First Year Writing Essay

The prototypical form biota majors and history major of YU ar every(prenominal) asking themselves the very(prenominal) question How is First twelvemonth constitution going to help me? As an report major in the Syms School of Business, I was extremely troubled by the university sine qua non to take first kind constitution as well. How depart FYW help me with oddment sheets? I asked myself. How will this kind break down me an explanation internship this summer that I so desperately guide to mend my heal? Seemingly, FYW will not assist me in realizing my professional aspirations.Furthermore, the requirements of a dual broadcast are taxing enough without the added turn over an extra, un inevitable requirement. Having finished the course, I consider that First Year composing should be authorization for all students for three reasons FYW raises students knowingness of diminutive schoolingal issues, it develops their composing accomplishments, and cultivates i ngenious in take careence. In my First Year Writing class, I was first exposed to articles that dealt with educational issues such as the promotion of online-education and the promotional material of math and cognizance at the expense of the cock-a-hoop Arts.My prof began a class discussion nigh the popularization of online education by assigning David Brooks article The Campus Tsunami. permit documents the millions of dollars dedicated by elite colleges such as Harvard and M. I. T. to e-learning the year. to begin with ruminateing upon and researching the issue, I thought of e-learning as a convenient, cheap and efficient form of education. Brookss article confirmed my sign feelings. However, in this FYW required readings like an An elite group College Education, Online? (which were response letters to Brooks article) and Summa Cum Avaritia by mountain pass Brommel that laboured me to engage the alternative time period of veiw. These two articles argue that online classes should not succeed the class experience because online classes reconceive knowledge as info (Brommel,73).Brommel distinguishes between knowledge and information and argues that online classes can convey only the latter. Students are delivered the facts besides are not obligate to synthesize the information with the rest of what they know. In the traditional classroom, profs introduce the students to omprehensive knowledge, not barely information. After reading these articles, I think that e-learning diminishes the quality of education. Simply confide, online education cannot subjunction the classroom experience. As a provide of FYWs student discussions and assigned readings, I reconsidered and, ultimately, shifted my hitch of e-learning.But who cares that you changed your view of e-learning? unrivalled mogul ask. But my view on e-learning has consequences. It might determine who I vote for (candidates disagree around online education) and, perhaps, the future choices I willmake regarding my childrens education. Although I do not have children, I hope to integrity day. ) In addition to raising my knowingness of important educational issues, FYW gave me the opportunity to improve my writing skills. Before submitting my first es say, I went to the writing center for help. After I read over the essay to the prof at the writing center, he put a sorry X on the paper and recommended that I straighten outly limn my ideas originally beginning the writing process. Where is your thesis statement? Why does each unitary of your paragraphs have three different ideas? he asked. Quickly realizing that I was a novice writer, the professor gave me some instructive tips.Now, before I start writing an essay, I outline what I want to say in each paragraph. And after ofttimes practice, I have a go against understanding of how to formulate a clear thesis statement, simply my supporting paragraphs, and turn away general sweeping statements. In short, FYW h as make myself and students like me 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 obligatory for success as college student and professional, regardless of whizs major or career.In my first semester at YU, I was assigned a term paper in my trouble course, in which I was expected to clearly answer personal questions like what is your hallucination for your career? No amount of biology or accounting could provide me with the tools necessary to answer the above question. FYW enabled me to both reflect upon and clearly talk my professional aspirations. In addition to helping one in the classroom, developed writing skills, assist one in the workplace as well. Again, in my first semester, I asked my accounting professor to push clear up the exam so that I could finish an essay out-of-pocket that day.As I offered my excuse, I began to frame about the impracticali ty of writing for accountants. My professor sighed and whence replied, When are you kids going to learn that writing is important so far in accounting? He explained that writing skills are necessary in order to communicate monetary statements in a coherent manner. gravely written reports with grammatical errors will wishing 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 put down demonstrates, Staples and my accounting professors view of writing does not fully juggle the importance of writing and the humanities. Most importantly, FYW has forced me to become quickly independent. As a former soldier in the Israeli Defense forces, I struggled with the ad reasonablement to yeshivah University aliveness. In the I. D. F. , I lived a behavior of obedience I ate when tol d 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 long troops service, my life choices were made for me. But upon entering YU, my FYW course required that I agree intellectual independence in evaluating the Purpose of Liberal Arts, a difficult task for a soldier whose bathroom 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. bid soldiers, students who simpl y who go with the flow depend heavily on things like cordial pressure and parental guidance. FYW forces students to exercise their intellectual independence in reflecting on big questions like Purpose of Liberal Arts. end-to-end 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 arouse in the humanities can apply the writing skills they acquired from FYW when doing assignments for other classes and, eventually, when drafting fiscal statements. But most importantly, FYW should be mandatory because it forces students to exercise their intellectual independence.