Q Assignment As discussed in the syllabus, we will be doing several reflection assignments over the term. For this assignment, I would like you to think about what you thought college would be like before you started and how it is really now that you are attending classes. Were there any difference from what you thought to what you are experiencing? STEP 1: Prewriting To practice reflection, try this activity writing about your first week at college and how college is similar and/or different from what you expected. You can fill it out in the chart shown below, or just write down your thoughts in paragraphs, but complete it in three steps: First, spend five minutes brainstorming what you expected college to be like. You can copy and paste the table below into a document or into the Text Entry box. Think about these kinds of things: Things to Consider Expectations Reality Observations What did you expect the students to be like? What did you expect the teachers to be like? What did you expect the workload to be like? What did you expect the classroom environment to be like? What did you expect the campus climate/community to be like? What did you expect your living environment to be like (for those living on campus)? What did you expect your commute to be like (for those commuting to campus)? What did you expect it to feel like to be a college student? Anything else? STEP 2: Brainstorming Next, spend five minutes brainstorming what college has actually been like for you so far. Pick one or two rows from the chart and discuss: the similarities and/or differences between your expectations for college and the reality of your experience. Think also about what equipped you to be accurate in your expectations. For example, maybe you knew what to expect because “I have an older sister who attends this institution and she told me exactly what to expect” or maybe you were stepping into the unknown—”I am the first in my family to attend college and I had no idea what to expect.” This response should be in paragraph form—just write, think, and reflect. Your response should be at least 150-200 words (about two single-spaced paragraphs). STEP 3: Reflect Finally, reflect on how your expectations for college differ from your actual experiences. How off base were you? How accurate were your expectations? What areas of college have met your expectations? Write a paragraph reflecting on this activity (at least 75 words, about one short paragraph). Discuss: Was it easy to think about and discuss your expectations about college? Were you surprised in any way by your own response? What did you enjoy or dislike about this activity? Why? What lessons can you learn about yourself as a writer from participating in this activity?