Blog Post 6

Engl 165-09 Fall '24

 

After reading the assigned books in this class, I have found myself looking at things through a new lens in which I did not originally think of. The Understanding Rhetoric book provides insight into how to cite, how to write, and how to amplify your writing in a fun way. Chapter 3 of UR gave insight into how to characterize yourself into your writing without putting on a fake persona. I found this chapter to be extremely useful and more informational than the others as it describes how we are our ourselves and nothing can change that (pg. 124). I have a hard time adding personality to my writing, I always find it easier to simply sound professional because that is just how I write. While this is okay, it is also necessary to incorporate some aspects that differentiate you from yourself and others. Books such as They Say/I Say have not necessarily helped me in my writing. The chapters in the book have not applied to my writing in such a way that I need to read them again.

I find my strengths to be that of prolonging my points to reach the word counts. It is very easy for me to write about things for a long period of time because I find it simple to rephrase things and add words to my sentences. I do have hardships when it comes to being repetitive. I repeat a lot of the same things when writing, however, I make up for it with my rephrasing. I feel like my overall writing is decent. I try and be very profound with my words and I want to sound as professional as possible which can sometimes lead to me babbling on about things with no necessary meaning behind what I write. When this happens, I allow myself to reread and restructure what I have written in order to make sure it all makes sense. Overall, I plan to talk less in a professional way and more in a way that is applicable to the overall topics I am writing about. Doing so will amplify my writing and make it so that everything is understandable and that it all connects.

1 Comment

Blog Post 6: What Have You Learned

Engl 165-09 Fall ’25, They Say, I say, Understanding Rhetoric

 

Thus far, we’ve been focusing on the graphic novel Freshman, and we’ll return to it one last time before the semester ends. Now, however, is time to start thinking about what you’ve learned thus far in Engl 165 and what are still your biggest concerns with completing the semester successfully.

To accomplish this, look back on the chapters that your’ve read in both the Understanding Rhetoric and the They Say, I Say books, as well as the chapters we’ve completed in Academic Writing. Consider the following questions to guide your response, or go out on your own:

  1. What have been your favorite chapters thus far and why? (Give details)
  2. What have been your least favorite chapters thus far and why? (Give details)
  3. How do you honestly feel about your own writing?
  4. Where do you see your strengths?
  5. Where do you see your weaknesses?
  6. What kind of plan to you have to overcome your perceived weaknesses?
  7. What do you know thus far about Structure, Language, and References in the four disciplines that constitute academic writing.
3 Comments

Blog#5

Engl 165-09 Fall ’25, Freshman

 

I feel like the fall break was short, just like Thanksgiving break can be. It felt good to be back to get ready for the midterms and get a head start on my school work, so I do not fall behind on any of the material I need to know. And I kinda missed my roommates and have gotten really busy since being back. But being home for break made me miss home a lot more than I normally do, and over time it will get easier for me to come to school are break. My advisor had a meeting as a group talking about registering for classes next semester, and that was helpful, and I honestly did nto know before that when I was supposed to register for my classes in the spring. And I’m hoping that I’ll be able to get my biology and American Sign Language classes at the times I want them, and possibly I might change my major, but hasnt fully decided if I will be making the change yet, it just depends on the rest of the semester goers for me. And I have not fully explored campus yet, and I still don’t know where a lot of the buildings I will or possibly need for future classes and I have only visited half of the campus. I am too busy to explore the campus area. And compared to sarah experiences, I am grateful for picking a somewhat small school, and Longwood is very cozy and quiet, so it’s not that stressful compared to sarah big Midwest school. And I think some people, when picking a college they don’t think about the size of the campus or the population of people. I didn’t have many friends in high so, so it hasn’t really affected me going to college and the friends I do have I see on the weekend when I go home for the weekend and get to hang out with them. And I do dorm with 2 friends from high school and also my cousin, so I don’t feel as im drifting that much from everyone. I feel like it will be good going home for the two breaks that are coming up to spend time with friends and family, and celebrating the holidays with them will be a nice change. And this year will be my first few holidays I will spend with my boyfriend. 

