Q: I currently entered college in New York. Since English is not my first language, I sometimes ask a friend to read my essays to help fix the grammar and language. I believe I'm being graded mainly on my ideas, and my friend helps me get my ideas across better in English. Is this OK? -Mariana A: It's good that you want to succeed in your written work at college. Making use of available resources to help you succeed is a smart strategy  . But while you may believe that your instructors don't care as much about how you write as they do about your ideas, that' s not a fair assumption. Certainly, your ideas are important. No matter how polished your writing is, it will not disguise a poorly expressed idea in a paper. But as a college student, being able to organize your thoughts clearly-whether you're speaking in class or writing a paper-is critical to show that you've mastered the material in each course. This does not mean you shouldn't ask others to review your written work before handing it in. That's OK. You should not, however, allow a friend or anyone else to rewrite parts of your papers for you. Instead, ask them to simply let you know about any parts of the paper that are unclear and need work. Many colleges have writing centers where tutors will work with you on your writing-without doing the work for you. Regardless of whether you consult with a friend or a tutor, the right thing is for you to talk to your instructors to ask their advice and let them know you plan to seek assistance with your writing. If you ask them in advance for guidance on what's appropriate and what's not for the written work they assign, that will allow you to be as transparent as possible about how you completed your _  -Professor Byron What problem does Mariana meet?
She has trouble learning English grammar. She wonders if her method on writing is suitable. She doesn't get on well with her classmates. She isn't able to express herself in English.