English 113 Welcome to college

December 19, 2016

Dear Springfield college's students,

I hope that this letter helps you to better understand the struggle it has been to become who I am today. I am enlightened! Yes, look up that word if you don’t know what it means. Young Mohammed, you will travel a path that includes peaks and valleys however, trust me on this one, you will fare better if you just continue.

Writing 113 will lead you along that road and as you travel you will gather information to better prepare you for the future past today. Think about this. Remember whenever someone would ask you a question about how you feel or how something was and your response was usually ‘good’? Guess what is going to happen. You will learn about synonyms and antonyms that will provide you with an improved understanding of the English language. Your vocabulary will improve as will the way you write and your understanding on having a writing focus.

Writing will no longer just be putting words on paper. You will focus on your audience, your purpose for writing, and your topic, just to name a few. In this class, you will also have the opportunity to work with your peers learning how to edit and give and receive constructive criticism. It’s amazing. Just imagine, you write something with a set focus, your peer reads it, you take into consideration what they think, make revisions then hand in a paper. Right now you probably have no idea what I am talking about. Believe me, you will learn and you will appreciate it. Revisions can seem wasteful (at first) but once you do it a couple of times, you will understand why it is necessary. So don’t cheat yourself, try your best and you will see the results that I have experienced.

You will find out that writing is not a hard feat (notice that new word) but something that can be successfully accomplished given the right instructions and support. Everything in writing comes down to a plan – What do you want to say? What stand do you want to take? Who are the readers? What is the topic or purpose of the writing? What format does it need to be? Answering these questions can only help you to become greater so don’t fret if you have to revise. At first it may seem frustrating but after you see the results and how it improves your writing you will be glad you did. Like I said before, working in groups and working with your peers is one of the best ways that you can get instant feedback and understanding on how to improve your writing. This was one of my favorite activities. Also having topics that appeal to you will be easier to write about. My favorite essay will be the should college athletes be paid. You will enjoy this because it your international problem.

The hardest part will be understanding the language and all the words that can mean something different depending on how you use it. You know that there is a language barrier and you will at first feel reluctant to participate in class or to even attempt writing. These are some questions that may run through your mind: Why am I taking this class? What happens if I am not successful? Yes, you will have some fear of failure but my advice is to continue. You will soon find out that Professor Casey Hayman is willing to work with you. He will ask you regularly if you understand or if you need any help. Open up to him and he will be there to guide you. He will not ridicule you in any way. This class will make a difference in your life – not just in academics but also when you are communicating with your family and relatives. I can guarantee you that they will recognize a difference in your writing as well. Well, Mohammed, I hope that my advice has not fallen on deaf ears. Keep an open mind and you will be as successful as I have become.

Mohammed.

Welcome to the Pride

Sarah Roulier

College writing II

Professor Hayman

December 19, 2016

Future Springfield College Students

 Dear Incoming First year students,

                              Welcome to the Springfield College family! When I say family I mean we all act like one big family here. You probably can already tell by what you have experienced during NSO but trust me it only gets better. I have some vital information and advice for you to make your transition into first semester a little better.

 I know you might want to focus on schoolwork or you just may want to isolate yourself from others but try to make an effort to get to know the people on your floor. My floor is literally this little family of misfits but we all love each other. In general try to make as many friends in the building as you can because you might need to borrow something from them someday. It is also important that you try to get along with your roommate. For some of you this may be your first time living with a roommate and you may not know what to expect. If you just respect what they want and respect their space you will be just fine.

Next, Get as involved as you can on campus. Clubs are really fun here on campus. I am on the Campus Activities Board and let me tell you, it is pretty lit. We plan all some of the events here on campus and it is one of my favorite clubs to go to.

I also have advice for college writing. Yes, it is all essays but trust me it is not that bad. Just keep up with your work and don't fall asleep in class.
Now for some general advice. Save your money as much as you can, you might need it for dominos one night. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! It is my biggest problem and it is not fun so please try to not do it. Cheney the dining hall is pretty bad on weekends you may want to invest in some ramen noodles.

All in all just be yourself and you will fit in just fine here at Springfield College,we are excited to have you here!

