Class Eighteen
Unit Three: Making Connections In The World
Where are we going?
For your third paper in EH 123, you will be asked to draw on your knowledge of your own culture as well as that of another culture (as illustrated in both Morrie and Ancient Futures) and produce a 3-5 page comparative argument that explores the ways in which two cultural systems handle the same issue, problem, or situation. The goal of this paper IS NOT to “prove that one culture is better than another,” but rather to use the comparison to illuminate different values, aspects, or practices of the two cultures. Judgments of value are to be withheld, and evaluations should be made on a rational basis and supported by available material. You will also be required to use formal citations (2-3) in either MLA or APA for this paper.
How are we going to get there?
Journal:
Five-Seven min refection on the improvements to the latest draft
Hand in final draft of your Adaptation Narrative.
Journal:
Your reading for today tackled the idea that there are many different kinds of arguments. There are arguments to inform, convince, explore, make decisions, or meditate.
Without opening your book, I want you to identify specific examples of each kind of argument. Go into good detail and don’t forget about specificity. What makes these kinds of arguments different from one another?
Group Work:
In your groups, I want you to share your writing and come up with what you think are the best examples you can produce of each kind of argument.
Again, address what you think are the unique qualities of each particular kind of argument and be ready to present on this in a about 10 mins.
Mini-Lecture: 5 -7 Mins
The Different Kinds of Arguments (1). Rhetoric (2). What is Rhetoric and why should I care? Speaker, Subject, Audience!
Mini-Lecture in Action:
Journal Entry:
Letter to a friend (10 Min)
Letter to your favorite HS teacher (10 mins)
Group work/presentations (if time permits)
Filed under: Uncategorized | 21 Comments
Theresa Dunbar
11-4-09
Rhetoric and Composition
Dear Mrs. White,
Leaving high school and entering the college life, I was very apprehensive. After hearing things from some of my friends that had already been in college for a few years, I was also very excited. Some people told me that I would love it and some told me that it was too much work. I felt very prepared, though, after having some great teachers in high school. Feeling ready to take on this new part of my life, I couldn’t wait to start.
After I received the acceptance letter from Husson University, I became even more excited. They had accepted me into their pre-pharmacy course of study. I new that it was going to be a long haul, so I began to fill out scholarship applications. Doing this by myself, this was the first step into my new lifestyle. Being independent was a must. I was feeling very confident in myself to handle adult life.
When I walked through the doors on my first day at Husson, I felt very small. The building was so big and I didn’t know how I was going to find my way around. I had showed up early that day so I could get a feel for things before my classes started. After walking around for a little while, more people started to come in for classes. Once everyone was there for classes, the hallways were crowded and I began to feel overwhelmed again. After about a week of being there, I felt comfortable with my surroundings.
New study habits had to be formed as I entered college. Things seem different here than in high school. It is more demanding than in high school. More hours reading text books and more papers to write. It is very difficult to change my habits. Sleeping habits mostly. I have made new friends and have seen some familiar faces from back home. This has made me feel more comfortable. Almost if I hadn’t even left. It has made it easier to like where I am.
Classes have been going well for me this first semester and I’m really enjoying being here at Husson. I have settled in to the college life. It feels good to be going to college and doing something with my life. I’m not going to lie, things were a little rough at first, but I learned quickly. The people back at Bucksport High made me feel very prepared to enter college. I do plan on coming back and visiting everyone at some point. Working it into my schedule is the hardest part, but you haven’t been forgotten.
Jay Murano
11-4-2009
Dear Mrs Black,
I am writing to you today to explain my transition into my first semester of college. I was not like most of your traditional students, the path I chose was to go into the military after graduation from high school. I spent 20 years in the Marine Corps, and I am now retired. Since retirerring I have decided to go to college. The transition from the workplace to college has been different in many ways. Currently I have a schedule that allows me to go to classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week. I start my day with an eight o’clock class, and finish up the day at three.
My recommendation to your future students would be not to wait so long in life to go to college. I would guide your students who are looking at the military as an option to think about going to college first. If college does not turn out to be there thing, then they always have the military to fall back on. Like I said going from high school into the military, and by passing college I feel there has been a void in my life. This first semester has been very difficult for me, because I have not been in school for 24 years. I have developed a lot of bad habits in my writing, and my study habits.
I have also found it very difficult finding time to study, and this I am sure is partially due to the fact I have three children. My responsibilities have to be shared now, and my main focus cannot be on my studies. If college would have been the path I chose out of high school then I would not have to worry about all the distractions I have to worry about. I would have been able to concentrate on my college studies. My study habits are poor and I find myself always putting off my work because I am being pulling in many different directions. I guess what I am try to convey would be that if this letter would be of help to any of your students who are not sure which path they are going to chose. I would be more than happy to share my experiences with them, as well as explain to them how difficult the transition has been for me.
