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English 200, a course in researched writing, asks you to write lucid, documented, academic essays in which your own voice and authority are informed and enriched by the ideas, examples, and methods of others.  Such essays will be shaped by your goals as writers and by the nature of the content.

Researched writing encourages experimentation with a variety of writing processes.  It strongly emphasizes the process of substantial revision that will teach you about yourself as a writer (and, perhaps, as a person)

Some other things:  throughout this course, you'll encounter a wide variety of writing styles, both academic and non-academic.  You'll find new ways of asking and answering questions--possibly as an immediate outgrowth of your reading-around, possibly as the result of studying other writers.  If you find something that you like, whether in thought or in writing, go ahead and try it for yourself.  You should feel free to explore, to examine complex intellectual issues, to know that you have the ability to become your own expert.  Part of this requires that you learn the place and need for thoughtful reflection and speculation, learn to uncover premises and assumptions, learn to evaluate the credibility of sources, learn to develop your ability to become your own expert.  Part of this requires that you earn the place and need for thoughtful reflection and speculation, learn to uncover premises and assumptions, learn to evaluate the credibility of sources, learn to develop your ability to identify and offer necessary support, and learn to tolerate ambiguity.  I know that sounds like a lot--in a way, it is--but it's not impossible.  Keep two items in mind:  1) facts are often merely data to be reinterpreted, not truths that once stated carry weight; and 2) to interpret coherently, you want to explore issues from as many angles as plausible.