Expository writing made me understand my own major better

[PamelaS]

This is random but I have to share. I'm a nursing major and I took this expository writing class as a requirement, thinking it would be useless for my career. But we had to write an explanatory paper on a topic in our field, so I chose the physiology of pain management.

And wow—having to explain opioid receptors and nerve pathways to a non-medical audience actually forced ME to understand it better. Like, if you can't explain something simply, do you really understand it? I kept running into gaps in my own knowledge where I was like "wait, why DOES that happen?" and had to go back to my textbooks.

My professor isn't a science person but she said my paper was clear enough that she finally understood how painkillers work. This class might actually make me a better nurse. Who knew.

 

[Sonya]

You've discovered something that working professionals know: expertise isn't just knowing things—it's being able to communicate them.

The gaps you found in your own knowledge? That's the Feynman Technique in action. Physicist Richard Feynman said if you can't explain something in simple terms, you don't really understand it. Your expository paper forced you to do exactly that.

Why this matters for nursing:

Patients don't have medical degrees. They need you to translate complex physiology into clear, compassionate explanations. The nurse who can explain why a medication works is the nurse patients trust.

Your professor's comment that she finally understood painkillers? That's exactly what patients will say about you someday.

Keep writing. Keep explaining. Keep understanding.