I highly recommend to your students to continue their higher education. They should sit down with you and their parents and pick a career, and go for it. The longer you put off college the harder it becomes. The things I have forgotten over time, like the proper study habits. I have found myself saying to myself, I should of done this straight out of high school, it would have been much easier on me, not to mention less stressful.
Dear Mr.C,
Wow college!! College was everything you said and more. Although the transition was difficult at first, I worked through it. When I left high school I was ready for a new adventure, and ready to make something of myself. I enjoyed every minute of my high school experience, and especially having you as a teacher, and I want to take this time to share my transition from high school to college with the upcoming college freshman.
As I transitioned into college I lived with my three best friends of course you already know this. Well of course that didn’t last long, but we are all still friends. My main focus was school, and work. I found that having a job is very difficult when trying to do well in school especially your first year. You are very over whelmed with everything going on, becoming independent, taking care of yourself, and making sure to pay your bills. All in which you informed me about before I entered college. It’s difficult to manage your time in the right way, and you have to study all the time. College just isn’t about having a good time, although we all have a fair share of fun times, you have to relieve that school is more important, and you need to pick the time a place when you have fun.
To you future students I would suggest that you really get series about school, and knowing what you want out of life will help you set your goals high and reach for them. You will find that you have to get your mind set that you are paying for this education, and you don’t want to screw it up. You need to study, do your homework, and keep up with your professor. You need to make sure that they know you care about your education, because they will not hold your hand and help you make it through. This is your education in which you need to work hard for it. You need to make sure you apply yourself to your studies. It is very difficult to balance things out at first, but it gets better. Work is one of my biggest problems. I go to school all day long, and then venture to work, and usually work until ten or later, then homework. If you focus on things you have to do, and get distractions out of the way you will do great.
Students should want to further their education to a higher level. You should really sit down and talk to your parents or just sit down and think about exactly what you want to do with your life. What makes you happy, because you don’t want to put in the time, money, and effort into a career that you hate. As long as you follow your dreams, focus on things you need, try your best, and study you should be fine.
Dear Senora,
College is not what I thought it was going to be like. The transition from high school to college has been an interesting and unexpected one. College is a lot more like high school than I thought that it was going to be. Some things have changed though in my life. The things that have changed the most are my academic life, my food consumption, and my social life. Some things that haven’t changed from college to high school are commuting to school every day and my class size with the exception of psychology is roughly the same.
Some things are quite different though. I see lots of unfamiliar faces every day and I don’t feel as comfortable talking in class. I’m sure that the second statement surprised the crap out of you. Teachers are less invested personally in college, so I can use a wider vocabulary than I did in classes at Orono. I swear occasionally and can make dirty jokes in class. Sometimes my teachers even laugh at them, it’s great.
Something else that is different is the academic workload here at Husson. The workload at Husson is much more strenuous. I have to spend a lot more time studying outside of school, which is very different, as you well know. I have less control over the classes that I have to take, which stinks because I don’t get to work on my Spanish or take gym classes. Gym classes got me through the day in high school, y me gusta aprender espanol. Academics have been the biggest change between OHS and Husson.
My social life has also changed since high school. Everyone knew everyone at Orono, and everyone doesn’t know everyone at Husson. For the first couple of weeks, I felt very uncomfortable in my classes. I didn’t know anyone, so I didn’t really talk in class. After a couple of weeks though, I started to become my normal loud self. I am not attached to the campus really. Since I commute I am only on campus for my classes. The time between classes I generally spend in the library.
Those are some of the things that have changed in my life since graduating last June. Something that I have no comparison for is food. The food at Orono was slop, but I ate it anyway. I don’t eat the food here at Husson, so I can’t compare the food between the two. All that being said, I think that my transition has been pretty smooth.
Dear Mr. Bell
Although I have only known you one year of my life, I feel that I could talk to you about anything. As my principal, you were always the one I went to when I needed help, when I needed advice before a cross country race, and the one I would cry to about my social life’s problems. High school seemed a breeze when I had you there to give me advice and talk me through my frustrations.
My transition from high school to college has surprisingly, been extremely difficult. My entire senior year I dreamed about what college would be like and said all the time, that I could not wait for the day to come. These thoughts quickly changed when the reality of getting to school and starting all over set in. At first I told myself I would get used to it, but as the days pass I am still wishing I could be going home to my parents and sleeping in my comfy bed every night. I had to start from scratch, which I don’t remember how to do. I have been around the same kids since I was in Kindergarten and don’t remember how to make friends, because I haven’t had to since I was five years old. Now that I am in college, I have to re-teach myself to communicate with others that I haven’t known my entire life.
