Yes, the Writing Proficiency Exam is annoying. Yes, showing up early on a Saturday to take a test at a high-school level is only slightly better than waking up with a hangover, if it is better at all. But guess what, you need it. You need so much more.As an editor for The State Hornet, I read every story in the paper every week and correct them for simple things like grammar, spelling and punctuation, to name a few. I’m sometimes surprised at the amount of errors I catch, and I don’t pretend to catch them all.

This is not to say that any writer for the paper is bad. They are actually quite good. Most of them are journalism majors who have a natural writing talent. Yet they still make mistakes. If these journalism majors, who should be some of the best writers in the school, have these issues, then what about the average student?

Like it or not, you need the WPE. Actually, you need to take a few more years of basic English because you could really, really use it.

You don’t believe me? Go to statehornet.com and take a peek at some of the comments left on stories. There isn’t enough ink in one pen to fix all the problems with just the comments left on our recent women’s soccer story.

Now you may be crying that that’s not fair because those people weren’t trying to write correctly. Fine, whatever. Look at any official memo or letter from most companies in America. It probably sucks too.

My other job is as a server at a restaurant. Our CEO has sent out a few e-mails that were then posted for all employees to see. One was important and had to do with selling alcohol to minors. Since I can’t help looking at something with an editor’s eye, I quickly saw that there were four incomplete sentences and misspelled words throughout, along with the errors that spell- and grammar-check won’t catch.

Even if your major doesn’t involve writing, you will probably be called upon to write at some point. You’ll need to send an e-mail, write a memo or communicate via writing in some form. It’s best if you actually have some semblance of writing skills.

And I’m sure you think you are a good writer. You’re probably in denial. If you find the WPE difficult and it’s not because you took it hung over, then you need to realize that you need help in some form. I took it without studying or preparing in any way and passed with a 10. I’m not trying to brag, a 10 isn’t all that great, but I’m a journalism major – writing is what I do. It probably isn’t what you do, but you need to learn it anyway.

If you can’t string words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs to argue a point on the WPE and pass it, then you need to work on it. Being an awful writer does not make you stupid, but it sure makes you look the part. I’m lucky. I suck at math, and I won’t be needing the higher levels of it as a journalist. If you suck at writing, you are unlucky, because you will need it. Honestly, I would make the WPE quite a bit harder if it were up to me. Maybe I’m biased, but if you speak English, you should be able to write it as well.

Brandon Darnell can be reached at [email protected]