Writing is the currency of a college education, from the General Education Curriculum right up through coursework in most majors. In preparation for the challenges that academic writing will present, all Ohio State students take a first-year composition course that is housed in the English program and a second-year course that may be taught by English faculty or by faculty in another field such as psychology (such alternative sections of 397 are typically designed for students in that major, so check the course description before enrolling).
The decisions you make about your work in these two writing courses have consequences. For example, deciding to start free-writing or brainstorming about an idea as soon as you get the assignment has as its likely consequence that you will be able to focus your work better and sooner and use feedback from others more effectively. Putting off drafting that essay until a few days before it’s due may result in an end product that isn’t fully realized and isn’t satisfying to write. Similarly, spending the time that you need in order to really understand course readings and assignments can allow you to get maximum benefit out of course activities, while not allowing adequate time can result in work that doesn’t fulfill the assignment and isn’t a good measure of your capabilities.
Everything is in place for you to succeed: dedicated faculty, cost-free support services, up-to-date technology, and the intellectual resources of a major university. You can make the most of these resources by taking control of your own learning: set priorities about the use of your time and energy and follow through even if the work is harder and takes longer than you are accustomed to. Be prepared to change: to think new things, feel new things, do new things.
Quick links to additional features of Ohio State Newark Writing: