Try It: Finding Evidence

Finding Evidence Activity

To Do

  1. Revisit the working thesis you have for your essay so far.  That thesis makes claims: it establishes why you withdrew from your course, Photo of four hands holding red pencils at each corner of the photo, so that a square is formed in the central negative spaceand what you will do differently next term.
  2. Make a list of evidence that will be required to prove to your reader that each claim is true.  Include personal examples and predictions about what will be required of you next semester.  Include 3-5 items on that list.
  3. For each item on the list, do some initial research that helps you understand each.  See if you can find people who’ve had similar experiences, or suggestions for college success, or data regarding what practices are most effective.
  4. Include a brief paragraph (3-5 sentences) summarizing what you find in your initial research for each item on the list.

Worked Example

Follow along as Julio completes these assignments on the way towards a final draft of his Personal Analysis Essay. Here is what he wrote for this activity:

Working thesis statement:

I withdrew from English 020 because I didn’t use my time well, or anticipate how much time school would take. Next semester I’ll plan ahead better, and not have so many demands on my time overall.

Evidence:

  • I’ll have to show what I did with my time when I was in school.
  • I’ll have to list out how much time different things took, like homework and getting to school.
  • I’ll have to show what I’ll do differently with my time next semester.
  • I’ll have to show how much time I’ll save now without a girlfriend. Being a single guy is really going to work in my favor!

Summary:

Talking to the couple of tutors I’ve worked with so far has been really helpful. One guy told me about how he’s restarted school three times, but now is almost finished and has been accepted at San Diego State. And he pointed out the Time Management section of this class, which I hadn’t looked at yet. It seems like it’s got good ideas for how to make a calendar. I’m not usually the kind of guy who can plan things out ahead of time, but I think I can be if just keep reminding myself why it matters (and don’t let my roommate see it).