I’m sure we all are going through this stream of consciousness where in one moment, we think we have the answer and in the next, we are right back where we started again. My interaction with this idea changes by the minute, but I am a problem solver, so I am always thinking about how to “fix” it. Anyway…

The question is whether or not students need a class on how to write in order to learn how to write. No, not necessarily, but they do need feedback and guidance throughout the writing process. The reason FYC is useful to students is because they theoretically should be getting that support.

The problem with the non-writing classes (wp classes included) is that students are expected to know how to write in a specific way already. instructors don’t want to have to “waste” time on the stylistic requirements. The most feedback I ever got in my undergraduate major about my writing was, “This is not APA!” The irony is that I had modeled the paper after a report written in my discipline.

The point is, maybe what needs to change is the idea that these professors shouldn’t have to waste time on developing students’ writing…Angel Morgan

I agree with Wardle. There is value in teaching “about” writing rather than trying to teach students to write in a particular genre. Why not make the purpose of FYC an informative one where each student researches writing in his/her discipline, informs the class about the findings, compare/contrast writing in the workplace with academic writing, synthesize and discuss the findings, and reflect on what was learned about writing? It is not necessary to mirror the genres, but to inform about them. Rather than the teacher learning the genre to teach the student how to write in that format, have the students teach the class how to do it. One problem is that this would create a need for standardizing the curriculum.

The question continues to be, “How does first-year comp teach students how to write in any particular genre?” And all I wanna ask is, “How doesn’t it?” This seems really nit-picky to me. No class will ever perfectly teach EVERYTHING that you need to know ever. That’s why, when you’re taught to develop a research question, you are told to narrow your topic. Why? Because you can’t possibly write an all-encompassing, exhaustive paper on anything. Why are we trying to make first-year comp exhaustive?

I thought everyone knew that you aren’t supposed to use an acronym without first using it in its complete form. I was like, “What the hell (WTH) does FYC stand for?” Maybe it should have been common knowledge given what we have been talking about since the first day of class, but I am an example of why you can never assume that anything is common knowledge.

so…

I looked up FYC and discovered that it means Fine Young Cannibals!!! WTH!!???

Ohhhhhhh, yeahhhhh, it probably means First-Year Composition…oops