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If a student wants to get started in tech-writing, a University should do
it's best to prepare them for their job. Not all of my suggestions are
absolute requirements. But any student should take a good many of them
into consideration. After all, a student has 3-4 years to take classes --
that's a lot of time.
I can't tell you how many times some young kid just out of school has come
along and put me to shame with all of their skills and know-how, and I'm
only 32. Many of these students come from big universities in Ohio (where I
am from), Bowling Green State University (great program), Ohio State, and
Ohio University. These things I have suggested are not rubbish, as you have
suggested. On the contrary, they are already being taught in many schools,
and I have seen the results.
Ron Rhodes
Lead Technical Writer, fourthchannel, inc.