Dear Fresh Meat

Dear Freshmen,

        College is such an exciting point of your life but careful it can tend to be very overwhelming- while one chapter is ending a new one is just beginning. Leaving home is difficult and adjusting to college may happen be easier for others than some but it eventually happens. When they say that college is different from high school it’s true, believe me on this one. You’re on your own, your parents don’t make decisions for you anymore you’re responsible for your actions and staying on top of your school work. Prepare to know the pizza people by their first names, going to bed at 1 a.m. is considered early, and naps are your friend.

    If you’re someone like me who absolutely hates writing any kind of paper or english class in general, here’s some advice: do not procrastinate. Writing has never come easy to me and I dread writing papers more than anything, more than math. Why did I come into college thinking it would get better? I can’t tell you. It’s not in any way, shape, or form. So do what I didn’t first semester, if there’s a class you’re struggling with make goals for yourself and try extra hard in that class. You’ll feel so much more satisfied getting a good grade in that class knowing you tried so hard to earn that grade. Doing this will save you many sleepless nights staying up the night before working on the assignment due in a matter of hours. Reflecting on my first semester of college writing I regret not trying harder, I know I was going to struggle but more effort could have really made a difference in my grade. So go to class, get your work done early, and write the paper instead of taking that nap. Here’s to a good first semester, good luck fresh meat.

    Sincerely,

        A current freshman

You got it!

Dear incoming Springfield College freshman,

As you enter your first semester of your college careers you may be nervous, excited or a little mix of both. You are going to be starting a chapter in your life and this one is going to be very different from your previous experiences. There will be new people, responsibilities and opportunities to excel in your desired field of work. One of the classes you will have to take is college writing. College writing is a class that explores written communication, sentence structure, paragraph building and the development and organization of essays. The skills you are about to learn are going to help you in the future as your pursue goals in athletic training, physical therapy and any other areas of work. As a student who has completed the first semester of college writing I can give you advice on how to tackle the college writing class. There are going to be assigned readings that you may have to respond to, or talk about in class. Do them! It is also important to go to class. Even if you already know what you want to write about and know when the paper is due, you still need to go. In class is where you gain a lot of tools that will assist you in completing your final drafts. Doing things last minute can seem like the way to go, but it is better to get things done ahead of time. Do not wait till last minute because that can cause you to be really stressed. It is really important as a developing writer to try and experiment with new things. Do not be afraid to change it up som

etimes! I learned the most about my writing skills when I took different approaches in constructing my drafts. They may not always work, but it will help you expand your skills as a writer.

In the class you may experience some challenges. A few challenges I faced in the class was writing to different audiences, having to write a piece without your opinion, having to write a piece against your opinion and having to write things that are new to you all together. domestic violence is. You will get through these challenges with the support of your teachers and by using your resources! College may seem scary, but you will get through it. Keep your head up and always try your best.

Just Keeping It Real

To All Incoming Freshmen

Before coming into college, I had people telling me a lot of different opinions of college. Most said it was the best time of their life. About half of them said the work was not hard because they were learning about information they are interested in. The other half said the work was difficult because of the amount of work and time management. Now that I am finishing up with my first semester of college I am realizing it is a mix of both. There is a lot of work that you are responsible to complete, but it is usually something you are interested in.

The key to being successful in college is definitely time management. With the amount of work that you receive at college, it is important to stay on top of everything. I am not going to sit here and tell you the basic, boring info such as: use a schedule, buy a calendar, etc… Those tips are useful, but I am sure you have already heard all of that before. I am here to tell you how it is, in a more laid back, realistic point of view.

I played sports throughout high school, so I knew how to manage my time for school work and practice. I do not play a sport in college, so I have a lot of free time. There are events almost every day for the students to attend and socialize at. There is the field-house and the wellness center for students to play basketball, walk/run the track, or lift weights. The catch is knowing when to use your time for fun and for work. I know sometimes I forgot I had an assignment or two after I got back from bingo and it was late at night. So it is just important to know how to use your time efficiently.

Coming into college, I never really wrote multiple drafts of papers. I usually just changed a few sentences in the original copy and called the new product a “final draft”. But now that I am nearing the end of my first semester of college, I realized how different writing assignments are. I had to write rough drafts and they seemed really good and could possibly be a final copy, but after doing in class peer reviews, I discovered errors and better ways to write the papers. At first, I hated the whole process of revising my work, but now I appreciate it.