The hardest adjustment for me is getting used to having a roommate. Of course, you know that I was a spoiled, only child. Now I have to share everything. Luckily, my roommate and I get along very well and I have had no problems with her. It’s just bizarre going from having a bedroom, triple the size of the dorm room, and an entire bathroom to myself to living in a box with two people and sharing a bathroom with twenty.
One thing that I am still getting used to is the work load. I was surprised how different homework, quizzes, and tests are in college, from what they were in high school. My entire grade is weighted on how well I do on my tests, when in high school it was mostly homework and some tests. I like that I am not sitting in my dorm spending hours on homework, but I have been doing a lot more reading to prepare for exams.
I hope that everything is going well for you at school this year. I know it must not be the same without me! I promise I will stop in and update you in person on my college experiences before the term is over. Keep in touch, Kerstin
Elise Collins
Nov. 4, 2009
Dear Mr. Regan, I wanted to write this letter to you to tell you how my transition into Husson University has been because you helped me realize where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. My transition started in the fall of 2008. I moved onto campus, nervous and ready to go back home already. The transition was probably a lot harder for me then some other people because I had a roommate who I didn’t get along with. She was controlling and made me so uncomfortable.
When I got to Husson I started have really bad anxiety and panic attacks which made being able to sit and learn very complicated. I would wake up in the middle of night puking because of this. I felt so alone. There was nobody that was there for me. It was a scary situation to be in when I had always had my Mom and Dad by my side. I went to the nurse and she prescribed me some medicine and that’s when my transition started to look up.
I wasn’t full of anxiety all the time. This gave me the strength to start making some friends. This made things easier because I had somewhere to be rather then with my roommate all the time. I had some girls to talk to so, I wasn’t holding everthing in all the time. I started coming out of my shell and showing people who I really was. I am not the type of person to fake who I am to make other people be my friend and I was finally finding people that felt the way that I felt.
I was already to the middle of my first semester and I started working so hard on my grades. I was going to the learning center, basically studying the entire time that I didn’t have classes. This helped to some point, but in the end my first semester is not one that I am proud of. This gave me the strength to push on and do better in my second semester. The second semester I also got a new roommate. She was extremely nice and even helped me with school work. I had a comfortable place to live and study. I was so much happier.
I also found out that taking four classes a semester was something that was very helpful. This gave me the time I needed to put into all of my classes. I had so much time to put into classes and my grades were fantastic. My transition was going so much better and I knew that I was going to come back to Husson the next year. I shook that first semester off and got all A’s and B’s my second semester.
Mr. Regan I just wanted to let you know that I would have never found out what I wanted to do in life if it wasn’t for you. When you let me come in and help you out with the kids it made my mind up that physical education was what will make me happy. You helped me get to this point in my life and I just wanted to thank you for that.
Dear Mr. Cheff,
Coming into my first year of college, I knew quite well that high school would be long gone. I was right. All the bad habits I had developed (most likely from slacking off in your class), were suddenly exposed out in the open. The level of work ethic that I used in high school was no longer acceptable here in college. I found this out very quickly after starting here at Husson.
Leaving high school was a relief after all those years of grade school. I was very happy to begin something new. It felt as though a new exploration in life awaited me at the end of graduation night, as I held my diploma. Even still, I spent my whole summer worrying many long hours that I would resent being in college and not enjoy the experience at all. I knew that it would require me to put forth my best effort and work harder than I ever did in high school. Slacking off in high school definitely did me no good.
My freshman year started here at Husson, and surprisingly all those nerves that I had built up during the summer were miraculously gone. I felt very ambitious and ready to start my life in college. Immediately, I felt comfortable in my classes. The sizes of the classes weren’t too big as I thought they would be. For the first time in a long time, I had a new beginning and I was excited to be in school.
I was taken back by the amount of free time I had in college compared to the time in high school. It was a relief not be stuck in a classroom from 8-2:45 every day. I enjoyed the fact that I could focus hard in class for 50-75 minutes and then go and relax myself for a while. I felt less pressure on me to get all my homework done in a certain amount of time like I did in high school. I was ahead of my work, which was good for someone like me.
As the year went on, I realized that I missed all my friends a lot. It just wasn’t the same having all those people around me that I grew up with and had learned to love. I started to work more, so my time for doing homework became limited. Now I see why adults are always tired and why coffee is such a popular thing. I guess this is the part in my life where I start to become better prepared in time management. I’m sure you went through the same things when you were a freshman in college, many, many years ago.
Hi Brownie,
I am settling in well here at Husson. Its not what I thought it would be like exactly but I’m adapting to it. I’ve been here now for about 2 months and I’m glad I came here. Most of the work I do is homework, I constantly have it and its so annoying. It has to be done though. Most of my classes are good. I’m enjoying them a lot. I’m doing pretty well for grades as well which I have to say I am proud of. The classes are just like St Clement Danes, small numbers of students and lots of interaction with the teacher. That has made it easier to settle in as it is not a big change. I would say I prefer it this way as I feel I learn more where I can interact with the teacher instead of taking notes from a lecture.
