First Impressions

When I first think of copy editing I can't help but to think of proofreading. Reading the content of the article or paper for grammar, spelling, flow, and understandability is how I would define copy editing. It is through copy editing or proofreading that a paper is able to transform from "terrible" to "outstanding" or "average" to "polished". The content of a paper or article can be filled with useful information but if it is not written properly or in a way that is easily understood than it becomes useless. I hope to learn how to become a better copy editor and strengthen my writing skills and ability. As a journalism major, I aspire to be a working journalist after graduating college. The ability to write well is a staple in the industry and having the knowledge and ability to copy edit will only help me in my career as a journalist.

Copy Editing as I See it

Copy Editing could very well be the catalyst that takes you from being an OK writer to a terrific one. I imagine this class as being like a metaphor with a car. You can have an average car, it runs alright, it gets you from here to there, and you'll never have any problems with it. But, if you put a little work into it, maybe add a new stereo, give it a flashy paint job, tint the windows, and put some attention grabbing rims on it it could make all the difference. Suddenly your once average car has transformed into a bad ass chick magnet.
I view this class as having the same potential for my writing abilities. In a career where it is essential to stick out from the competitors you are going to need the writing equivalent of a flashy paint job and nice rims to bring attention to yourself. Employers are looking for someone who not only brings something new to the table but also knows the foundation of fundamentals that make someone a great writer. What I hope to get out of this class is to know when and where to take out or add the right words and phrases. Know when something important is missing and when what I am saying is just unneeded extra fat. I want to make sure I am not adding the dashboard hula dancer or mud flaps when it is not really neccessary.
I think the trick to being a good writer/journalist is to hook your reader and then once they have finished leave them desiring more, disappointed the article has ended. These are the skills I am hoping to gain from this class. I will admit I am still a little raw in my abilities but I think this class (along with others) can push me over the top from having that average article to the front page can't miss one. The kind of writer that I desire to be.

First Impressions

As a literature student in a class of communication majors, I was initially intimidated by the prospect of a class that was not focused on my course of study. When I think back on the reasons why I chose to enroll in the course, I am reminded of my desire to improve my own writing, and the aquisition of an important skill- editing. Though the course material may seem foreign, I feel that I am prepared to adjust to the pace that the class sets. I've been writing my whole life. I hope to take this opportunity, in this class, to refine my writing style, learn to help edit others' works, and to develop a more concise eye for the written word. I was afraid when I registered for the course that "Copy Editing" would have a sole focus on journalism, and, being a communications class, I wasn't suprised that this was true. Though, I found it interesting that the prerequisites included creative writing and research- both of which I have done. Copy Editing will improve my writing. I will use it as a means of self improvement in the best way I can. Though, at the pace our first class has set, I'm not so sure I can keep up with all the technology we're using. I've never blogged, I've never used Moodle, and I'm fairly certain that Google has a vendetta against my e-mail address. Still, I look forward to finding my literary niche in a class which is completely new to me.

First Impressions

I define copy editing as just that, copying and editing. Although it sounds simple in those terms I do feel I understand the importance of copy editing. It's the ability to properly copy a document to another form of media, and it's the ability to edit that document in order to make it grammatically correct. If copy editing were not practiced the news paper as well as magazines and other media would have errors all over it. Personally if I read a paper that couldn't spell correctly I doubt I'd believe the stories accurate. As a journalism major I think this class will help me greatly. If I have any hope of writing for a news station as I hope I'd better have good editing skills. I hope this class will help me gain that ability and help me on my career path.

First Impressions

Copy editing? Tidiness of writing, the cleansing, the final draft, the masterpiece of a writer. I want to learn everything there is to learn about it! From early age, the one passion that hasn't decreased in me, is that for writing. I have always enjoyed playing with words, believe that words can be and are very powerful. They say, "That the pen is mightier than the sword." Well if one does not write anything with that pen, than it's not! As I drove myself to class, I wondered what I wanted out of this class? And it's the same thing I want out of life. As I grow older, I want to become wiser and as a writer, I want the same for my writing. For it to become stronger, better, and wittier. Writing is everything to me, so copy editing will affect all of me.

Thoughts on Copy Editing -- Jared Silva

To me, copy editing is really the kind of class that can make any journalist or wannabe journalist a better writer overall. Even if you think you know what you're doing, copy editing is there to show ways to improve you're writing even more. Anyone can know how to write nicely or spell properly, but copy editing as a whole is the way to make you know for sure you're doing it all right.

Personally, I want to take this idea into fruition and make myself a better writer for a future job in writing. I know I tend to make a bunch of simple mistakes when I write for school or in my own free time, so this is the kind of class I hope will make me better and make me realize the mistakes I'm making to improve on them. Hopefully, if this class turns out to be successful for me, my writing will turn out to be much more professional and maybe lead to a better job or career simply because I know how to type better.

Sean- Copy Editing

My name is Sean and I am a senior studying journalism. I am looking forward to this copy editing class because one of my weaknesses is proof reading. I hope to better my skills throughout this course. I think that it is a great that this course is required because the skills that will be learned throughout this course will really be crucial in the journalism world.