Why do I have to take Writing 150?

You might wonder why BYU requires most students (and encourages all students) to take a first-year writing course. BYU’s first-year writing curriculum will prepare you to meet certain learning outcomes (see below) and to develop knowledge and abilities that will help you succeed in your college classes and with all the communication you do. The ability to communicate well is one of the most important skills employers look for in job candidates.

Writing is an iterative skill, which means it gets better with more practice. So even if you’re already a strong writer, Writing 150 will help you improve. Research shows that students make significant writing gains during college when they have lots of opportunities to write in many different genres for various purposes and audiences. That’s what you’ll do in Writing 150. Because first-year writing classes are small (no more than 20 students), you’ll also make new friends and get individual attention from an instructor.

What will I learn in Writing 150?

Writing 150 will teach you the processes of writing, reading, and research with an emphasis on argumentation and rhetorical analysis. This course fulfills the General Education First-Year Writing requirement.

Learning Outcomes (or what you will be able to do after taking this class):

• Rhetoric and Genre: Use knowledge of rhetoric and genre to compose effective texts for a variety of audiences and purposes and to ethically and charitably communicate with and learn from others.
• Inquiry: Engage in inquiry as an iterative process to find, evaluate, critically read, synthesize, and use information responsibly. Seek out and participate in ongoing scholarly conversations, suspending judgment until larger contexts are understood.
• Reflection: Reflect on prior experiences as a writer, evaluate the relevance or effects of your choices as a writer, and think ahead to future writing contexts.
• Writing Process: Engage in a flexible and collaborative writing process, including prewriting, drafting, reviewing, revising, and editing. Use technologies to make effective writing choices.
• Style: Demonstrate rhetorical awareness of conventions such as style, usage, mechanics, punctuation, grammar, tone, design, and citation practices that are appropriate to the writing task.

Course Coordinator: Shannon Stimpson