Blog 5: Future Students

Dear future English 110 students,
As you may know, english 110 is a required class that will expand your ability to analyze and review academic material. What you may not know, is that this class will actually help you succede is all of your future classes. For example, before this class, my analytical skills had not exactly been put to the test and I did not have a lot of practice with integrating sources into a paper; however, after this class I had a wealth of knowledge on writing analytically that is useful in many classes. I use these skills when writing lab memos and even in engineering classes. It is suprising to see how the information from this class plays into everyday life and much more than just a research paper. Although I had not had much experience with writing for an audience, this class gave me a great oppertunity to share my writing with others and participating in peer review was suprisingly helpful because it game me a chance to see what other people were writing, as well as their imput on my writing.

I have learned that it works well to stay on top of papers and blogs. Never let yourself get behind because it is hard to catch up. I have also learned that the teachers are here to help and that there are many resources to help you if you are stuck on something. To be successful, make sure and incorporate all of the information covered in the Writing Analytically book and use it to your advantage. I enjoyed using the Writing Analytically book because the readings were easy to understand and gave various examples that I often incorporated straight into my writing.

It may seem like a lot of work, but it really pays off in the end. I began to doubt myself and my writing when we started to write the Commonplace essay because it seemed like my topic was not interesting or compelling to other college students; however, thinking about the fact that other students would be reading and peer editing my paper gave me the drive to make it a good paper.

All in all, this class gives you some of the necessary skills you need for the rest of your college career. Don't underestimate the difference that this class can make and strive to do well on every assignment, but also enjoy the time in this class that you have writing about a topic of your choice.