...College is supposed to be the place that you find yourself, but at times I feel more lost than ever. Struggling immensely first semester, I felt like I was encountering a fork in a road, not knowing what major or direction in life I was trying to fulfill. Like most people, I went from shyly dipping my toes into the frigid pool of freedom to abruptly diving head first into the deep end of complete independence. Compared to how I was first semester, I have since changed from not knowing what major I should pursue to deciding on majoring in art . When I decided that an art major would take me down the right path on the forked road, I got the reassurance I needed in order to find my voice and identity. This in return inspired me to make my portfolio’s...
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...on Writing an Analytical Essay: If you are at all uncertain how to structure an essay read the following material carefully. Introductory Paragraph: Your first paragraph is the most important part of your essay and should consist of 3 parts: a hook, background, and your thesis: The hook: Grab my attention. Make your first sentence interesting and meaningful Example: If Bill Gates spent $50,000 a minute for the rest of his life, he would still die a wealthy man if he lived for 40 more years. Background: Explain the general issue that you are writing about and the controversy surrounding are assessing, including the title and author’s full name. Example: Many economists lament the growing division of wealth that has marked America in the last two decades. While some this is the basis for America’s economic strength, others feel reversing this trend should be a top priority. In fact, Sue Ackerman in her article “The Rich and the Rest”, suggests that there should be a ten-times rule, whereby the top wage earners could earn no more than tens times the minimum wage. Thesis Statement: This tells me what your position on the topic is as well as how you are going to support it. Example: Her suggestion is ridiculous and should be opposed for three reasons. First of all, it is arbitrary – why should it be 10 times the wealth of the poor and not 8 or 15. Secondly, it is un-American by going against basic liberal values...
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...are tall. If you are stupid enough to jump off one you fall fast and you land hard. The five-paragraph theme is my mountain and I have just jumped right off it. There don't seem to be any outcroppings to grab for, and my assignment is to discuss my cliff as I continue to drop from it. So I will not grab. I will let myself fall, and hope for pillows at the end. I feel lost without my introduction to conclusion formula started at the beginning of this paper. Why do I have to do this assignment? Oh, I understand that I need to break a mold that has been added to, layer upon dreadful layer, for the past eight years or so. The only problem isHOW? I think that what I am feeling is not unique to me, and that the instructor will more than likely read these same words a dozen times in other fonts. I do not want to spend my entire paper feeling sorry for myself and wasting paper complaining that the answer to my question is not right under my nose. I would pity my reader. I would also hope that I am a stronger writer than that. Strong writers should be able to get beyond the theme. I propose that the theme is no more than a weak writer's response to demands tired English teachers put on them, or a Lazy Writer's cop out. The theme is easy. We know how it works and we crank it out like so many machines. My question is this: what normal everyday Joe in his right mind would not take the easy route to writing a paper? There is no reason to make things harder than they have to be, especially...
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...A reflective essay is a piece of writing that basically involves your views and feelings about a particular subject. The goal of a reflective essay is to not only discuss what you learned, but to convey the personal experiences and findings that resulted. Writing a reflective essay is your chance to reveal and talk about your personal insight about a topic. Reflective essays are used as a self-assessment measure of sorts; they allow you to address your experiences and what you've gained. The reflective essay consists of your individual views on the matter and an explanation of your stance. The goal of this essay is to successfully relay your own beliefs, attitudes and observations. In some reflective essays, you'll be required to support your conclusions by citing materials such as books, journals, articles and other resources. A reflective essay should reflect your own thoughts on the subject matter, not those of others. The poem by Langston Hughes, “Theme for English B”, brought back memories of myself growing up during the times where it was truly a white only and black only world. It was not college that I had to endure the color barriers but it was going to elementary through high school. I went to an all black school until I entered high school. The plot seems to take on a very structured, by providing detailed background information. The plot is clearly connected to the setting as Hughes states “I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I went to school there...
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...A Gap of Sky by Anna Hope Being young is often characterized by a feeling of pure invincibility. You feel like you can take on the world, and that you can handle everything. But being young is not always as easy as it sounds, because even though freedom is right beside you, expectations and responsibility is only a few steps behind you; catching up on you and bringing you back to reality. Drugs and freedom are some of the themes in the short story “A Gap of Sky” by Anna Hope from 2008. Ellie is a nineteen year old teenager who lives in London and studies on a university. She lives in a college, because in the beginning of the story she has to walk down the corridor to the hall toilet. Ellie does not care about her education at all, and it is clear that she blames her parents for going at the university. She is tired of things she has to do. She knows that she has an essay to write that is due to the next day, and she has already extended it quite a few times. We are told that she received a letter from the course she is taking, at the UCL, explaining that she will be expelled from the course, if she does not hand over this essay. With this letter in our minds and other facts, like doing drugs, drinking, going out rather often gives us the impression that she doesn’t care about her education, and that she wants to be more free than she is. Ellie knows that there is more to life than studies and duties, and she prefers drugs, cigarettes and booze, when it comes to living her life...
