I have already found that, the more I write, the easier it is to clarify and organize my thoughts. Looking at a blank page is no longer quite so intimidating, because I realize it is a process of putting down an idea, then adding more words and sentences to elaborate. One good idea leads to another. The paper on the challenges of raising and educating an adopted child stands out as my best example of scholarly work. The length of the paper, in my case, required that I narrow down an idea rather than expand on one. It was a process to define just how deep and how broad I could take a topic in the amount of space assigned. Learning to write to specification in this way is an important skill. It is as important, I think, as learning to formulate and organize ideas.

Writing well is of benefit both personally and professionally. Writing the

I can do this in conversation, too, whether it is over dinner with friends or for a presentation in the classroom. People prefer to listen to others who can share their ideas in a logical and organized way. It is easier for the listener, and it gives the speaker more authority. Whether I write a letter to my congressman in my personal life or write a memo to employees when I eventually have a career, I will be better able to communicate my ideas because of what I have learned about writing in this course.