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English 111 G/H Rhetoric
and Composition
Sample E2
Useful Writing in My Future
How
would you like to design an advanced computer networking system??
How does programming futuristic multimedia software sound?? Does
making crystal-clear, highly-rendered computer graphics seem
interesting?? Well, if any of these jobs catch you as exciting,
then majoring in computer science might just be the choice for
you. Although this may sound like fun and games, computer science
majors do more than just type away at a keyboard all day; there
is actually a great amount of writing involved in computer jobs.
The most important writing involves communication between employers
and employees; they need to keep in touch over distance and times
in order to be up-to-date on shared information. Programming
also involves writing skills because the programmer has to structure
his work so that others can understand it.
Ever
since I was a child, I have loved video games. My parents got
a kick out of watching me play games for hours on end. Over the
years, my love for video games has turned into a great hobby
and recreation. I have come to a decision that I want to create
and develop video games for a living. I enjoy making other people
happy and I know that a good video game will please thousands
of people. In order to fulfill this dream, I decided to major
in computer science. I believe that any job dealing with computers
would have these qualities because working with computers is
interesting and technical. Society today is advancing so rapidly
that more and more people with computer skills are needed. I
hope that I can make some outstanding developments that will
affect technology.
To
excel in a computer science, one must know how to professionally
present ideas for superiors. Writing reports is usually the best
way to introduce such innovations for the company’s benefit.
In order to have decent writing skills for the future, preparation
must be made by taking certain writing courses in college. These
courses help you improve potential writing skills and develop
a structured form of writing. Here at New Mexico State University,
several different writing courses are required to receive a degree
in computer science. English 111 is a prerequisite for any upper
level English course. Then, there is a choice of taking Technical
and Scientific Communication, Advanced Communication, or Advanced
Technical and Professional Communication. These courses will
no doubt teach you how to structure scientific writing and how
to make proficient research and reports.
Computer
science has many different types of writing involved in the everyday
routine. Most of the writing involved is informal, unstructured
writing. Email and memos to colleagues are examples of such informal
types of writing. Email is a very important means of keeping
in touch with fellow employees. Jessica Hurst, a shift supervisor
in the computer labs here at NMSU, says that "Email is probably
the only way to keep in touch with all of the employees and inform
them of any updates in the labs." Memos and short notes
are also very helpful in notifying employees of anything important
going on. Answering phones and leaving messages, writing inquiries
about status of the labs, etc. are other examples of very informal
writing, according to Hurst.
Other
types of writing for the job must be very formal. Reports on
certain aspects of the labs for your boss are necessary. Professional
presentations on original ideas about a new product or improvements
for work equipment are also common. Programmers are often called
upon to take initiative in giving their own ideas for hardware/software.
These presentations require thorough explanations and structured
information to convince your boss that this is a good idea. For
example, you may have to write a proposal to colleagues about
an idea you have for a new program. Other types of writing that
computer science jobs consist of are certain "hidden"
styles of writing. One big example is computer programming. Although
programs are not written in standard English, the language has
its own syntax and rules for structure. Like English, this programming
language must be practiced over and over so that it can be perfected.
Other types of hidden writing include preparing tutorials for
certain programs. "Many tutorials must be written up so
the employees know how to use the programs. In turn, they can
help people in the labs with their problems," says Hurst.
Another task that Ms. Hurst must perform is creating a phone
list for the employees. This list includes the employees telephone
numbers, room addresses, and email addresses. "Keeping this
list up-to-date is important so the employees can contact each
other if necessary," claims Hurst. Although these methods
are obscure and possibly overlooked, they require adequate writing
skills nonetheless.
The
other day, I was skimming through a recent issue of IEEE Multimedia,
a magazine dedicated to the development, enhancement, and maintenance
of multimedia software in a computer-related work environment.
One article that caught my attention told about how to search
the web efficiently for content. It gave explicit instructions
on how one could narrow a web search down to find almost exactly
what was desired. Other articles that were included described
how to maintain a working database for one’s company. These
articles gave many instructions on how to keep a company database,
told about what benefits would come from it, and how to upgrade
a database to make it more efficient for the company. All of
these articles had many aspects in common : they used many pictures
and graphs to show instructions/data, and they used many complex
terms relating to computer management. I believe only a computer
science major (or someone with an exceptional understanding of
computers) would have been able to understand those articles
- they were written that technically!! Writing articles for such
a journal is a big way in which writing skills are important
for a computer science major. He or she must know how to display
these instructions clearly and professionally so that the readers
will understand exactly what the author is trying to say.
With
all of the advanced technology we have in our society today,
employers need people who can depict their ideas and instruct
others in a professional manner. Computer scientists have a number
of duties which require satisfactory writing skills which include
writing email to colleagues and superiors, writing memos and
proposals, and probably the most difficult and most eminent is
computer programming. Each of these types of writing has its
own format that must be followed. In order to write in such formats,
many writing skills must be practiced and mastered. Many hours
of education along with hands on experience is necessary to master
these skills. Possessing such skills will increase my chances
of getting a job in the field of computer science.
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Copyright 1997 Department of English |
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New Mexico State University |
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Use only with permission |
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