{"id":427,"date":"2020-06-11T15:16:55","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T15:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/writing-workshop\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=427"},"modified":"2024-04-24T23:50:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T23:50:39","slug":"what-if-im-still-not-sure-where-to-start","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1coreq\/chapter\/what-if-im-still-not-sure-where-to-start\/","title":{"raw":"What if I'm still not sure where to start?","rendered":"What if I&#8217;m still not sure where to start?"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Explain how to get clarification on writing assignments proactively and productively<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_428\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-428 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/11151131\/working-thinking-confused-messy-hair-3558801-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"A man looking confused\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Professors and instructors are there to help you. If you're lost and unsure where to start, consider reaching out for help.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIt happens to all of us occasionally: The assignment's right there in front of us, but we genuinely can't figure out how to get going. Maybe it's hard to interpret the prompt: what is this assignment asking for? Sometimes the prompt seems like it's designed to confuse you, like the infamous University of Chicago admissions essay questions:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>What is square one and can you actually go back to it?\u00a0[footnote]<a href=\"https:\/\/waylandstudentpress.com\/52263\/articles\/students-respond-to-the-university-of-chicagos-essay-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/waylandstudentpress.com\/52263\/articles\/students-respond-to-the-university-of-chicagos-essay-questions\/<\/a>[\/footnote]<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Cats have nine lives, Pac-Man has 3 lives, and radioactive isotopes have half-lives. How many lives does something else\u2014conceptual or actual\u2014have, and why?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If there's a limited amount of matter in the universe, how can Olive Garden (along with other restaurants and their concepts of food infinity) offer truly unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks? Explain this using any method of analysis you wish\u2014physics, biology, economics, history, theology\u2026 the options, as you can tell, are endless.[footnote]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.collegeessayadvisors.com\/supplemental-essay\/university-of-chicago-2019-20-supplemental-essay-prompt-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.collegeessayadvisors.com\/supplemental-essay\/university-of-chicago-2019-20-supplemental-essay-prompt-guide\/<\/a>[\/footnote]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn a case like this, where the cursor is blinking, the clock is ticking and your mind is blank, it's time to email the instructor (or better yet, if the schedule works, sign up for office hours). HOWEVER: before writing this email, we need to do some background work. First, this email should be sent well before the assignment is due. <strong>Don't be this student:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Student: The assignment is due tomorrow, and I don't know where to start.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Professor: The real question is\u00a0<em>when\u00a0<\/em>to start. Try a week ago.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nAs a rule, never just write that you're confused or don't know where to start. How could anyone respond productively to that? Instead, try to think about how you\u00a0<em>would<\/em> answer the question if clarification wasn't an option. If there's a specific reason why you're having trouble answering the question, try to give a sense of <em>why<\/em> you are confused: <em>where<\/em> exactly do you see a contradiction or a problem? Here's a formula:\r\n<div class=\"textbox\">\r\n\r\nDear Professor _______:\r\n\r\nI was hoping you could provide some clarification about the essay topic for [ COURSE NAME ]. My understanding is that this assignment is asking us to [ YOUR BEST UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PROMPT IS LOOKING FOR ].\u00a0I was thinking of approaching this by [\u00a0 YOUR APPROACH\u00a0 ], but wanted to run the idea past you first.\r\n\r\nThank you for any guidance you can offer!\r\n\r\n[YOUR NAME]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nYou can write the message in your own voice, and with the level of formality that seems appropriate for the situation and the course. The main thing is to give enough information about your thought process so far that the instructor or TA can help you productively. Let's practice!\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>Writing Workshop<\/h3>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Read the following essay prompt. Let's say it's for an imaginary course called \"Ways of Knowing.\"\r\n<div class=\"textbox\" style=\"background-color: white;\">French novelist Anatole France wrote: \u201cAn education isn\u2019t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It\u2019s being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don\u2019t.