Writing for nerds

So you might be one of those guys who enroll in science classes specifically to avoid writing. Maybe you had a demotivating high school English teacher or just hate essays in general. Perhaps the texts you studied just didn't appeal to your literary senses or you simply couldn't understand what the hell they were talking about to be able to criticize them (I'm looking at you Shakespeare). Unfortunately for you, you've stumbled into the wrong field. If you were a musician you might have been able to escape the horrors of writing, but as a geek in the sciences, be it quantitative or biological, writing is an essential part of your trade. 

Why Nerdy Orange? Why must I write when the code speaks for itself? The answer is quite simple: so that everyone can understand your ideas and not just yourself. If you have any background in programming, you'll know that commenting is an essential part of great coding. When if statements pile on to each other and variables come and go, being able to clearly state the aim and logic of your otherwise gibberish could make a huge time difference if an error ever pops up. Through writing, you could keep a log of your progress and easily retrace your steps when making changes to the code. 

If you ever decide to go into research, then you'll definitely need to write a paper or grant at some point. You'll need to explain to the readers the results of your data, the conclusions they draw and why your work is relevant at all. You'll need to compact what could be years of work into a few pieces of paper and more than just that, you'll need to make it legible for individuals far less specialized than you. The secret to all this? Knowing how to write. 

The next time you come across a writing assignment, don't just brush it off and leave it until the last minute (unless you're Vladimir Nabokov). Take time and make sure your writing is coherent and free of silly grammatical or spelling mistakes. If anything, a solid grasp of the English language will make you appear more professional and intelligent to others. 

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