Dear Incoming Freshmen,
First off, congratulations! You made it to Montclair State, and sooner than you think you’ll be sitting inside a classroom on your first day of college. Now, you may know by now that there are classes you are required to take throughout your years of college that are outside of your chosen major – General Education classes. When students hear this, they typically assume the worst from the get-go. Thoughts like this may flow through your mind:
“Why must I be forced to attend a class in which I have no interest in? I thought high school was over…”
I know that I sure thought these things, but I’m here to tell you not to fret! The Gen-Ed classes you are required to take will do nothing but benefit you. You will get out of it what you put into it.
A Gen-Ed class (or a set of classes, rather) that I truly learned to enjoy were the writing classes. Typically taken during your first two semesters of freshman year, these classes require a lot of writing – hence the name. And before you sigh and close this article after receiving that information, let me tell you that in the end, all of that writing will pay off. I guarantee that you will grow into a stronger writer by the end of each semester. Not only this, but you will learn more about yourself as a human being throughout the duration of these classes! You will be writing essays explaining your argument on topical controversial issues, therefore exploring your opinions on such matters. I definitely thought about things I hadn’t previously pondered and grew very passionate on opinions I had formulated through my writing; this is important for a college student! I can also say for certain that my writing skills improved as a result of these classes. I learned how to properly structure a college-level academic essay, and I was assisted with how to effectively incorporate reliable sources into my essays. My professors always encouraged me to go to great lengths to fulfill my potential in my writing.
The courses definitely took a lot out of me, but I know that without my rigorous work load, I would not be the writer I am today. I ended up enjoying the writing process that the classes required! Now, there may be some bias involved as I do love writing to begin with; hence why I’m here writing this article now…but I can guarantee you that ENWR 105 and 106 will not be the worst things to happen to you! Maybe you will end up with a newfound love for writing by the time you finish with the courses – I sure did, and I will even be picking up a double major in Journalism next semester to kindle my love for writing. I’m ecstatic about the fact that I will continue to write so much in my next three years of college and hopefully beyond!
Your story may not be the same as mine, but either way, I encourage you to go into your writing classes with an open mind and take full advantage of the instruction you will receive!