My first semester in College Writing was how I expected it. Knowing I am not a strong writer, I did not expect great grades, but I knew I would not do terrible. I had a rough start with the first assignment. But as the semester went on, I began to write better. I can definitely write even better if I give myself enough time to write a well written paper. I usually hold off on assignments until a couple days before they are due. But overall, the first semester was not that bad. Everyone stresses how crazy college work is, but as long as you stay on top of it, you should be just fine.

Don't judge a book by its cover, literally

Coming in as a freshman I didn’t really know what to expect out of college writing and I wasn’t sure what exactly we would be doing in a college english class. As we went along I really felt my writing was improving. In high school I never focused on the audience and how to specifically shape my argument to address a specific audience. This was something I had never really thought about focusing and working on before and it was sort of a subconscious improvement throughout the class. I didn’t know at the time that I was really focusing on that and really working on shaping my essay until I was working on editing my drafts and I felt the paper was really addressing the group of people I was trying to get my point across to. My advice to incoming freshman is to not be against college writing and actually try to work on your writing. I think most freshman think of it as their “easy class” and that it will be the one you won’t really have to work for, but in reality just as i have come to learn, throughout your major, no matter what it is, writing will never go away. So if you are given the chance to work on your writing and to continue improving it, take the opportunity because you will be thankful.  

Fun Stuff

Mike Carucci

There are many things that I learned this semester in college writing. When I first came into the class, I was unsure about what type of writing that we would be doing. I thought maybe it would be related to my major but, it wasn’t. It was many different writing styles and it has allowed me to improve my writing skills. I can now write in any form and that is a positive, because you never know when you will have to use it in your life or at your future job. It can get stressful at times trying to figure out how how to words your sentences because you might not be used to a certain writing style but that is ok because you are in the process of learning about it.

Many people who were already in college told me that it was difficult because of all the work that you will get and all the time that you will miss sleeping. Since I have been here I have noticed that you don’t lose sleep if you manage your time well and you don’t procrastinate then you will be ok. Many students like to wait till the last minute to start all their assignments and that is the reason why they are stressing out because they have to pull an all nighter just to finish the assignment. It might not be good quality but all that they care about is if it is done and ready to be turned in.

Before coming to school, I never really edited my papers like I have to do now. I always added a little more then changed a few sentences to make it my final draft. Now that I know that I know that I have to do more than that in order to earn a new grade. It might be more work but it is worth it at the end of the day because you will receive a good grade on the assignment rather than a low grade which you might have deserved.

If You're Reading This Its Too Late

However amount of preparation you think you have done for college is not enough.  You might think that you are prepared for anything college has to throw at you, but you are not.  You might think that the skills you have acquired through your 12 years of public or private education transfer seamlessly into college, but they don’t.  That is the first and most important thing you have to come to terms with when you come to college, you have to forget what you know and brace yourself for whats to come.  In many ways this first lesson of survival in college is similar to big wave surfing.
Big wave surfing is a subcategory of surfing where all the waves are at least 20 feet tall.  These waves are unimaginably strong and can burst a human eardrum in a second.  So when a surfer falls off his or her board into one of these waves it is important they follow very strict rules in order to survive.  One of the most important rules is not to tense up.  A surfer has to relax their body and accept that no matter how hard they try they cannot fight the wave, the wave is simply to strong.  They have to relax and go where the wave takes them so they can find the best opportunity to make it back to the surface and take a sweet deep breathe of oh so precious oxygen.
For this metaphor the surfer represents the freshmen and the wave represents everything related to college.  The wave not only includes a new, much harder school work load, but also new responsibilities and freedoms associated with living on your own and taking care of oneself for the first time ever.  If you don't relax and just go with the flow of all the new things in your life the wave will crush you and spit you out broken and unwilling to proceed.  But if you forget your arrogance and don't try to fight the wave with stubbornness and stupidity, and instead adapt to the new circumstances you will make it out a better and stronger individual.
These adaptations are not easy and require baby steps.  But you have to be willing to take these baby steps.  Colleges, like Springfield, have certain facilities put in place to help freshman like tutoring, success centers and guidance counselors.  However these services won’t find you when your in need, you have to swallow your pride and go seek out these resources yourself.  To not use these services would be asinine since the funds for them come out of your tuition.  These services work to help you in all manners of things like for instance your college writing course.
College writing is not a particularly difficult class considering the rest of your future course load, but that does not make it any less important.  Being able to write ideas on paper in a comprehensible manor is a vital skill to have for most classes and in order to get a jobs, which is the ultimate goal of most college students.  So just because it is not a hard course does not give permission to slack off and not take it seriously.  It might seem that the skills being practiced in this class are very repetitive and what you have been learning since kindergarten.  However, all the practice is important so you can find your own voice and style of writing.  In my own experience, college writing has taught me the style of writing that I am most comfortable with and how to employ that style in a wide variety of different writing prompts.  Once I found my voice and style as a writer, my writing for my other classes became so much easier and the process of getting ideas from mind to pen became so much more fluid and organic.
In conclusion, don’t underestimate the positive effect of taking college writing, and definitely don't underestimate the raw power the wave that is college posses over you.

