WAC article response

From our previous readings, I found the WAC article particularly interesting, because it touched on the many contradictions and frustrations that are felt by college students. Throughout this article, the author reiterates how professors are constantly asking their students to think of and write about “fresh” and “new” ideas. However, coming up with these fresh ideas often compels students to use their own voice and thoughts in their papers, which is not an acceptable writing technique to every teacher. The ambiguity about whether or not a student is permitted to use first person in their writing, is an example of the vast opinions on what constitutes “good writing.” Because of the teacher diversity at every school, many students struggle about how to please each one individually. For this reason, like Sarah said, if you are a “serious” student you will attend the writing center in order to help you figure out the best possible way to decode the goals of your professors. However, in my opinion it is not the writing center that will be able to get that student the “A” grade that Sarah also mentioned. Only the professor will know exactly what he/she wants, which is why I think that students must first go to their professors for help and then go to the writing center. This is the only way the student will be able to understand what their professor wants, which is something that a writing fellow cannot teach. Although Wingate expresses that the writing center has helped raise the grades of students above those who do not attend, I think that in many more cases, it is the student who better understands what his/her professor wants that will earn the better grade. Unless we can get every teacher at each school to be on the same page, we will not be successful in teaching just one standard of writing. Is it possible for us to have one standard? Or is the variety of writing techniques a valuable asset to a students’ college career?