As you know Seth, he has helped me with my soccer. The team I am with is decent. We have a lot of potential it is just if we can reach that potential. We have the conference finals this weekend, I am so excited. I’m not used to having a crowd at all for school games but I can’t wait for Saturday. There will be pizza given out to everyone spectator and t shirts made to help support us. It will be a tough game for us, but I hope we can win. It would have been good if you could have watched the game, I think you would have thoroughly enjoyed it.
The rooms are different to what I am used to. As you know, noone shares a room in university in England. But here, you share a room and bathroom. At first I wasn’t too keen on it. But as I have got to know my room mate everything is good. As you know that I am not the most loudest of people, I thought I would struggle. Making friends at university is a lot easier than what I thought. I thought I was going have to take some time to make a group of friends to be with. Luckily I have made a ‘wolfpack’ of friends and I am so glad we are together. We have an insane time no matter what we do. I feel grateful to be around them.
I have to say I am missing home a lot. The more free time I get the more I think about going home. I miss just being at Clement Danes and just sitting talking to you about anything, but it was mainly based on football, Wales or America. I want to go back to school and live the easier life than university. I cannot thank you enough for helping me to be here. Without you I would not have had the opportunity to be here. Thank you ever so much. Will see you when I come back for Christmas. We have to meet up for a meal at my house or something. I will visit you in school no doubt a couple of times just to see how my old school is coping without me. All the best, speak soon.
Dear Mrs. Williams,
Hello, it has been too long since we have talked. As you know I am in college. I am attending Husson University and my major is Elementary Education, 3rd or 4th grade to be specific. College is definitely different then being in middle and high school. I didn’t know back in 6th grade that I was going to be here. I remember during that grade you took the class to UMO that is where I wanted to be. Either way, back then I didn’t realize how college was going to be, if it would be easy or hard, I did get surprised.
Anyway, I thought I could describe to you of how college is, the subjects I am taking this fall. When college first started, I felt way over my head; it was hard to get used to. It was different from high school, where I was able to understand the subjects, even when I transferred schools. Some of the classes that I am taking are easy and understandable, and then there are the classes that are hard. I am taking two history classes that are about two different subjects, U.S. History and History of Western Civilization, both of them are good classes. I’m taking a very easy math class, that makes me feel like I am in 3rd grade, but I know that it will help me out in future math classes.
There’s also Rhetoric and Composition I that is an okay class, it was at first a class that I didn’t want. But after reading Tuesdays with Morrie, I just wanted to read more books like that. It in a way reminded me of your class, when we read good books like, Hatchet and The Outsiders. I had to take Husson Experience: Education, because it went along with my major and it makes the students understand what we will learn in the next 4 years. I am also in General Psychology that makes my brain think really hard and figure out certain subjects that would be remembered after a few years from now. All of these classes have a unique quality to them that make me like them but also dislike them. The teachers have a part in making them unique, just by adding their personality to them.
So far, I am having a good experience. I have made friends that are nice and sometimes I talk regularly with them. There are a few groups I have been meaning to join, they look fun and sounds like there are people that seem to have good attitudes and know what college is about. In some of my classes, I wish there were people that wouldn’t act the way they do, but since it is college and they are out of the house, they think they can do whatever. Either way, being at Husson University I will be getting used to it, since I will be here for 4 years. I am happy that I have written to you, to tell you what has been going on at college for me. I hope you are having a wonderful life and cannot wait to talk to you face to face soon.
The transition into college from high school for me is hard. When I graduated high school last year, and I came to Husson, my experience with school changed. People here are respected and not critisized, drama is nonexistent, and more privalges are given. People actually take you more serious in a college setting. I have learned a lot from my professors and peers. I have more friends and I am developing better social skills. I found out that it is kind of hard to make friends if you’re shy and won’t talk to anyone.
The work is harder than the work I recieved in high school. I found that what I learned in high school is just the foundation of college. The professors make sure that the students know the information that they are relaying to them. The professors give tests that deal specifically with the homework. In college, I have had to write more essays than my whole four years in high school. The essays I have to write are longer than two pages.
The tests that are given are usually multiple choice, which makes it easier for me. I found that I can’t be scared to ask for help, either from the professor or from my peers.
Dear “Mr. G”
I wanted to write you a letter to tell you just how my transition into University life has been so far. I can tell you that it has been an experience that I did not expect nor was I completely ready for. Everything is so expensive! I never imagined that I would be spending over $700 a semester on books. I had to take out a few loans but they were not anything major so I know that coming to school will be worth it in the end. In high school, I never really understood why you guys got mad when students were late and absent too many days. I now know that it wasn’t just to drive us crazy, it was to teach us responsibility because someday we will really need it. If you are absent for more than 6 classes a semester you can actually be declined your credit! Now I am so glad that all my teachers in high school pushed really hard about absences.
