Academic success skills for non-traditional students: writing

August 8, 2008 by Christine

Returning to college as an adult can certainly be overwhelming!

Being back in a classroom will force you to use some mental “muscles” that you might not have used in a long time. You’ll also need to develop some other skills that might not have even existed when you were in school!

Over the next several days, this will be a series of Top Success Skills for Non-Traditional students.

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WRITING SKILLS

“I’m not looking for a book report on Hamlet. I’m looking for analysis!”

That was my Intro to Literature instructor from last semester, assigning a 5-page essay on Shakespeare’s famous play.

Back in your high school English class, you might have gotten away with writing a paper that simply summarized the plot:

Prince Hamlet encounters his father’s ghost and learns the truth about how his father died. Hamlet becomes obsessed with plotting revenge against the murderer– the King’s own brother, who by the way has since married Hamlet’s widowed mother and has become the new King of Denmark. Hamlet goes a little crazy, and chaos ensues.

That probably won’t cut it in college.

College writing is a whole new level. When my literature instructor said she wanted “analysis” and not a “book report”, she meant business. Your college professors will expect more from you than just a summary of the textbook chapters.

You’ll need to go a lot deeper than just re-telling the story in your own words. Your instructor already knows the story; you need to write a paper that convinces him/her that you understand what the story means.

Literature analysis is beyond the scope of this post (another post for another day), but the point is that

college writing will most likely be more complex than anything you’ve ever written in your school career.

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Building the foundations

As mentioned for Math and Reading, you will most likely have to take a placement test in Writing, as well. You may need to take a lower-level writing course to bring your skills up to the college level. Don’t feel insulted or discouraged. This will help you in the long run, preparing you for success at higher levels.

Required for graduation… and rightfully so!

Most degree programs require at least one college-level writing course. This isn’t just a random, meaningless requirement. It’s practical and useful. Good writing skills will help you succeed in your future course work, too. You’ll need to write papers and essays in other classes, and your writing class will give you skills to build on throughout your college career.

An important skill beyond college

The importance of effective writing isn’t only useful in school. Good writing skills are highly sought-after in the workplace, as well. In fact, many employers bemoan the fact that workers’ writing skills are sorely lacking.

Being able to write well can give you a special advantage in the job market. When there’s a pile of poorly-written resumes on the hiring manager’s desk, your well-written resume will stand out from the crowd. When you outshine the majority of applicants, your chance of winning an interview increases dramatically!

Practice, practice, practice!

Writing is a skill like anything else, and requires practice. You learn to write by… simply writing a lot! People who seem to be “born writers” may have a natural aptitude, but their skill comes from having actually practiced a lot more than most people!

Spelling and grammar count!

Some teachers have argued that spelling and grammar are not as important as the ideas being expressed. Your college professors and potential employers will disagree. They probably won’t be too concerned about your self-esteem to correct you and take off points for spelling. Whenever I see glaring errors in a written document, I begin to seriously question the content as well. Your use of the language should support your ideas, not undermine them.

Your word processing software has a Spell-Check function… use it! In MS Word, for example, when you misspell a word, a squiggly red line will appear beneath it. You can correct the word yourself, or the software can correct it for you. (Related post: Writing tips: Word Usage)

Finally, papers will need to be written in a much more formal language than what you use in, for example, memos and emails. Abbreviations and Instant Messaging slang are never appropriate in college work.

Need help?

If you’re in a writing class, your instructor is right there to help you with the writing process.

If you’re having trouble writing a paper for another class, however, fear not! Many colleges have resources for helping students with writing. Special departments, often called a Writing Center or Writing Lab, are available on many campuses. Staffed by faculty and other writing professionals, a Writing Center is dedicated to helping students with their academic writing. If you’re having trouble organizing your ideas or structuring an outline for your paper, they can help.

These resources are there for you. USE THEM!

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Useful links

The Owl– Purdue University Online Writing Lab

Academic Writing Skills- adulteducation.suite101.com

Academic Writing Skills- yourdictionary.com

Writing Skills

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THE SERIES

1. Math Skills

2. Reading Skills

3. Writing Skills