blog #2

In chapter one of The Transition to College Writing, Hjortshoj explains that for a college student to be successful, they need to be both alert and flexible.  Personally, I believe his argument to be true.  During my first semester of college I had a lot of things to balance such as baseball games, practices, social life, and most importantly, homework and classes.  If I was not flexible, I believe that my first semester of college wouldn't have gone so smoothly.  Of course I had the help of friends and family, but at the end of the day it was my job to be flexible with my schedule and alert to what was going on around me.  I also think that it is very important for college students to be active listeners.  This will not only help them retain more information, but also to help them build relationships, and of course, be alert to what is going on.  I think that listening, reading and writing are all connected because of the root of what they are trying to do.  We listen to understand, just like we read to understand.  I believe that we write to be understood.  All three of these skills come in handy when being a college student.  Besides the academic aspect of college, it also helps to keep in touch with new and old professors, and to keep an active role in the community.  The role of the first year writing course, in my opinion, is to inform and have a glimpse of what college is going to be.  First year writing courses are a great way to learn the environment, and gain some knowledge and skills.