Community Literacy Within A Major

Upon becoming a student at a college or university, one instantly becomes part of a distinct community among other students and staff. At Ohio University, this is no exception. Most of the students on campus have a special bond with one another, even among mere strangers. Whether it be distinct language or some form of inside knowledge such as how to act smart during "fest season," students at the school undoubtedly share something unique with each other. As a student at OU, I have witnessed first hand the discourse of such a community. While the student body as a whole is a strong community with its own cultures, if we dive even deeper into the community we can find a mixed array of interesting sub-communities that students become an integral part of. Examples could include sports, clubs, residence halls, fraternities and sororities, and many more.

One such sub-community that all students inevitably become a part of is that of their major. By choosing a particular field of study (or declaring as undecided), students almost immediately become involved with the discourse of an exclusive community. Majors of all varieties involve insider knowledge, values, specific language, and also outsider perceptions. I have often heard friends of mine who study biology, chemistry, and other science fields speak in lingo that sounds nearly foreign to me, yet is completely natural to them. The same can be said about any major/college on campus. When I discuss classes taken so far with my peers who are of other majors, I often feel joyful that I am not required to complete some of the difficult coursework that they have. However, I am sure they feel the same way about classes that I have completed which they see as being equally daunting.

College of Business students at Ohio University are a terrific illustration of community literacy within a major. Business majors are group of their own, with a slightly different set of values than other students. Personally, I am a finance major, and have therefore experience the discourse of the business community. Like the science students previously mentioned, those who are in the various business majors have a certain language between each other that is unlike others. You will often hear those in the business field speak of the "cluster": a group of time consuming courses and outside work that all business students must take and complete in a single term. It is a quarter/semester that OU business students often dread. Business majors are also one of the few types of students who could tell you what MIS stands for.

Copeland Hall: home of the College of Business

Being a business major sometimes involves outside perceptions from other students. To a lot of people, a business student involves walking around in a shirt and tie, writing resumes, and studying economics. While these are al important aspects of completing the major, it is much deeper and more involved than that. What others may not be fully aware of, is how writing in the professional world differs from typical academic writing. Writing in the business field requires an individual set of skills including distinctive writing formats. For example, writing a schematic report was something new I had to learn that varies greatly from the typical MLA reports that I was used to.

Taking the various business courses at OU as well as interacting with other business students on campus has been crucial in becoming literate amongst the community. Through my studies in these classes, I have been able to learn and adapt to the community's language and values. The community literacy is benefiting me by preparing me for my professional career. It is also helping me to become adequate in the communities that I will be a part of in the future. Experiencing the discourses of a particular major has many positive effects on an undergraduate student. It is encouraged to actively participate and become literate in the community of your major, regardless of the specific major chosen.