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Welcome to Springfield College! This place truly is something special. No other schools integrate you into the community like we do here. Between Pre-Camp and NSO you’re going to meet so many people. Do your best to interact with as many of them as possible. It’s okay to be nervous, but know that this is your chance to make new friends. Everyone is in the same situation, new place, new faces, and so many new things to learn. Put yourself out there, it’s okay to come out of your comfort zone and let loose. You’re going to have to learn how to make friends all over again. However, there is a simple way to go about this. Leave your door open! Whenever you’re in your room leave the door open. It is the easiest and most fun way to meet people. For the first few weeks of school my entire floor would just sit in the hallway every night and talk. The most important piece of advice I can give you is to enjoy every moment. Live in every single second and embrace each opportunity you are presented with.  You will truly love it here if you focus on being where your feet are. 

Now, in terms of classes. This is not high school. Get your shit together and stay focused because there are no second chances. Professors will not let you make up assignments or turn them in late. College writing is a general education requirement so you may be thinking that it doesn’t even apply to you. Well, it does. If you put all of your effort into the class it will help you with essays and assignments in other classes. Forget everything you learned in high school. Every essay does not need to be a five paragraph essay. Structure the assignments however you would like. Focus on writing to fulfill to prompt, not the page requirement. Utilize the resources Springfield College provides. The Babson Library website is helpful to find both proper scholarly sources and general articles for you to use. Whether you enjoy writing or not, use your resources and work hard to complete the best possible paper. Most importantly, try to avoid procrastination as much as possible. Waiting until the night before to finish an essay is not the way to do well in the class. 

First Semester advice *DISCLAIMER* Can not guarantee results!

What to Expect:

This is not to scare anyone, but it may send chills down your back. Be prepared for late nights, and pushing that due date to the last possible minute. College is no cake walk, but if you can effectively manage your time (good luck) then you should be all set. As I said before, this isn’t to scare you. But understandably, fear will go along with the first semester of college. There will be a lot of assignments thrown at you at once, not all from college writing, but you will be tested on how you balance all of your work.

College writing as a class is not the hardest class you take. But, it has its challenges. Whether it be a five-page research paper, or having to dive into the case of Colin Kaepernick.  Both take time and effort to effectively make your paper speak for itself. These are no high school type papers either. With the tools learned in the class, you will become a well-rounded college style writer. These skills include how to write a research paper, and how to make sure your citations are correctly placed and when and where to use them. These tools can transfer over into any class you take. Almost all classes here at Springfield College include some sort of written aspect to the curriculum. 

In the words of Yoda, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” In other words. Don’t go to the dark side, be diligent with your work and don’t get stressed out about all the work that comes flying at you. Use the skills learned in class to help. They are worth so much towards making you a successful student here at Springfield College. 

College 101

Dear future college writing students,

                                                Welcome to Springfield College! I hope you have enjoyed it so far and aren’t too worn out from NSO. If you feel overwhelmed already, don’t worry you will get use to it soon. The first month of school will feel crazy, but you will have loads of fun and meet some amazing people.  Make sure you try and get involved on campus, whether it be through sports, clubs, or just activities in your dorm, it will help you get adjusted and meet new people.  Also, in your first week make an effort to get to know the people on your floor. If you have a floor anything like mine they will all soon become your new family.

