Debra Foxx English 1101 Suzanne Ingram October 25, 2013 Genre Study I know its clich to write

about the five paragraph essay, but using this method in high school as often as I did has given me a strong meaning behind discussions about it. First of all, I think to analyze the text one should have a strong understanding and experience with that topic; therefore, I think I am a good candidate for this. In high school, an assignment that stuck with me came from my sophomore English class. Our assignment was preparing us for the state writing test so the simple instructions were as stated: If you could make one scientific breakthrough or discovery what would it me? Write an essay in the format we have discussed detailing your thoughts and reasoning supporting your answer. It was never specifically stated that it should be written in five paragraph form, but that is all we had worked on when preparing for the test so it was implied. I would include part of the paper I wrote, however, I was unsuccessful in finding it. I was the author, writing to an unknown audience. When writing this particular piece I just assumed that my classmates and teacher were the audience. If the actual audience were different from the intended audience, I believe it could change the effectiveness of the piece. The audience would understand the piece but it could be more difficult for someone else to understand and relate to it

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The intended purpose of this specific essay was to help prepare us for the state writing test. We had spent many weeks prior working and studying the format so now it was our turn to go off on our own. After all, we wouldnt have help on the actual test. The actual test itself has been debated much in our society, especially today. It seems everyone but the actual enforcers of the test agree that too much time is spent studying this format. Dont get me wrong, students do learn a lot about things like sticking to a set standard but what is the point? I will get back to that question later. Many things can be taken from this style of writing. Having past experience, I know that it is a great starter format for future writing but many teachers today use it with students all the way up to graduation. Therefore, the students are left with no other knowledge besides that of the five paragraph essay. So yes, there are upsides to it. Students learn how to stick to specific instruction and they learn different ways to ask specific questions and answer them in their writing. With this assignment I learned to think outside the box and ask questions that would make my paper stand out from the rest; that was one thing that aided a good grade. Considering the level of thought necessary to actually write these essays, it was often found that many students would write about the same topic. Each student would start off by forming a thesis. They would then make a general outline of how they want to write their paper and what points they will use to discuss it. There are many different methods teachers use to help students grasp this format but my teacher chose to prepare us through reflections and revisions. Since the instructions are basically step-by-step, it isnt a surprise that many papers have the same basic outline and similar points depending on what the topic is. There isnt much room for the student to be creative and show their personality in their work.

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Honestly, are students really benefiting from this genre? In my opinion I would say no. There are many upsides as I stated previously but I think the downsides overpower them. Having experience with this format in high school didnt prepare me whatsoever for the writing of a college level class. Not once have I been asked to write an assignment where the format was the five paragraph essay, nor have I written an assignment that was intended to be only five paragraphs. For example, I had a professor ask me to write a paper using the APA (American Psychological Association) or ASA (American Sociological Association) style format. It was immediately clear that almost no one in the class knew what that was and the professor had to go back and do extra work so we could somewhat understand how to write it. I will talk about that situation a little bit later. It seems cruel to let people who have never been in the situations that students are today make the rules for the teachers to educate by. If it could be put into their heads that this method is least effective in preparing students for the real world, I would suggest allowing them to broaden their work to look at and experiment with other formats. After all, isnt that what the schools supposedly want for their students? Getting back to my previous thought; though no one likes to admit it, we have all had that one assignment in a class that was from far our understanding. We found ourselves struggling to grasp the format and even the instructions. This assignment for me took place this semester. It was a group presentation paper for my Sociology class. The assignment was straight forward and very strict to guidelines. It was APA (American Psychological Association) or ASA (American Sociological Association) format, which I had never even heard of; excluding the title page and all quotes, while emphasizing the importance of perfect citations according to my professor. The exact assignment as listed states:

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A group (selected by instructor) of several students, meet together and cooperate in a group effort centered on the lectured topic designated during the groups due date; for group presentation dates and topic see Course Schedule in the syllabus. Groups that overlap another groups topic area should discuss it among the group members. Each student prepares 2 pages max: typed, appropriate university standards, name, ID number, prepared in a professional writing style: ASA or APA. In his/her part of the presentation 2 PowerPoint slides containing less than 10 words (plus your name on each slide) each and appropriate pictures, if desired. While your individual conclusion or analysis is vital to your score, format (APA/ASA) represents your primarily grade at time of your presentation (which must match your paper). Such as, NO QUOTE POLICY. Work must be in your own words but your sources must be cited in the context of your paper: APA/ASA applies. Also, NO CITATIONS, NO POINTS. Paper must contain two outside (of textbook) empirical evidence studies and the textbook and all three references (at a minimum) must be cited in both the context and detailed on page 3 (your reference page). Dont know what empirical evidence is? Go to the writing center, library, or on line; one definition is Empirical evidence is information that is acquired by observation or experimentation. Data are recorded and analyzed by scientists and is a central process as part of the scientific method. Its a scientific study). No title page and no abstract (which is different from APA). Paper Grade: up to 100 points. Late papers might, although its doubtful that they will be accepted only on the day it is due and will be reduced by 10 points. Late is after your group begins their presentation.

