As for what your classmate said, you don't have to pay too much attention. People who don't learn calligraphy have a weak appreciation of Chinese characters. You might as well put the Preface to Lanting in front of him as a computer-printed song style. You can try to improve in this way. Write a word casually first, put it away and don't take it out. Remember what you wrote and write another one in two months. Take it out and compare it after writing, and see where you have improved and where you have regressed.