How to Answer the Essay

1) Check your grammar. I consider this a formal paper, which means I will be checking for sentence structure, grammar, etc. Such issues of grammar and sentence structure are relevant for your goal of being perceived and treated like a professional in the “real world.”

2) Make sure you UNDERSTAND what the question requires. Talk to friends, colleagues, etc. to figure out the nature of the question. My goal is not to obfuscate (the word says it all). My goal for these essays is to see if you are THINKING about the material. If you feel the questions are difficult, then YEAH! If you think the questions are simple and easy, then wooo. Back up and re-read them. Take your time before answering the questions and consider the significance of the questions.

3) Now that you’re ready to sit down and begin answering the questions, remember not to waste time re-wording the question in the intro. of the paper. Instead, the first paragraph should briefly summarize the purpose of the essay and the major point(s) you’ll be making.

4) Remember DO NOT summarize the readings!!!!!!!!!!!! I know what happened at Eagle Smelting. I read the article. So absolutely do NOT summarize anything about the articles. Doing so will automatically lower your essay to, at best, a C and perhaps worse. Instead, you are trying to make an argument and develop it to answer the question. You will use information from the articles as evidence ONLY!

5) Of course, you will have to define the terms you will be using in the essay. When you do so, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE!!!!! Rather, use your own words to summarize. Once you summarize a general description of terms, you will apply the term to the specific case you are discussing. Finally you will use evidence from the case to support your application of the term.

For example:

Joey Doey was very satisfied with the extrinsic rewards she received at work. (Define concept) Extrinsic rewards are material benefits that employees receive on the job. (Apply to specific case) Joey claimed that the pay and retirement package were what attracted her to the position at Kegan Law Firm. (Provide evidence) She said, "I never would have accepted the position there if they had not offered me twice the salary other firms were offering."

6) And by all means, HAVE FUN! You are learning. Learning can be fun, even as it can be scary, frustrating and anxiety-provoking. You are in college! Yippee for you!