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Portfolios
This semester you will create a portfolio of short essays reflecting on your first semester in college and many of the topics we cover in seminar. One of the goals of seminar is to offer you the opportunity for feedback on your writing and expression of ideas. Each essay should be 2-3 typed pages (double spaced) and you should incorporate ideas from your HON 110 readings whenever possible (referencing of course.) All portfolio essays should be turned in via Blackboard: http://ncvista.blackboard.com . Look in the assignments section for instructions. Please upload your essays as WORD text documents.
A. Imagine Your Reality. Choose one of these topics to write about.
1. Goals: Why are you here? What are your goals in attending college? What's the difference between and education and a degree? What are the topics you really want to learn more about? What have you always wondered about? What are the things that capture your imagination? How do you find out how to find out more about these things? What is your plan?
2. Opportunities and Challenges: What do you see as the new opportunities your college experience opens to you? What should you do to optimize your experience and achieve your goals? What worries you about your ability to succeed in college? What specific measures can you take to strengthen yourself and dispel any self-doubt you may have?
B. Impressions of College. Choose one of these topics to write about.
1. After the class meeting with the Chancellor, consider whether any points in the Chancellor's presentation or readings surprised you. What questions do you still have? What did you learn preparing for meeting with her?
2. Would you have thrived at Oxford? Why/Why not? Try to picture your life in 20 years... describe specific ways you think your college experiences will have shaped your life.
3. What did you think of Tompkins' class- teacher, students, syllabus? Do you hope to have a similar class in college? Why/Why not?
C. Transition to College. Choose one of these topics to write about.
1. Independence: How are you coping with new freedoms associated with starting college? Are there any unexpected concerns? Over the semester, how has your perspective changed (or not)?
2. Learning Environments: If you live in a dorm: How are you turning your dorm environment into a study/learning environment? How do you communicate your needs about this? If you live at home: How have you structured a study environment? What changes have been necessary?
3. What is your relationship with time? Is it your enemy? Do you procrastinate? Why or why not? Can you think of a time when "getting it done" really paid off? When "Putting it off" really hurt you? What time management strategies have worked for you? How is your daily schedule in college different from what you are used to? How will you use your awareness of your own energy cycle to set a study schedule?
D. Critical thinking: How critical are you when evaluating news, claims and sources of information? What sources do you trust and why? How do you decide what sources and/or arguments are valid? Have you ever been swayed by a well-presented, but fallacious, argument (describe)? Why is this important?
E. Making a Difference. Choose one of these topics to write about.
1. Friendships: What are ways that you can direct your new friendships toward learning and enhancing your education? E.g., what things can you do with your friends that will help you move beyond social excursions?
2. Community: What is your perfect community- your utopia? What ideals are important to you? Why? What are problems and advantages of your perfect community? Are you living in it now? If not, why not?
3. Making a Difference: How can you make a difference and effect community change when necessary? Are you registered to vote? Why? Why not? Have you joined any organizations at UNCW? Why/Why not? Have you considered leadership positions? Why/Why not?
F. Choose one of your favorite quotations or scenes from A Long Way Gone and develop a short essay. Please provide the page numbers you are writing about.
G. There will be 4 more assigned topics. These will be based on our theme, NYT readings, Mountains Beyond Mountains, and the Schweitzer speaker. You'll be given more information on these assignments in class.
Grading
You may be asked to read your essays in class.
That's a hint: re-read your essay to improve its presentation; excessive
grammatical and spelling errors are one indication of the effort you put
into the assignment. No, this is not an English class, but what better
place than freshman seminar to learn how to present your ideas clearly and
effectively to a non-English discipline instructor.
10 Excellent:
Writing shows real thought, analysis and engagement with the readings and
class discussion. Written in an imaginative manner, nice “turn of phrases.” (These ratings are rare.)
8 - 9 Very Good: Writing shows real thought analysis, and engagement
with class readings or class discussion.
6 - 7 Good: Demonstrates you have read the material and given some
thought to how it relates to your experiences.
5 OK: You’ve read the material but have not analyzed it in
your essay.
< 5 Insufficient: You turned something in, but it is very short and/or
superficial. Try harder!