• What do I really think about what I have read and heard?

• What did I learn from what I read and heard?

• How do I react to what I have read or heard?

• What can I apply to my own life?

• How have I changed because of what I have read or heard?

How should my journal writing be different from my high school writing?

• A tolerance for uncertainty is a trait of critical thinking. When difficult questions arise, your journal thoughts may reflect that you do not know the solution to a problem--yet.

• Seek in your writing to understand and discuss fairly the many sides of an issue even if you do not agree with particulars.

• Reject nothing at first.

• In your journal entries, have the courage to ask questions, practice creative thinking and writing, and seek new possibilities in meaning.

• Understand that some ideas have more logical validity than others.

• Synthesize, analyze, and evaluate.

• Grammatical and mechanical errors reflect you, and careless errors may prevent a fair interpretation by readers.

In my journal entry, what will make my classmates and my Freshman Seminar instructor really, really happy and possibly pave the path for a good grade?

• An entry with organized ideas which shows how conclusions follow from the evidence or details presented.

• An entry that, from the big ideas read or heard in class, reflects on recurring truths, patterns, or themes.

• An entry that demonstrates some aspects of creative writing.

• An entry that can be proudly/humbly shared with classmates.

With my journal entry, what is guaranteed to make my Freshman Seminar instructor really mad and lower my grade in the course?

• Hand in your journal late.

• Hand in fewer words than are required per entry.

• Hand in an entry with little reflection--that is, a "laundry list" of things you did during the week.

• Repeat what a guest speaker said without reflecting on the quality of what was said.

How do I find out if my instructor has made comments on my journal entry submitted electronically and what's new for the class sessions?

• Have a password and check your e-mail and BLACKBOARD announcements on a daily basis.

• Also, remember you are responsible for keeping a hard copy of your journal entry.

Must I reflect in my journal on what guest speakers discussed?

• Yes--and make a great entry!

How important is my journal?

• The journal represents 50% of your grade--it's important.

• Every journal entry is very important as it will be become a history of your thoughts and growth throughout the semester.

• You are responsible for using your journal writings in your final paper--so keep a copy of all entries.

• Journal entries are how your instructor gets to know you as a person.

• The journal entries are a conduit for you to express your concerns about college life and a way to get feedback on adjustments to college life.

After I have read this page, should I ever refer back to it?

• YES!  Quickly review this page before for you make every entry.

• After you write a journal entry, check the first five 5 VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS at the top of this page to be sure you can answer "Yes, I did that" to the questions.