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Today, as I crossed at 7:50 because I had an exam, the student line was open. I just walked all the way down the bridge and into the Customs area. The line was unusually short. Normally, I would’ve taken my earphones, turned on my cell phone, and sent everybody and everything to oblivion, with the obvious exception of me and the artists singing in my ear. But, to add to the odd day I was having, I forgot my earphones. I decided to eavesdrop in other people’s conversations, but even that was useless: everyone around me was a Lydia Patterson’s student. Clusters, both big and small, of high school students go to school at the same time as us college students. So, I decided to think about my exam. This is not normal for me, although it seems to be a normal thing for everyone to study for a test, read books, and even do homework on the daily commute to school.

Then it was time for me to go with the CBP officer. I went and he asked the same things he always asks me: where am I going, what do I study, and what am I bringing from Mexico. They always talk in Spanish with an American accent even when they are of a Hispanic origin and with a last name such as Garcia, Venegas, or even Perez. Now, when I cross as a tourist, not a student, they always ask me “which visa is the one you got stolen? This one or the other one?”

About two months ago, my Passport was stolen. I left my backpacks carelessly in my dad’s car, he went into a convenience store, and returned to a broken window and to none of my backpacks. Luckily, everyone was really helpful, and I do mean everyone: The police (in case you haven’t noticed, I live in Juarez and my backpack was stolen here), everyone at the Office of International Programs, to whom I extend my utmost appreciation, as they answered me every question I had, and helped me contact my professors; my professors, who also helped me get on track and minimize my absences; the U.S. Consulate and the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores in Mexico. Everyone made my odyssey end as quickly as possible and be the least damaging to my academic career.

Caption: As the lights went out we united as one.

All students at UTEP are required to take Expository English Composition and Research and Critical Writing (ENGL 1311 and 1312 respectively).  ENGL 1311 focuses on the strategic use of language, rhetorical form, and authorial voice so that students will be able to inform and persuade effectively. ENGL 1312 teaches students to focus questions, use academic resources, critically evaluate materials, and shape writing to match the purpose and audience of the piece.  Business majors are required to take Workplace Writing (ENGL 3355), which teaches the principles of professional rhetoric both written and oral. The goals of these courses are broad enough in nature to aid students in a variety of courses, but when it comes to writing papers tailored toward financial analysis, a critique of theory, or article writing, after taking these courses students remain unprepared.

So now that we have identified the problem, what is the solution?

Well, like so many skills that must be acquired to be successful in the workplace, improving one’s writing skills can be done outside of the classroom. The remainder of this article will highlight ways to do so, starting with the almost archaic way of learning…reading. Two books that all students should consider reading are Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style and Deidre N. McCloskey’s Economical Writing.

The Elements of Style is a proper-use rule book that the New York Times described as a “lifeboat to both professional and amateur writers.” The book contains easy to understand rules, detailed explanations, and examples of both proper and improper usages.  It is available in a multitude of editions and sizes, including a pocket-size version at Barnes and Noble.

Economical Writing (the second edition) by Deidre N. McCloskey is a 98 page (would you expect a book with such a title to be any longer?) book containing 31 rules, which can be applied to all writing. The rules range from Rule 27: Be Concrete, Rule 28: Be Plain, to Rule 23: Around Order Switch Until It Sounds Good. Below are some rules that can readers (and hopefully writers) can put to use now.

Rule 20: Avoid Elegant Variation

Simply put, elegant variation is using many words to mean one thing. For example: “history is concerned not only with what happened but also with why events turned out the way they did.” The reader will interpret that “what happened” and “events [that] turned out the way they did” as two different things, when in fact they are the same thing.

Rule 25: Use Verbs, Active Ones

In revision the adjectives and adverbs should be the first to go. Sydney Smith wrote, “In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigour it will give to your style.”

An interesting and humorous take on revision, but as McCloskey shows Smith should have followed his own advice: In composing [of course it’s composing: that is what we’re talking about, you dunce!], as a general rule [what would be the point of any other?], run your pen through every other word you have written [of course writing: again, that’s what we’re talking about; and in any case, what else would you run a pen through? Your finger?]; you have no idea what vigour it will give to your style [for goodness sake, how often do you have to repeat that you are talking about style?].

This leaves the much more concise: “Run a pen through every other word; you have no idea what viguor it will give.”

Economical Writing places a large emphasis on editing, which in my opinion is the most undervalued step in the writing process. Professors from schools such as the University of Chicago, UCLA, and Harvard praise Economical Writing for its broad applicability, simplicity, and wit. The book is available on Amazon.com and at most other online book retailers.