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...Contrast Essay When family from another state comes to visit you want to show them some of the activities that their home town does not provide. There are so many options people can choose from. I think two of the most common places people go to when they have visitors are theme parks or city fairs. Theme parks and city fairs are very different and each provides us with their type of fun activities. Theme parks have a great advantage over city fairs when it comes down to rides, bigger location, and price. Many people prefer theme parks because they offer better activities for fun, which gives theme parks an advantage over city fairs. An advantage theme parks have would be the rides. Everyone who has been to a theme park enjoys its rides. The rides are fast and they go in different directions which makes it better for the customers because it does not make them dizzy. They also last for a longer a period of time which makes it worth wild because sometimes you have to wait in line for an hour or even more. Also, theme parks are located in bigger place which gives more people the opportunity to attend at whatever time they like and still find tickets available. The bigger location of the park comes in handy because it does not get crowded and you have enough space to walk comfortable without anyone bumping into you. Another advantage theme parks have over city fairs is the price. The tickets are around thirty dollars and sometimes they have offers were you buy one get...
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...The essay “I Killed Britney Spears” was written by the London based journalist Jean Hanna Edelstein, in 2008. Edelstein was born in New York, 1981 to an American father, and Scottish mother. She later moved (1999) to London, where she studied economics and political science. She has also lived in Montreal, Berlin. She has an online-based blog, where she uploads a few essays and inputs – inputs that are all backed up by her academic background. Despite the online essays, her first official published book was in 2009. “I Killed Britney Spears” is a (non-fiction) personal essay, with a first person narrator which makes the essay identifiable. Edelstein clearly wrote this essay to highlight a few consequences and flaws in the relationship between fan and idol. Most of these flaws are shown in the age 13-18. These years are filled with the confusion that follows the transition from child to adult. Edelstein might have thought about this particular transition and thereby, intending the text to be read by these confused adolescents. The text “I Killed Britney Spears” was written in 2008, a year of great turmoil for the star Britney Spears. She was fighting over the custody of her children, she had been in rehab and just cut off her hair. All these events generated a lot of public attention. Mostly negative attention. Many of the “Spears” fans (including Edelstein herself) who identified themselves with her, were emotionally hit by Britney’s instability. The intention of Edelstein...
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...In this essay I’m going to look at some of the important elements in the short-story Wood Grouse on a High Promontory Overlooking Canada. The ones I am going to look at are: The setting of the short-story, a characterization of the two characters in the story, the theme(s), and the ending of the story. The story takes place on a high promontory, the two brothers Gary and Bud are fishing in the lake, but the fish don’t seem to bite. The promontory overlooks Canada on one side and the United States of America on the other. The scenery is peaceful and almost perfect, though in a realistic way. Bud is the younger of the two, being only 15 years old and seemingly an average active teenager. He seems carefree and happy. We are told that he likes baseball and that he likes throwing stones and that while doing so he imagines himself a hunter. Gary on the other hand is quite a bit older, I’d guess about 20-25, as he’s just returned from the war in Vietnam. Gary appreciates the peace around him and notices the beauty in the small things, unlike Bud who is more interested in throwing stones for fun. It’s not because Bud is evil, but simply because Gary has been changed by what he’s experienced in Vietnam. He carries a heavy burden around because of the war, but he doesn’t want to talk about it and when Bud asks him. He simply says to him that he wouldn’t want to know. It also seems like it’s hard for him to admit that he killed people in Vietnam when Bud asks, though I think...
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...in ‘Of Mice and Men.’ CA = Week starting 20 October 2014 (All 4 lessons this week) (Possibility of starting one lesson early at the end of week 6). Level or Grade A*-C Differentiate appropriately for the group that you teach and for individuals within that group th Length 7 weeks (To include CA) Learning objectives AO3 (See mark scheme for band descriptors) Interpretations of texts/understanding significant meanings of the text Engagement with writer’s ideas and attitudes Interpretation of ideas supported with evidence Understanding of features of language and structure Learning outcomes Close analysis of text extracts leading to development of reading skills Consideration of context and writer’s intentions/themes and ideas Speaking and Listening to show understanding of issues and empathy with character Writing a draft essay and set targets for the assessment Produce an analytical essay for CA (New Acronym = SMILE (Structure, Meanings, Ideas, Language, Evidence) Prior knowledge (Enter pre-requisite knowledge and skills.) Analytical essay – Year 9 KS3 reading skills National Framework for Secondary English Strands National Framework for Secondary English – Strands 5 Reading for meaning 5.2 Understanding and responding to ideas, views, themes and purposes 6 Understanding the author’s craft 6.1 Relating texts to the social, historical and cultural contexts in which they were written 6.2 Analysing how writers’ use of linguistic and literary features shapes...
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...Comparing and Contrasting Sample Essay: http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/grammar/writerworkshops/GFW8_WM_compare.pdf WHAT THIS HANDOUT IS ABOUT This handout will help you first to determine whether a particular assignment is asking for comparison/contrast and then to generate a list of similarities and differences, decide which similarities and differences to focus on, and organize your paper so that it will be clear and effective. It will also explain how you can (and why you should) develop a thesis that goes beyond “Thing A and Thing B are similar in many ways but different in others.” INTRODUCTION In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison) and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, your instructors are encouraging you to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each other, and what is most important about them. RECOGNIZING COMPARISON/CONTRAST IN ASSIGNMENTS Some assignments use words—like compare, contrast, similarities, and differences—that...
