Writing with Authority – Seven Ways High School Prepares You for Failure

Writing with Authority – Seven Ways High School Prepares You for Failure

A person conveys their beliefs or disbelief through expression. Being forthright when expressing oneself demands the use of certain strategies, including authority, which must be commanded to get points across. People can speak or write with authority to convey their beliefs and ideologies. The essay “Seven Ways High School Prepares You for Failure” by Kelsey Diaz illustrates the use of authority in writing to position several ways by which high school prepares one for failure.

In “Seven Ways High School Prepares You for Failure,” Diaz describes ways High School writing prepares students for failure in college academic writing. The seven ways include the 5-paragraph essay, writing objectively, citing resources, rough and final drafts, internet articles and book sources, right and true resources, and finally, being on your own. These seven ways mainly present Diaz’s beliefs on the differences in academic writing between high school and college. Diaz argues that rather than preparing students for academic writing in college, it acts as a roadblock as academic writing in college is completely different, by stating, “Most of what they taught you in high school English was a lie!” (Wardle and Downs 706). Despite stating and discussing the seven ways leading to failure, Diaz does not stipulate information about the failure.

In my experience, writing prepares one for success. Arguing that writing in high school prepares a person for failure in college is completely incorrect. It is almost similar to arguing that learning about the alphabet in pre-k prepares a student for failure in grade school. I believe every step of writing prepares you for what’s to come in other writing courses or for application in a person’s profession. Accordingly, Diaz’s essay diverges from my worldview and disagrees with my personal beliefs. Also, the text is not persuasive in its message because many assumptions are presented as support for the argument, and for this reason, the essay would not be successful in reaching readers.

In conclusion, Kelsey Diaz’s essay “Seven Ways High School Prepares You for Failure” uses a lot of assumptions and is inconclusive in the argument presentation. The essay perspective does not align with my own experiences and beliefs. Despite using authority in writing and using the perfect tone to convey the argument, Diaz was not able to convince me how failure originates from high school but was able to carry me throughout the argument, showcasing the efficiency of writing with authority.

Works Cited

Wardle, Elizabeth, and Douglas Downs. “Seven Ways High School Prepares You for Failure.” Writing about Writing: A College Reader, Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011, pp. 706–711.

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Using MLA format, Write a reader response to Diaz’s essay. Refer to the Reading Response Rubric in your syllabus for how to write a reader response, and make sure you respond to two of your peers.