U.S. college students just aren’t good at essays, says one prof, and that’s because no one takes those students seriously, not even themselves. “A decade teaching young writers has taught me a great deal. First, we need to value more the complete and complex lives of young people: where they come from, how they express themselves. They have already lived lives worthy of our attention and appreciation. Second, we need to encourage young people to take seriously those lives they’ve lived.”