Writing in College

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Writing in College

• Making the Transition from High School to Oberlin

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This is a two-part session

• First, we will review some details of the College
  of Arts and Sciences Writing Proficiency
  Requirement and the Conservatory Writing
  Requirement at Oberlin
• Second, we will have a brief presentation
  followed by an interactive workshop that aims to
  demystify college writing

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The A S Writing Requirement

• The Writing Proficiency Requirement applies to
  all students in the College of Arts and Sciences
  and to all Double Degree students.
• This is a graduation requirement in other words,
  students must demonstrate writing proficiency in
  order to earn their degrees.
• The College recommends that students take steps
  to meet the requirement as soon as possible.

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Three ways to meet the A S Writing Requirement

• 1. By a high score on one of these tests
• SAT II Writing Test710 or higher
• English AP 5 (either Lang/Comp or Lit/Comp)
• 2. By passing a writing exam given on campus each
  semester
• 3. By certification of proficiency from Oberlin
  instructors in "writing intensive" or "writing
  certification" courses in two different
  departments

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The Conservatory Writing Requirement

• The Requirement applies to Conservatory students
  with scores below 580 on the SAT-V below 24 on
  the ACT or below 600 on the TOEFL
• It is a graduation requirement.
• Students subject to the requirement may satisfy
  it by completing one course chosen from the EXWR
  111119 series.

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Making the Transition from High School to College
Writing Some Points of Difference

• At Oberlin, writers usually have more freedom in
  structuring their essays. Papers are expected to
  be organized in some systematic way (perhaps
  following some logical sequence or other), but
  the acceptable range of possibilities is much
  wider.

• Students entering Oberlin often tell us that in
  high school they were compelled to write papers
  with rigidly prescribed structures and formats
  (the most common being the five-paragraph theme).

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Some Differences between High School and College
Writing (continued)

• Just as there are strictly prescribed structures
  in high school writing, so too are there many
  overtly stated rules and guidelines governing the
  writing of high school papers. Often, much class
  time and energy are devoted to explicit
  statements and discussions of exactly what the
  high school teacher wants or expects students to
  write.

• At Oberlin, unless you are in a course designated
  as writing intensive, the instructors
  expectations for a particular paper are apt to
  appear more amorphous and to be less explicitly
  stated than in high school. This is not to say
  that specific expectations do not exist, but
  rather that they often go unstated. Dont
  hesitate to ask your professors to clarify their
  conception of the assignment.

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Some Differences between High School and College
Writing (continued)

• By contrast, Oberlin faculty will encourage and
  expect you to include your own views on the
  topics you discuss in your papers. Indeed,
  failing to include any input of your own is
  generally considered a major weakness. In some
  cases, no matter how well the paper is otherwise
  written, you may find that you can earn no higher
  than a C if all you do is summarize facts or
  rehash others ideas without taking a stand.

• Students entering Oberlin also report that in
  writing papers for their high school classes they
  were often strongly discouragedsometimes even
  prohibitedfrom adding their own input or
  opinions to their papers. (Some were apparently
  told that they lacked the authority to speak out,
  others that no one cared to know what they
  thought!)

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Some Differences between High School and College
Writing (continued)

• We have noticed that students coming to Oberlin,
  while often verbally talented and possessing
  considerable writing skills, appear to be in the
  habit of seeking quick closure in their essays.
  Many otherwise capable writers seem to approach
  writing as a matter of stating and supporting
  their points as quickly as possible, then
  concluding their papers with a hasty reiteration
  of their thesis.

• At Oberlin, faculty members who assign papers
  generally want students to open up (rather than
  to close down) their topics. Students are ideally
  expected to use their writing to probe course
  material as deeply as possible. Instead of
  arriving at quick closure, successful college
  writers often seek to delay closure to
  complicate, interrogate, and problematize
  viewpoints and issues.