Don't be a Statistic; Learn to Write Well
Don't be a Statistic; Learn to Write Well
It's very easy for teachers and professors to complain about "kids these days" who seemingly can't write or look up from their phones. It's easy to shake our proverbial canes at the younger generation and bemoan their lack of skills.
What are the true costs of not writing well?
Research suggests that students aren't learning how to write at the appropriate level and it is costing them and the economy a lot in the long run.
1. Even when students are allowed to use spell check and grammar check, they still are not proficient writers (see here for more info on this statistic).
3. Students prefer texting over writing, and frighteningly, the majority of them think texting is a valid form of writing, over academic composition (see here for more info on this little tidbit).
So we have a strange situation where students aren't able to craft very good prose, even with basic linguistic aids; this limitation ends up being an expensive proposition for businesses who hire these students; and ultimately students neither know nor care that texting will not prepare them for the types of writing tasks required both at school and out in the larger world.
What do we do with this data around bad writing?
I, for one, do not want to be the type of educator who just shakes her cane at "kids these days" and, rather, I have worked hard throughout my academic and professional life to help people be empowered by the written word. Wize Writer is one expression of that passion for education and the power of language that I have, but I've also listed some other suggestions to help you master writing, because it's not just about getting a good grade in school (although, that's part of it), but it's also about being able to communicate effectively at work, being able to engage critically with the world of text around you, and being able to think and write in a way that engages substance and nuance.
Here are some of my top suggestions to help improve writing at school, college, or university:
- Seek out your college's or university's writing centre. Most of the time your institution has resources available to you. You're paying for them, so make use of them!
- Practice writing academic prose. Find sample essay questions and practice writing them, or at least writing practice outlines for an essay you could write if you wanted to.
- Try using Wize Writer to help you make the conventions of academic writing natural and automatic for you.
- Read, read, and read. Most humans are mimics to a certain degree. If you read good writing, some of it will sink into your own writing.
- Check out some of Wizeprep's English and Composition resources, which break down reading and writing tasks into small, bite-sized videos to help you.
📷What kind of writing is best for what setting?
I believe there's a time and place for a text message, just as there's a time and place for a silly conversation over coffee. But I also believe that there's a time and place for serious and complex written communication, just as there's a time and place for more comprehensive conversation at work or school. If students are only equipped to text message and chat superficially, then they will never be able to move up the corporate ladder professionally or engage with any degree of sophistication with politics or culture.
So text with your friends and family. Write academically in school, college, or university, and write professionally at work. If you are able to master these different writing styles for different contexts, then you will be set for success. As a reminder:
- Friends & Family: Generally casual writing is more than acceptable. Emojis. Abbreviations. Bad punctuation.
- School, College, or University: Generally you will be asked to perform tasks that fall within academic writing disciplines. The rules vary from subject to subject, but mainly you will keep an objective and formal style and show your facility with the methods and vocabulary of the field.
- Professional: Writing at work is often shorter and more to the point than academic writing. It is less focused on jargon or the vocabulary of the field, but it still needs to be polished and objective. Don't make your colleagues work to understand the point of your piece of writing.
So don't be one of those statistics. Be one who knows how to write, how to think, and how to communicate well.
And if you want to get into the nitty gritty of some punctuation rules, have a watch of this short video that walks you through when to use (and when not to use) a comma!
Other resources to help you with your writing:
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