Sharpen Your Writing Skills – Maybe Your Number One Priority!
Amanda has written three short stories for her high school’s arts publication and writes regularly in her journal. Kim writes poetry in both English and Korean. Taylor prefers not to write at all, but when pressed, can churn out a decent essay on music history. And Melissa is 45 – she’s an avid reader – but hasn’t written an essay in 27 years!
All four think they’re pretty competent, but halfway through their first semester, they received lower grades than they expected on their writing assignments. How well were these four students prepared for college writing? How do you perceive your writing skills?
There’s a perception that high school students are well-prepared for college-level writing, but according to a 2006 report by the Chronicle of Higher Education, only 6% of college faculty agree. And 29% of college students admit that if they knew what they know now, they would have taken more challenging English courses in high school (Achieve, 2004).
So as you embark on the road to college life, how can you be ready for the demands of academic writing?
References:
- Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.
- “School & College: Special Report.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. Spring 2006.
- “Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work?” Achieve, Inc. 2004.