College can be a really lonely place sometimes. I have spent a lot of time so far being by myself. Coming from Shead, you know how small it is; everyone knows each other. At Husson, I am just having a rough time getting out there and meeting new people. I am sure that after a little bit more time and I am able to adjust a little more that I will get back out there. Being in College really makes me miss high school. I now see that the older I get the harder things get and the more responsibility I have to take on everyday.
More importantly I realize just how fast time goes by. I thought high school would never end, but here I am over half-way through my first semester in college. One of the weirdest parts about college is that you literally have no privacy at all. I guess it was easy for me to always take the fact that I had my own room for granted. Now I am living with a complete stranger and we don’t get along very well.
Above all, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for always saying good morning to me. Everyone here walks with their heads down, and do not really care to say hello. But you always did. Thank you for taking the time out to ask how I was doing every morning and for everything that you taught me. Not only just about the history of our country and its government, but about life. Thank you for teaching me to appreciate the small things, and to always make sure to take the time and look around because life fly’s by so fast that you could miss it.
Sincerely,
“Your favorite student”
Shelly Segien
Mr. Dolan,
It’s been a while. How are things going for you back home? School’s going well. The transition from high school to college hasn’t really been that tough. When we first got here the only people here were either on the football or soccer team, so we had an adjustment period. When classes started I was pretty overwhelmed at first. They put me in pre-calc and trig, which was really hard. I could have done it but I didn’t want to do all the homework. I’m in algebra now and have an A-. It’s a pretty simple class though. The homework load compared to high school is a lot more demanding. It started off slow but now I always have some assignments to get done. I hate it!
At first the idea of living away from home was kind of frightening, but it hasn’t been that bad. The foods good, there are girls everywhere, and no one can tell me what to do. I’m not the most responsible kid in the world though. I have about a hundred pounds of laundry that I haven’t done for about a month now. It’s a good thing we don’t have to cook for ourselves here because I probably wouldn’t eat.
Soccer’s going awesome here. I play the entire game, and I have five goals this season! Our teams in the conference championship on Saturday against Castleton State. I like the soccer here a lot more then I liked high school soccer. The competition is better, and the coaching is awesome. Soccer has made school a lot easier for me. It made the living on my own thing a lot easier. It introduced me to a whole group of kids, and most of which I hang out with now. The only thing I can really say I’m let down about with college is the lack of parties. I was hoping for college to be wild but it really isn’t.
I’m happy that I decided to come to Husson. Overall it’s been a easy adjustment. I hope every things going well for you, and to see you soon.
John DeStefano
Ms Bee,
It is so strange not talking to you every day and having girl time anymore. Our little CNA class was so close, so I thought I would write you a letter to fill you in. The transition from high school to college has luckily been very smooth for me. From making new friends to adjusting to college level classes, my life has changed in many ways, but I am so thankful I had you to help prepare our class for this new chapter in life.
I’m so glad I took your class last year; it made the transition from high school to college much smoother. I was very apprehensive about a lot of things before coming to college. I was worried about the work load and whether I could handle the Nursing Program. So many people told me I would have to give up all my free time and have no life in order to become a Nurse. Now half way through the first semester, I see how much of an advantage I have after taking your class. I already know a lot of material we are covering in my classes. I was used to college level tests and having to study a lot of material. You gave us the opportunity to push ourselves academically and it helped prepare me for the difficulty of my classes in college.
As you know, I have an amazing group of friends. We were always together and had the best times senior year. Now, besides Anna and me, we have all gone our separate ways and I have had to make a new crew. At first it seemed so difficult meeting new people, but Anna and I have made some new best friends. This seems to have been the strangest transition of all, but at the same time the most enjoyable. We’ll have to come back and visit on breaks, and have a long overdue story time.
Moving out of my house was such an exciting, yet scary experience for me. I couldn’t wait to get out on my own and have more freedom. Now, my parents aren’t constantly checking up on me and I have more control over my life, it’s so nice. I was really worried about moving in with Anna. Everyone told us not to move in with your best friend, but we are so glad we did. I love rooming with her. We have a lot of classes together so we always study together, and then when we have free time, we can have friends over without disturbing the other person. I think having Anna here with me made the move from high school to college less overwhelming; we have each other to get through it.
I just wanted to let you know how well college has been going for me and how much I appreciate all that you have done for me the past couple of years. You have been more than a teacher to us, you have been a great friend. You would always be there to listen to my problems and give the best advice. When I was worried about starting clinicals at the Hospital, you made me believe in myself and had faith in me, and I am so thankful for that. I hope you know how much you have helped us prepare for college, and how much we love you. I’ll hopefully be seeing you this Christmas when I am on break.
