Seven Generalizations about Student Writing in Freshman Studies

Note: The following points represent a convergence of faculty opinions about the aims of Freshman Studies writing. Not all faculty will agree with all the points, but many faculty endorse them. I present them here in the hope that these "generalizations" will help you get your bearings as you begin writing for Freshman Studies and for other courses at Lawrence.

1. The main aim of writing instruction in Freshman Studies is not to provide remedial work in grammar, but rather to help students master the skills involved in presenting a complex argument.

2. The purpose of a Freshman Studies paper is not self-expression but communication--and more specifically, the communication of an idea or argument about one of the works being studied.

3. The audience for a Freshman Studies paper is not a particular professor, nor is it the mythical "little old lady from Dubuque" who's never heard of Plato. The real audience is someone who's familiar with the work in question, though not an expert on it, someone who's looking to the paper for help in understanding the work itself.

4. Students in Freshman Studies should come to appreciate the value of revising their work. In revising, students should attend chiefly to the overall structure of the argument; for although it is important to correct errors of grammar, syntax, spelling, and usage, such corrections are not the only important goals of a thorough revision.

5. The introduction to a Freshman Studies paper should raise a question about the work being treated. The introduction will usually conclude with a response to the question--a response that can serve as the paper's thesis.

6. The body of a Freshman Studies paper should contain several logically connected main points, all of which support the thesis. Evidence presented in support of these points should not be merely stated but interpreted, so that its relevance to the argument is clear.

7. The conclusion of the paper should respond to the introduction, articulating answers to the questions raised in the introduction and explaining why those answers are of value to the reader.