A Letter to the Great Books Freshmen of 2019

Dear GB Freshman,

Welcome to Great Books I! 

You did it! You survived your senior year of high school. You made it through the ACT and graduation. You found the courage to attend Scholar’s Day and even found yourself intrigued and excited about Great Books when you entered the classroom for the first time. You saw a glimpse of Great Books’ crazy traditions and may have been slightly overwhelmed at the titles of some of the books you will be reading. Perhaps it was the goofy quotes on the board or the regal chime of the clock and momentary silence to contemplate mortality that drew you in. Perhaps it was the fine art work, such as the angels hovering over two bowls of chili or Baby Jesus sitting serenely with an odd-looking sheep (I think it’s a sheep...) that were ascetically pleasing to you, or the copious amounts of books layering the shelves in the corner that silently promised to satiate your deep craving for knowledge and literary adventures.

Perhaps it was the promise of a new family within the Great Books department that inspired you, made you curious to know more, or in fact sealed the deal for you.

Whatever your story may be, you’re here, just days away from starting your first year as a Great Books student. You are not being forced to do GB; it’s a decision and commitment you have made. 

While being a Great Books student is an amazing experience, it can be extremely stressful and confusing at times, specifically within the first weeks of your freshman semester. Because Great Books is a completely different approach to learning than most programs offer, it can be difficult to conform to this new way of thinking, reading, writing, and conversing. 

Looking back, a year removed from my freshman year, I am realizing I have learned so many lessons from the past year that I think could benefit the incoming students. Some of these points are made in a serious light, others lean towards the humorous side. All of them will help you succeed and not lose heart during your first year as an honor student.

Without further ado, please enjoy a few tips from a girl who was freaking out over GB a year ago, just like you might be.

* You absolutely can do this. Great Books is not impossible. It is extremely difficult, but it is not impossible. You are capable and smart enough to be in this course, provided you put forth all the effort required.

* Being confused about a book is perfectly acceptable. In fact, it is good. If you think you understand everything you have read, you most likely have actually misunderstood it. The reading is so complex, it would be nearly impossible for one to fully understand on the first try.

* Schedule your reading. Completing the day’s reading can not be a last-minute task. It takes sometimes hours every day to thoroughly read all the material and it should definitely become a part of a predictable schedule. Depending on when your class meets, schedule your reading around the class and be as consistent as possible with it.

* Do not ever under any circumstance use the word “feel” unless you actually feel. (Please take this one seriously; this is not a laughing matter.) Take it from a girl who used to be overly in-touch with her emotions. Your feelings are not your thoughts. You do not FEEL as though Dante makes a compelling point, you THINK Dante makes a compelling point. Mix these two words up and you might just end up clucking like a chicken...

* Make notes in your books. Notes whilst you are reading, notes whilst you are in class, notes when you have random thoughts about what you read yesterday. This makes writing your essays easier if you have lots of notes and questions strewn throughout your book.

* Leave a “gap day” in between writing your essay and editing your essay. For instance, if you finish writing your essay on a Tuesday, don’t edit it until Thursday. Give your brain a day away from your writing so everything is fresh in your mind when you return to it.

* Learn to recognize the differing ways in which Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Fullman grade papers. Dr. Jacobs tends to readily accept a more casual, personal, conversation-like essay while Dr. Fullman prefers a more formal tone and word choice. 

* Go to bed on time. This goes for all college students, but as GB students, it can be hard to know when to close the book and call it a night. Proper planning and discipline will ensure you do not have to stay up into the wee hours to complete the day’s reading.

* Have a servant’s heart and bring Dr. Fullman a McFrappe at some point in the semester. It will (maybe?? Idk) repay you manifold when it comes to grading. 

* Save the question sheets from every class. If ever you have a hard time coming up with a topic for an essay (which is inevitable), you can pick a question that your class was able to discuss.

* Blogger can be a sticky web when it comes to posting an essay at 11:59 on a Saturday night. Oftentimes, your text will show up a specific size, font, or colour in the draft, but will result in a completely different size, font, or colour once posted to the site. For the sake of your audience and the reputation of your blog, please ensure your essay is legible once posted to your site.

* Ask Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Fullman for help. They will (most of the time) drop what they’re doing and talk to you about your essay, interpretive questions, crisis moments and emotional breakdowns, and other various “questions, concerns, and queries about life”. Dr. Fullman also keep a box of tissues in his office if ever you need a good cry.

* If you are uncertain about an essay, ask a friend to proof read it. It is always beneficial to have a second opinion from your audience.

* Use sticky notes and a Sharpie to mark in your book when constructing your essay. When I find a quote I would like to use in my essay, I label the exact paragraph and sentence I want to place it in on the sticky tab.

* Do not be afraid to spend a moment or so underneath the Great Books table during class. It has faithfully provided refuge for countless students and has a calming effect to those who are in enough of a crisis.

* Use your favors wisely. Pushing your essay back a week is not always the best idea; you are sure to have other various assignments and inconveniences the following week that are sure to make writing a late essay all the more stressful. 

* Question passes should be a last resort. By “last resort”, I am referring to cases of family emergencies, severe illness, and travel, not poor planning, apathy, Netflix binges, or spur-of-the-moment social gatherings. 

*Unless you would like to spend thirty years in Purgatory for slothfulness, do not wait until 11:58 to post an essay or a comment that is due at 11:59. Just...don’t do it.

* A Quick Writing Lesson:

1. Three words to avoid: “like”, “get”, and “thing”

2. Do not end a sentence with an adverb or adverb phrase. 

3. Avoid speaking to your audience in first person; do not be afraid to speak with authority. Remember, you are writing an argumentative paper. Taking a sentence that starts by saying, “I think Socrates is a misunderstood human” can easily gain authority by being altered to say “Socrates is a misunderstood human”.

4. Learn the difference between quoting a paraphrasing. Use a variety of both to give your paper more colour.

* This is likely the most important piece of advice I can give... *lowers voice to a whisper so the peasants that aren’t in Great Books won’t hear*... Dr. Jacobs keeps chocolate and other various snacks in his office, so don’t be a stranger if you are hungry.

This is the best I can give you. 

You are on your way to being a Great Books scholar. Whether you are majoring in computer science, accounting, English, or (heaven forbid) 😱music😱 (sorry not sorry, Dr. Fullman😒), you are about to embark on an amazing journey with your schooling. Great Books is, at times, extremely difficult. But the benefits you shall reap are entirely worth every tear, chicken-like squawk, and trip underneath the GB table.

Blessing to you all in your first year,

Abigail

P.S. I don’t actually talk like this in real life. I’m not a total scholar who only uses proper English; I am but a lowly music major who betrayed the English department upon changing my major (according to Lord Fullman). I decided for once, however, to flavor my writing with a scholarly tone🤷🏼‍♀️I promise I’m a normal kid.