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In college you will be required to write many papers. In
fact in order to get into college you will likely have to
write an essay about why you are a good candidate for the
school. You must be able to express yourself clearly and
concisely. Often you are persuading others to take your
point of view in situations that are not black and white.
When I was in high school a wonderful English teacher named
Mrs. Vaughn taught a writhing method we nicknamed ‘writing
in chunks.’ This method of writing will guarantee
success. I have used this method throughout my college experience
and continue to use it in the professional world and it
continues to be very successful.
How to Write in Chunks
So, you have been given an assignment to analyze a book
or a topic and you have an opinion or feelings already but
you have no idea how to express yourself intellectually.
Or, have you ever sat down to write a paper and didn’t
know where to begin? Perhaps you know your main idea but
didn’t know how to prove it. Maybe you are unsure
of your ability to analyze and discuss the meaning behind
supporting documentation. Using the chunk method will solve
these problems for you.
Chunks are blocks of information. They help you organize
your thoughts into main focal points and record the supporting
documentation. The format of a chunk is:
- Your main thought or idea
- A quote or statistic to support, prove, document, your
idea
- Statements that analyze or discuss your thoughts on
the idea and the supporting documentation.
So chunks incorporate your thesis, supporting ideas, and
your own analysis. If you have ever had a hard time discussing
the meaning behind your supporting documentation or the
purpose of your main thought the format of a chunk makes
this a non-issue. Chunks give you an easy format to insert
your thoughts, which is your analysis. The following is
the format for a paper that is written using chunks.
The introduction is a standard component of any essay.
The introduction introduces the reader to the topic, your
feelings on the topic and the purpose of your essay. The
first sentence should be the introduction to the topic that
your will be discussion. The next two to three sentences
will be an introduction to your opinion on the topic. The
final sentences will be your thesis or main topic of discussion.
The body paragraphs follow directly after the introduction.
There should be at least two to three of the chunks in the
paper depending on the length of the assignment. The body
paragraphs of your essay are where you will begin writing
in chunks.
The first sentence will be a statement about what you believe
or are trying to prove. Next there should be a quote or
some statistics that back up your initial statement. Directly
following your quote would be at least two sentences that
both analyze the quote and discuss how it supports your
initial statement. Each body paragraph should contain at
least two chunks. The following is an example of a chunk
paragraph.
Some feel that practicing for a job interview is unnecessary
because you don’t know what will be asked. However,
according to Terry L. Fitzwater “You’ll be more
successful in any interview if you rehearse first.”
(Fitzwater 45) Rehearsal will build confidence in yourself
and help you to practice poise and clear articulation which
will help you succeed in the interview. Rehearsing can also
reduce some of the nervousness associated with the interview
process and the interview itself. Fitzwater goes on to say
that, “The anagram M-A-T-T-E-R will help you remember
that most interview questions fall into six categories.
The categories are: Motivation, Ambition, Technical, Theoretical,
Energy and Relationships.” (Fitzwater 46) Understanding
the common categories will help you rehearse better. With
common categories and your job description you can have
friends assist you in preparing for the interview process.
The closing paragraph will reiterate what your stated thesis
is and sum up the points you have made throughout the essay.
The closing paragraph should tie up any loose ends as well
so there are no unanswered questioned.
When writing a college
essay whether it’s about yourself or a subject
you have researched, this writing method will guarantee
success. It guarantees that you incorporate your analysis
and quotes to support your analysis. This style proves to
your professors that you have studied the material and have
came up with your own analysis which demonstrates your comprehension.
Resources
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2019286/Sequential-Thematic-Organization-of-Publications
http://www.stanford.edu/~rhorn/a/topic/stwrtng_infomap/artclStrctrdWrtngPrdigm.pdf
Works Cited
Fitzwater, Terry L. Preparing for Behavior Based Interviewing
How to Get the Job you Want . unknown: Thompson Learning
, 2004.
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