First-Year Composition

female student writing

First-Year-Composition

Welcome to First-Year Composition  

We’re glad you’re here.   

First-Year Composition is a two-course sequence required for all students. These courses help you develop the writing, critical thinking, and communication skills you will use in every class, in your career, and in everyday life.   

In ENGL 1301 (Rhetoric and Composition), you’ll build skills in rhetorical analysis, writing, and reading. You’ll learn to examine how different kinds of texts work (essays, images, videos, websites, and more), understand the choices writers make for specific audiences and purposes, and craft your own analytical writing for different rhetorical situations. 

In ENGL 1302 (Research and Argument), you’ll apply those analytical skills to research and argument. You will learn to locate and evaluate sources, construct evidence-based arguments, and compose persuasive, research-based work.   

ENGL 0199 (Integrated Reading and Writing) is a co-requisite writing lab taken alongside ENGL 1301 for students who have not yet met TSI requirements. You'll attend scheduled lab sessions where writing coaches work with you on developing the skills and strategies you are applying in ENGL 1301.

All of our classes emphasize writing as a process. You’ll practice strategies for getting started, drafting, revising, and editing. You will also learn to make thoughtful decisions about how to tackle different writing tasks.  

What You’ll Do in Class  

Our classes are built around active learning and collaboration. In a typical class meeting, you might analyze an article or video to understand how it works rhetorically, workshop a draft with classmates and give each other feedback, practice a specific writing strategy, or work on your own writing with support from your instructor and peers.   

Over the semester, you’ll complete:  

  • Three to four major writing projects that you'll develop through multiple drafts with regular feedback from your instructor and peers
  • Shorter assignments that help you practice specific reading and writing strategies, such as analyzing how a text constructs its argument or integrating quotations effectively
  • One-on-one conferences with your instructor for individualized guidance
  • Regular homework between class meetings 

How to Succeed in First-Year Composition

  1. Show Up and Engage. The collaborative learning in class builds skills you can’t develop working alone. Come to class prepared to share your writing and ideas.
  2. Use Your Support Network. Instructor office hours, the AARC’s writing services, and peer feedback are designed to help you succeed. Asking for help is what successful students do.
  3. Keep Up with Deadlines Projects are built in steps, so each deadline sets you up for the next. If you’re struggling, reach out to your instructors early. We’re here to help.   

Beyond the Course

You will write in every class you take throughout your career. But more than that, you’ll need to think critically, work with others, and communicate ideas clearly to people who need to understand them. These courses give you practice with all of that.