After reading about good writing, how about putting some writing together? A lot of the time, the best way to improve a skill is by using it. Starting a blog is easier than ever now. Don’t feel like you can come up with new content on a continual basis? Try joining a blog, here is a good place to start your search.

Many students feel it is their university’s responsibility to teach the skills necessary to be successful. Warren Buffet, one of the most respected figures in the business world, strongly advocates communication skills. The Oracle of Omaha, who took courses in verbal and written communication following his MBA, has taken proactive steps to place pressure on universities to teach students better communication skills.

A student can buy used books, but it is a hassle working with ravaged, withered, underlined, and highlighted collections of glued back pieces of paper. A few lucky students may get fortunate enough to avoid the ridiculous purchase prices of new books by purchasing substantially cheaper, hardly opened, used books. Having said that, if a student has to pay $150 for a book that originally cost $200, he or she is still paying in the triple digits.

Some students have stumbled across and have been pleasantly surprised by another solution: international edition textbooks. These books usually cost half, or less than half, of what a U.S. edition textbook costs. The most amazing thing about international edition textbooks is that they are the same as their U.S. counterparts.

Although international textbooks may look different from their U.S. counterparts, they feature the same content. The most obvious difference between a U.S. textbook and its international version is the cover. International textbooks usually are soft cover and portray a different cover image. Additionally, the paper in an international edition textbook is not the glossy commodity that publishers print U.S. editions in. A textbook’s most crucial element is the written knowledge that the books hold. Not only do international and U.S. print the same written knowledge, they print the same knowledge in the same prose, and in the same formatting. The author of a U.S. textbook also owns the international edition’s copyright and thus receives royalties from both editions.

If international editions are comparable to their U.S. counterparts, why are students reluctant to buy them? One possible explanation is the fear of being defrauded. International books are available online from third party sellers who sell the books on sites such as Amazon, EBay, AbeBooks, andValoreBooks. These books are not found in U.S. campus bookstores, nor are they available at your local Barnes & Noble.

The words “Not for Sale in the United States” that are printed alongside the titles is another factor that makes people reluctant to purchase international editions. This message scares U.S. consumers away because of copyright infringement and potential lawsuit nightmares.

There is good reason to fear the almighty copyright, so piracy should be discouraged. However, international books do not violate the law. In 2003, Tamar Lewin wrote a story on the copyright issue of international textbooks for the New York Times. Lewis notes that some students have taken it upon themselves to provide students with the cheaper international alternative. These students purchase a bundle of international books and sell them to other students in their campus.

There have been instances where companies have tried to block the importation of their products from countries where they are sold at substantially reduced prices. Lewin’s article refers to a supreme court decision made in Quality King Distributors, Inc. v. L’anza Research International, Inc. The case in question involved the re-importing of goods sold legally in foreign markets. “It appears that after L’anza’s United Kingdom distributor arranged for the sale of several tons of L’anza products, affixed with copyrighted labels, to a distributor in Malta, that distributor sold the goods to petitioner, which imported them back into this country without L’anza’s permission and then resold them at discounted prices to unauthorized retailers. L’anza filed suit, alleging that petitioner’s actions violated L’anza’s exclusive rights under the Copyright Act of 1976”.

The Court ruled against L’anza and found that “after the first sale of a copyrighted item lawfully made under this title,” any subsequent purchaser, whether from a domestic or from a foreign reseller, is an “owner” of that item. In simpler terms, the ruling states once an individual purchases a copyrighted material legally, it is his to do with what he will (except pirate said material), which includes selling, importing, or exporting.

The Supreme Court ruling established that the purchase and use of international edition textbooks is perfectly legal and a viable option for students. With that said, there is no reason why a student should not buy the less expensive versions of their textbooks. After all, why should student purchase U.S. editions at such insane prices?

Lastly, for any student who wishes to save cash next semester, the remainder of this article will briefly explain how to find international books.nte

The best place to find international books is online. Popular e-commerce websites and booksellers, like Amazon and EBay, offer international editions. There are also several websites that specifically cater to academia, such as abebooks.com, valorebooks.com, and textbooks.com. These websites also offer international editions from various individuals who sell them from their place of origin.

The easiest way to locate international books is to:

1. Visit a specialized search site, like bigwords.com.
2. Enter the U.S. edition ISBN# and run a search. BigWords runs a search of the major online textbook providers and displays a list of the various prices for new and used books.
3. Scroll down the page to view the listed international editions of the books.
4. Follow the links and secure your purchases. Each link comes with descriptions, pictures, and details about the seller. Most sites guarantee that their international books will have the same specifications as the U.S. books. The sites also usually handle disputes very well and promptly reimburse buyers who experience any problems.