Dear New APELC Student,
Welcome! I know that when I was in your position, everyone I talked to about this class told me I would become a better writer. To be honest, I didn't think that was true. I thought of writing as something that couldn't really be taught; either you were good at it or you weren't. But looking back on my writing from before taking this class, I can tell that I didn't have a very good grasp of how to best construct my writing to convey my point effectively. My writing wasn't bad, but I didn't structure my arguments with the intent to appeal to a specific audience, and I definitely didn't consciously use rhetorical devices. (Sometimes I would accidentally stumble upon one, but they work much better when you employ them deliberately!) When we began analyzing texts, it became clearer and clearer how much thought authors put into how they phrase their message. If you work hard enough on your own writing and employ the techniques that you learn about and study in class, your writing can absolutely improve, and you'll be able to see that with each passing essay (of which you'll write many).
This class requires you to be focused and participatory with your learning. Analyzing a text may not feel fun or easy, but it'll get better with practice and it'll definitely help you with your writing. Something I struggled with in the beginning was identifying the author's purpose, but after a while you start to see patterns in the writing. If you see a certain rhetorical device, it may point to one purpose, but a different rhetorical device would change the message. It varies and isn't an exact science, but you'll figure it out soon enough. Don't be discouraged by any of your essay grades, either. You're not expected to be churning out 9's right away, or even 6's or 7's. Everything in this class comes with practice. Writing is a process, and this course is a process. Once you reach the end, everything will make sense and be worth it. You'll be a better writer who is better able to read and analyze texts, which will make you a better informed citizen. There really are no downsides to taking this course.