            In college writing, and in all other classes my first piece of advice is try not to procrastinate. I know most of you won’t listen because I didn’t but I figured I should throw it out there. Trust me, it is not fun trying to do your homework an hour before it is due, especially if it is an essay. Speaking of essays, if you hate writing them don’t worry it’s not that bad. You only have to write five essays and the topics are all fairly open and easy. Unfortunately, you will have to do some research papers so just save yourself a lot of tears and frustration and learn how to do citations now or find yourself a good citation generator.  

            One thing college has taught me is to be open to everything. You will meet so many people from all across the country, and let me warn you now not everyone uses the same sayings as where you’re from. I found that out when I found out saying “wicked” is strictly a Massachusetts thing. While I’m talking about adapting to differences, learn to get along with your roommate. Even if it seems like you have nothing in common at first, you will probably soon find that you are in fact similar. If you’re not though just learn to be flexible, after all you are living with each other. Just remember that your roommate is an automatic first friend so make the best of it. It worked out well for me.

            Lastly, here are a few tips I was told when I started college that I listened to and I’m glad I did. First, leave your door open the first couple weeks of school or go down the hall and meet people. Hang out in the common room or knock on people’s doors, trust me they will want to meet people too. Second, nothing brings people together more than food so if your mom gave you a bunch of cookies before she left, offer them to people on the floor. That’s how the first person I met introduced themselves to me. Third, be willing to try new things. If someone asks you to go somewhere or do something, within reason, do it because why not. Lastly, enjoy your first semester. You will be incredibly busy, and the time goes by so fast. You will be amazed at the end of the semester how much you have changed and all the memories you have made with people that were strangers a few months ago. Good luck!

A Sarcastic Note of Advice

Dear incoming freshman,

You’re about to join the Pride! Congrats, and we’re happy to have you. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the next four years here with Spirit the maroon lion cheering you on as our school mascot. I know what you’re thinking: a maroon lion named Spirit? Hey, it beats out Stanford University whose mascot is a tree. While you’re here you will hopefully learn and grow as individuals. You’ll be forced to take courses from all aspects of curriculum to make you a diverse candidate.

College Writing is one of those general education classes that everyone, and I do mean everyone, has to take. Even those lucky enough to have taken AP lit end up with College Writing on their list of courses spring semester. Now if you’re into writing papers about sports all semester you’re going to love this course. My professor was huge into sports, me not so much.

Overall, I’d rank the course somewhere between having a root canal and taking precalculus. It’s not that I hate writing I just hate having to take it. Creative writing, that’s up my alley but not so much research and sports. The prompts slowly got more painful. Like what student wants to write about whether college athletes should be paid, or if the internet is making us stupid? I, personally, had no desire to write either one of these prompts. Or research papers. Don’t make the mistake I did, where I started the seven page paper about two hours before it was due.

College writing is something where you get out what you  put into it. It’s not very difficult, just time consuming and dull. As long as you write a solid paper you’ll get a good mark in the class.

Information you need to know for first semester? Hmmm… My advice would be to study. Study a lot. I was one of those students in high school who never had to study. Coming into college I thought it would be so easy to skate by and pass all my exams and classes. I’ve never been so wrong. Over the course of this semester I’ve had to learn how to study and it is one of the most challenging things I have ever done.

I’ve also learned the importance of office hours. If you’ve got precalc go to them when you’ve got the take home exams. My professor would sit there and walk you through how to do the problems and get the right answer. It was great.

The tutoring office is another resource that I used weekly. It’s amazing and incredibly helpful, especially if you have chemistry with Dr. Smist. The tutors walk you through problems, re-explain concepts, and can answer most questions that you have.

There are going to be so many challenges that you’ll face coming into freshman year. Like roommates. Some of you will be lucky and hit it off with your roommates. Others, like myself, will absolutely not live well with their roommates. Try and work it out before taking drastic steps. Chances are if that person is driving you nuts, you’re subconsciously driving them nuts too. But when it’s down to the line you’ve got to do what makes you happy. Even if it means hauling your life across campus to another building in freezing wind and snow.

