The importance of writing.

While I don’t think of myself as a skilled writer in any sense, I have recently taken an interest in “leveling up” my reading and writing skills. When I was in high school, I was closest to my English teachers, not because I was great at reading or writing, but because it was the subject I struggled the hardest. I would spend many lunch breaks and after school hours understanding acts in Shakespearean plays or proofreading my persuasive essays. Now, thinking back on it, I still remember the names of my English teachers, but can’t remember the names of my science or math teachers.

While I tried really hard to improve, my English grade was never comparable to my other marks. I graduated with an 80 in English. Many people may like this mark, but for the amount of extra hours I put in, I wasn’t happy with it. I never wanted to write another essay, and it’s one of the reasons I chose to study Computer Science in university.

That plan worked until I started my Masters. Having completed my undergraduate degree and now doing research, along with working full time as a software developer, I’ve come to realize writing is something that just can’t be avoided; it’s the way we communicate our ideas and coordinate our work as a team. Whether I’m working alone on a research project or writing documentation on a Kanban board for a team project, being a good communicator means you need to be a good writer.

A computer science researcher needs to be effective in formal writing to publish a great paper; a developer must write thorough documentation and tickets to be able to build a robust piece of software. Learn to write, especially if you don’t like it.