The Truth About College Assignments: Why So Many Students Hate Writing
Essays, research papers, case studies, reports, reviews, annotations, theses — the amount of writing students have to do in college can be overwhelming.
The consistent pressure for coming up with original and fresh ideas is one of the key points why some undergraduates develop an aversion to creative assignments already during their first year at school. Other factors contribute to that loathing. We’ve covered the top eight reasons why so many young people tend to avoid writing.
Lack of a solid writing foundation
Writing is a complex intellectual activity that includes various cognitive processes, such as efficient information assessment, strong reading comprehension, analytical and reasoning skills.
Those proficiencies, together with wide-ranging vocabulary, are the groundwork for becoming a good writer. Yet, many young scholars feel discouraged when working on college assignments simply because they don’t have sufficient competence in those areas.
Poor grammar, spelling, and syntax
Some people believe that to deliver a good story, and one has to be a grammar nerd or Spelling Bee genius. Though nothing could be further from the truth, such students feel frustrated and reluctant even to attempt to share their ideas.
Even if they do, they tend to shut down once they get to the point where they don’t know the correct spelling of a word, doubt which grammatical construction to use, or struggle to shape their thoughts into various sentence structures. They are so embarrassed by their possible flows, and they fail to see this as the opportunity to learn and enhance their skills.
Getting to grips with the task
Ask any writer, “What is the most difficult part of the writing process?” and they are likely to answer that it is actually to get the ball rolling. And for students, one of the major stumbling blocks would be understanding what the paper is supposed to be about.
Even though there is an essay prompt to fall back to, it’s not always easy to find something to write about or grasp how you’re expected to address the given topic. If you can’t work it out on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. Talk to your group mates or email your instructor to get an idea of how you should approach the assignment.
Composing a high-quality paper is a tedious job
Students often complain that writing assignments take too much time and effort. Creating an impeccable piece is a complex process that includes thoughtful planning, drafting, revising, and proofreading.
That alone is a heavy burden to place upon an inexperienced writer, but on top of that, students are also forced to rewrite their thesis over and over again to meet an instructor’s demands. That’s why so many undergraduates demonstrate passive or aggressive behavior when it comes to completing their writing projects.
College Assignments: Writing is pointless
Many students, especially those majoring in business and STEM-related fields, can’t see any significant reasons why writing should be included in their curriculum.
They argue that essay composition is irrelevant to their learning, as it doesn’t contribute to their future career success. However, in the long run, writing yields some remarkable benefits. It helps to:
- convey information clearly and concisely;
- build sound, convincing arguments;
- find trustworthy evidence to back up your points;
- understand different audiences;
- expand your active vocabulary;
- develop an effective communication strategy;
- hone your research skills.
There is no right answer
Academic writing is centered on expressing ideas, constructing arguments, and defending a point of view. And yet, many students see it as a quest for the one right answer.
With such an outlook, it is no wonder that hardly any of them enter the home stretch. The concept of finding the correct answer starts to dispel as soon as you recognize there are many ways one can put forth the same thing.
Boredom
Let’s face it: for most youngsters, creative assignments are a total yawn. The primary reason for this is that they are often asked to write about the things they couldn’t care less about. And if the essay topic seems as dry as dust, it is tough to feel enthusiastic about the writing process.
One thing that might help to find a way into the assignment is to take it as the opportunity to broaden your horizons. You may also try to ask your instructor to let you choose the topic within their specifications.
If that is not the option, another trick to get the boring job done is to break it down into digestible chunks and deal with them one piece at a time. If you still can’t find any sense of meaning in your homework, check out domyessay.com to get some professional help.
College assignments: fear of the red pen
Though grading is just a way to record students’ progress, many young people are dreading the idea of having their paper marked all over with red ink.
It is deeply demotivating to see something you’ve worked so hard on be covered with the professor’s comments, corrections, and critical observations. However, it is good to remember that feedback is an essential part of the learning process. Having someone to read, revise, criticize, and evaluate your work is a great chance to identify your weak points and master your literary craft.
