I know this is the case for me. This year I went into my English compositioncourse feeling like my writing skills were weak. Before this, my essays were all over the place and my ideas didn’t flow,but now at the end, I feel more confidentabout my abilities and the knowledge that I’ve gained. Inshort, English Composition provides many benefits to its students including self-expressionand confidence, communication and critical thinking skills, and a transitionbetween high school standards and college expectations. It is not just anotherEnglish course, but an essential course that lays a foundation for your successin the future and in your educational career.
