At this point, you're probably asking yourself whether all this aggravation and work will be worth the effort. Comments on the following pages are taken from my former English 310 students, who were asked to pass along their advice to you about English 310. More specifically, I asked them to tell you what they would have liked to know -- but did not know -- when they began the class. Their responses appear below:

• Write to your audience, not to Howland! Clarify for Howland with backnotes. Set the bar at reality. Go to office hours. Take about 95% of everything you know about writing and throw it out the window. Help Jim help you. Request Tracy Biller and read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." Discuss the book with Jim. -- Rajiv Dharnidharka
• If on the first day of class Howland mispronounces your name or calls you by a version of your name that you do not like, be sure to correct him. Before he calls role on the first day, he asks you to correct him and he’s serious about it. He will remember what you say and will insist on calling you by the same name the rest of the quarter. I had classmates named “Whatever” and “Idon’tcare,” so be sure to answer his question by pronouncing your name the way you want to hear it the rest of the quarter. —Josh Lathrop
• This is one of the few classes at Cal Poly that actually applies to your career in any field. Forget about doing exactly what the professor asks; this class is what you make of it. If you slack, you might still pass the class, but you will be missing important career information. This class can help every college student pursue career goals while still in school! How cool is that! —Shea Burman
• Everyone should have to take this class. It is the most valuable class I have taken at Poly. Take this stuff seriously and work your hardest: the payoff later in life will be priceless. —Heather Clark
• Start going to Jim’s office hours early in the quarter and get there early so you don’t have to wait 40 minutes for your turn. Ask quality questions during class. —Christina Nakano
• Although this class seems difficult, it is worth the effort. Don’t get too discouraged. Go talk with Jim during his office hours. —Katie Protze
• Go to class with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Don’t let English 310 intimidate you. Really listen to what Jim has to say. Think carefully about how class discussions and assignments provide value to you. —Jennifer Oakes
• The grades you get will be discouraging, but don’t let them get to you. Ignore the frustration and do your best by identifying your errors so you won’t repeat them. —Brent Allen
• Don’t bother trying to figure out the grading scale; it’s impossible. Just learn from your Fs. Listen carefully to Jim and read ahead in the textbook. Don’t put bullsh*t in your writing. —Eric Noroña
• You’re gonna wrack your brains wondering “What does this teacher want?” He wants to give you the tools to be an effective writer. Initiate dialogue! Believe me… You get more value from the class when you participate actively in class discussion. —Evelyn Abasi
• This class is valuable for when you get a job. The tools that Jim teaches you will help you when you graduate. Do not get frustrated with your grades. Focus on being effective and everything will be fine. —Raj Thompson
• Do not feel intimidated to ask questions. Most of class discussion comes from student input. —Mike Hayes
• Keep rewriting your rough drafts. Just don’t turn them in. —Eric Goltry
• What you think is relevant may not be. When revising your writing, don’t be afraid to axe the entire draft. This is the most valuable class I’ve taken in four years at Cal Poly. —Zac Repka
• Take this class seriously. Don’t be discouraged by poor grades. Instead, learn what you did wrong and learn how to do it right. Try to keep in mind that what you do here continues for the rest of your life. Get to know Jim… —Rex Finato
• Give yourself plenty of time to revise, edit, proofread each assignment multiple times. —Geoff Boswell
• Try to learn from your Fs. Stay specific and say only what you gotta say. —Jonathan Hurley
• Take this class seriously. It is valuable and the more you put into the class, the more you can take away from it. —Whitney Smith
• Take advantage of this class as a resource because it will be priceless down the road. Start Ex. 18.5 early because if you do the assignment well, it will take a long time to complete. It will be worth your effort though. —Zoey Bell
• Don’t be afraid to fail; in fact, embrace failure. Only when you can learn from your Fs will you start to do great in this class. If you don’t learn from your mistakes you will be in for a long quarter. —Mark Bernardini
• Understand quickly the concept of effectiveness. Effectiveness is not based upon anyone’s opinion. Effectiveness determines the value of anything you write because it determines whether you attain your goal. —Brad Bone
• English 310 is hard, but worth the time and effort. The class teaches corporate communication concepts you will not learn elsewhere. Be ready to put aside extra hours for all the assignments and remember to let reality be your guide (L.R.B.Y.G.).
