Staying Motivated as an Adult Learner: Tips
May 1, 2024
Set clear goals, manage your time, and be sure to celebrate small wins.
The {dreaded} College Essay
So, what is a “thesis statement”?
It’s a statement of opinion you can argue.
Yep. That’s it.
When I taught college writing, I had to devise a roadmap that was easy to articulate [and teach] and would not further confuse students. Otherwise, I had 25 pairs of “deer-in-headlights” eyes peering back at me for weeks. Writing college essays had to make sense, and quickly.
Establishing a clear argument in the first paragraph of a college essay is highly beneficial. It provides clarity and direction to the reader. While not obligatory, instructors typically expect this early articulation of a thesis, setting the tone for the entire essay and engaging the reader’s interest. Crafting a strong argument also streamlines the research process, ensuring focus and coherence in the subsequent pages.
Here are the three main components of introductory paragraph of a college paper:
- Hook the reader
- Provide context
- Present THESIS
The thesis statement is always an argument or a statement of opinion you can argue and is usually the last sentence in the first paragraph of your paper. It must clearly state the argument or point you are making in your essay.
A good introduction does three things
- Gets the reader’s attention. You can get a reader’s attention by telling a story, providing a statistic, pointing out something strange or interesting, providing and discussing an interesting quote, etc. Find some original angle via which to engage others in your topic.
- Provides necessary background information. Don’t start too broad, for instance by talking about how literature helps us understand life but do tell your readers what they need to know to get their bearings in your topic. This is where you provide some context for your readers – or enough information and background about the topic so readers will have an idea of where your paper is going.
- Provides a specific and debatable thesis statement. The thesis statement is usually just one sentence long, but it might be longer—even a whole paragraph—if the essay you’re writing is long. A good thesis statement makes a debatable point, meaning a point someone might disagree with and argue against. It also serves as a roadmap for what you argue in your paper.
Body Paragraphs
Supporting paragraphs present topics that substantiate your argument.
Each paragraph has only ONE main idea and a topic sentence that introduces your point. This is where you explain your point [using quotes, statistics, facts and most importantly, your own deductions] and tell the reader how the evidence you are presenting relates to, or supports, your thesis. Repeat body paragraphs as needed. For longer papers you may have several – for a 2-page essay you may have only two.
The Conclusion
The reader expects the conclusion paragraph to do some of all of the following:
- Rephrase the thesis, explain the significance of the argument, and suggest the broader implications.
- Summarize the main ideas.
- Look to the future (say what will happen if the situation continues or changes).
- The reader DOES NOT expect new information in the conclusion. Never add a new idea just because you have thought of it at the end!
Examples:
Good Thesis Statement
The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes not only provides relief for patients suffering from chronic pain but also presents opportunities for economic growth and regulation.
Bad Thesis Statement
Medical marijuana has pros and cons.
In the bad example, the thesis statement is too vague and lacks specificity, while the good example presents a clear argument supported by reasons that will be explored in the paper.
It’s also much easier to argue a position than to ramble on for pages not focusing on anything in particular. AND once you’ve defined your argument, especially in a research paper, you need only target resources that lend credibility to, or support your position or argument [thesis statement].
Example: A first paragraph with hook, context, and argument [Thesis statement]
In recent years, the debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana for medical use has gained significant traction, sparking fervent discussions across political, medical, and social spheres. [Hook]
As society grapples with evolving perceptions of cannabis, it becomes evident that the issue extends far beyond individual health concerns. The resulting discourse reveals a multifaceted landscape where medical necessity intersects with economic viability and regulatory frameworks. However, amidst controversies and conjectures, one resounding truth emerges. [Context]
The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes not only provides relief for patients suffering from chronic pain but also presents opportunities for economic growth and regulation. [Thesis]
In recent years, the debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana for medical use has gained significant traction, sparking fervent discussions across political, medical, and social spheres. [Hook]
As society grapples with evolving perceptions of cannabis, it becomes evident that the issue extends far beyond individual health concerns. The resulting discourse reveals a multifaceted landscape where medical necessity intersects with economic viability and regulatory frameworks. However, amidst controversies and conjectures, one resounding truth emerges. [Context]
The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes not only provides relief for patients suffering from chronic pain but also presents opportunities for economic growth and regulation. [Thesis]
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More Resources
PLA [Prior Learning Assessment] Cheat Sheet
April 3, 2024
Every college and university will have different criteria for writing a PLA essay. Be certain of the parameters your college or university has in place before you start. Discuss this with your mentor/advisor or designated student support person.
