English
1A |
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Overview: In this essay, you
will think back on an event, or series of events, in your life that led
to a better understanding of yourself and the world around you.
You might think of it as a way to collect your thoughts on how this experience
showed you something important about yourself that you didn't know before.
When I'm done reading this essay, I want to know something about you as
a person - what you're really like, what matters to you, what motivates
you, what you think about the world, the people around you, and yourself
in relation to those people. Who are you at your core, and how did
you get to be that way? Of course you can't fully answer this question
in just a few pages, but you can write about one experience that added
to the package. |
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Directions: Choose a topic. You may have had an experience that jumps out at you as a perfect topic for this essay, an event that clearly taught you some specific lesson about yourself. If not, don't despair. Here is a list of ideas that might be of interest to you if you're feeling a little stuck about what to write on. Remember, your experience doesn't have to be anything earth-shaking or life-changing. It may have been a relatively minor incident that added to your understanding of the world and yourself. Topic Suggestions:
After choosing a topic, begin brainstorming and organizing ideas, using the strategies described in the Hacker book, pages 3-12. Next, draft your paper, using the techniques outlined in Hacker, pages 13-17. Finally, revise according to the steps laid out in Hacker, pages 17-23. Tips for Writing: 1. Pay close attention to the steps in the writing process. If you skip any steps, your paper will be less effective and engaging that it otherwise might be. Please review the principles in Reading and Writing Basics - you will be responsible for knowing this stuff, especially MLA format! Your Hacker book also offers plenty of practical suggestions. 2. Pay attention to your
own writing process. What is your natural writer's voice like? Where are
you feeling stuck or frustrated? Where do the ideas flow faster
than you can get them down on paper? What are your strengths? What
are you particular challenges, and how can you overcome them? Who
is your audience? What do they need/want to know about your topic? 3. Use all the resources
available to you, including your book, A Writer's Reference, your instructor,
the writing center (Library 120), friends and family members, classmates,
and online writing resources like this one:
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/, or your reference book's
website, dianahacker.com/writersref 4. Be as specific as possible, and include as many relevant details as possible, including dialogue, description, examples, cause and effect relationships, etc. |