Adam Jadusingh Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS 39096

12/6/2013

Future Students Alcorn State University Alcorn State, MS 39096

To whom it may concern:

Hello upcoming Introduction to Literature students, I have written this letter because I felt it would be of great importance that I share some of my experiences, some of the ways I was able to get the most out of my writing, and some tips that may help you to do the same. In this English course I was required to complete many objectives. Some of which were to understand literary elements and how they relate to themes, poetry form, and journal writing among others. We read and analyzed many stories and poems and we were tested on how much we were able to comprehend. For example we had to study the plot of a story called A Rose for Emily, and we had to answer a question pertaining to it. First and foremost, we would have to read the story and understand key points and phrases.

For me, what I would do is read the story once, and then I would research the summary and the analysis online in order to help clarify what I had read. The internet is not only for Facebook and Youtube. Google was my best friend and it helped me grasp key concepts at a fast pace. Then with that information I would come to class and I would participate in literary discussion in class which would help me have a further understanding of the topics, themes, techniques utilized in the story. The question we had to answer is, How does the plot create suspense based on how it is sequenced.

Due to the fact that I had all the information I needed all I did is look at how the events were sequenced and immediately I realized that the author was using flash back technique. What this goes to show, is that if you have a good foundation whether it be from listening and participating in class or your own research, assignments can be completed with ease. I would also advise you

not procrastinate. Introduction to Literature is not a difficult course, like any other course, if you wait until the last minute to do your work then it may become challenging.

We also had other assignments where we would have to analyze a story and a poem. With both works drafting, revision on peer critiques took place both in class and out (at the writing center). I got a very good review from my peer on the paper and the corrections I had to make were minimal. When my teacher reviewed it, I found sentence structure flaws, spelling errors, and sentences that lacked clarity. So revised it and I carried it to the writing center where to my surprise, they told me something similar to what my teacher had said.

I felt for a little while annoyed that I had to edit the paper again, but when I actually read it, I too saw the holes in my paper. So, I edited, clarified, and made my sentences more concise and structured which in my opinion has made my paper much better than it was before. What I find helped me to get the most out of my peer review was to be involved in the review. At times, I would have to clarify what I meant in order for my reader to have a good enough understanding of my paper in order to give me a proper assessment. In any peer review, participation is essential because both you and your reader are to learn something.

All you have to do is follow these directions and turn in all of your work on time your success rate in this class will be 80% and up. Good luck upcoming students, I hope you enjoy this class as much as I did.

Yours Truly

Adam Jadusingh