First Year Writing Essay

The first year biology majors and account major of YU ar all asking themselves the same promontory How is First Year Writing going to help me? As an account statement system major in the Syms School of Business, I was extremely troubled by the university requirement to take first year composing as well. How leave behind FYW help me with balance sheets? I asked myself. How will this class get me an invoice internship this summer that I so desperately need to modify my add? Seemingly, FYW will non assist me in realizing my professional aspirations.Furthermore, the requirements of a treble curriculum are taxing enough without the added labor an extra, unnecessary requirement. Having spotless the get over, I believe that First Year Writing should be compulsory for all scholars for three reasons FYW raises students awareness of particular educational issues, it develops their write skills, and cultivates keen independence. In my First Year Writing class, I was first unresolved to articles that dealt with educational issues such as the promotion of online-education and the advancement of math and erudition at the expense of the well-favored Arts.My professor began a class interchange about(predicate) the popularization of online education by assigning David Brooks article The Campus Tsunami. Brooks documents the millions of dollars dedicated by elite colleges such as Harvard and M. I. T. to e-learning the year. Before reflecting upon and researching the issue, I thought of e-learning as a convenient, cheap and businesslike form of education. Brookss article confirmed my initial feelings. However, in this FYW required readings like an An Elite College Education, Online? (which were response letters to Brooks article) and Summa Cum Avaritia by Nick Brommel that obligate me to engage the utility(a) point of veiw. These two articles argue that online classes should not supplant the class date because online classes reconceive knowledge as i nformation (Brommel,73).Brommel distinguishes between knowledge and information and argues that online classes lavatory convey only the latter. Students are delivered the facts but are not forced to synthesize the information with the rest of what they know. In the traditional classroom, professors introduce the students to omprehensive knowledge, not simply information. afterward reading these articles, I concluded that e-learning diminishes the quality of education. obviously put, online education fucknot supplement the classroom experience. As a result of FYWs student discussions and assigned readings, I reconsidered and, ultimately, shifted my view of e-learning.But who cares that you changed your view of e-learning? adept might ask. But my view on e-learning has consequences. It might de conditionine who I vote for (candidates disagree about online education) and, perhaps, the future choices I willmake regarding my childrens education. Although I do not have children, I h ope to angiotensin converting enzyme day. ) In rundown to raising my awareness of important educational issues, FYW gave me the opportunity to improve my writing skills. Before submitting my first essay, I went to the writing center for help. After I read over the essay to the professor at the writing center, he put a big X on the physical composition and recommended that I understandably chalk out my ideas before beginning the writing process. Where is your thesis statement? Why does each angiotensin-converting enzyme of your paragraphs have three divers(prenominal) ideas? he asked. Quickly realizing that I was a novice writer, the professor gave me or so instructive tips.Now, before I start writing an essay, I outline what I want to say in each paragraph. And after oft practice, I have a better understanding of how to formulate a clear thesis statement, simply my supporting paragraphs, and avoid general sweep statements. In short, FYW has made myself and students like m e better writers. Nevertheless, a science or business major might question whether writing is always a valuable skill. I maintain that the skill of writing assists is necessary for mastery as college student and professional, regardless of ones major or career.In my first semester at YU, I was assigned a term paper in my management execute, in which I was expected to clearly answer personal questions like what is your vision for your career? No occur of biology or chronicle could provide me with the tools necessary to answer the preceding(prenominal) question. FYW enabled me to both reflect upon and clearly articulate my professional aspirations. In addition to helping one in the classroom, developed writing skills, assist one in the work location as well. Again, in my first semester, I asked my accounting professor to push off the exam so that I could excite an essay due that day.As I offered my excuse, I began to ramble about the impracticality of writing for accountants. M y professor sighed and then replied, When are you kids going to learn that writing is important even in accounting? He explained that writing skills are necessary in lay to communicate financial statements in a coherent manner. Poorly written reports with grammatical errors will lack credibility. Conversely, a well drafted report will be readily understood. My professors example reflects Brent Stapless description of writing as a critical strategy for students to prepare them to succeed in the work place (34).But as Mark Sloukas article Dehumanized demonstrates, Staples and my accounting professors view of writing does not fully fetch the importance of writing and the humanities. Most importantly, FYW has forced me to become talentedly independent. As a former soldier in the Israeli Defense forces, I struggled with the adjustment to Yeshiva University life. In the I. D. F. , I lived a life of fealty I ate when told to eat, slept when told to sleep, and even showered was I was told to shower.Israeli soldiers live by the adage, rosh bakir, which roughly translates to dont think, just do. In contrast to the IDF, my FYW course styled itself off of Mark Edmunsons concept of democratic thinking, where each student is encouraged and, in fact, expected to offer his own thoughts. During my year and half(a) long army service, my life choices were made for me. But upon entering YU, my FYW course required that I apply intellectual independence in evaluating the purpose of Liberal Arts, a difficult task for a soldier whose behind breaks were previously timed.Initially, I viewed my professor as commander and myself as soldier. I relied on her exact directions about how to write the essay at hand. Quickly, my professor identified my dependency and challenged me to develop and articulate my own thoughts. But one need not serve in the army in order to fear independence. Like soldiers, students who simply who go with the flow depend heavy on things like social pressu re and parental guidance. FYW forces students to exercise their intellectual independence in reflecting on big questions like Purpose of Liberal Arts.Throughout this essay, I have argued that that First Year Writing should be mandatory for all students for three basic reasons. First, FYW raises awareness about critical life issues of which online education is but a single example. Second, even accounting majors who may not interested in the humanities can apply the writing skills they acquired from FYW when doing assignments for other classes and, eventually, when drafting financial statements. But near importantly, FYW should be mandatory because it forces students to exercise their intellectual independence.