Carl “Eddie” Smith ’13 contemplates his new ability to deliver technical information in professional settings.
Carl Edward “Eddie” Smith ’13 had opportunities while he was a graduate student at Ohio University that many others don’t get the chance to experience. He was president of the Graduate Student Senate. That meant making presentations, lots of them, in addition to writing professionally and for his coursework.
“My ELIP oral defense class was great,” Smith notes. “I was able to use tricks that I learned in the course when presenting to the Student Senate,” he says about ELIP 5320. He frequently gave presentations on technical information, such as the university’s budget.
“The ELIP class has benefitted me greatly for delivering technical information and tailoring that technical presentation to the audience that I’m giving it to,” he explains.
Smith also was taking demanding coursework. While working on an M.A. in Sociology, he took three ELIP courses: two graduate writing courses (ELIP 5140 and 5160) and one presentation course (ELIP 5320: The Oral Defense). He notes they have all considerably impacted him as a student.
Academic Writing in Graduate Studies (ELIP 5140) was “hands down [my] favorite class” during his first summer session, leading him to take ELIP 5320 to learn more about giving technical presentations. “My choice to take this class was based on positive experiences in other ELIP coursework.”
“The ELIP courses seem to attract a really great audience of students, diverse disciplines, and all people who are really passionate about what they are researching and doing,” Smith says, noting that you learn to communicate with all types of people.
“I’ve recommended all three classes to every single grad student in my department. I’ve told them all, ‘You have to write a thesis anyway. You might as well take a course that will teach you some technical writing tips that will also give you a chance to work on your thesis and develop it more fully, and you will earn credit for doing that.’” Plus, Smith adds, the writing courses are “advanced, structured, and guided by great professors.”
“It’s a no brainer!” he says.
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