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My First Encounter with Professor Slagle

The first time I saw Professor Slagle was during my very first semester at university, on the very first day of school. As a freshman, you don’t get to choose your classes, your schedule is assigned randomly, and you can only adjust it during the add-drop period a week later. I was lucky that semester and only changed two out of my six classes. Guess which one of those was? Yes, Reading and Writing 4 (RW4), her class. But before you jump to conclusions, let me tell you, it is not what you are thinking.

Even back then, I had heard so much about Professor Slagle. So when I sat in her RW4 class that day, I wasn’t expecting her to suggest I drop it. She kindly explained that it would be better for me to take the other Reading and Writing classes (RW2 and RW3) first. At the time, I was a little annoyed. I didn’t like the idea of being told I wasn’t ready. But now, having taken RW2 and RW3 and finally making my way back to RW4, I understand exactly why she said that.

What Makes RW4 Different

RW4 is nothing like the other Reading and Writing courses. Instead of writing multiple essays, you focus on a single topic for the entire semester. Every draft you write is closely examined, with detailed feedback that can sometimes feel harsh but is always meant to help you improve.

Plus, there’s no room for shortcuts in her class. Laptops and phones are banned. In fact, you’ll write everything by hand in class, like in the old days. While you can use a computer to write your essay at home, she has strict rules against translators and AI tools. It doesn’t matter if your essay isn’t perfect, what matters is that it’s yours.

When I started the class, I was confident. I thought I had writing all figured out after RW2 and RW3. But RW4 was a wake-up call. My first drafts looked more like fairy tales than academic essays, and Professor Slagle pointed that out immediately. Halfway through the semester, I even had to change my essay topic, which meant rewriting everything from scratch. It was frustrating, and at times, I felt like I was completely lost.

But in the end, I’m grateful for her approach. She made me question everything I thought I knew about writing and pushed me to try new techniques and think more critically. It wasn’t easy, but I learned how to pay attention to details and develop a level of precision I never had before.