1 Comment

Do YOU Know When You Register

Engl 165-09 Fall ’25

Tags:

 

Coming back from break felt a lot like what Sarah is going through in the book, that weird mix of excitement and exhaustion. Being home was nice because everything felt familiar again. My own bed, my family, and not having to worry about my school work. Even though I only got 2 days of fall break, coming back here to be with my teammates was so much fun! It was strange coming back to my dorm and adjusting to sharing space with my roommate again. Luckily, no dead fish situation here, but it definitely took a day or two to get back into my routine. Registration is coming up soon, and I’m already stressing a little about getting the classes I want. I’ve been looking at my schedule and trying to balance what I need for my major with things that actually sound interesting. It still feels like there’s a lot about college that’s brand new, like how fast time goes by, and how different professors can be with their expectations. Sarah’s experience at her big midwestern school seems a lot more chaotic than mine here at Longwood. I actually like that Longwood is smaller. I feel like it’s easier to get to know people, and professors actually remember your name. I don’t think I’d like being one of thousands of students in a lecture hall. Since being here, I’ve noticed that I eat dinner super early or super late due to late-night practices. I also see that I only talk to my two best friends from my high school. With Christmas break coming up soon, I am looking forward to seeing them and my family. I don’t get a spring break because of cheer, which sucks, but at least I get to be with my friends. It’s also weird to think about being gone from Longwood for that long. I’ve started to feel like this place is my new normal. Looking ahead, I want to finish my freshman year strong. I’m planning to stay on top of assignments, manage my time better, and make sure I still make time for friends and self-care. College has already taught me a lot about balance, and I think Sarah and I are both figuring that out in our own ways.

2 Comments

Blog 5

Engl 165-09 Fall '24

Tags: ,

 

As Sarah was heading back from break, she was sad to be leaving her family. I completely understood how she felt because I was also sad to leave my family, but at the same time, I was ready to get back to my new normal at school. After spending four days at home, it felt nice to come back to campus to settle back into my routine. There’s something comforting about being in your own space and getting back into the rhythm of college life. 

Since I have my own room, I can’t relate to how Sarah feels about having a roommate. I imagine it must be both fun and challenging, but I enjoy having my own space for when I want to have alone time and study without distractions. I love living in a suite though because I get the best of both worlds, privacy when I need it and company when I want to hang out. 

As of now, I’m in the middle of planning for my spring classes, which has been a bit stressful. Trying to figure out what classes I need to take, while also making sure none of them overlap in time. Even though it’s a bit of a puzzle, it’s exciting to see my schedule coming together and to plan ahead. 

I’ve noticed that my experience at a small school is different from what Sarah experiences at her larger school. My classes usually have 15 to 25 students, which makes it easier to build relationships with professors and classmates. I also love that my campus is small enough that I can walk from one end to the other in about ten minutes. It’s nice not having to rush across long distances between classes like students at bigger schools often do. 

While making new friends here I still try to keep up with my friends back home. It is not always easy since everyone’s schedules are different, but I still try my best to talk to them. With Thanksgiving and winter break coming up, I know I will miss being here and seeing my college friends every day. But, I am also looking forward to being home again, spending time with family, catching up with my high school friends, and working to earn back some of the money I have spent this semester. But, Longwood has definitely become more of a second home to me.

2 Comments

Back from Break: Settling in again

Engl 165-09 Fall ’25

Tags:

 

