If you happen to get into Ms. Oberfield for Freshman Comp, do not get angry. Her class will help you grow as a writer, regardless of your skill. It isn't an easy class (as all Stuy classes should be), however it is very rewarding. I was a sub-par writer coming in to Freshman Comp, and finished the school year in a much better place. I would advise incoming students to do the following. 1. Take every chance to write seriously: every time you submit a piece to the teacher, you have an opportunity to get quality feedback and improve yourself. 2. Take advantage of the writing center, peer editing, and the chance to speak to Ms. Oberfield: these places are the best place to get good feedback on your writing, especially when it's a major writing piece. 3. Learn from your revisions: In Ms. Oberfield's class you get the opportunity to revise your piece, resubmit it, and get a new grade. Don't just revise any comment on your piece, rather learn from your mistakes. Freshman Comp isn't necessarily about the grade, but about getting adjusted to higher level writing. So do yourself a favor and take advantage of these revisions. 4. Take your time to read and appreciate your assigned books: the novels you get to read are probably more difficult than most you've read in middle school. Reading them, understanding them, and appreciating them will help you comprehend harder material, and write better essays because of your heightened understanding. 5. Minutes! If you're nervous about your comp average, do great minutes. Put some effort into your gift, speak loudly, and have fun with it (it really helped me out, and I loved showing my class some of the interests I had). Ms. Oberfield's class was very difficult for me, and was among the most rewarding. Work hard, enjoy the class, and have fun.