Student Literacy

In my life, I've been a part of many different literacy groups, ranging from family members, to different groups of friends, even to work associates. For each literacy group, I've experienced many rules that are both different and similar from group to group. However, the literacy group that I have found most challenging to be a part of would be that of a student.
As a student, the rules often appear to be presented in stone. Yet, what is most difficult about the rules is that they take years for a student to learn and once a student thinks they figure out the rules, the stone either breaks or has a piece of sediment attached to it. As a student, it seems that I need to be prepared for anything, new rules for citations, new discipline specific readings, and of course the ever changing vocabulary. However, being part of this literacy group allows me to better communicate with not only fellow students and educators, but also with anyone that I may encounter in the future.
The rules required for being a student, are so numerous that it would take more than just one blog to write about. But, as a college student, there are general rules that all students should be able to follow. To begin, every student should possess upper-level reading skills. Now, that does not mean that all students must be geniuses, just that when presented with a complex reading, students must be able to either use critical thought to understand the reading or know how to figure it out using other resources. In addition, students must be able to write detailed and insightful papers. Students are no longer allowed to simply write what they see, they must be able to interpret and make sense of what it is that they see. Furthermore, students are also expected to be able to orally communicate just as well as they can write. Thus, when a student is asked to present material in a mature, educated fashion they are able to do so. These abilities help students for their future professional lives.
These previously mentioned rules are just a general outline of what is expected of a college student. These general rules have many years of practice and struggle associated with them, and it is often a difficult and bumpy road to become a college student. However, in the long run being a student is just preparation for the real world, where every student will encounter many different literacy groups and have to adjust each one. So, being a student might be the most challenging literacy group I'm a part of, but I'm feeling that it will be the most rewarding.