When I write for someone else – for one of my peers, that is – I have noticed that I tend to put more care into my work. In class last week, we got into discussions about the roles of the internet in our class. Some people said they felt uncomfortable posting online. I can’t say I really blame them: blogging inherently means posting for the world to see. And that, my friends, is terrifying.
Two weeks ago, I had an appointment with the Speech Center prior to giving a presentation. We were expected to have a draft ready, to present it, and to workshop with the Speech Consultants before our formal presentation. There were two reasons this concept terrified me. First of all, I hate planning what I’m going to say ahead of time – if I know my topic, my thoughts sound better when I’m speaking off the cuff rather than trying to recall word-for-word something I wrote days before. Second of all, I knew my Speech Consultant and (Point!) wanted to impress her.
When a paper or a speech goes straight from my hands to the professor’s, I feel less of an obligation to make sure it really is my best work. For some reason, I put more effort into trying to impress my peers than my professors. This probably has something to do with how competitive Richmond students can be – I feel the need, repeatedly, to justify my place at this school to the people around me.
I think it is this culture of trying to keep pace with, and impress, our peers that a) makes my classmates uncomfortable posting online where anyone can read their work, and b) both helps and hurts the Writing Center process.
It helps because it means that the people who go to the Writing Center often want to take the advice of their consultants to really make their work the best it can be. I think it also hurts, though, because that extra set of eyes on a paper you know isn’t fantastic can be terrifying.
Consultants are not supposed to be judges, but as a student outside of the program, that was not the way I saw it last semester. I know I am less concerned about my professor recognizing that what I am about to turn in is not my best work than I would be about putting something I know to be B.S. in front of another student.
In high school, and even in college, a lot of students probably think their professors are far above them in writing skill, so that a little extra effort amounts to very little. But when there's "fair" competition, by some students' standards, that might push them just a little harder.
ReplyDeleteInteresting issue about confidence and impressing one's peers. It is not simply Richmond, though the competition here adds pressure to an already difficult situation.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, it will get easier to share work online. The competition will remain, but for many 20-somethings and older, the need to "impress one's peers" wanes a bit with age. Trust me on that one.
Now being snarky and grumpy online? No, that never wanes :)
Me? Snarky? Never....
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