  —Kevin Cleary
• Go to class every day to learn what you will really need to know in the future. —Kelly Christiansen
• Take the assignments seriously and start working on assignments early so you can rewrite them several times. By going to Jim’s office and talking to him about class and real world issues, you’ll get 100% more out of the class. Questions are really important! —Jen Duarte
• Had I known nothing about this class coming into it, I would have been better prepared. In other words, don’t have expectations about the class or about Howland. People are going to love it or hate it and any bias you have toward the class will ultimately hurt you. Also, don’t ask dumb questions or tell boring stories to the class. If you want to get credit for talking, go to Howland’s office hours. Don’t waste other students’ time. —Sara Range
• Talk to students who have taken the class about L.R.B.Y.G. This is the best class at Cal Poly. Pay attention to every detail; those details can change your life! —Heather Jacobus
• Proofread, revise, proofread, revise… You can never repeat these steps too much. I recommend reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad.
  —Alexis Parsons
• Take Jim’s advice for what it’s worth. He’s giving you a long deserved dose of reality. Ask questions! Attend office hours. Don’t worry about your Fs. Even when you’re being specific, try to be even more specific. Value brevity; don’t waste your time writing fluff. —Stacee Dorning
• Trust me. I’ve made a career in college by doing everything right before class: procrastinating. This will not work in English 310. The sooner you realize you can’t procrastinate, the better. Don’t be put off by Jim’s tactics. It’s just his short man’s complex kicking in: listen and learn. He will give you the tools to succeed, so use him as a resource. Read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. If you can’t get through it, still go to the discussion group. Don’t let the Fs get you down; you’re learning, even if you don’t know you are… —Dirk Hallen
• Avoid thinking “Typical; another F.” If you get caught in the habit of anticipating an F (because, face it, Fs happen), you need to figure out why you got the F. Forget everything you have learned about writing with intelligence. Stop trying to sound well educated and just get to the point. Jim is not impressed by fancy vocabulary; his vocabulary is more extensive than yours. Just write like you speak; he’s more impressed by that. A memo is not a poem, so don’t use words you’d never say out loud. Your boss is not going to look up words to understand what you are trying to say. Write down what Jim says; you may find the key to your life—and if you don’t, Jim has a golden key to success. Don’t fight your Fs. Learn to accept them without being angry or apathetic. If you have never received an F in school, you’ve probably learned very little. Your classmates are your best resources (other than Jim). Learn about each other’s strengths and put other people’s strengths to work for you. Networking with the people in here may be the best networking you can do. —Hannah Dupes
• Pay attention to everything presented in this class. You may not think it pertains to you now, but it will soon. Start taking notes on the first day of class. Ask how you can use backnotes to your advantage. —Alicia Jack
• Give yourself as much time as possible to get your assignments done. The more time you leave to revise your work, the better. Start assignments early!!!! Don’t be intimidated by Jim’s personality; he treats you like an adult. Go to his office hours when you need help. Go to Jim’s office hours to get to know him; you’ll be glad you did. —Colin Murphy
• This class will benefit you more than any other class you take at Poly. Take notes on everything Howland says; he knows what he’s talking about. Most importantly, don’t B.S. —Craig Smullin
• Take this class seriously and begin researching Ex. 18.5 on day one. Research a company you would really like to work for; otherwise, you’ll waste your time. Use the revision tools Howland gives you. Take advantage of Jim’s knowledge and advice. This has been the most beneficial class I have taken at Cal Poly. —Sarah Warda
• Get to the point. Too many words will lose your audience. Go to class. Talk in class. Listen to your classmates. Make friends with Howland; he’s a person too! This class is what college classes should be like…; you will remember this class and what you learned from Howland and what you learned about yourself long after college. Be thankful you took this class; you will become a more well rounded person—seriously! Reread these quotations several times during the quarter. Rereading in a few weeks what you’re reading now will make more sense to you later. —Jen Louis
• Revise! Revise! Revise! Never turn in rough drafts. Less is more; write briefly, but effectively. When you receive an F, realize what you did wrong so you will never do it again. If you get an A on an assignment, jump for joy; if you get an F on an assignment, jump for joy. Good luck! —Herlinda Vasquez
  • Howland’s grading system seems hard to understand, but it’s actually quite simple. He assigns grades based upon how effectively you have accomplished what you set out to accomplish. School has brainwashed you into being a poor judge of what’s effective and what’s not. If you pay attention to why you receive the grades you get, you’ll start to learn how merit is judged in the real world. I estimate that knowing about effectiveness before you graduate will save you five to ten years of frustration after you leave Poly, and that translates to several hundred thousand dollars. That’s how valuable this class can be for you. Take it seriously. —Adam Weingaard
• Jim Howland is a softy! He comes off as a hard ass, but it’s simply a façade to hide his emotion and love for his job. Use Jim and attempt to get as much information from him as you can. He is an endless body of knowledge and experience.