Seems crazy right? Needless to say, I didnt even know where to begin. I was to be the author with the daunting task of preparing this paper then using it to make a presentation to my large class of two-hundred. Speaking in front of a large number of people has never been a strong point of mine. I was to present whatever topic I chose from my groups chapter, which was social capital and social networks. Though the professor told us what format to write the paper in, it was never clearly stated how to actually follow through with it. It had to fit the exact format, but there were a billion ways a person could run with it. It left a lot of unanswerable questions for me about how to execute my paper in the best way possible. It was clear from the beginning what he really cared about, and that was the three things I mentioned above; no title page, no quotes, perfect citations while keeping exact format.

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I believe that assignments like this would only be found in classes similar to this one or anywhere a paper supporting a formal-informational presentation is needed. The format itself even states its use in sociological and psychological environments. It doesnt seem like an assignment such as this would fit in any other situation but that is just my opinion. This is probably why this professor chose this specific style. I wish the professor would have taken into consideration the number of first-year students and new writers that would have to participate in this assignment but, honestly, it can only make sense that the person who created this style of writing possibly used it for a similar situation. So I began my paper, working at it as I went along. It seemed too short of notice to visit the writing center so, like any other college student, I spent countless hours desperately searching the almighty Google for answers. I looked at numerous papers composed by other students and each one was different in the way it was written. Even when writing my own, I didnt sound like myself. I wrote my paper in a way that sounded like another research paper. I said things such as A lot of these connections can now be made through social networking sites. A component of social capital, social network, can be described as a web of ties we have with others (Carl 2011). It was uninspiring and quite boring; I didnt like it at all. There was absolutely nowhere to show my own personality and that made it even harder to revise my paper. I was way beyond frustrated. I even contemplated opting out of the assignment and accepting the grade that went with such an act of despair. Giving it my best effort, I managed to finish, and presented my paper a few days later. I received a decent grade in my mind. Considering the number of struggles I faced, I was content. From this, I learned that sometimes we have to just follow the rules and guidelines whether we like it or not. This was not only an ideal time to work on improving my writing, but

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also a way to gain experience working with different writing styles I may see again in my future years of college. It may have been a tough assignment, but in the end the struggles I faced will benefit me most. Though these two situations I analyzed in this paper were very similar in that they are both used to teach and/or discuss a topic, they are even more different. There are two formats used for two different occasions and that is where the differences begin to show themselves. The APA and ASA formats are used at a college-level, or higher, mainly for psychology and sociology related papers. They are very formal, requiring research, and each one is completely different from the rest. The five paragraph essay is the most commonly used format in grade school and is pretty basic in layout. Many students end up with papers that are written alike due to the step-by-step layout of the essay. There isnt much to think about and, in fact, there isnt much that students have to know to write a five paragraph essay. Theres no way to know why the five paragraph essay is still around. It has been challenged by teachers and students for years. After a certain point, it doesnt teach students anything and is a waste of their precious time. Many other things could be covered in the time spent on it and that is where students are being hurt the most. Teachers also agree, they could be spending more time on things students will use in their future than spending years preparing them for one test. At least the APA and ASA formats are used effectively. They have been used for years and are still successfully serving their purpose. It would make sense to me that students should have a say in what style of writing they take part in. Though this isnt as important to a college student, it is more comfortable to write in a style that is familiar. I wish I would have had more experience with the APA and ASA formats

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before the assignment I was given in college. I would have felt a little better about my grade. If given the option, myself as well as many other students would have chosen to learn more about different styles and formats of writing when in high school. Even during high school I knew I wouldnt be prepared for college so imagine my thoughts during my first semester. Do I have any advice for students in either situation? Of course I do. Dont let teachers in high school force you to write like you are some kind of prisoner. Branch out and try new things that will set your writing apart from those of others. As you make you way towards graduation, start leaning into new styles and genres with your writing and see if it works in your favor. Also, try learning more about different formats and genres of writing before you leap into college and are forced to add that work to your pile of assignments. Having to teach yourself how to do an assignment is tough so any preparation you can do will be beneficial, and if you need additional help there are always resources offered. If theres one thing I can take from this English 1101 class it is that you are the writer and your opinions are never wrong. Who can say what is right or wrong anyway? Someone who thinks their views are of higher standards? Think on your own. Following in the footsteps of others will get you nowhere. Knowing what I know now about the differences between different high school writing and college writing, I feel as though I have really grown and developed. After going through high school writing just to get a grade, I can now write to really express how I feel. I know my topics are unique and my essays go deep into a subject. I am proud to say I have faced the challenge of not knowing where to begin, and I now know how to look further into the assignment and the resources available to me to successfully complete it. There are a lot of things we face in the journey of becoming better writers but, in the end, everything influences us and benefits our future success.