Difficuly Paper #1

In “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Writers,” Nancy Sommers tells us that the difference between the student and experienced writer is basically the process of revision. Sommers interviewed different people from those two groups, and found that students didn’t use the word revision. These students said that after they finished an assignment they would read through it again, but that they were basically looking to see if they could have made a better word choice. It seemed from the examples given that these students just wanted to use bigger words to make themselves sound more studious. The experienced students that Sommers interviewed said that they would revise what they had written many times before they could say it was done. She concluded that students put too much emphasis on words, where the people with more experience looked more at the content of what they were trying to say.

I liked the examples of the experienced writers that Sommers used. I felt like I could relate to them because I personally may write the same paper five times before I turn it in for a grade. These examples gave me confidence in my own experience of writing because it reminded me that I’m not alone in this process.

Since this article was about student writers, and I am one myself, let me give my definition of what I think revision is; the process of actively re-reading and re-writing looking specifically for clarity of my argument and the main points that I am trying to convey. I do use words like re-write, or revise because I believe it is the most important process in writing.

The problem that I have with this essay is who are these students and where are they receiving their education? Why does Sommers say that most students don’t use the word revision? It seems like it’s a pretty common word in the terms of a person’s education. I am pretty sure the concept was introduced to me on my first day of college. I have a hard time believing that student writers don’t go through some process of revision besides just changing words. I don’t believe that a person can read through a paper that contains a bunch brain spew and says “that’s great, but I should change a few words.” I felt like students were not given enough credit as a group. They were dumbed down a bit. All of Sommers examples of student writers seemed to similar one another, as where the examples of experienced writers were very different.

I have tutored in the past, in English, and in my experience students have trouble with the content of their paper. They are still finding their voice, learning to express themselves through language, but I have never heard a student say, “Do you think I should change this word.” On the other hand, they’re worried about if they answered the questions that had been assigned by their teacher.