interview with a biochemistry professor

For my interview I talked to Dr. R. in the biochemistry/biophysics department. Dr R. believes that writing is a necessary skill that allows a person to show the rest of the world that they are indeed intelligent. As a BB major one of the most desired characteristics in a writer is the ability to convey ones thoughts clearly and concisely. One of the areas that Dr. R sees the largest problem of this is on short answer tests where students tend to blab on and on filling up an entire page and yet, saying very little that is relevant. Another problem that Dr. R sees most often in students writing is the inability to organize ones thoughts into an understandable design. Many students in the past have been unable to organize a paper and tend to scatter information all over.
Dr. R. did not say that she saw any distinct grammar errors, but that the general problem with student writers today is there inability to write correctly. She expressed amazement at the fact that so many students in biochemistry/biophysics can be so bright and do well on tests, and yet have so little ability write or desire to learn to write better. She did acknowledge that for many students English is not their first language, but still finds that a number of Americans also write using incorrect grammar, punctuation, and all around bland papers. “Many students today write like they are in middle school, with little style or understanding of how to write,” she said emphasizing that writing good is a necessary tool in life.