English 102

Extra Credit Assignment

Some of you have missed several classes and have been late turning in assignments. If you are unsure of how your grade for this class might end up, here is an opportunity to help bring it up.

Write a two-page (typed, double-spaced, about 500 words) essay on the following issues. Try to make this a comprehensive personal essay that reflects your true feelings and not just a list. In other words, I expect complete sentences, paragraphs that have a topic sentence, support, and some sort of closure (and then some transition to the next paragraph).   As with all essays, you should have a “slammin’” title, a topic paragraph, and a closing paragraph that pulls it all together.

The extra credit given for this assignment will add no more than 2.5% to your final grade, and at the minimum 1%. In other words, if you are at 89% ( a high B), the most you could get from this assignment is an additional 2.25, which would raise your grade from a B to an A. If you have a high C, you could end up with a B- or B. If you’re failing, you could end up with a passing grade. This assignment is no guarantee, however.

In any case, here are the issues I would like you to cover:

1. three new understandings you are coming to about yourself as a writer (in other words, your writing process, interests, writers’ blocks, etc.).
   1. Examples:

1. what have you learned?
2. how have you applied what you’ve learned?

• what is your writing style?

1. when and where have you found that you write best?
2. other…

1. three aspects of academic writing about which you are more aware.
   1. For instance:

1. comparing and contrasting
2. supporting your ideas

• the importance of sentence structure

1. integrating quotes
2. paraphrasing, etc.
3. other…

1. three goals for how, where, and why you would like to keep working on honing your writing skills.
   1. Examples:

1. using writing skills in your job
2. using your new skills to write creatively for pleasure

• using writing skills to continue your education

1. other…