Love always, Katie
Dear Mrs. Chase;
It’s been almost six months since I left Houlton High School, and your English class for good, and I miss it more often than not. We were all kids who couldn’t wait to leave that little town and that school forever, but now most of us would give anything to go back including me. I was so excited to come to school, and although it’s getting better it’s a lot different than I imagined it to be. Living on campus isn’t the best thing, but it’s not the worst thing in the world either. I’m sure you’ve heard all this from Zack and Jesse. Classes are good they’re kind of hard, but I’m working through it. You know the organized perfectionist that I am well it’s helping me out now. The first few weeks of college were intimidating, and I was very nervous. There is a rollercoaster of emotions I went through, and at times I was able to deal with this, and other times I broke down and wanted to go home so bad.
I’ve recently learned, or am learning, how to study since I never really did much of that in high school because I found it to be easy. This isn’t so easy, but I finally feel like I’m learning things that will help me in my career rather than things I just “have” to learn because you “said so.” English is very different than it was with you, obviously, but so far I’ve read two books and am currently working on a third. The reading is very different and so are the discussions. I’ve read Tuesdays With Morrie which I loved just like you, and Mr. Morse said anyone who read it would.
Papers also aren’t as scary as you made them out to be. I think you were just trying to scare us so we would stay with you forever, but I wouldn’t mind this. Don’t get me wrong I love it here, but it’s a very big change in my life. You know me better than any of my teachers, and you know that I loved high school and the friends I had. I don’t walk down the halls and see familiar faces anymore, and I don’t know the people playing out on the fields like I did in Houlton. With hockey season coming up I think it will be hard for me to go to the games and know I’m not a part of that anymore, and that other girls have taken my place with my boys.
I miss home life, and high school, but college is getting better, and I love my classes very much. You helped prepare me for school by not only being a great teacher but being like a second mother to me. I see Zack and Jesse from time to time, and I miss our Thursday Chinese suppers, and your cooking. I hope your classes are going well, and they are as fun as they were last year. College is great don’t worry about me, and thank you for everything you’ve done and prepared me for you were always my “favorite” teacher.
Dear Ms. Flagg
I am over half way through my first semester at college, and let’s just say that High School and College are totally different! I have realized that I was spoiled throughout my High School career. I don’t have my parents here to write notes for when I’m sick, I take the consequences of missing class. When I registered for classes at the beginning of the week it was my responsibility to find out what classes I had to take, make my own schedule, and stay awake until midnight when registration opened to sign up for classes. Everything was done for me in High School.
Even though there is more work in college it has started to grow on me. It makes me feel more independent. I have grown to be responsible and really discipline myself with my studies. I tell myself that there is no point to pay all of this money to get an education and not do my very best. If I ever need help on any of my studies there is a learning center to my service that does a great job of helping students out.
I am beginning to get adjusted to the school, and getting comfortable to where things are. Being away from home is an experience in itself let alone going to college at the same time. Being away from my family makes me miss them very much, but it always makes my trips home that much more enjoyable. This is a hard transition especially for coming from a school that had just barely one hundred students in it. It’s a much bigger school to get use to rather than our little one story school.
My classes seem to be going well. I took fifteen credits this semester and I’m taking eighteen next semester. I feel like I am studying all the time but I keep telling myself that it will pay off in the long run. I would just like to say that you were right when you made me write all of those papers throughout my high school career. It gave me lots of practice that I am putting to very good use in my English Class!
The biggest adjustment for me is having not one roommate but two! I don’t have any privacy because the room is totally open. Sharing a room with two people that I knew nothing about was a bit intimidating at first, but has turned out to be a good fit. I share a bathroom with about twenty-five other girls, and there are only three showers that have to be shared that are no joke the size of an outhouse. When I go home on the weekends I feel like I’m on vacation with my own bedroom and bathroom!
I hope all is well in your classes this year and with your students. I definitely miss Washburn a lot more than I thought I would. At the end of summer I couldn’t wait to get out of the County and start college. Now they can’t keep me away from there, this move has really made me appreciate the County. Miss you and keep in touch!
Love always,
Charly-Rae Chandler
Dear Mrs. Boyd,
How are you doing? It’s so weird not to have you for classes’ everyday but I’m adjusting. How’s the school going? I heard you might have swine there. Be careful! Did you make any progress on your Forensic class? You talked about getting more equipment in December. But knowing the school system they haven’t even looked at it yet. Right?
College is defiantly a different experience. But it’s been great so far. I didn’t notice at first how different it would be till about the middle of the summer. I had to start buying books and getting loans to pay for expenses. It was really weird because all throughout school the only thing I really had to pay for was school lunch. I have much more responsibility which you always told me about. This defiantly gave me a head start.
