English 0950 / Spring 2007 / Essay #4

Background:

Over the course of this semester we have studied various aspects of our own education. We have examined what has helped and hindered us on our way to college, we have analyzed our acquisition and use of literacy, and we have explored the current "state of affairs" in higher education and have tried to articulate what our "ideal" higher educational experience might look like.

We have also been educating ourselves about ourselves this semester. Three counselors have led us through activities designed to help us learn about ourselves (our personalities, our values, and our interests) and about possible careers for our futures. It is now time to put all of this self- and career-exploration information together.

Reading Assignments:

Writing Assignment:

"Synthesis" means "to bring together" or "to combine separate elements to form a coherent whole." Therefore, a synthesis paper is a report or essay that pulls together related ideas. In one sense, a synthesis is similar to a summary in that both kinds of writing require careful reading and accurate reporting. However, writing a synthesis is often more difficult than writing a summary because a synthesis requires that you (1) read a number of sources, (2) identify the related ideas, and then (3) explain how those ideas are related.

For Essay #4, I want you to "synthesize" all of the self-assessment and career-development information you've acquired over the course of this semester. Depending upon where you are in your personal, academic, and career planning, there are a few different "approaches" that are possible for this assignment:

  1. If you know exactly what job / occupation / career you are headed for, use the various activities we've done to "argue for" or "support" your choice or decision. For example, if you know you want to be a pharmacist, use the data you've acquired to show "how and why" this is a good career for you. (And if some data does not support your choice, that's OK; just specifically articulate how you will meet those challenges.)
     
  2. If you have a pretty-good idea of your academic major or program of study but do not know what kinds of jobs / occupations / careers you might go into, use the various activities we've done to "analyze" some potential career choices. For example, if you know you want to be a Sociology major, use the data you've acquired to explore which careers might be a "good fit" for you and why. Or, if you have narrowed it down to a few careers, use the data to "evaluate" which one(s) might be better than others.
     
  3. If you have no ideas about either an academic major / program of study or a future job / occupation / career, use the data you've acquired to explore which majors and careers you might be best suited for. For example, what do the MBTI, the SII, and the Values Card Sort tell you about yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, etc.?

Formatting Option #1:

Essay #4 could be very different than the previous essays or papers we've written this semester in that it could take the form of a "report." No matter what kind of work you will do, you will often be asked to create a report on a project that includes a summary of your activities and that evaluates the effectiveness of the various steps you took in a process -- as well as evaluating the end "result." In addition, depending on your future workplace, the report may have to follow a specific format. So, if you choose this option, write a report of at least 4 pages, but no more than 8 pages, which has these major sections:

I. The Introduction -- In this paragraph, you should do three main things: (1) introduce the activities you've been involved in this semester, (2) comment on the purpose of these activities, and (3) express an "overall" evaluation of the project (your thesis) -- were the project activities useful? what degree of success have you had in creating an understanding about what your future career should be or what you should do with your life?

II. The Assessments -- In this section, you will "interpret" (summarize and respond to) the self- and career-explorations that you completed:

To prepare to write this section, begin by carefully studying the results of each of the assessments. Then, think about the following questions:

When you write this section, perhaps think about it as containing three "sub-sections," one for each assessment. In each sub-section, analyze and comment on the results of the particular assessment. Perhaps pick 2-3 traits for each assessment and give examples and details from your own life to demonstrate how closely (or not) the assessment measures and matches your personality, values, and interests.

III. The Research -- In this section, you will discuss 1-3 occupations or careers (or even, possibly, academic majors or programs) that you are interested in and that you have done research on through MCIS. More importantly, you will point out how each of the occupations/careers or majors/programs "fits in" with what you've discovered about yourself from the assessments (see section II). How do the occupations/careers or majors/programs align with your personality traits, your values, and your interests. In other words, show and discuss the "connections" between your chosen occupations/careers or majors/programs and the self and career exploration assessments. In essence, why are they a good fit for you? (This section will probably be more than one paragraph in length.)

IV. The Action Plan -- In this section, it is time for you to discuss what you are going to do with all this information. In other words, what's next? What are your next steps? What are you going to do to get where you want to go? What classes are you going to take -- next semester? next year? What other research are you going to do? Where are you going to go visit (colleges, job sites, etc.)? Who are you going to go talk to or interview (counselors, admissions representatives, leaders, mentors, etc.)? Are you going to change jobs? Are you going to get an internship? Etc. (This section will be at least one paragraph long.)

V. The Conclusion -- In this section, you are going to provide some closure for your readers. You might return again to the idea of "evaluating" this whole process and each of its components. Has all of this been interesting, helpful, and useful to you? Why or why not?

Formatting Option #2:

Essay #4 could also take the form of the more "traditional" (or maybe even a "non-traditional") multiple-paragraph essay. If the first formatting option seems to be too rigid for you, you might think about creating your own structure or form to match how you feel you can best present the information and ideas you want to present (after all, many writers feel that "content" precedes "form," not the other way around).

If you choose this option, you are still required to "synthesize" all the information you have gathered this term about yourself and about possible majors/programs and occupations/careers. I will also expect that you will address most, if not all, of the ideas presented in the first formatting option -- e.g. having an introduction and conclusion, presenting and responding to the data from all the assessments, presenting whatever research you've done that you've found helpful, and formulating an action plan. The difference is that you are free to organize these things any way you wish -- move them around, alternate them, combine them, etc. -- as long as it makes sense to you, and as long as it will make sense to another reader.

If you choose this option, write an essay of at least 4 pages, but no more than 6 pages.

Process and Due Dates:

What You Will Be Graded On / Criteria / Evaluation Grid:

The items below are common elements or criteria on a typical evaluation grid: