28 “You ARE a writer”

I suppose this textbook must end somewhere, and we stress proper conclusions. Learning to write is one of those things that does not end; we just stop writing a piece of work and call it finished. We are all writers. You may not have internalized it yet, but you navigate writing and rhetorical situations daily, this makes you a writer.

Writing courses are often considered a place where students are supposed to “learn how to write,” as if you can simply learn how to write as a singular activity. This is not the nature of writing or rhetoric. As you have learned, writing and rhetoric are connected to audience, purpose, genres, and so many things that can and will change. Even the nature of writing is still evolving and changing.

I challenge you to think back to strategies and techniques you used in this course and find ways to apply them to your discipline and career.

With that in mind, we would like to leave you with some lessons that have transferred from writing into our daily lives:

• We all struggle, that means your professors too, so take it one step at a time but don’t stop.
• There is always more to learn.
• Don’t be afraid of change.
• There are different literacies, understand that just because someone is not skilled in your form of literacy doesn’t mean they aren’t skilled in many others.
• Get comfortable being uncomfortable. It WILL get easier with practice.
• Rejection and criticism provide opportunities to grow and improve, even if they are hard to hear.
• Do your research, validate source and facts credibility, analyze arguments for bias and flaws.
• Give credit where credit is due.
• Collaboration and cooperation can change the way you view the world and make you better, so take opportunities to work and play with others.
• Find peers and professionals who will be honest with you about your work.
• Pay attention to your audience because it is not all about you.
• If someone asks you to critique something, be constructive and be kind.
• Allow yourself to explore, discover, and take chances.
• You can’t separate yourself from your work, so work well and ethically.
• Don’t take yourself too seriously.
• Reflect often on your successes and failures with a growth mindset.