English 106: First-Year Composition

Becky,
Wow, can you believe it? 30 already! Time really flies I guess. I hope all your dreams have come true by now. Right now (18 year old you) I have tons of plans for you by the time you are 30. This is where I hope you are: I hope you are married to a wonderful man named Matt and have two children by now, I hope you are working for NASA and on your way to becoming an astronaut, and I hope you are having a wonderful and successful life. If any of those things aren't true, don't fret. There's nothing wrong with you. Your time will come and everything will work out in the end. Just remember, "believe in yourself."

Dear 10 year old Becky,

Hello from the future. I won't tell you where I am, but just know that it's a blast here and I love life. You are a very lucky girl, but there are a few words of advice I need to give you.

One: You will have a pretty easy life, but don't let that change you or make you lazy. You will get most of the things you want, be smart and successful, and have a great future. But don't let that fool you. You still need to work hard to get where you want to go. Success takes hard work and dedication. The things you want in life don't always come easy, but if it's worth it then don't give up.

My parents have always been really strict. They had to know where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing at all times. And of course, I could never stay out late. My older sister obeyed every rule they had, so they figured I should too. Well, being the little rebel that I was, I never did what they said. And if they didn't like it, I would just lie and tell them something they wanted to hear and then go do my own thing.

For being in school for almost 13 years now, I still don't know how to study properly. I am, however, learning. Isn't that a part of college too?? I have found a few things that work for me, only if you stay focused and determined.

When studying for finals last semester, my friends and I studied together. I know what you think, that probably wasn't the best idea, but it actually wasn't bad. We all sat on the floor in one of their rooms and had our notes spread out in front of us. Our papers were everywhere so we could see them all at once. It had to be quiet with no music or tv playing. Otherwise we would get distracted by whatever was going on and not get any studying done. A dorm roon probably isn't the best for peace and quiet, but during finals week, there is 24/7 quiet hours so it wasn't all that bad.

Hey. My name is Rebecca Johanning, but you can call me Becky. I am from a very small town called Poynette, WI. It has only 2500 people, so I'm definately a small town girl trying to find her way in this world. I have a disease known as middle-child syndrome. Basically, I have an older sister and a younger brother, so all my life I have been in the shadows of the oldest and the baby of the family. However, I am finding the advantages in that I love to surf and body board. I worked at an indoor/outdoor waterpark as a certified lifeguard for 3 years. It was probably the best job I will ever have. I am currently studying engineering. I want to become an astronaut and fly in space one day. I strongly believe in fate and destiny. I also believe that chocolate and a good listener can solve any problem you have.