I have never had an English class help me with so much. So far, I have learned how to do an annotated bibliography, blog posts, grammar, and how to do citations. That’s a couple out of the probably 40 things. We had to read four books in your class: Understanding Rhetoric, Freshman Year, They Say I Say, and Academic Writing. But if you asked me what my favorite was, it would be understanding rhetoric because I understand it the best because it is in comic form, it’s engraved in my mind. I don’t have multiple favorite chapters, but the ones I remember are the ethos, pathos, logos, and Karos. I don’t have a least favorite chapter; I have a least favorite book, I don’t like reading They Say I Say, not one bit. For example, when we were doing our reading quiz, when I read the chapter for They Say I Say, I forgot what I had read when I turned the page, that’s why it’s my least favorite. When I started college, I was the most scared of this writing class, and I can confidently say now I’m not afraid of someone looking at my computer while I’m typing or letting someone read and critique my writing.  My strengths in this class are the blog posts because I feel like I can write more like myself, and how I talk in real life is how I write. But my weakness is starting an essay, I started my annotated bibliography late, and how I will fix that by starting my essay in bits and pieces. I have a problem with writing in one sitting and getting half of the essay done, and then I’m burnt out by the time I need to write again. I love this class, and I’m going to miss it, but I will always think of my English 165 if I write another annotated bibliography again, I can promise you that.

As we have been reading Understanding Rhetoric and They Say, I say I have found several things that have stuck to me. The quizzes that we take on these books have pushed me to work to read them as I am not a huge reader, and overall I have learned a lot about how writing should be addressed to the audiences. Both of these readings are beneficial for writers learning how to correctly address what they are communicating. 

In the book of Understanding Rhetoric the ideas that have stuck with me in the chapters that we have focused on is collaborating is a major aspect in rhetoric. Collaborating will be in everyday life when writing to others. I also read that you should know your audience and make sure they trust you. If there is not a direct audience it is hard to explain your reasoning. The last idea I took from the reading is that your context changes how and why we write. 

In the book of They Say, I say the idea that has stuck with me while focusing on certain chapters has been to look more into what the others are saying and how you understand what they are saying. So X is saying this, but Y thinks this.

I honestly feel like my writing has always been pretty well, but with learning more about research and citations I sometimes struggle. I did not do many research papers through high school, so it has definitely been a learning experience. Although I am still learning I have noticed that I have been progressing with these topics from when I first learned about how to research. One thing that has stood out to me the most is to take the advice your professors give you and keep those examples in all of your writing. 

Being in this class I also have learned to look for sentences in the readings that speak out to the audience significantly. Even when reading myself I think how this would impact me and others reading. I have always been someone that if I do not understand anything I will write the idea on how I would communicate to others.

My experiences are slightly different from Sarah’s. One of the reasons is because I did not stay at home over my break. I stayed with some friends including my roommate, so I did not have to transition back to being with her after the break. Although, I did miss everyone from school that do not live close to my hometown.

Unlike Sarah, who seemed extremely stressed out over the registration process, I feel very prepared for next semester. In the book, the advisor gave Sarah very vague instructions on how to register. Here at Longwood, I have had great support and guidance when it comes to registering for classes and staying on track to graduate with my major. An area I do relate to Sarah in is worrying about not getting the classes I want. As her advisor says, the classes fill up quickly, so that is my only concern when it comes to registering for next semester.

Sarah is at a large school, so some of her classes look larger. It also seems like her professors don’t know her personally. At Longwood, I feel like a lot of my professors know who I am, and all of them at least know my name. I have had a chance to have a one on one conversation with all of them. I really enjoy this about being at a small school.

In Sarah’s experience, she keeps a couple of close friends from home throughout the beginning of her first semester. Her and I are different because I drifted from my friends from home after graduation to prepare to start fresh and focus on work. I have made many new friends at school that share more interests with me than the people I knew in high school.