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...written form to the audience calls an effective writing skills. In addition to this an effective writer must have an extensive vocabulary to be able express yourself. To be an effective writer means the reader will understand thoroughly everything you are writing on the paper. My personal experience in writing was challenging and valuable at the same time. This semester I took an Academic Writing and Argument course with professor Missy Watson. During this semester, I learned how to analyze arguments, write rhetorical analysis essay, work with researched and visual arguments, effectively...
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...Fiction Essay ENGL 102-D21: Literature and Composition 201320 Spring 2013 Kenneth Sellers APA April 8, 2013 My Outline: Fiction Essay My Topic: Compare Contrast My Attitude: Analysis the differences and similarities between the two stories My Purpose: To analyze the differences and similarities between the two stories. My Thesis Statement: In Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” D.H. Lawrence’s “ the Rocking-Horse Winner the reader can look into the lives of two families that are in different time but share some similarities. “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse- Winner have the theme of gambling and through the plot of both stories you will see that the author’s view of winning was very different. “The Lottery” gives you a sense of winning while “The Rocking-Horse Winner” takes you up and down throughout the story. I. Introduction: A. The theme and setting of both stories II. Learning Benefits: To tell the difference between the two writers A. Jackson uses irony B. Lawrence uses emotions to portray everyday life problems III. Social Benefits: A. Able to relate to what’s taking place B. Capture the reader’s attention IV. Spiritual Benefits A. See some good in a bad situation V. Conclusion A. While both Jackson and Lawrence has some similarities in both of their stories. The readers can see how they are very different from each other. Jackson makes the reader believe that there is happiness in the town...
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...situations, threats and opportunities when change unfolds within organisations, and aims to examine and assess how the influence of organisational dynamics may shape perceptions, interventions and responses. Assignment Given the ideas introduced in the paragraphs above, you are required to research, plan and write an individual 3000 word essay which critically evaluates an aspect of organisational dynamics that influences leading and managing of change within organisations. Your experience/observations of change should be used to support your critical evaluation and commentary. Given the word limit and the requirement for depth of discussion it is crucial to establish a defined focus for your paper. You are not required to try and work with all of the Module themes, that are introduced in class sessions but to be selective in line with the requirement for critical evaluation of the influence/ impact of organisational dynamics. Previously the assignments achieving the higher marks have been from those students who have been able to consider ideas introduced within the Module but also evidence increasing initiative and independent thinking and research to help shape a focus. Indicative themes introduced within the module may include; Organisational dynamics and change Organisation culture and change Psychology of change Leadership and Organisational Change Communication and Change Organisational politics, power and change Organisation learning and change ...
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...English Essay made of several essays cobbled together from plagiarized sources When analyzing different novels, you must learn to read between the lines and look for the deeper meaning. For instance, the famous saying “The grass is always greener on the other side” can be taken many different ways. If you read the statement literally, it tells you about the color of the grass and that it is on the other side. If you review the statement closely and think about the meaning behind it, you can see that it is relating to the feeling of when people get jealous of other people’s lives. The greener grass symbolizes the other person’s better, richer life. August Wilson’s play Fences provides numerous opportunities for the reader to read between the lines and find the deeper meaning of the themes in the play. I am going to discuss how the themes of the fence and the “sins of the father” carry meaning and are related to the characters Rose, Cory, Lyons and Troy. In Incidents of the Life of a Slave Girl Linda Brent is born into slavery. As a slave, then a fugitive slave and a mother, she has many fears. Linda lives each day worrying about her safety and the safety of her family. Starting from a young child, Linda was a slave she dealt with the hardship that comes with having an owner, a mistress, and having to watch her kids go through the same things. As Harriet Jacobs describes in depth in this book, slavery is hard and horrible for both men and woman, but in most cases is a lot...
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...PLANNING AN ESSAY The Writing Backwards Method- A Scientific Approach Most of us don’t automatically have a thesis when we start to write, and, in many cases, even when we do, we don’t know exactly how we’re going to prove it in the essay. Although coming up with a thesis and main arguments at the beginning of the writing process is helpful, it is not necessary. Often, a thesis and main arguments become clear only after we start seeing what we can discuss in the essay. The following tips can help you to begin to organize your essay whether you don’t have a strong thesis or you have a thesis but are not sure about your smaller arguments and how to arrange your evidence. Remember that these tips are NOT strict rules for writing well, but rather provide a framework that you can use to start to organize your essay and come up with a strong thesis. 1) Calculating the number of body paragraphs A double-spaced, Times New Roman font page contains roughly 250 words or two paragraphs of 5-7 sentences each (A “good” paragraph has, generally, 3 pieces of evidence with analysis, a thesis that relates to the essay’s overall thesis, and a conclusion.). If you are given a minimum word count or page amount, simply convert that into how many equivalent paragraphs that would be. This will give you a rough idea as to how many paragraphs your essay will have to include. Generally, your introduction and conclusion paragraphs will not introduce ideas that you will have not already...
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