Annotated Bibliographies
April 3, 2024
In an annotated bibliography, every sentence counts, so make sure your writing is direct and that you articulate the main points you want to make efficiently.
Sample Annotated Bibliography [using APA citation]. Notice the date is immediately after the author’s name and the name of the book is italicized:
Glickman, L. B. (1997). A Living Wage: American Workers and the Making of Consumer Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Glickman traces the history of the idea of a living wage from the end of the Civil War to the 1930s. He argues that American workers moved from seeing themselves as producers to seeing themselves as consumers, which in turn altered American attitudes towards wage labor and the role of government in the workplace. Relying mainly on discourse analysis, Glickman divides his book into four parts that track the changing rhetoric of wage labor in different sectors of American society. Situated in two different historiographies, his contributions mainly center on identifying the agency of workers in labor reform and New Deal policies, as well as in showing that consumerism engaged workers more fully in the civic sphere rather than depoliticizing them. He also demonstrates that wage labor was heavily racialized and gendered. The book’s main weakness is Glickman’s heavy reliance on discourse analysis as a methodology. By placing so much emphasis on rhetoric, Glickman does not give the reader a sense of the details of labor reform, nor does he connect idealized rhetoric with the actual lived experiences of American workers.
[see more sample annotated bibliographies]
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/annotated_bibliography_samples.html
Sample Annotated Bibliography [using APA citation]. Notice the date is immediately after the author’s name and the name of the book is italicized:
Glickman, L. B. (1997). A Living Wage: American Workers and the Making of Consumer Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Glickman traces the history of the idea of a living wage from the end of the Civil War to the 1930s. He argues that American workers moved from seeing themselves as producers to seeing themselves as consumers, which in turn altered American attitudes towards wage labor and the role of government in the workplace. Relying mainly on discourse analysis, Glickman divides his book into four parts that track the changing rhetoric of wage labor in different sectors of American society. Situated in two different historiographies, his contributions mainly center on identifying the agency of workers in labor reform and New Deal policies, as well as in showing that consumerism engaged workers more fully in the civic sphere rather than depoliticizing them. He also demonstrates that wage labor was heavily racialized and gendered. The book’s main weakness is Glickman’s heavy reliance on discourse analysis as a methodology. By placing so much emphasis on rhetoric, Glickman does not give the reader a sense of the details of labor reform, nor does he connect idealized rhetoric with the actual lived experiences of American workers.
[see more sample annotated bibliographies]
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/annotated_bibliography_samples.html
Sample Annotated Bibliography [using APA citation]. Notice the date is immediately after the author’s name and the name of the book is italicized:
Glickman, L. B. (1997). A Living Wage: American Workers and the Making of Consumer Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Glickman traces the history of the idea of a living wage from the end of the Civil War to the 1930s. He argues that American workers moved from seeing themselves as producers to seeing themselves as consumers, which in turn altered American attitudes towards wage labor and the role of government in the workplace. Relying mainly on discourse analysis, Glickman divides his book into four parts that track the changing rhetoric of wage labor in different sectors of American society. Situated in two different historiographies, his contributions mainly center on identifying the agency of workers in labor reform and New Deal policies, as well as in showing that consumerism engaged workers more fully in the civic sphere rather than depoliticizing them. He also demonstrates that wage labor was heavily racialized and gendered. The book’s main weakness is Glickman’s heavy reliance on discourse analysis as a methodology. By placing so much emphasis on rhetoric, Glickman does not give the reader a sense of the details of labor reform, nor does he connect idealized rhetoric with the actual lived experiences of American workers.
[see more sample annotated bibliographies]
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/annotated_bibliographies/annotated_bibliography_samples.html