One of the first things you’ll learn in COMM 100 is that the communication major involves a lot of writing. Maybe this is part of the reason you decided to study communication, or maybe you dread this aspect of the major. Either way, learning to write well will be crucial to your success as a comm major. It could also make or break the difference in your future career…like really…despite the cliché, good writing might just be what lands you a job over other equally qualified candidates.
No “Buts” About It
“But I want to go into graphic design or become a videographer so I don’t really need to become a good writer, right?” WRONG!!! That’s like a medical student saying, “I don’t need to know much about the entire human body because I’m only planning on becoming a brain surgeon.” Or what if an aspiring architect had the attitude that he or she didn’t need to fully understand geometry since they’d be using an automated computer program to design everything. Get the picture? Even if it’s not central to your desired career, any job within the communication industry will involve some form of written communication. Can you imagine what would happen if a pro NFL player told his coach that he didn’t need to know how to tackle because he was only part of the offense? That guy would be toast and so would any comm student who tried telling a potential employer they didn’t know how to write very well.
Hidden Treasures
There is much more to becoming a good writer than knowing what an adverbial clause is (you just read one 😉 ), or where to put a comma in a sentence. As your writing improves, you will inherently become a better thinker. Being able to effectively express yourself through the written form teaches your mind how to think in a more concise and efficient manner. Becoming a good writer can also make you a better reader and improve the way in which you speak. These and many other additional benefits of good writing are all attributes that will only help you develop into a more versatile professional.
What can I do to improve?
Good writing is a skill that takes time to develop and it isn’t going to happen overnight. Here are a few specific ways you can become a better writer as a comm major at BYU-Idaho:
- Take advantage of the Writing Center on campus
- Ask others to critique your writing and give you feedback
- Consider attending the communication writing workshops held every Thursday in Spori 265 from 1-2 pm
- Start your own blog. Chances are you’ll most likely do this anyway during your time as a comm major at BYU-I, but it doesn’t hurt to gaining the experience now
- Read good literature that interests you
- Join Scroll or Soapbox
- Edit the work of others
- Study the AP stylebook
Famed American author, Ernest Hemingway, said, “It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” The truth is that very few us are amazing writers by nature. However, as comm majors at BYU-I we can have the opportunity to do as Hemmingway suggests. We can practice and become such great writers that our future employers think we were born this way. Happy writing!
byuicommunicate.wordpress.com 
Leave a comment