My professor's comment on my essay structure completely flipped my writing process

I had this English 102 prof, Dr. Chen at City College, who told me my arguments were 'like a pinball machine' instead of a clear path. She said I was bouncing all over instead of leading the reader step by step. So I started writing my thesis statement first and then building each paragraph around one single point from it. Now my papers actually make sense to me too, you know? Has anyone else had a teacher say something that totally changed how you study?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy2753d ago

Did your friend ever try that method? I had a friend, Sarah, who was really struggling with her history papers back in community college. Her professor told her she sounded like she was "just throwing facts at the wall to see what stuck." That one hit her hard because she knew it was true. So she started doing what you described - writing her main point first and then only including evidence that actually helped prove it. She said it felt like putting together a puzzle instead of just dumping all the pieces on the table. After that her grades went from C's to solid B's and even an A on her final essay.

shane_ross3d ago

That "throwing facts at the wall" line is brutal but perfect. I wonder if your friend Sarah ever framed her evidence as the prosecution and defense in a trial, @nancy275. Like, imagine your thesis is the judge and only the facts that support the verdict get to stay. She basically went from a firehose to a sniper rifle, which is a way better strategy for anyone not trying to drown their professor in random dates.