Q&R 1

Why First-Year Composition?

At first, when I read “Teaching about Writing, Righting Misconceptions” by Downs and Wardle, I agreed to every word I was reading, but then a question came to my mind. I thought a lot about it until it became in some sort of idea. Why do students have to take first-year composition?

I know that everyone have to take this class, although they have been writing since more less than twelve years, because there is a lot of people that do not know how to “write” and have very bad grammar, and I am one of those people I identify myself with Jack, and this is a way to learn “how to write in college”. People have been learning since elementary school the basics and by the time they graduate from high school they know how to write a good paper, but in so many cases this is not what really happens.

There are some exams for writing as a prerequisite to enter college, but I know that it would be very difficult that everyone know everything and write perfect papers, for example I had to take it twice and did not pass it, then needed to take twice remedial basic writing too. In my case, I do not remember having a writing class in elementary since I studied in Mexico, I just remember learning the grammar rules, but I think that was not enough. When I got to middle school, every month I had to read a book and then by the end of the month write about it, this is the most close I have been to learn how to write but the teacher just said every time “write an essay for this day” and did not tell how to structure it or anything. And in high school I never wrote a paper. Then I came to university and know nothing about how to write a paper or what to talk about in a paper, how to express my opinion, nothing.

I feel exactly like Jack felt about writing, like I said I took twice the THEA and did not pass it, took remedial writing twice and then this is the third time I take FYC. This is the time when I need to realize what Jack did and use all my energy and effort to my papers.

In my opinion, what we all need is practice. I know that if I should practice and read more I could be a better writer, but the laziness always wins me and sometimes I do not care. When I came to college was when I really wished that I had practiced more, so at this point I would not have a lot of trouble writing anything. And I also wish I had put more attention to my English classes, but in that moment I had no idea I was going to study in the United States and would use this language a lot. That is why I do not feel very comfortable writing, but neither talking in English because I do not know the grammar and pronunciation as other students do, so I think this is a disadvantage.