Every semester, students across America are asked to sit down and take a writing class. Roughly 1% percent actually feel (or act) as if it is worthwhile. The most common remark, "Why do I need to learn how to write?" is painful for many reasons. So I present to you a growing list of justifications for this class:

1) Writing at a college level is very different from writing at a high school level. If for no other reason than to get good grades in college, this course is here to prepare you for writing papers in countless other classes over the next 4 years of your education.

2) Writing courses are rarely just about "grammar" and sentence structure. This course in particular assumes you know most of those things. Rather, this course is about communication and argumentation. No matter what your major or your future profession, you WILL be required to communicate in some way, shape or form. Ask anyone working in your field: from posters and memos to emails and grant proposals, you will be inundated with communication issues.

3) Beyond the professional realm, it's important to note that argumentation isn't just about how you write your thoughts down, but how you say those thoughts as well. When your "buddy" comes over and says "The Mets are the worst team in the NL" and you respond by saying "oh yeah? well the Yankees suck too!" there's a problem with your argument. Writing courses are designed to help you make actual "arguments."

4) Writing courses do this by requiring focus and analysis. Perhaps the Mets ARE bad, but one might at least argue that their pitching staff is better than the Yankees'. Or perhaps focus on a particular position (Wright > A-Rod, Reyes > Jeter). These are focuses analyses of the sort taught in this class.