  —Megan Thomas
• The main focus of this class shouldn’t be on grades, but on learning as much as you can. Jim is a wealth of information and if you take advantage of that fact inside and outside of class, you’ll benefit much more than you could from some stupid grade. —Timothy Cheng
• Learn from your mistakes. Jim notes the mistakes you make and keeps track of the number of times you repeat them. Repeated mistakes lower your class grade. This is one class in which it truly pays to learn from your mistakes.
  —Susanna Farber
• Pay attention! This class can change your life. Start assignments early. Ask good questions. Attend class regularly. Take good notes, even if you think something Jim says doesn’t matter. Visit office hours. Read the chapters. Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. For the next 11 weeks you have access to the best damn consultant around. Take advantage of Howland and Cal Poly’s resources. These…are helpful for your future. —Aimee Albano
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Getting Fs will make you understand your writing. Don’t worry about getting Fs. Have fun in class. Be effective. —Mariana Vilela
• This is one class you will use in your future career. Remember to use E-Prime. Using E-Prime could save you a lot of time at work some day. —Stacy Cooke
• Do not be intimidated. Take everything in slowly and all will be well. If I were to take this class again, I would take better, more in depth notes. Ask good questions! If you don’t ask your questions during class, you won’t learn what you need to know. Participate in class discussion. Get started on Ex. 18.5. The information you get will benefit you. Make extra time to complete the writing assignments. Pay attention during class; if you don’t, you lose. —Adrian Bonelli
• Everything you wanted to know about English 310, but were too afraid to ask: the cow, Joel Barker, bullets, brevity, Kiyosaki, back-planning. What should you do? Bring up these six subjects during class. —Dan Davitt
• Howland’s bark is bigger than his bite. Listen and ask questions; you will learn more by doing so. Start 18.5 early; this assignment is for your benefit, not Howland’s. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. Good luck. —Tiffany Ferrai
• English 310 is a demanding class, but it will help you develop the skills you need in the workplace. Don’t worry about Fs —Meredith Barnes
• Come to this class with an open mind. Be willing to take criticism and don’t panic. English 310 is the most valuable class you’ll ever take. Ask questions because Jim won’t tell you unless you do. This might be the first time you look forward to going to class. —Kristin Nigro
• I am a firm believer in instinct. From day one, I thought Jim was just another bitter professor. But my instinct was wrong. I got over my fear of facing him one-on-one during his office hours. Go to his office whenever you can. I promise that the visit will be worth your effort. —Kerensa Pearce
• Jim is vague for a reason. Ask specific questions and don’t hesitate to have your own opinion.—Lauren Kalash
• Jim is not as intimidating as he seems in the beginning. He really is here to help you. Going to his office hours is the best thing you can do. You will leave with much more information and knowledge than you came in there to get. Take advantage of the resource. —Matt Ballard
• I wish I had heard more from students who had already taken the class. I would have appreciated encouragement not to get discouraged by F grades, but to use those grades as chances to learn from mistakes. This class was a lot of work, but by staying on top of the reading and assignments, it wasn’t so bad. I wish I had known sooner how important the revision tools are. It took me awhile to realize I should spend more time revising than actually writing. This was a great course and I encourage anyone who thinks differently at anytime during the quarter to stick with it because eventually you’ll see just how valuable the techniques you learned are worth. —Andrea Gold
• English 310 may seem like it is going to be a pain in the ass, and it is—but it is the most valuable and realistic class that I have taken at Cal Poly. Pay attention in class and go to every class; being there will not only help you to do assignments but you will also learn useful tools for the real world. —Matt Janowicz
• When you think you’re done with an assignment, cut it down by another 50%. If you need to read a sentence twice to fully understand, it’s a bad sentence. Never add to something because you think it is too short. Effectiveness is the key: getting what you want in an efficient manner. Adapt your writing to the class and life. Past English classes won’t help much in 310. —Brian Jemo
• Clarify any questions you have. It’s better to ask than to be left in the dark. —Erlyn Biscocho
• English 310 is the worst class at Cal Poly and Howland is an arrogant ass. Do yourself a favor and drop this class today. You will never find anyone so unfair. He just wants to flunk all his students to see them squirm. Howland doesn’t even know anything about how to write. This class is a completely total waste of time and money. [—name withheld]
• Forget about grades. Read your work from your reader’s point of view. How would your reader respond? Don’t ask Howland what he wants. Learn to write effectively, because after this class, Howland’s not the one who will read your work. Take advantage of Howland’s office hour. He has tremendous insight into reality and can provide you with valuable feedback on your work. Realize that the class is challenging and frustrating, but definitely worthwhile. —Ed Kronnenberg
