Prewriting: Incoming Freshman

Incoming Freshman

Writing to incoming freshman is something I never imagined I’d be doing. There are many things I wish I could go back and change about my first semester at college. Whether it’s as little as buying a Glade plug-in the day I moved in, or as big as regretting taking upper division classes, they all played a part in my college experience. When I moved into my dorm, I always new I was a neat, and cleanly person. I folded my clothes, organized my shoes, made my bed, and took out the trash. After the second week of classes, I knew that I would never be able to keep up with all that. I think I realized it when I put on a pair a jeans for the 4^th day in a row, or maybe when I went to take out the trash and notice mold growing on the banana peel from the week before. Slowly your room will start to smell, and it is only when you decide to vacuum when you find the rotten bag of goldfish under your couch, or realize that your fridge is leaking, and the water is going stagnant on your carpet. This is when you start to understand the true beauty of Febreze and Glade Plug-Ins. In some cases, when the smell is unbearable, incense or candles can always be an answer, but must be used with caution around CA’s. Slowly you will fall behind on laundry, dishes, and sometimes even bathing. It is gross, but it is one of the harsh realities you will face in your new and stinky home.

Along with advice on cleanliness, I would also recommend buying a fan of some sort. On the warmer days of -15 degrees you never know what kind of smells will bake into the dorms. Having a fan will keep you, your roommate(s), and dorm mates’ scents flowing, and not leave them to sit and linger. There is nothing worse then walking into your room or hall, and taking a deep breathe of stinky feet and microwaveable taquitos. Another way to avoid stench in your room is to keep up with checking your fridge. You will regretfully one day realize after you take a swig of the last of your milk, that it is a week expired. And yes, those amazing late night Hot-Pockets eventually go bad as well. Routine refrigerator checks will keep this problem at bay. There are other things in a dorm, besides food, that can cause un-wanted smells. A roommate’s unwashed dirty clothes can smell of rotting death. This is where a roommate contract within the first week will come in handy. Don’t hesitate or feel uncomfortable, it will help you in the long run.

It is easy to stay caught up with classes and homework, but even easier to fall behind. Do not procrastinate on homework, because it will catch up to you. All the little things slowly add up, so it’s a good idea to start out with a planner. I bought one when I went school shopping, and didn’t actually start using it until the day I walked into math class and realized I had my first exam, and undoubtedly failed. Starting out the semester being organized will only help you in the long run. You will develop healthy organization habits that will stick with you until you graduate. After barely passing my first math exam, I started using my planner, and slowly realized taking the two extra minutes to write my homework and quiz dates were worth it. It made it a lot easier to remember meetings with my professors, and schedule times to meet with my advisor. My planner turned out to be my friend, not my foe.

Going to bed at a decent hour is something that will really benefit you. This also goes along with not procrastinating. Make sure you start studying in advance, and do not wait until 11 o’clock p.m. to start studying for an exam at 8 o’clock am the next day. Manage your time carefully, and buy a lot of note cards. Get to bed at a respectable time, and take short naps when you can, which FYI should not be taken in your 10 o’clock Math class.

"He Says She Says"

In these writings, the author talks mainly about the good and the bad ways of summarizing and using quotes effectively. As a writer I have always been very shaky on how to quote people correctly and use their information appropriately. For the most part, I get most of my information from the research and studying I do on other peoples work. Whether its information from a website, new article, or book, I still need to know how to use it without it being considered plagiarism. Summarizing can be a tricky and long process, but if you know how to do it right, it isn't as complicated as you think.

In the second article, it talks about how people do not like summarizing because going back to the writers exact text and writing it out word for word is a very long process. Now with the option of copy and paste, it has become a lot easier, and people should be able to quote a lot easier than before. The problem with this is that people might not know how to quote effectively, and there for they will do it wrong. You should put yourself in the other writers position, and try to be the reader and feel what they felt at the time they wrote it. I like the technique we used in class one day, where you read a paragraph, and then in one sentence summarize the entire paragraph. I feel like it was a very good and easier way of summarizing.

"Know It All"

In the article, "Know It All", the author of the story talks about the pros and cons of using Wikipedia, and whether this website, and online database is truly reliable, or is more of a phony. After reading what the author had to say, I am a lot more weary about using this site, and now knowing that anyone can change the information and "facts" on any part of the site. Anyone in the world is allowed access to this popular page, and even White House Representatives have been caught changing and tampering with information. As a site that I regularly visit to figure out questions i have, I will now be a lot more careful about the research I get from Wikipedia. Not only do you not know who has posted the information on the topic you are researching, due to that most postings are left "anonymous", but you also aren't given the credentials and background of the person who has done the posting.

Then on the other hand, there are true postings, that have been posted by superior and well educated people, and unfortunately their postings can be tampered and messed with by young, and immature readers. They mention this in an article about Justin Timberlake, and how one entry accused him of losing his house in 2002, due to not paying his taxes. It is things like this that give Wikipedia its bad name. If it was up to me, i wouldn't let people join unless they had proof of some sort of degree on what they hoped to talk about. If this was the case, Wikipedia would be a much more accurate and trustworthy resource for students like me and my peers. It would not only become the new encyclopedia, but one of the most important fact resources of our time. I often use Wikipedia to answer everyday random questions, like "What is honey made from?" or health questions like "Why do i have a rash on my stomach?". It has become a great tool for me when I am in a hurry and need quick, helpful answers. I feel there needs to be restrictions on who can edit these websites, but also give onlookers a good place for finding good information.