Our world is changing rapidly. The characters of the educational process are not like their predecessors, who studied at universities 10-15 years ago. Nowadays, students are more independent, so they have more responsibilities. As a result, they have to write more. Therefore, it is essential to systematize writing qualities that directly affect the success of a modern student.
Before talking about the main factors of university writing competency, it is essential to mention that some students are prone to avoid this kind of work. They do it with the help of professional writing services. According to statistics, 15% of students admit to buying custom-written essays online. This may happen because of lack of time, unwillingness to learn the material, etc. However, this can lead to severe problems because of problems with quality and uniqueness.
However, this can lead to severe problems because of problems with quality and uniqueness. Therefore, it is essential to choose a high-quality service with good reviews.
The Essential Writing Skills Students Have To Master
First, critical thinking and convincing arguments allow students to overcome numerous writing difficulties successfully. According to the graph, group discussion is the most popular way to teach critical thinking. This helps students to be able to communicate and persuade their readers.
He or she will always be able to evaluate his or her abilities, as well as the reliability and plausibility of the information received during the studies or research. This is a special kind of competency that determines the level of mental maturity of a student.
And the second aspect is literacy. This contributes to the development of literacy skills. No serious and self-respecting organization will keep an employee who writes emails or drafting contracts with grammatical mistakes. Therefore, universities are struggling to test this quality in their students. Consequently, it is vital to break away from the screens of gadgets and pick up a book.
#1. On Writing Well by William Zinsser
William Zinser is an editor, teacher, and author of books on entirely different topics. On Writing Well is a classic textbook and an introduction to the methodology of composing the text, choosing the structure, thesis, and the basics of editing. Zinsser relies on spectacular and compelling texts, backed up by facts.
The book is suitable for media workers, blog authors, and students. It helps to determine the idea that should be in the text. Writing about what you are interested in is already half the success. Zinsser does not ignore the emotional state during creativity.
In addition to chapters with writing techniques for specific topics, Zinsser identifies capacious and universal principles for writing texts. For example, you should always read aloud to follow the rhythm and alliteration. And the main thing to remember is that the essential thing is not the finished result but the continuous modification and work on the text.
#2. The Seven Secrets of the Prolific: How to Overcome Writer’s Block, Finish Your Projects and Enjoy Your Life by Hillary Rettig
The phrase “Writer’s block” is increasingly popular in our lives. Imagination immediately draws a huge monolith, which it is not possible to overcome. It can be applied to a school essay, scientific work, article, or even a novel.
Hillary Rettig has gathered the methods and tips for dealing with the creative crisis. According to Rettig, the writer’s block is a prolonged attack of procrastination, generated by the inability to use what you have under the influence of external conditions.
Consequently, laziness and lack of willpower are only symptoms, not the reasons for low productivity. And this is the first thing that breaks the routine vision of procrastination.
The true obstacle to productive work with text is perfectionism. Rettig shares her tricks to overcome it, giving examples of the creative process of such writers as King, Flaubert, Morrison, Maugham, and Bellow. Particular attention is paid to online writing, which the author characterizes as blurring of borders, multiple contradictions, and traumatic rejection.
#3. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The king of horrors has chosen a non-trivial manner to share his writing methods. The book can be divided into two parts: an autobiography and tips for beginning writers. In the first part, the author sincerely and ironically shares the milestones from the life that influenced his style. King grew up in a low-income family. When he was young, he learned what hard work is and what the price of success is. He was writing every day. He was failing but did not give up. After all, you never know what readers will like exactly.
The second part is devoted to clear and structured advice for anyone who wants to learn how to write. King talks about how to edit texts, where to start writing, why you don’t need to follow a pre-prepared work plan, and never forget about grammar.
He illustrates all methods with examples from his novels. For example, providing readers with drafts of the story 1408, he demonstrates the ability to filter excess information. Most of the tips can be considered universal and be applied without regard to a particular genre.
#4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Easily and enthusiastically, Lamott shares her experience of writing books. Her book is built on examples from her own life and the lives of fellow writers. She wrote touching and funny stories about how to overcome a creative crisis, come up with a plot, and share the final version of the book with everyone, including the postman.
In addition, Lamott gives some tips on university writing. Like Hillary Rettig, she sees perfectionism as the main enemy of the writer, and the assistant is the habit of writing at the same time day after day.
