Letter to Next Year's Class

At the end of each College Writing I course, I ask the students to write a letter to the next term's students, reflecting on the course and sharing their advice and encouragement. Here are the letters my Term IV students wrote in the spring of 2008. This was a hybrid online "eLL" class, so their answers are in part specific to that style of course delivery.

Letter from Group 1:

Dear College Writing I students,
Welcome to College Writing. As seasoned students we wanted to share a bit of advice to help you get through class and come out with the best experience possible. On average you can expect to spend anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours max on the journal and threaded discussion assignment for each week. From our experience we feel it is better to take physical classes with your online rather than taking all your courses online. It seems easier to keep track of deadlines and stay involved when you take physical classes.
It is important to pay attention to the syllabus; it is a strict outline for the class. Tracy expects you to come to class prepared or at least have something to contribute even if you haven't finished your assignments. Make sure you pay attention to the deadlines especially for the journals. Do your work in "Word" first and cut and paste so as to ensure you don't lose your work. Also check to see your work has actually been posted. In class be sure to see your work has actually been posted. In class be sure to stay on topic as much as possible and make the best use of your class time.
We hope you enjoy College Writing I. Do your work and stick to the syllabus and you will succeed. Have fun!
Cassandra, Mark, Adam, Joe

Letter from Group 2:

Things I wish I knew before the college writing course started:
How to understand the syllabus. Some of us should have known basic essay format before this course started. Knowing a computer and how to find your course is a plus too.
Our group agrees that you should put more effort into your work and pay more attention to deadlines so you will succeed.
[What would we tell a new college writing student about the reading assignments?] Reading is easy but questions require deep thought. You may want to try reading your book assignment twice, on two different days, to make sure you fully understand it. This method may make your questions easier.
When you're handed your first essay writing assignment, don't worry; just write to the best of your ability. You'll get the "Chance" to revise it later. Plus Tracy can be very understanding and let you re-write because she's the bomb!

Letter to Next Year's College Writing I Class

Tracy expects us to participate in class and read aloud. Come to class prepared and on time. Make sure you turn your assignments in on time to prevent getting a lower grade. Take all the help you can get. Feel free to express and force your opinion, we are all in this together and for the same reason. Do NOT Procrastinate, the assignments take a lot longer than they appear, however the more time and effort you put into the assignments, the better the grade you'll receive. Don't be afraid to express yourselves in your journals and essays. Make sure you allot specific time just for research as that can be more time consuming than the essays themself. If attending two classes, prepare yourself to lose your weekends for eight weeks. There is and there will be a lot to be done, but in the end it should be self rewarding. So after the 8 weeks of hard tedious work, Drinks on Tracy!!
DB, JW, ME, JB, AR, RS, ZT

Letter to Next Year's College Writing I Class

A Balancing Act

Plan on spending a good portion of your weekend on essays--either researching or writing. The day between class you will spend some time on homework. Try to work ahead when you have time. Read the They Say/I Say assignment before writing the next essay. If you are taking a course in addition to this one, plan on quitting your day job.

If I Knew Then What I Know Now
Just do the assignments--take it one day at a time. Pay attention in class, and relax--it wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Be prepared to work hard. You get out of it what you put into it. The mix of ages also gives a different perspective.

Leanne, Bernie, Colleen, MaryRose, Bianca and Jane

Responding to Rebecca Mead

Regarding Rebecca Mead's article, "You've Got Blog," the editors of The Conscious Reader suggest:
Respond to Mead's comment that blogs create "a world in which the personal lives of participants have become part of the public domain." What is the value, if any, of putting personal information online for strangers to read? Would you be comfortable with compromising your own privacy by writing an intimate blog? (Shrodes 317)

Malcom X Page Numbers

"A Homemade Education" by Malcom X actually appears on pages 800-807 of The Conscious Reader.

Instructor Draft Yes, Peer Draft No

On Wednesday, October 11th, you do need to hand in your Essay 3 instructor draft, but you do not have to have a peer draft of anything ready.
Contrary to the topic named for that day in your calendar, there will be no peer review on Wednesday.
There have been some other changes to the reading and writing assignments for the last three weeks of class. I'll distribute a revised calendar in class, and it's on my academic webiste, too, at: http://academics.keene.edu/tmendham/documents/CalendarFPCFa06_3.pdf

Citing Indirect Sources

If you have to cite an indirect source, which means somebody's words that are published in a second source, put the abbreviation "qtd. in" (quoted in) in your in-text citation.

Christina Nehring disdains the smug air of some book lovers; she reports, "There's a new piety in the air: the self congratulation of book lovers" (qtd in Graff 21).

Your A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker should be your main resource in citing, but there's also a handy online guide at DianaHacker.com: http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/p04_c08_s1.html

Essay 2 Directions

The directions for Essay 2 are available at:
http://academics.keene.edu/tmendham
FPC
Essay 2: Responding to a Text