[686] in Depressing_Thoughts
Re: Writing Requirement, cont'd...
belville@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (belville@ATHENA.MIT.EDU)
Fri Dec 16 15:26:46 1988
Precisely. I remember that topic, now, and I think the others were
something about the legalization of marijuana (take a side), and
something about apartheid. There were specific instructions to come
up with 3 supporting points, as well. It may be that things have
changed since our year (lots of things have, after all). Thinking
back on it, the effect of failing Phase One was to undermine my
confidence in my ability as a writer. After all, I had done well in
my writing classes in high school, and I felt good about my college
essays, then I got shot down, developed a stigma about writing, and
finally took 21.732 in my sophomore year. The next summer, I was
desperately looking for a job, and found an opening in Athena Doc
group. *This is not an opening for Athena documentation flames.*
Then I discovered the technical writing major, and here I am. Not a
``failure'' at writing a simple essay.
Point of all this: Phase One test leaves something to be desired. I,
as a reasonably talented writer, fails, and takes a couple years to
build up confidence. Furthermore, I would reckon that there exist the
students for whom the writing requirement was presumably created, those
``stereotypical'' engineers-who-can't-write, who marginally passed the
phase one test, and do all they can to avoid writing papers. Thus,
they miss out on some great writing courses.
