Writing and Proseminar - Week 1 - Spring 2026 A

It is exciting to finally arrive at this leg of my higher education journey.  The initial COVID shutdown was the catalyst for me to get back to pursuing my bachelor's degree - that and reaching a dead-end in the promotion track with my current employer.  More than 20 years ago my first major was Computer Science and now I'm picking up where I left off.  There have been so many advancements since then; I hope my early experience and the time between are useful during my time at CSUMB.

This week kicks off the Computer Science Online program with the Proseminar and Writing courses.  I will admit to some disappointment that we are not "jumping right into it", but I can also admit that my writing skills can use the re-enforcement.  In our writing course, we are reviewing the importance of a strong outline for success in our Industry Analysis paper.  The example is outline is practically the entire essay in bullet list format - not simply short blurbs but entire sentences that can (probably) be copy/pasted right into the final product.  Other important aspects of writing include:

• Identifying and writing for your audience:
  Writing for the layperson is entirely different than writing for an expert on the topic matter.  The "lay" audience will benefit from having unfamiliar topics introduced.  It can be expected that an expert audience has this knowledge and is looking for an expansion of understanding on the topic matter.  In between exists the managerial audience; they are somewhat familiar but may be seeking key information to further their understanding enough to make informed decisions.
• Avoiding unnecessary or confusing word choices:
  Avoid verbosity that does not add to understanding.  Avoid idiom and descriptions based on shared cultural experience that may be lost on an outsider.  Avoid "jargon" or terms that you may assume your target audience have not been introduced to. 
• Common grammatical or writing pitfalls:
  Subject/verb disagreement or confusion, adjective/adverb confusion, double negatives - these are some examples that are likely to leave a reader uncertain of your intended meaning.

I am grateful that the Proseminar forced us to plan out our weeks and study plans.  Once I put the expected hours along side my work schedule, I found it sobering how packed my week would be.  There is still some free time, but I must manage my week carefully.

For the past two decades I have been in the work-force.  In every role, it has been expected that I operate as part of a team - sometimes as a junior member, sometimes as a supervisor or manager.  In this course we are placed in teams and I hope that my experience proves useful.  However, I admit that I wish my degree pursuit could be a solo endeavor.  Every day I am in meetings within my own team and with other teams as well.  It will be important for me to recognize that there is likely more for me to learn about team collaboration and leadership.