As important as it is to be in class consistently, attendance alone will not enable a student to succeed. In college, faculty expect students to spend at least 2 or 3 hours outside of class per unit. This would be at least 6 to 9 hours of work for a 3 unit composition course.
This again, may be quite a difference from high school, and it can take a great deal of self-direction for a student to make good use of the time outside of class, especially when faced with other commitments and a whole host of distractions. We find that students in our composition courses can learn as much about setting priorities and managing their time as they do about writing and research.
As is the case in so many other scenarios, what you will get out of our composition program will depend on what you are willing to put into it. Attitude and work ethic play a significant role in student success in our program. Students for whom writing comes fairly easily, but who are not willing to invest time in the drafting and revision process, are typically not as successful as those who are willing to put the necessary time and effort into the class.
As with any General Education class at CI, we understand that students enroll in our courses because they are required to do so. That being said, our composition courses are often a favorite in a first year student’s schedule. First year students, especially those who may not have cared that much for writing and research in high school, are often surprised to discover what they are capable of when they make it a priority to become a self-guided learner.
