Dear Future Student,

English 125 gives you many opportunities to learn and grow as both a reader
and writer. Truly, I can say that I have learned to enjoy these processes, as the
coursework allows you to worry less about deadlines and expectations, instead
letting you focus on writing powerful ideas that can be revised and perfected over
time.
One idea that we focused on during the beginning of the course was reading
like a writer. Instead of simply taking a piece for what it is, this strategy
allows you to deeply analyze the writer’s decisions. Why did they use this word
instead of a different one? How does the author’s past influence their ideas?
Questions such as these help you deeply analyze a variety of texts, but also force
you to be conscious of certain things in your own writing assignments. How does my
personal life relate to this topic? Should I use the word “A” or “B”? Critiquing
the choices of others helps you make more conscious decisions about what you choose
to include in your work, which often makes a big impact on the quality of it.
After completing this course, I have a lot to reflect on. A memorable
moment for me was when I faced a road bump in the Narrative Based Argument
assignment, in which I was completely stumped for an idea to write my paper on.
This genre was also totally new for me, so I found myself in a tough spot. My first
draft was honestly one of the most horrific pieces of work that I’ve created within
the past few years, so I was stressed to say the least. However, after reading over
the work of my peers and receiving some impactful feedback, I was able to put
together a great final paper. This brings me to a piece of advice for you: even if
you feel stuck or without motivation, keep moving forward. Even if your draft is
not your best work, stick with it. It’s a draft for a reason, and your teacher and
peers are here to help you. Use these resources to your advantage and you can
surely succeed in English 125.
Though English is not my favorite subject, there were certainly some ideas
in the course that I found enjoyable. Firstly, I was surprised about just how much
I was able to learn from the work of my peers. I found that the unique perspectives
presented by those around me always made for an interesting read. It’s also fun to
see everyone’s writing improve over the course of the year just as your own does.
My other favorite part of this course was the diversity of assignments that were
given to us. Whereas most of my past English classes focused on one or two styles
of writing, English 125 allows you to experiment with a variety of genres, many of
which are unique from standard writing courses. The formats were always fresh and I
never found myself bored of our writing styles.
I will end this letter with a few pieces of advice. From my journey through
this course, I learned the importance of teaching and learning from your peers.
Feedback is a key portion of your grade, but it also dramatically improves the
quality of your work. Additionally, if you have the choice of submitting a decent
essay on time or a great essay a couple days late, ask for an extension. Most
likely, you’ll get it and not have to worry about rushing your work to meet an
arbitrary deadline. Finally, I’d advise you to email your instructor with any
questions or concerns you may have. They are here to help and want to see you
succeed.

Good luck!
Ethan Kallish
(ekallish@umich.edu)