Being away from Longwood for an extended amount of time will probably be difficult for me. When Sarah went home, she made comments that implied that her home seemed unfamiliar to her. Since I did not go home for fall break, I can imagine that I will feel similarly when I am home for Thanksgiving break.

While on break it was great. Like Sarah, I went home. I do not live that far away but it was still great to be home. I really needed the time away from farmville and it was the start of hunting season ,so I got to go hunting all weekend. Luckily for me all my midterms were before break. Which was great so I could get them out the way before break. Also i like that so i could be more focused on them while i am at home i just want to chill out and enjoy the time with my family. After coming back from break it was good to see my roommates. We all decided to go play a round of golf when we all came back from break. Although, we all do not wanna do anything like the dishes since we did not have to do any at home, that is the one thing I think that has changed since break. My experiences at a small school at Longwood have been great and they are different from Sarah’s bigger school experience. Like my english class has 17 people in it compared to sarah’s huge lecture class. For me I am not drifting away from my friends from back home. I went to a private school and I found a close group of friends and we all did not want to be that friend group that breaks up after college. Actually my best friend from high school comes down from radford and stays here when he goes home for the weekend sometimes. WHile over break we all got together at one of our houses that we always used to hangout at and talked about how college was going grade wise and everything that has happened while at college.

Coming back from Fall break was hard luckily my roommate is also my best friend from home. Transitioning back to school from being home wasn’t as difficult because I had her and she is someone I associate home with.  

I register for Spring semester classes on November 1st at 7 A.M. which I am not looking forward to waking up for but I am excited because I will be a second-semester college student.  I am dreading having to take Spanish 110 but that is a requirement I need to graduate and I would rather get it done with early.  I am a little worried about next semester because the classes I am planning on taking are much harder than the classes I took this semester.  I am not a math person and it is something I am not strong in but unfortunately next semester I have to take statistics.  Juggling a language and a math will be a struggle but I’m hoping I will be able to manage.  

My experience being in a smaller school has been great so far.  My classes are no bigger than 20 students and I like that because then you can ask more questions in class without 50 other students also trying to ask like the bigger school Sarah goes to.  I also feel like it’s been easier to make friends being at Longwood whereas going to a big school like Sarah I would struggle more.  

I feel like being away from my best friends has honestly broughten us closer.  We talk almost everyday and obviously I miss them like crazy but it makes breaks seeing them more special.  Going on break is something I look forward to because I have been very homesick but the transition back to school from break is very hard.  I get very comfortable being home and not being able to stay sucks.  Although during break the hardest part about being away from Longwood is missing my college friends.  I think being away from Longwood for an extended amount of time will be good for me because I am homesick but I will also be missing my college friends.  

As I return to Longwood after the Fall break, I find myself having similar experiences to Sarah’s experiences. The transition back to campus is both familiar and jarring, at home I’m surrounded by comfort and routine, while returning to my dorm means I must adjust back to the busy and often overwhelming environment of college life. Sarah’s struggle with her roommate and the dynamics of living together resonate with me as I navigate my own living situation. Like Sarah, I’m preparing for upcoming midterms and registering for next semester’s classes. This can be both exciting and stressful. While I feel fortunate to have a supportive academic environment at Longwood, there are still aspects of college life that still feel new and intimidating. Sarah’s experience at a large university highlights the differences in our educational settings. Longwood’s smaller campus fosters a close-knit community, which allows for more personalized interactions with professors and peers, contrasting with the vastness of Sarah’s school. As I reflect on my friendships back home, I recognize that some distance has formed. Though I cherish those connections, the demands of college life make it challenging to maintain the same level of communication. With two breaks approaching, I wonder how I will feel away from Longwood for an extended time. Stepping back into my home life is comforting but also brings a sense of uncertainty about returning to school life afterward. Ultimately, reflecting on these experiences helps me plan for the remainder of my freshman year, focusing on finding balance between home and school, nurturing friendships, and embracing the changes that lie ahead.