Today, when students hear the words “First Year Composition” they dread the thought of having to write endless papers and feel as if the class will be a waste of their time. A lot of the time it is because they have been taught improperly or they are confused on the actual concept of what a “First Year Composition” class is. Rumors will go around to students that they can skip the class, or that it will not be worth their time. “First Year Composition Should be Skipped” by Paul G. Cook and “Virtuous Arguments” by John Duffy are great reads on why taking FYC(First Year Composition) is a necessary learning bridge for not only your college career, but for other classes ahead. Little do students know that this class will teach you the correct way to argue, using proper wording in essays, and even learning to read the tone of writing.
When students think of having to deal with life experiences, their first thought is not on learning how to deal with them on paper. What students fail to realize is that FYC is where you first learn how to read voices, ideas, moods, circumstances, and the rhythm of words on paper. (Paul G. Cook Page 25) Students are always eager to get to the end result, meanwhile they forget that the classes that they feel are insignificant can change their perspective on everything moving forward in the future. Which comes down to FYC’s amazing point of learning rhetoric.
FYC teaches students the important writing skill of rhetoric. Rhetoric is learning how to use words, gestures, and symbols in writing to properly convey the message to the reader. (Paul G. Cook 25) Students often feel that using rhetoric is common sense until they reread what they have written and realize nothing is making since. To use rhetoric is to look or hear words and be able to form a proper opinion. A good example of where rhetoric is found in the news. News anchors are constantly fighting back and forth, but are always able to have counter arguments to things that are said to them.
John Duffy states in his article “Virtuous Arguments” that FYC is where students first learn to make and support a claim, while also considering alternatives to their argument. Meaning that when many first-year students write, they are often unknowledgeable on how to convey their argument properly. FYC guides students on understanding the proper way to format their arguments, so that their ideas do not sound scattered throughout their papers. This in turn allows students to create a proper claim.
FYC is also an important element for learning how to make counter arguments. It is often easy for students to make arguments, but they are not usually accustomed to taking criticism on the statements they have made. John Duffy mentioned that FYC class is the main place students learn how to take criticism in a generous manner. It is easy to get tunnel vision when students think they are right about something. If students can understand another person’s perspective on an argument, it makes it easier for them to look at the subject matter at every possible angle. This openness to other’s opinions allows students to possibly learn something new, or even make it easier for students to educate one another. Not only does this skill pertain to writing, but it also transfers to other classes and even social discussions. The fantastic thing about FYC is that the class is tremendously smaller, making it easier for students to be confident in what they are learning.
Communication is an essential life skill that will carry students throughout not only their college career, but life as well. FYC is an important college introductory class that will teach students this ability by instructing them on how to construct an argument, form their words properly, and read tone through writing. So, the next time you hear someone talking about not taking a introductory class, look a little more into the fundamentals and what you could potentially take further into your college experience. The first time for something is usually when you learn the most in any situation.
Works Cited:
- Duffy, John. “Virtuous Arguments.” Inside Higher Ed, 16 March 2012 https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2012/03/16/essay-value-first-year-writing-courses
- Cook, G. Paul. “First-Year Composition Should Be Skipped”. Morgantown, WV. Bad Ideas About Writing. (2017). PDF. P.24-29