The workload is a lot harder then high school. I actually have to study more than usual. You know me. In high school I could get something after the hearing it. But for some reason it’s completely different here. I find myself studying for 3 hours a day for only one subject and the test still aren’t going so well. I don’t know if it the teachers or my way of studying which is very frustrating. Maybe I’m to used to you! Just kidding!
One hard adjustment is the size of the campus and the classes. At Orono, it was small and the classes a perfect size for teaching. Everyone knew everyone and the teachers knew all their students. But at Husson it’s so different. It’s my hardest adjustment. I have one class with almost 100 people and another two with 30 or more. That also makes it difficult for me to talk to people. I feel more closed off then I should be. I’m not as open as I was in high school. It makes me a little upset but I just don’t feel comfortable here yet. Hopefully I can get over it quickly. Or you have some advice because I love hearing it from you.
Let me know how school is going okay? I hope you and your family is doing well. Please reply back!
Love,
Chelsea Husson
Your Criminal Justice Student
Dear Mrs. Pelletier,
I would like to take this time to share with you my transitional experience between high school and college. This transition was a lot harder than I thought it would be, as to I’m still adjusting. The first thing I noticed was how different the environment was. The buildings and classrooms were new, along with the professors and peers. No longer was I bopping down the hallways of Hermon High School, with my best friends. I wasn’t grabbing my books out of the same locker I had been for four years. I didn’t even own a locker anymore as a matter of fact. Some of my new possessions consisted of $150 books and a $900 laptop.
The social aspect was very different from the high school atmosphere. At a greater number of students than I was use to. Compared to Hermon High school which had a total of 546 enrolled students, Husson had 2500 students. The social aspect of classes was extremely new for me. In my classes at Husson University there were kids my age, some a few years older and even some mom’s and dad’s who had come back to school to get a degree. I high school I went to four eighty minutes periods of classes from eight am to two pm. In college its just classes, sometimes there back to back, other times there fairly well spread out. There is also a place at Husson University called the campus center. This is a place for students to hang out, study and do homework, eat or even meet with professors. I had never experienced a place like this in high school. The only time these things took place in high school, was in the café at lunchtime. Students would catch up and talk, eat and be doing last minute homework and studying.
From the academic side of things was an even bigger change for me. A few of the hardest adjustments for me was taking exams more often. In high school I always had tests over a chapter at a time and maybe once or twice a month. In college for almost all of my courses I have some type or quiz or test every week. For the science and psych classes the tests are over three to five chapters at a time. This was hard for me because studying was now going to require a lot more of my time. Time management for me only got easier and stronger as I attended college. Also the classes consist of note taking and lectures. Things such as papers online searches replaces group projects and little homework assignments. One of the biggest things I’ve come to find in college is that there is almost never enough time for everything. The late nights of studying and long research papers are some of the many new things that require a lot of my time. So needless to say Mrs. Pelletier, the transition had merely began for me. Although the road ahead of me seems long, I’m enjoying college at least a little bit. Things seem to be getting better and easier each and every day. I guess I just never thought there would be such a difference between high school and college, but there definitely is!
Katie Durgin
Mrs. Robinson,
I feel like I have changed so much since I left your class. You were my favorite teacher senior year, and no one is as crazy, and happy as you were. I have learned to adjust some, and definitely could have used some “drop-ins” to chat. College seems a lot different than high school. Of course everyone told me this, but I had to figure it out for myself the hard way.
The first day coming to Husson I had my parents on my side to help me set up my new “home.” This was the first time it actually hit me that I would be away from my family, and everything I grew up on, and everything I was used to. My life was changing, and at the moment I wasn’t sure if I like that. You remember how I am, never like change, and yes, I still am a very emotional person. So the transition has been rough. Mostly personal wise, but academically it’s taking a bit to get used to too.
My new English class is a little tougher and he expects a lot out of us. Which is a good thing, you always said I could handle it. And I am so far! Not much has changed for grades, I am still getting good ones. I’m sure there will be points when it gets a lot tougher though. But so far, it has been relatively not bad. Except for the long hours studying. That has definitely been one of the biggest changes. I have so much that I need to know. As you may know, my major is Occupational Therapy, so I have to take Anatomy and Physiology. This is the hardest class I have ever taken in my life. A lot of hours go into this class. And English of course.
I remember you telling me before I graduated that if I ever need any help I can come to you. You will always be there. I appreciate that, and unfortunately I haven’t gotten enough time yet to stop by yet. But believe me, I’ve wanted to many times. I think you’d be interested in the kinds of stories I have. I have a lot of stories about people I have met, and how I have learned to tolerate people like Chelsea in an appropriate manor. I know that always bugged you. I’m sorry. I have been getting better.