Good Luck!

Survival Guide Edition 113: College Writing

Incoming freshman of Springfield college,

I know you’re probably nervous about moving in, leaving your home, and coming to a campus where you must shower in tiny cubicles wearing flip flops on your feet. However, you will get through it as you will your first year of classes. I am writing to you now because I am going to give you a survival guide to your first college writing class. First, expect to be presented with many topics which you will be able to choose from. In high school, I know you’re probably used to having the teacher hand you the rubric with the topic and the research question that you must work on. However in college, that is not the case. In college writing, you get a general topic of writing your professor wants you to focus on then you, from there, choose what topic you want to focus your essay on. From sports, politics, even food debates you can choose whatever you feel like discussing and just go for it. Second, when having in class discussions it will be all mostly recent topics. There will be no William Shakespeare discussions, only topics which are current to our generation. Things such as social media, sports debates, and potential presidential elections. Classes focus on you writing down your opinion on what the articles your teacher gives you says and how you respond to them. To prepare yourself for each class make sure you read the articles given ahead of time and do not wait until the last minute to write your essay. In college in general you’re going to have a lot of free time. So much time that you will think you can wait to do your paper, or study for that exam that is not until Friday. This is a bad tactic, because the weeks fly by and before you know it your exam is the next day or that 6-page paper is due in two hours and all you have on the page is your name. When you get a homework, assignment start it as soon as you can and try to get as much done in one sitting. I’m not saying you must finish but it’s good to start it then slowly each day chip away until you’re finished. Another hint for exams is to also start studying early. Do not wait until the night of to start studying because your exams are almost always on 3 chapters and the material you need to know in each is too much to sit down and properly understand in one night (unless you are okay with pulling an all nighter before). Your first college exam will be scary but you will get through it along with the many other challenges you will surely face along the way. College is where you change from being a kid at home to an adult living on your own. So, it’s normal to make mistakes, if you didn’t then you wouldn’t be human. Have fun, study hard, and you will find yourself along the way if you haven’t done so already!

Good Luck,

Sydney Wine Springfield College Class of 2020

Incoming freshman of Springfield college,

I know you’re probably nervous about moving in, leaving your home, and coming to a campus where you must shower in tiny cubicles wearing flip flops on your feet. However, you will get through it as you will your first year of classes. I am writing to you now because I am going to give you a survival guide to your first college writing class. First, expect to be presented with many topics which you will be able to choose from. In high school, I know you’re probably used to having the teacher hand you the rubric with the topic and the research question that you must work on. However, what’s store in college is freedom. You get a general topic of writing your teacher wants you to focus on then you, from there, choose what topic you want your writing to be about. From sports, politics, even food debates you can choose whatever you feel like discussing and just go for it. Second, when having in class discussions it will be all mostly recent topics. There will be no William Shakespeare discussions, only topics which are current to our generation. Things such as social media, sports debates, and potential presidential elections. Classes focus on you writing down your opinion on what the articles your teacher gives you says and how you respond to them. To prepare yourself for each class make sure you read the articles given ahead of time and do not wait until the last minute to write your essay. In college in general you’re going to have a lot of free time. So much time that you will think you can wait to do your paper, or study for that exam that is not until Friday. This is a bad tactic, because the weeks fly by and before you know it your exam is the next day or that 6-page paper is due in two hours and all you have on the page is your name. When you get a homework, assignment start it as soon as you can and try to get as much done in one sitting. I’m not saying you must finish but it’s good to start it then slowly each day chip away until you’re finished. Another hint for exams is to also start studying early. Do not wait until the night of to start studying because your exams are almost always on 3 chapters and the material you need to know in each is too much to sit down and properly understand in one night (unless you are okay with pulling an all nighter before). Your first college exam will be scary but you will get through it along with the many other challenges you will surely face along the way. College is where you change from being a kid at home to an adult living on your own. So, it’s normal to make mistakes, if you didn’t then you wouldn’t be human. Have fun, study hard, and you will find yourself along the way if you haven’t done that already!

Good Luck!

Sydney Wine Springfield College Class of 2020