What I learned in ENG101: Exposition
In the first week of University ENG101 seemed like an easy course, that is just made for students who barely took the TOEFL or SAT and still don’t know how to write a structured essay. Having in mind my results on the exams, I felt confident that the three essays won’t be a problem for me.
As soon as we started preparing Essay #1 I realized how twisted my conceptions of an interesting essay are. The “dirty words” list seemed ridiculous at first, because such expressions were key elements to fill any essay in High school writing. Once I started writing without them, I understood that they stand in the way of expressing my own ideas, but rather fill the page with meaningless
(unnecessary) information. That was further elaborated by the first readings that we had in class, which I found very helpful. I specifically remember George Orwell’s advice on ……….that we shouldn’t try to sound smart/ pretentious in order to be (or sound) intelligent. In addition, it was the first time that someone has given me the chance to put my own content in the essay, which is why it was so hard for me to find my voice.
In the Bulgarian education system, a text is considered “good” or “bad” if it is free of syntax and mechanical errors and simply sticks to the given topic. You cannot receive a bad grade if your essay is boring. By writing essay #1 I learned that you can learn to write intriguing, and that it is not a matter of personal opinion (as I was told).