Writing Courses No Longer Needed In College? I Beg to Differ.

Hello CCB family and my fellow YBP’s! Monday is gone, Friday has arrived, and if you don’t mind I’m gonna sit back and let it all hang out (no seriously, these pants are tight). Friday is for the Eduratchet: the ones who find themselves quoting Marcus Garvey by day and singing Trinidad James by night. Don’t act like you’re not a functional ratchet.

My name is Marissa, I’m currently a junior in college, and I work at my university’s writing center. At times it can be dull, but I love working there. I believe writing is a fundamental, lifelong skill, and if I can help my colleagues strengthen their writing, in hopes that it will contribute to their success, I’m down. 

[Disclaimer: I’m not going to mention my school’s name at anytime throughout this article for various reasons. This being the case, if you know the school I attend, you might/might not be surprised by what lies ahead.]

This week I stopped into my supervisor’s office to see how she was doing.  After we chitchatted about family, school, and other aspects of life, I asked her what she has in store for the writing center. She proceeded to tell me at some point in time we’ll be visiting individual classes to teach writing because the university is getting rid of basic English courses.

Whoa dere. Hold up. Huh?

I had to make sure I understood her correctly.  So, with a confused look on my face I asked, “Are you saying that it’s not going to be mandatory for freshmen to take English composition?”

She replies, “Yes.  I’ve never seen this at any university.  They feel that other courses such as music, science, and psychology should have a writing component, and that’s where we come in. We will be teaching writing to the students instead of their teachers.”

Now, I feel some type of way about this. I feel this is tragic as hell.  Let me tell you why.

By the time a person comes to college, you would think they would be able to write a thorough, cohesive paper. Working in the writing center has led me to believe otherwise. You should see what I read sometimes. Some of these papers have no stop signs (periods) or speed bumps (commas). They just leave you speechless and breathless. Fragments, casual language, and lack of organization seem to be regulars. Last but not least, “If I see 1 more sentence like dis I will dye.”

You might think I’m over exaggerating—I’m not.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are students that are extraordinary writers.  I have encountered freshmen that have been greatly prepared to write at a higher level.  Still, there are still those who were not so fortunate. Poor public education, a lack of emphasis on education in the home, and/or a less than satisfying past experience in writing has left various students with poor grammar and writing mechanics. Another possible shortcoming from prior schooling could be attributed to some teachers and their lack of motivation in their students. There are too many instances where students are constantly being “passed through” the system, for the benefit of the faculty and overall passing rates of the institution. A mixture of inadequate public education, a lack of domestic influences on the value of education, and a teacher who accepts less than proficient writing assignments could be a lethal combination for a student experiencing their first year of collegiate writing.

 

Unlike many other colleges, my university lacks a writing component in its application process. This can be a good or a bad thing (good for the student and bad for the school).  Some people hate writing, and I can understand that. If I could get accepted into a school without having to stress over writing an annoying essay about myself, I’m applying! However, a person’s writing can tell it all.  To an admissions committee, not only are they learning a student’s personal story, they’re also judging their intellect.

I also understand that not everyone pops out the womb with a pencil and composition notebook.  Nevertheless, if the university has no way of measuring how well a student writes, I would think that an English composition class would be ideal. I mean, since they’ll be learning at a higher level, why not advance their writing skills as well.  

You might be asking yourself, “Is this/it even newsworthy?  Is this girl seriously going on a rant about writing and English classes?”  Yes it is and yes I am. I feel it’s important because writing is an essential concept that can make or break you in the “real world”.  It’s how people judge your intelligence.  It’s the basis for communication.  It’s an essential job skill, and if my HBCU (Historically Black College/University) decides to enact this new plan, we’re not taking steps to ensure that our students will become competent contenders upon graduation.

If other HBCUs and PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) have writing components in their application process and teach English composition, their students might be performing at a higher caliber than a HBCU that has neither. I feel like something is wrong with this picture.  Why they gotta do us like that?

Are we moving toward a technology age where writing proficiently isn’t important anymore? Do you feel that it’s a high school’s job to prepare a student to write at a college level, instead of the college itself? Do you feel as though English courses were a waste of time in college or did they help? Let me know your thoughts. 

Ladies and gents, thanks for letting me let it all hang out.  You all enjoy your weekend.  Also, on a funny tip, here’s some tweets I found that are in dire need of spell check and a prayer.  Ya’ll enjoy!