DEAR FUTURE WRITERS OF ENGLISH 105,
My name is Mairany Garcia, and I was in the same place as you in the fall of 2019.
I’m writing this letter in hopes that you, whoever is reading this and about to venture into this course, will one day find it and take into consideration the fragments of advice I can give.
The first is this: Many people will claim they know the ups and downs of classes, how to stay motivated, and the key to being successful in college. However, the universal truth is no one knows what they are doing; Not the first day, not their second year or and not even their last.
For me, I came upon this realization the very moment I entered English 105 with Mrs. Telles. I chose a random seat, not too close to the front, but not entirely in the back, sat, looked around, and I thought to myself, “hm, this is going to be different.” I was right. I did not know how to navigate this class or communicate with the teacher in the beginning. Eventually, after not letting the unknown scare me, I embraced the fact that Mrs. Telles and my peers were there to help. I relearned what High School Musical taught me as a child, which is “we’re all in this together.” My advice is to learn to accept you will not always know what you are doing in the class, but do not be afraid to ask for clarification on parts you are confused. This advice will allow you to thrive in essays, discussions, and the umbrella topic of the class.
The second is this: The most significant challenge you often find is yourself. How do you become a better version of yourself, confronted with all your flaws? Do you blame yourself? Or others?
Throughout the semester, I often found myself struggling to catch up with my writing. All of my life, I had thought I was a fantastic writer, yet when I confronted with a class with so many other gifted writers, I frequently wondered how I would be able to “compete.” I always strived to become a version of a writer better than them. Then, halfway in the semester, when we were assigned the exploratory essay, I realized my goals were misplaced. I was not “competing” with my fellow peers, but in actuality, I was competing against older versions of the writers I once was. Instead of focusing my efforts on becoming better than those around me, I focused it on myself. I thought as I had felt all of my life that better meant comparison. In reality, it signified to better the work I turned in. My advice to you is to focus on yourself and becoming a skilled writer.
You will meet a lot of incredibly intelligent people who you might want to envy, become insecure because of them or want to be them, yet you will always be yourself. Learn to focus on yourself, and your writing will develop.
The third is this: Do not let criticism stop you from voicing out your opinion. Speak loud and clear, with conviction and pride.
In the research proposal and video presentation part of the course, Mrs. Telles assigned to work in groups. I think like many college students, this means, “collaborate on the project with people who sit in a one-foot radius of your seat.” My group was amazing, and we worked incredibly hard on creating a question and a proposal that would be intriguing for ourselves and the community. Still, I felt dissatisfied with our topic once we finalized what we were officially going to research. This problem arose when we had been brainstorming. I would present ideas that would be related to a topic I wanted to examine, yet when the time came to choose, it seemed as though my voice disappeared. Maybe it was because I was so afraid of rejection or fear that caused me to withhold my opinions toward something I genuinely believed. I thought my group and I would not reach an agreement. Looking back, I am confident they would have explored the ideas I had. However, because I did not speak, I will never know what could have been. Do not let that haunt you as it haunts me.
Lastly is this: You will go into class every week, get out of bed, put effort into getting the grade you want to on your transcript, and learn. So enjoy it. You are with a fantastic professional who has immense knowledge of English. Take advantage of it and listen to what Mrs. Telles has to say.
Sincerely,
Mairany Garcia.
(Good Luck)