Have you ever thought about becoming a college professor? Many people have, and for good reason. There are numerous perks to teaching and research that extend far beyond the paychecks. As much as we love getting our hands on a good book, nothing beats hearing a new lecture or seeing a new experiment go viral. However, the road to academic stardom is not easy. It takes a lot of attention to detail and a willingness to bounce back when things don’t go according to plan. To keep your sanity while maintaining a high level of productivity, it is essential that you take the time to learn academic writing. Here are just a few reasons why you should learn academic writing.
1. It Will Help You Land Your Next Job
Whether you’re looking for your first job out of college or you’re a soon-to-be college graduate, academic writing is something you’ll need on your resume. Even if you don’t end up teaching or pursuing a career in academia, chances are your professor will ask you to write a report or an essay at some point in your academic career. Knowing how to write a winning research paper will also help you find a job in a related field, such as law, finance, or journalism. If you’ve ever applied for a job and been met with a rejection letter, it’s likely you’ll have to write an accompanying letter to explain your qualifications.
If you’re looking for your first job out of college, learning academic writing can help you craft a winning resume that makes you stand out from the crowd. You won’t be able to include everything on your resume, but you’ll have a good start. By learning academic writing, you’ll also be able to take a few things out of the box and come up with creative solutions to problems that might otherwise stump you.
2. It Will Help You Develop Your Analytical Skills
With the world moving at such a fast pace, it’s important that you keep up with new developments and trends. Learning how to write well will help you do that. One of the things that makes professors so attractive to students is the ability to delve into a subject matter and know everything there is to know about it. Developing your critical thinking and reasoning skills will help you find the answer to any question you might have – whether that be an easy problem to solve or a complex issue that’s been bugging you. Learning academic writing will help you become more well-rounded and less susceptible to the occasional panic attack that comes with trying to keep up with the day-to-day demands of a full-time job and life outside of class.
3. It Will Help You Craft a Better Argument
If you’ve ever had to argue your case in a persuasive essay or a research paper, you’ll know how important it is to learn how to write a winning argument. Deciding which side you’re going to take isn’t easy, and knowing how to craft a strong argument backed up by sound evidence is something you’ll need for your future career. Even if you end up choosing a subject you’re passionate about, you’ll still need to prove your thesis with sound logic and evidence – which, again, you can only do with proper academic writing knowledge.
Persuasive writing is all the rage in today’s world of online education, and it’s not hard to see why. The ability to write a strong, solid argument backed up by facts and figures makes you much more attractive to potential employers as well as academia. If you’ve ever submitted a report to your professor and had it marked down for poor organization or writing, you’ll know how frustrating it can be when you’re trying to prove your point. Knowing the proper structure of a research paper will help you avoid those stressful, late-night writing sessions where you just want to give up and go to sleep.
4. It Will Help You Develop A Better Understanding Of The English Language
If you’ve ever been told that you speak English well but write it poorly, you know how frustrating it can be. Learning English as a second language is hard, and it’s no wonder so many people don’t feel confident enough to tackle writing assignments in English. Your professor may also simply not have enough time to help you with your essay or report, leaving you with a feeling of incompetency. While there are plenty of poorly written examples of English out there, there are also lots of well-written ones. Knowing when to use proper English and when to fall back on slang will certainly make a difference in your confidence level when speaking with native English speakers.
5. It Will Help You Stand Out From The Crowd
Even if you don’t end up becoming a professor, learning academic writing is still a good idea. As we mentioned above, knowing how to write a report will make you much more attractive to employers in related fields. Another great thing about reports is that they’re fairly easy to write and can be used to build up your own personal brand. With so much competition, you’ll need all the help you can get to stand out from the crowd. Learning academic writing is a good place to start as it will help you become more competent and in demand. As for the personal brand, reports are great as they’re easy to write and can be updated as needs be. Thus, you have something to show for your efforts as you continue to build up your portfolio.
6. It Will Help You Become More Creative
Creativity is a widely praised virtue, and it’s often associated with brilliance and originality. Learning how to write creatively will certainly make you a more valuable member of the academic community. Have you ever taken a writing class and hated writing the same old thing over and over again? If so, it’s probably time for you to take a different class that focuses more on the creative side of writing. There are several techniques and ideas that you can use to boost your creativity. For example, instead of just writing about what you know, try and write about something that you’ve learned. Inventing names for characters and giving them backstories is also a great way to get creative. The key is to find something that you enjoy doing and can be good at, and then build on that. Before you know it, you’ll be crafting original works that speak to the hearts of your readers.
7. It Will Help You Become A More Effective Researcher
If you’ve ever sat down to write a report on a particularly thorny subject matter, you’ll know how daunting a task it can be. Trying to figure out which sources to include and how to organize your information so that it makes sense is quite the challenge. Learning how to write a proper research paper will not only teach you all there is to know about the subject matter, but it will also prepare you for the inevitable questions from your reviewers. Your reviewers will not be kind, and they will mercilessly tear you apart if you don’t know how to properly structure a research paper. If you’re fortunate, your reviewers will even offer some constructive criticism which you can use to improve your work. In short, there are many reasons why you should learn how to write effectively and creatively, but above all else, it’s because it will make you a better researcher.
8. It Will Help You Become A More Effective Communicator
Speaking is one of the most basic forms of communication, and it’s certainly something that people will expect from you in the workplace. Learning how to speak effectively is very similar to learning how to write; you will learn how to organize your thoughts on a particular subject and how to engage your audience. Your ability to communicate will make you that much more valuable to your audience and your employers.
In a nutshell, there are many reasons why you should learn academic writing, but above all else, it’s because it will make you a better person. Learning to write will not only prepare you for a successful career in academia, but it will also equip you with the tools you need to succeed in life. While we can’t promise that your career will follow a straight and narrow path, we can say that having a good foundation in writing will certainly help you find success wherever you choose to go.