• Howland spoke many times about losing the classroom paradigm of the “grading” policy. Nonetheless, I had a hard time shaking it. I was concerned every time I received an “F” or a “D” on a paper. But what he is trying to explain is that in the working world we are judged on the quality of our work and our ability to improve. This is very different than school. In school we try to do just the amount of work required to get the grade we want—and nothing more. That won’t work in this class. My suggestion is to learn from your mistakes and keep improving. Don’t stress over your grades (like I did) and you’ll do fine. —Julie Hancock
• During the early part of the quarter, you will hate this class and hate Howland. When you get to the end of the quarter, you will see that you’ve never taken a class this valuable before and you’ll be glad you stuck with it. You won’t hate Howland anymore because you’ll understand that he is one of the strongest allies you have ever had to help you get what you want from your life. People like Howland do not exist in normal reality. Howland wants success for you as much as he wants it for himself or his children. You will not believe how much he wants you to succeed. Believe it. He makes you work hard because he knows how much value that work will have for you later in your life. If you give your effort to this class, it will return benefits to you that outweigh your effort by many times. Don’t be afraid. Listen carefully. Keep an open mind. Most of what you think you know to be true about writing, and some of what you think you know to be true about life, is wrong. You just had the good luck to stumble into a class that can seriously improve your life. —Kathy Blessing
• This will sound sort of strange after you have been reading all the things that Howland’s other students have been telling you, but maybe the biggest surprise about this class was that it is so much fun. My roommate took the class the quarter before I took it so I thought I had an advantage on the first day of class. I thought I knew what to expect. What nobody told me was that this class was more fun than any other class I have taken at Cal Poly. This is not fun in the usual sense, but fun because I have learned so much that I can use after I graduate, and learning it has not been too hard. In fact, learning by following the advice of my roommate and the student comments in Howland’s contract made the whole quarter fun. But you can learn from our comments only if you read and understand them. Good luck. —Ed Kaney
• Work in an editing, revising and proofreading group. Keep your group to three people. Be candid with each other and role play Jim’s perspective. When in doubt, follow the instructions specifically. Start on Ex. [18.5] no later than week one. Contact a person within the company during the second week. Because you’re dealing with real people, this assignment will take far longer than you imagine. Jim is genuinely interested in helping you. Focus on improving you ability to communicate effectively; don’t worry about the letter grades. Practice candor. —Michael Howard
• I wish I had known coming in that this class is run not like a class but like a business. Jim told us that it would be like no other class we had taken (and some of the quotations in the contract confirmed this fact), but I had never really considered the first week that all this would be true. Jim tries to get students to think for themselves, to ask questions and ask for information instead of handing it out as in a normal class. My 20 years in industry confirm the reality and value of Jim’s approach, but I’m sure that at least half my classmates never did “get it.” A lot of my classmates were kind of dead, never recognizing the value of participating in a true learning environment. —Diane Tagliavini
• There is no other class at Cal Poly that is like English 310. The “real life” approach to learning and grading makes English 310 unique. If you are taking a lot of units this quarter, consider dropping this class. It is worth your time to concentrate on Jim’s curriculum and work on your communication skills. At the end of the quarter you will wish you had spoken to Jim more and spent more time using him as a resource. —Stevan Garcia
• English 310 holds more value to you than any other class at Cal Poly. Tap into this resource. Ask questions. Things aren’t always how they appear on the surface. Read the contract and understand it. Exercise [18.5] can change your life—it changed mine. Everything in here is what you make of it, so do yourself some good and soak up all the tools and advice Howland provides you; in 20 years you’ll be glad you did. —Sandra Tabata
• Don’t forget to identify each assignment on the assignment before you turn it in. —Lisa Asmus
• Don’t worry about Fs. You will get the point sooner or later. Jim seems to be harsh and frankly I thought he was a bit of an ass, but he has a wealth of information and is a fair man. He just wants us to learn what we will really need to survive in business. This class has taught me more than any other class. —Dominic Judge
• I wish I had known sooner how important participation was. Be prepared to raise issues because Jim doesn’t like to conduct monologues. Focus on revising instead of writing. You can learn a lot about corporate communication if you want to. Effort is necessary, but what really counts is that you are effective. —Scott Klopcic
