Major: Master of Arts in Cultural Studies
BA, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, 2008
I'm most interested in writing critical analyses.
"This paper is in the late stages of a rough draft." A rough draft? But I worked so hard on it!
"Please consult website for tips to improve prose." That's it. I quit!
Upon entering UW Bothell in the fall of 2006, after earning my AIS degree at Cascadia Community College, I already considered myself a strong writer, ready to tackle the new challenges that awaited me. I was never one for writing "rough drafts" of papers, opting instead to write the best version I could first and foremost. The comments above were from a returned paper during my first year at UW Bothell in which I followed my "no rough draft" idea, which pretty much blew up in my face. After that, I knew I had to take my writing to a whole new level in order to succeed.
Now as a student in the Master of Arts in Cultural Studies program, writing has become an even more essential part of my life. Whether it is writing weekly response papers, or papers in which I have to synthesize a quarter’s worth of reading into a few pages, writing is a crucial means of communication.
Like most things, you can only get better at writing through practice. And while often intimidating, collaboration is an effective tool for improving your craft. After all, no one can become a better writer by sitting alone at a desk. Believe me, I’ve tried.