Coming back from fall break has been a mix of emotions from going back home to coming back into the swing of things. Reading about Sarah’s return to college life was so different yet so similar. Like Sarah, I felt that strange change between something familiar to chaos again. Unlike Sarah, I did not come back to the smell of a dead fish but I did have to readjust to sharing a space with my roommate. Registration is coming up, with help from my academic advisor I have decided on which classes I have to take. It wasn’t like I had much of a choice on what to take. It is very stressful having to make your own schedule but I like that level of freedom too. These classes that I will be taking next semester will be considerably more challenging than the ones this semester. I have realized how much I have grown since the start of the semester even though it hasn’t been that long. I know where I want to go and now have the tools that I need to succeed. I am a little better at time management only a little. Sarah’s experience at a large school is very different from my experience at Longwood. At Longwood it is smaller and more personal. I can talk to my professors and see familiar people wherever I go. I guess that would be harder in a big lecture hall. Like Sarah I am exited for the end of the semester, but overwhelmed with the stuff I still have to do. I have noticed that I don’t really talk to people from my hometown much anymore. So I am really exited to see them during winter break. We have all just gotten so busy and it shows that we are starting new parts of our lives. As I think to the future I feel overwhelmed so I am going to try my best to live in the moment. I also need to stay focused on staying organized throughout the rest of college. Just like Sarah I am learning that college isn’t just about grades but the stuff you do and friends you make along the way.

2 Comments

Blog Post 5

Engl 165-09 Fall ’25

Tags: ,

 

coming back from break, I feel a mix of comfort and disorientation, which is something I noticed Sarah experiences too. She returns to school after Thanksgiving ready to push through the last couple of weeks, but the shift from home to campus life isn’t easy. For me, going home felt familiar and grounding. Everything was where I left it, and I didn’t have to worry about sharing a space. Return ing to my dorm meant adjusting again to living with my roommate. While it hasn’t been a bad transition, it definitely feels different from the comfort of home. Sarah felt this too in her own way. She enjoyed the break but knew she had to readjust once she returned, and that’s something I really relate to.

Another thing Sarah and I share is the feeling of preparing for what’s next. She has to face exams and start planning for the next semester. I’m also starting to think about registration. What classes I want, which ones will help me reach my goals, and what times fit best have been taking up my mind recently. Even though I’ve been at Longwood for a while now, some parts of college still feel brand new, like figuring out how to manage my time during these busy stretches and making sure I’m on top of deadlines.

Unlike Sarah though, I have actually maintained and even gotten better relationships with my friends back home. My senior year of high school, I found myself isolating myself. It wasn’t for any specific reason, I was just doing it. Now being away from home most of the time, I rely very heavily on my hometown friends. It still feels a bit wild to have to distinguish them as my hometown friends and not just the people who live down the street from me or in second period.

With our two larger breaks coming up, I could not be more excited to just get this semester over and done with. I believe stepping away from the college scene for an extended period will do me wonders. I honestly am not the biggest fan 0f college as a whole. I know, however, when we all come back for the spring semester, I will feel a bit disoriented once again. Reading Sarah’s story reminds me that the rest of freshman year is going to involve a lot of change, and I want to plan for it, whether that means staying organized with classes, maintaining my friendships, or finding ways to make the return from breaks smoother. Like Sarah, I’m learning to balance comfort and growth.

Blog 5

Engl 165-09 Fall '24

 

As I return from fall break, I feel very refreshed and motivated to continue my schoolwork. Although I was only at home for Thursday and Friday, I can pick up on the similarities of my own break experience compared to Sarah’s. Like her, it felt a little weird being at home with my parents and siblings. Not in a bad way, but I felt as if I had missed so many things going on in their lives that I needed a big debriefing session. 

Unlike Sarah however, I do know when to register and what classes I am going to take. Because I participate in ROTC, I am required to make a 4 year schedule of the classes I plan to take. This has helped me stay on track and has made registering and planning for classes much easier. After being at Longwood for around two months, not much is new and I feel like I do know the campus and the things that go on pretty well. 

When it comes to the differences with her big school experience versus a smaller school I haven’t really noticed too much. It seems as though everything is pretty much the same, just with less people. There are still always new things and activities going on throughout campus. 

I do kinda feel myself drifting a bit away from my hometown friends like Sarah does. Being away from them for so long causes both sides to miss out on all the little daily news bits that make somebody your best friend. It is kinda bittersweet to think about, as we both are moving onto different chapters in our lives. I still try my best to keep in touch with them as often as I can though. 

I honestly haven’t thought too much about the breaks that are approaching. I really enjoy it here and have a great friend group so I don’t really care to go home much. I find myself getting bored easier at home. When you live with your friends it makes it much easier to find something to do, especially on a college campus where there is always something to do or someone to hang out with.