I feel like I shouldn’t tell you all the differences between high school and college because you have been here before. Not Husson specifically, but the whole experience I’m assuming is about the same. What I do want to ask of you, is keep up the good work. Keep that smile on, and most importantly keep doing what you love. Encourage new students to go for what they love also. You are a good inspiration, and I know I’m not the only one to have thought this. Have a good rest of the year and hopefully see you soon.
Dear Mrs. Beardsley,
Life has changed so much since graduation. I didn’t even realize how much different things would be until I entered college in August. My lifestyle changed so drastically. Mostly because I no longer have my parents and teachers looking after me and making sure I do everything I need to do. I have a lot more responsibility than I had in High School. You did warn me that it would be a lot different if I remember correctly.
The classes that I took, which you taught, AP Biology, and Anatomy and Physiology, really helped prepare me for college. I didn’t think that I retained much of the information from your classes, but I guess I remember more than I thought. I am taking Anatomy now. Although I had a C in your Anatomy class, many of the concepts are familiar, and thus I am doing better in that class than I would if I hadn’t have taken your Anatomy class. Also, I think that in some ways, AP Biology is also helping me with Chemistry and Anatomy. It reinforces some of the cellular concepts of Anatomy, and some of the concepts in Chemistry which were also prevalent in Biology.
In reality, the classes at Husson aren’t a whole lot different than the classes you taught. Granted, your classes were harder and more in depth than the average High School class. Anatomy and Physiology is basically structured the same way as you structured your Anatomy class. And, I remember some of the things you said in class, and that helps me understand the material better, and as a result do better in the course itself. I think of you a lot when I’m studying for Anatomy tests because you gave me those books to help me study, and I remember you using the coloring books in class to help us understand where different parts of the body were, and how certain things worked.
I remember the stories that you and Mr. Beardsley used to tell about college. How you met each other, and different party stories. Let me just say you were right. Similar things that you described have occurred in my short time in college. I think it is safe to say that not very much has changed since you went to college. The party scene is about the same. Although I don’t partake in it of course. Meeting different people is about the same as you described it. Whether it’s romantic or just friendship. I’ve met so many different people, and made so many more friends than what I had in High School. Its basically exactly how you said it would be.
I’m really enjoying college. Just as you said I would. I really appreciate the way you teach your classes for they have helped me in my college career. I hope everything is going well.
Sincerely,
Alana Grant
Dear Dr. Burnich , I have to say that I finally made it to college and that I am having a blast here. Although I thought it was going to be the hardest transition of my life it has been very easy and welcoming. From Westhill To Husson I have been able to keep up all of my grades and still have time for sports and everything else that I love to do. The teachers are harder here and the work is just long opposed to it being hard in high school. I believe that Husson was the right choice for me because I am able to get so many things done and still keep a good gpa. Although I was not exciting it to be this cold or boring I am still having a good college experience. As you know in Stamford it doesn’t start to snow until December it is snowing today on the 5th of November. I wanted to keep in touch with you and see how you where doing after i herd that you have had a heart attack and that you are still teaching. Make sure to weed them out as you did with my class and all the others that I had you in. I hope all is well. Alex Behzad
Dear Mr. Collupy,
Hello. How are you doing? As you know I started college. I decided to go all the way to Maine. I choose Husson University. It’s located in Bangor Maine. It’s about three and a half hours away. College life is completely different than high school life. In college I live without my parents, I also get up later for classes. Classes are more difficult than they were in high school. There is more homework assigned by the professors than there was by the teachers at Sanborn. My classes however are very exciting I enjoy all of them besides math. As you remember math is my worst subject and I never liked it. My law classes are great. I love learning about the different laws, I can see myself making this my career in the future. And I am excited about it.
The professors are generally nice, but they do not care as much as the teachers in Sanborn had, the professors will help you if you meet with them during office hours. Besides that they do not really try to figure out if you need the help. They want the students to come to them and be independently driven to get the help. The professors never tell you, you’re missing this or you’re missing that. They really do not mind if you are missing work because that is your prerogative. The professors never change the exam dates. Not even if the students ask them to, it can get really stressful for me I have been sick so I have missed a few classes and, if I miss six classes I can receive an X grade. I am quite nervous about that.
I live inside the dorms. It is not that bad, but it actually could be so much better. I need to share the room with a roommate. Having a roommate can get extremely aggravating. The room itself is pretty decent, it’s not too small nor is it big. The only issue that I really have with the dorms is the bathrooms. The bathrooms are shared with all the girls on the floor. That is way too many girls. I need to be wearing flip-flops just to enter the bathroom. You need to wear flip flops in the shower. That really bothers me I have to wear shoes in the shower and if I don’t ill end up getting some type of fungi disease on my feet. Talk about disgusting.
College is everything that you said it would be plus a little more. I enjoy going to college and experience it. I have my little things that I do not enjoy about it, but all together it’s not that bad.
Sincerely,
Sarah Roy