An informal research project examined how college freshmen's performances and attitudes in writing were influenced by middle and high school writing experiences. Subjects, enrolled in a basic writing course, filled out questionnaires and were interviewed informally concerning their previous writing experiences. Over a period of years, several generalizations were possible: (1) college freshmen had few specific memories of writing in their elementary and middle school years; (2) many students attributed their current dislike for writing to the rigidity of the writing instruction they received in middle and high school; (3) memorable writing assignments in high school included the research paper and the 5-paragraph theme; (4) students invariably mentioned teachers as the most important influence on their writing; and (5) over half of the students surveyed had written independently. (Two questionnaires are attached.) (RS)