Finishing up English Composition I has left me with a few thoughts that I wish someone had shared with me as I entered my first writing course in college. Maybe this isn't your first rodeo with writing in rhetoric and narrative, but perhaps you have no idea what those terms mean. Either way, here are a few key recommendations that, as a student, I want to share with you. Warning: you will likely hear Prof. Mangini drill these suggestions into your head for the rest of the semester (all in good intention, I swear) so maybe read them here and be prepared ahead of time.
Tip #1: Don't be afraid to ask for help
This was my third time attempting a writing course in college, so I knew where a lot of the ropes hung, but that doesn't mean that I was never lost. Professor Mangini is extremely helpful and sincere. He won't turn you out on the streets at any point, even if you feel completely far gone. So if you have a question about the homework, ask. If you're thinking about dropping the course, talk to him first. His course is definitely unusual, but so is most of life. It's better to learn to question it all now then wonder why you hadn't in about twenty years.
Tip #2: If anything, do the rough drafts and TURN THEM IN
If someone had told me this even one year ago I would have laughed snarkily and given them an incredulous look. This tip is coming from someone who loves to write. This tip is also coming from a severe procrastinator and perfectionist. Being the latter of the two, I used to believe I was someone who just "didn't do drafts." I wanted my work to be perfect the first time around or give up on it. Well, that isn't going to work in this class and I can tell you now, having almost completed it, that drafts are (unfortunately) important. Your work will never be perfect, but drafts will help you get damn near close. Plus, there's something satisfying about crossing out huge chunks of bad writing or deleting entire paragraphs. It's almost soothing.
Tip #3: LINK, LINK, LINK
Professor Mangini will reiterate this point almost every class for the entire semester. People will still be clueless. I promise you, the grade you earn in the end will be worth the ten extra seconds you take to copy and paste a link to whatever story, song, picture or video you were talking about. Plus, it makes your work more entertaining. See what I did there?
Tip #4: Don't give up
Everybody writes at different levels and in different styles. Please do not give up on yourself because you feel like you are not doing as well as you think you should. The only thing that makes a bad writer is carelessness. It does not matter if you are not 100% grammatically correct or if you used a comma wrong, your effort shines through when you take the time to put it in to you work. The number one thing I learned from this class is that everybody has at least one good writing bone in them, all that matters is tapping into it. Do not compare yourself or your works to that of others. Write as many drafts as you need. Take as much space as you need. Voice your opinions. This class is about helping yourself grow as a writer and that begins with focusing on yourself.
Tip #5: Keep up with your Blog
Some of you will love this and some of you will rather eat plaster before updating your blogs. However, I want to stress again, from experience, this WILL come back and bite you in the butt. Try not to miss more than 1 post. Also, whether it is a simple blog post or a full blown essay, please do all of your work in a Word, Google, or One/Cloud Drive document. AND SAVE YOUR WORK. I cannot tell you how awful it feels to do phenomenal work and watch it drift away like a tumble weed into a tornado as your computer crashes or dies or straight up kicks you out of your browser without auto saving.
*Side Note: do not rely on auto saving. Auto saving is much like a honey badger: it cares not for you or your academia. So do yourself a favor, avoid a major headache and just hit save every now and then.
I hope that you enjoy English 100 as much as I did. I won't sit here and tell you that you have to attend class, because whether you do or not will ultimately be your decision. That's more of Mangini's job anyway. All I can say is take the time to think critically and challenge all you know. Put your heart into your work, especially if you never have before. If you were a slacker in high school, this is your chance to start fresh and go for that A-game.
I wish you the best. This class can help you learn a lot about yourself if you let it.
Sincerely,
Jess