A Small Writing Guide

This part focuses on writing. Is writing a mystical skill that only a few people have? Why does writing sometimes feel so difficult? What's writing like in a University of Applied Sciences? What sort of conceptions are related to writing? How can you develop yourself as a writer? What do we need writing skills for?

Writing can be approached from different perspectives. Kimmo Svinhufvud (2016) presents three different perspectives of writing:

1. Text: text type, text research
2. Writing process: different working stages, cognitive processes
3. Writing culture: the writing culture of different communities, national and global writing cultures

The conceptions of what writing is have changed. Roz Ivanevic (2004) has studied writing, and has divided conceptions of writing as follows:

1. Writing is skill
2. Writing is creativity
3. Writing is a process
4. Writing is production of a text type
5. Writing is a social activity
6. Writing is a socio-political activity

Regardless of how one approaches writing, it is clear that writing is an all-encompassing activity. Esa Väliverronen (2007) has determined that writing is creative problem solving.

Writing, reading and thinking are all intertwined. Can we write if we don't think? By writing we're making our thoughts visible. Reading, on the other hand, supports writing, because pre-existing knowledge serves as a basis for most texts. Reading furthers understanding of different kinds of texts and their structure, it enhances one's vocabulary and knowledge of phrases. Reading leads to a more vibrant and rich vocabulary, which enhances your own writing skills. Writing combines cognitive and motor skills. We all know how different it is to write with a keyboard compared to writing on a piece of paper. You can learn more about the differences of writing with a keyboard and writing with a pen here.

Universities of Applied Sciences require academic writing and reading skills. The word academic might conjure up stereotypical images of a grey-haired professor or a researcher working in a desolate chamber. You can throw these stereotypes away!

The purpose of Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) is to prepare students for work in specialist roles. The polytechnics act states that the purpose of Universities of Applied Sciences is to provide university level education for the purposes of research, arts, education and working life development. A UAS student is expected to have a different skillset than students of primary schools and secondary educations. These skills include academic reading and writing skills, practicing these skills starts early on in studies. Research communication basics are studied at the research communication part of the guide. 

Academic writing skills means professional and scientific discourse, writing and thought processes. Writing helps relay and compartmentalize information. Writing creates interaction between professional fields. Writing is an integral part of citizenship, because writing is used to interact with everyone from family members to officials. Writing is self-expression and creativity. It adds to our understanding of reality. Writing demonstrates our knowledge of different things. It shows what kind of thinkers and writers we are. (Vilkka 2020, 18 - 19.)