Public Service Announcement: Supplemental

Gillian certainly managed to beat me to it. By it, I mean a public service announcement on writing. But I do have a few things to add to what she said.

I have gained a new appreciation for the work that is good writing this semester because I am in an internship to work in our school's Writing Center (where Gillian already works). I've always known that writing is important. I've always that it is something that will be in just about any job you could possibly have. I've always known that there are many kinds of writing other than an English paper. What I discovered this semester is that most people don't realize this. They assume that if they are not an English major, then they can kiss papers good-bye. Ah, how wrong they are.

A good portion of your future will depend upon your ability to write well and effectively. Gillian and I are worrying about writing papers for history conferences. Last semester, I worried about writing essays for internship applications. All seniors who plan on going to graduate school are worrying about application essays. My sister, who is working on her PhD in neuroscience has to write proposals of various kinds. The point is, writing is everywhere.

I will admit that in high school, I coasted on my writing for as long as possible. Most high school teachers, I have noticed, do not have the highest standards for writing. This means that many students get a rude awakening when they get to college. I am also lucky in that I have been writing research papers since fifth grade, and I should thank Mrs. Choice every time I write one. But the fact of the matter is that good writing takes a lot of work. It does not happen in a burst of inspiration which leads to a polished eight page paper taking form in one sitting. If it did, my life would be so much easier than it is.

So, please, take our advice: take your writing seriously. It is something on which you will be judged in the future. You may be the most coherent, personable, kind person in the world, but if that does not come across on paper, then you will run into problems at some point. So, please, work on your writing.

Thank you for reading this. Public service announcement over.