February 03, 2020

Kristine Slentz 

Instructor, writing for the sciences

City College of New York 

160 Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031

Sub: My background & interest in science. 

Dear professor Slentz, 

I have the honor to state that I am the student of your writing for science class from City College. The reason for writing this letter is to express my struggle for science and my sensibility that grew up inside me about science also the reflection it has on my life.

As an immigrant, my learning designation always had resistance. It’s not because of my race, it’s because of my language barrier. I grew up in Bangladesh. English is not my first language. I learned the Bangla alphabet when I first held a pencil. Therefore, my acknowledgment is limited to Bangla literacy and science. When I was in 4th grade for the first time science became one of the mandatory subjects. Where I learned the basic stuff about science. For example environment, photosynthesis, matter, Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and some more. My knowledge about science started to get diverse when I was moving up to my next grade. Like all other kids, my first dream was to become a doctor and have a stethoscope rather than knowing why a doctor has a stethoscope. 

However, moving forward to my high school everything started to get harder and harder. Learning science in my country wasn’t enjoyable for me. Because I didn’t get to do any practical experiment based on what I have learned. Before understanding some topics better my family and I move to the United States. Moreover, what I have learned previously in Bangla, I have to throw away the garbage and start everything in English (didn’t know the meaning of words). I knew what a cell, photosynthesis, and genes are. But I actually never recognized that I actually knew those terms in my language. Eventually, when I started learning about human internal organs, universe, electron, proton, velocity, energy in science became my most favorite fascinating subject. It’s frequently because I got to do practical experiments based on what I have learned. 

Moreover, Physics became my favorite fascinating science subject. Because in physics there are some sessions that I get to learn about how it works more than knowing what it is. I continuously have a problem with memorizing something. As I studied physics in high school I found this subject perfectly appropriate for me. Because in physics I determine how gravity, energy, waves, motion, circuits, etc work, more than knowing what it is. Therefore, I decided to minor in physics. And I want to major in Mathematics. Math and physics have a connection in some way. Both subjects are more about understanding than memorizing. One of the most valid reasons for choosing writing for science is because this is the only class that will drive me to accomplish the goal by writing some scientific papers, analyzing, etc.  

As my first language is not English, therefore, my writing strategy is not faithful to accomplish my intention. Throw out the semester I am optimistically assuming that this course will teach me how to be acceptable in a science course. The reason I’m being optimistic is my writing strategy is not accurate, and the way I want to develop my ideas are inappropriate. Therefore, this semester including for future accomplishment my goal is to develop my writing strategy in an appropriate form, learn how to do scientific analysis and paper. The way I can accomplish this goal can be in a certain way. The professor’s guideline will be the most significant, writing practicing, lastly peer-review. By peer-review, it will help to comprehend different types of writing strategies of writers. Also, I’ll be able to understand my deficiency in my writing. 

I appreciate your attention in my background & my interest in science. Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Samia Sylvia