Core in Review: University Writing
De jure: A one-semester course in basic university-level writing. The only freshman Core class that both SEAS and CC students take together. Meets twice a week for 1.25 hour seminars of approximately 14 people. Class generally consists of discussions of the assigned reading, with little to no time actually spent on what you’re supposed to be writing. Includes a Progression 1, Progression 2, Progression 3, and Progression 4 paper.
De facto: Those four papers make up all of the workload of the semester, besides some “required” reading. You might think that’s not too much, but think again. P1 is about 1500 words, and they build up until P3 is a minimum of 2100 words. With first drafts and final drafts mandatory, you have due dates left and right. P4 is a short 700-word op-ed, but even that you can’t take lightly. It’s a lot of work.
The quality of the class varies wildly both due to professor and section. I took it with an elderly professor who was very adamant in making sure that no one felt like their opinion was being shut down, and just having a nice discussion about the texts we had read for class that day. Although U Writing was an 8:40 for me, I found the class very enjoyable because of my professor. He also gave rather good feedback on papers and sincerely cared about our development as writers. For sections, there are various subjects, including Contemporary Essays, Human Rights, American Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Sus Dev, and Data Sciences. I got put in Human Rights, which fostered nice vague discussions about morality and ethics and the like. The discussions weren’t productive, obviously, but it allowed for essays that could find their niche without clashing too loudly with canon in that field.
I’m sure you can see, therefore, that this class fosters a lot of bull writing. UW is just a class designed to make sure that no football recruits or math whizzes found their way into Columbia without knowing how to write a college-level essay. Once you get that out of the way, you’ll realize that UW really doesn’t teach anything. What you’ll learn is how to write a 12 page paper in a little under eight hours. And technically UW isn’t supposed to teach you that. Again, I liked the class because of my prof and the discussions, not because of what we were taught.
Tips for acing the class:
It’s kinda hard to get an A in this class, honestly. Yet everyone still walks around outraged when they get a B+ on their paper. Just accept defeat now, and be pleasantly surprised if you get an A.
It helps to write about things you’re actually interested in. And it’s very easy to do that. I wrote my P3 on a random-ass trip my friends and I once took to East Village, looking for a mystic shop. I claimed we actually saw a witch ritual happen in front of our eyes and I got a B on my paper. So write about what you’re interested in, not necessarily because it’ll get you a good grade, but because it’ll be easier to churn out a paper.
Your prof might force you to meet with him/her/them to discuss your drafts, and if he/she/they does/do, don’t take them lightly. Those meetings are really helpful for understanding what exactly your prof is looking for and how to get a good grade in the class. Also, it’ll just be embarrassing to turn up knowing squat about your own essay.
