My background in writing is probably the same as most everyone’s. I started mainly writing in many composition classes, but I have always been told that I was an abomination to all things writing. I took the comments very seriously so I started to take more composition classes to help myself learn the basics of writing. As I progressed through the courses, gaining knowledge little by little, I began to think about why I might need to become a better writer. I was looking for a larger reason than just because my 10th grade English teacher said so. So I began to do some research on the level of writing I would need to produce as an engineer/professor in the Air Force.
Writing is an integral part to most, if not all, career options. In my specific career field of teaching math and sciences, writing is rather important. It helps me articulate ideas and thoughts in a much more concrete way, and it helps me personally form coherent responses. As a teacher, I would need to be able to write clear instructions to tasks, as well as clear and coherent emails and responses to students as well as management. In the field of an engineer in the Air Force, writing is essential for building plans of action, as well as articulating specific orders and requests to all military personnel.
Several years ago, I could guarantee that I lacked almost all necessary skills of writing that would have been a key aspect in both of these career fields. However, in the past few classes I have taken, the professors have been excellent and very helpful. This class has been a great help to learn how to clearly argue a point, and how to research it properly. I personally had trouble attacking the validity of the point and not the other debater. I found that I tend to poke fun at the other debater’s ideas and make them seem stupid rather than actually proving a point of my own.
Through the rest of this class, I intend to learn more about how to form arguments and take correct sides when given the opportunity. Most importantly, I just want to further my knowledge on the subject of writing. As I stated earlier, writing was never easy for me, and I have been trying to change that for a while now. I finally feel as if I am becoming a better writer. When I had gone back and read some of my early papers, I would cringe at some of the sentences and words I had used. Going and reading some of my more recent papers, they just feel more coherent and formal.
In conclusion, I started out terrible at writing, and I began to try my best to get better. Then I began to study what I would actually need to learn in my career fields. I was beginning to enjoy the thought of writing as I progressed through my courses. I finally am at a point where I feel competent enough to start my careers. I feel as if I am at the correct level, however, I do not intend on stopping my progression of knowledge in writing anytime soon.
Rob Ingenloff 