Hot time Summer in Montclair: Why I'm here

So it's hot and nasty out in New Jersey, and all of us are inside this classroom, reading some book we may or may have never heard of. Why?

I can't answer why you might be here, but I can tell you why I'm here.

Starting college the world seems open wide, cracked open like an oyster shell, ready to taste the adult world.

However, college brings demands and responsibilities that can be overwhelming for many students, especially during the first year.

Why am I here?

What do the professors expect of me?

What do the words discourse, framework,  and all these other fancy, schmancy academic words mean? Does everyone speak this way?

What am I going to major in? 

Then there's the feeling that everyone else around you must know everything, must be little academic geniuses. Well the fact is, most students all feel the same way! 

Me? I love college, love reading, and love writing. (Can't you tell from this little spiel?)

So what better class to teach than a class that introduces incoming freshmen to thinking about reading, and reading in general?

I know it's disgustingly humid and you'd rather be hanging out at the beach or logging onto Facebook, but to me, this class is about opening your minds to what reading can be for you, especially as a college student.

Hang in there, ask questions, don't be afraid to ask dumb questions because there's no such thing as a dumb question (if there is such a thing, I've already asked them all), and enjoy the ride! College is a great experience.