Nothing Without Proof

High School is a rough time in one’s life, for many reasons. People like to quote biological and emotional reasons, but high school can sometimes be hard educationally as well. This is not always because the classes are hard, but often times because they are setup in a way that is a different pace and organization than Jr. High and elementary classes, much in the same way the college classes are often times not dramatically more difficult (although in many cases they are), they are just different. In my particular case, one of the classes that exhibited this characteristic was my high school English class. I took college English in high school and had the most wonderful professor, however the writing assignments were not always to my liking, and I often times disagreed with my grades when I thought they were lower than they should be. However, the main point of this class was to teach me to write, despite me thinking I already knew how to.

Going into the class, I thought that my writing skills were up to par. Sure, I could use big words here and there; probably convince someone my age that I knew what I was talking about. But when it came to writing with substance, to actually making a point that packed a punch, I was severely lacking. It took a teacher much more intelligent than I to challenge me and point out my flaws to hone my abilities to argue. This was what I learned in my rhetoric class.

As it turns out, this same year I took a Number Theory class at Stanford University. In that Number Theory course, we learned how to prove using all different sources of arguments, and went over, from a mathematical point of view, how to write proofs. As I look back on it now, I got a unique experience in that I got to learn both the math side of argument and the English side of argument within a short time period. I think this positively contributed to my education, and overall improved my argumentative capabilities.

When it comes down to it, I would probably have to attribute any success I have in the future at least partially to the writing course I took in High School. The foundation the professor gave me in writing with a purpose, with evidence and a clear point, has been invaluable in my academic writing at the present, and undoubtedly will come in handy in the future. If I could recommend to any other high school student a certain course to take, it would be a rhetoric course. Even though it will be challenging and seem too rigorous and writing-intensive for high school, the head-start it provides gives an extraordinary advantage not only in college applications, but also in college itself.