• Don’t come to this class with a closed mind. What you put in is what you get out, bottom line. Jim is a wealth of knowledge, but he’s not going to spit it out at you like in a freshman class. You’ve got to take the initiative; otherwise, class time will be a waste as well as a silence contest. Jump on all the assignments early, especially [18.5], so you can REWRITE for its due date! You’d better develop a thick skin for 310 also! —Brendan Hall
• You may feel like Jim is out to get you, but really he is just trying to stimulate you. Go talk to him during his office hours; it is really worth your time. He has a lot of knowledge and is really willing to help. —Emily Meyer
• English 310 is a class where everybody talks about using revision. To do well in this class all revision must be taken seriously. Students must learn not to dwell in the past because it is guaranteed that you will receive Fs. Instead of becoming upset, simply learn from the mistakes you make so you don’t commit them again. —Steve Geary
• On written assignments initial and sign everything. Put the exercise and page number in the upper right hand corner. Try several types of writing strategies on the first few assignments until you get one that works. Don’t worry about Fs; you’ll find [from the Study Guide] that they count very little. Work hard in this class; you can really gain skills that you’re embarrassed you’ve never had before. Research companies for [18.5] early so you can make sure the one you choose has good information and is right for you. The first two or three weeks are hard, but stick with it. Jim actually cares about your progress, so don’t let him seem like a hard ass at first. He’s a nice guy! Good luck! —Jamie Gilles
• Go to Howland’s office hours as much as possible. Your one on one time with Howland will present you a wealth of knowledge and the ability to get past those Fs. —Eva Ponce
• You’re going to get Fs. Don’t worry. Just make sure you learn from your mistakes. Speak up in class and visit Jim in his office. …and don’t let him trick you into getting out of quizzes. —Nic Turrentine
• Don’t stress over quiz grades, but make sure to read the assigned chapters. Be prepared to do a lot of work in this class. Start assignments, especially [18.5]. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of office hours. Show up early; there is always a line. Work with classmates on assignments. Getting additional feedback is always a plus. —Kellyann Smith
• Consider this class as a lesson of “How to survive after you graduate.” Jim is here to help, not just to teach. Learn from the Fs. Ask questions. Specifics sell!!! Don’t miss the day when Tracy Biller comes to speak. —Jin Choi
• Start researching exercise [18.5] as soon as possible. Don’t let Jim and his Fs intimidate you. The best words of wisdom Jim gave during class are “…you can take your [college degree] with you to Starbucks and with it you can get a cup of coffee for $1.50.” Coffee is good! —Matt Dufner
• Start [18.5] now! That assignment was the most useful assignment I did here at Cal Poly. —Todd Clucas
• Take Jim Howland seriously when he advises you to start Ex. [18.5] early. If you are adding the class, continue to attend class daily and do all the assignments. Your hard work will pay off. This class is about developing trust: in your writing, in yourself, and with the teacher. Relax. It’s going to be an inspiring class. —Melissa Sam
• Don’t miss class on the day Tracy comes to talk. It will make you wonder why you ever went to college. —Paul Graebner
• Start on Ex. [18.5] early. You should know what employer you want to evaluate early. Use Jim’s office hours. They are very helpful and he will help clarify any question you have, whether it’s about an exercise or about school. Don’t be scared of him. The first day he is mean, but he will not be like that the rest of the quarter. Don’t be discouraged when you receive an F. Fs help you to learn. Read Jim’s feedback and ask questions. —Benjamin Yee
• No matter what the assignment, become the target reader. Think about what will matter to the reader and how the reader will react. Use details and specifics in everything. Even if you think you’re being specific, you’re probably not. Do the readings and reread the contract until you know it. Keep your mind open; don’t get frustrated, and don’t take the criticism personally--it’s a good thing. —Kristy Moser
• I wish I had known at the beginning of the quarter not to stress so much about this class. If you don’t do well on an assignment, look back and explore the reasons why you did not do well. One truly does learn the most from their failures and mistakes (that is, if you have the right attitude). I wish I had realized this at the start of the quarter. —Monique Marks
• Listen to all the other comments! If you read all of them, there are no surprises. Most of all, get into a group to look over each other’s work. Start every assignment early. Don’t wait until the night before it’s due. —Matt Ratzlaff
• Don’t be intimidated by Jim, the workload, or Ex. [18.5]. Take things one at a time. The class looks scary, but it’s not. Fs aren’t scary either. Don’t search for what Jim “wants.” He wants things written effectively, with reality in mind. You will gain more applicable knowledge from this class than from any other class at Cal Poly. —Sara Howell
• Stop worrying about the usual criteria you use to judge classes. What you need to know about this class and about Howland is so obvious that you’ll never see it. You will never figure out what Howland wants because it’s so obvious that it’s trite: he wants to prepare you for entering the real world. That’s all. —Ed Miller