It is interesting to see the similarities and differences that I have with Sarah. It has helped me understand that some of the things I think and feel are just common occurrences for all freshmen, making me feel better about things when I don’t think they are going well.



1 Comment

How does my experience compare to Sarah’s?

Engl 165-09 Fall ’25

 

Sarah in the beginning months of her first semester struggled a lot and did not know how to deal with the new emotions and situations she was experiencing. I can relate to that as I did not know how to deal with this new environment at first but was able to adapt to it faster than Sarah was. She did go through a really emotional break up which caused her to be more emotional than most would be. Just like Sarah, I am very excited to be home for the upcoming holidays and breaks. Although whenever she is home, it does seem a lot sadder overall compared to when I’m home. The thought of going home makes me feel very excited and gives me something to look forward to at the end of every week. That is due to me going home every weekend. The break will be just like my weekends except it gets extended by a few more days, making it even better for me emotionally. There are many differences between me and Sarah as she is a really artsy person, and I am very uncreative artistically. I would hate to go to a university like she is. She goes to Minnesota and I know that university has a lot more students than Longwood does. That fact alone makes me feel sorry for Sarah as that probably adds to the stress of her situation. I know I would hate to go to a university any bigger than Longwood since the freshman class is four times bigger than my graduating class in my high school. That does make me feel very out of my comfort zone as I’m not used to there being so many people, but I know it will be good for me in the end. Sarah’s experiences have both similarities and differences to my own personal experiences.

Comparing Sarah’s life and mine as class started

Engl 165-09 Fall ’25, Freshman

 

I saw myself in her, but only a little. After her parents dropped her off at the dorm, she stared into space and said, “I live here now.” She didn’t look excited, just kind of “blah.” To me, she seemed unsure and a bit self-pitying about her life in college. That’s understandable. She’s only 18 and still figuring things out.

I don’t feel the same way. Even though I’m going through a lot, I try to stay positive and see school as a blessing. I’m almost 45, and my perspective is different. I’m not here to “find myself.” I already know who I am. I’m here to grow.

The first six weeks have been intense. I’m juggling schoolwork with responsibilities at home. I help my husband with our business. I’m the administrator, secretary, accounts payable, and CFO. I do the taxes, the books, and even have to go to the county clerk’s office to fight the taxes they say we owe on our house and cars. My husband travels a lot, so I handle house repairs, car maintenance, and anything else that needs fixing. Right now, I’m also dealing with a bathroom renovation. 

On top of that, I’ve started perimenopause. Brain fog, poor sleep, memory lapses, poor cognition, and anxiety I haven’t felt in years. I never had this much struggle in my life. As the saying goes, “I’m on the struggle bus.” Some days feel heavy, but I remind myself to keep going.

I also put pressure on myself to get straight A’s and keep a 4.0 GPA. I got a 98% on my Legal Environment in Business exam, just one mistake, and 96% on my accounting exam, and I still beat myself up. My brain doesn’t feel as sharp as before, and I blame it on getting older. Sarah doesn’t seem to stress about grades like I do. With help from a new friend, I’m learning to lighten up. They say C’s still get the degree, and many CEOs were C students while straight-A students became the worker bees—haha.

And then there are my two needy and spoiled Old English bulldogs, Hank and Lucy. I cook them wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon and oven-baked sweet potato fries, peeled and sliced by me from the Amish store, to mix with their prescription kibble. I want them to live-as long as possible. I leave for school by 8:30 a.m. and I try to get home by 5pm for them, but this week has been 7 p.m. I feel guilty not being home by 5pm for them. I can’t do schoolwork at home, my dogs just want to cuddle, and I feel guilty saying no.

Sarah has a small group of friends, but she doesn’t seem to appreciate them yet. I’ve only connected with two people so far, but I’m thankful. I try to smile or say “Hi” at students who do not smile and live by Charles Swindoll’s words: “No one needs a smile more than those who have none to give.” I say hi, even to someone like Sarah.

Unlike her, I commute 40 minutes each way. It’s harder to build friendships, but I believe they’ll grow with time.

2 Comments