Assignment Due: 26 February.

Reading: From Expressways, read pages 83-95. These pages talk about how to fill your body paragraphs with specific language and good supporting details. Gathering and including the right details is particularly important in writing descriptive paragraphs, like the paragraphs you'll be writing for the essay draft due this Thursday. When you create this draft, make sure to use the computer, apply what you learn from the reading, and bring a hard copy to class.


Writing: Where do you want to be in five years?

Write a *draft* of an essay in which you describe where you want your personal, professional, academic, and civic life to be in five years. Part of achieving one's goals is learning to fully visualize what it is you want to achieve. The next step is coming up with a plan which will allow you to move toward the goals you visualize, but I don't want you to write about your plan just yet; instead, I want you to concentrate on writing a fairly complete description of where you want to be.

In your description, be realistic and concrete. Provide examples and illustrations. If you say you want a spouse or significant other, what qualities do you want this person to possess? How will this person compliment you? What kind of person will they be, and how do you visualize your relationship with them? If you say you want to be finishing up your bachelors degree, tell your reader what degree you want to be working on, if you see yourself as a senior, junior, or heading toward graduate school, and what school or kind of school you'd like to be at. If you say you want to be living in a nice apartment, then describe the apartment. What town is it in? Is it near your job or school? What kind of neighborhood is it in? Do you see yourself having roommates? If you say you want a job, what kind of job is it? What kind of work do you see yourself doing? How do you see your work fitting into your other plans? How many hours per week do you see yourself working? Is it an inside, office job or are you doing landscaping outside?

In visualizing your goals, be realistic. You may see yourself as rich, but can you get there in five years? Do some of your homework. It takes most students six years to finish college, and students who work will take even longer; so, if you plan on working while getting a college degree, then you need to plan to still be in school, but working toward a career. You also may mention what limitations you may face or what you'll need to overcome to achieve your goals.


For right now, don't worry about drafting an introduction or conclusion, just draft the main sections of your essay's body.