\u201d What don\u2019t you know?[footnote]Brown University admissions essay question, as quoted in Ryan, Julia. \u201cApplying to College Shouldn't Require Answering Life's Great Questions.\u201d The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2013, www.theatlantic.com\/education\/archive\/2013\/10\/applying-to-college-shouldnt-require-answering-lifes-great-questions\/280250\/.[\/footnote]<\/div><\/li>\r\n \t<li>Spend around 5 minutes breaking down what the question is asking for. Are there words or concepts you need to review or look up?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Spend around 5 minutes brainstorming how you could tackle the question.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>In your workshop document, use the template to write an email to an imaginary professor sharing your initial ideas and asking for clarification.\r\n<div class=\"textbox\" style=\"background-color: white;\">\r\n\r\nDear Professor Unklar:\r\n\r\nI was hoping you could provide some clarification about the essay topic for \"Ways of Knowing.\" My understanding is that this assignment is asking us to [ YOUR BEST UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PROMPT IS LOOKING FOR ].\u00a0I was thinking of approaching this by [\u00a0 YOUR APPROACH\u00a0 ], but wanted to run the idea past you first.\r\n\r\nThank you for any guidance you can offer!\r\n\r\n[YOUR NAME]\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Explain how to get clarification on writing assignments proactively and productively<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_428\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-428\" class=\"wp-image-428 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/11151131\/working-thinking-confused-messy-hair-3558801-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"A man looking confused\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-428\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Professors and instructors are there to help you. If you&#8217;re lost and unsure where to start, consider reaching out for help.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>It happens to all of us occasionally: The assignment&#8217;s right there in front of us, but we genuinely can&#8217;t figure out how to get going. Maybe it&#8217;s hard to interpret the prompt: what is this assignment asking for? Sometimes the prompt seems like it&#8217;s designed to confuse you, like the infamous University of Chicago admissions essay questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is square one and can you actually go back to it?\u00a0<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"https:\/\/waylandstudentpress.com\/52263\/articles\/students-respond-to-the-university-of-chicagos-essay-questions\/\" id=\"return-footnote-427-1\" href=\"#footnote-427-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Cats have nine lives, Pac-Man has 3 lives, and radioactive isotopes have half-lives. How many lives does something else\u2014conceptual or actual\u2014have, and why?<\/li>\n<li>If there&#8217;s a limited amount of matter in the universe, how can Olive Garden (along with other restaurants and their concepts of food infinity) offer truly unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks? Explain this using any method of analysis you wish\u2014physics, biology, economics, history, theology\u2026 the options, as you can tell, are endless.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"https:\/\/www.collegeessayadvisors.com\/supplemental-essay\/university-of-chicago-2019-20-supplemental-essay-prompt-guide\/\" id=\"return-footnote-427-2\" href=\"#footnote-427-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a case like this, where the cursor is blinking, the clock is ticking and your mind is blank, it&#8217;s time to email the instructor (or better yet, if the schedule works, sign up for office hours). HOWEVER: before writing this email, we need to do some background work. First, this email should be sent well before the assignment is due. <strong>Don&#8217;t be this student:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Student: The assignment is due tomorrow, and I don&#8217;t know where to start.<\/li>\n<li>Professor: The real question is\u00a0<em>when\u00a0<\/em>to start. Try a week ago.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a rule, never just write that you&#8217;re confused or don&#8217;t know where to start. How could anyone respond productively to that? Instead, try to think about how you\u00a0<em>would<\/em> answer the question if clarification wasn&#8217;t an option. If there&#8217;s a specific reason why you&#8217;re having trouble answering the question, try to give a sense of <em>why<\/em> you are confused: <em>where<\/em> exactly do you see a contradiction or a problem? Here&#8217;s a formula:<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">\n<p>Dear Professor _______:<\/p>\n<p>I was hoping you could provide some clarification about the essay topic for [ COURSE NAME ]. My understanding is that this assignment is asking us to [ YOUR BEST UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PROMPT IS LOOKING FOR ].\u00a0I was thinking of approaching this by [\u00a0 YOUR APPROACH\u00a0 ], but wanted to run the idea past you first.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for any guidance you can offer!<\/p>\n<p>[YOUR NAME]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>You can write the message in your own voice, and with the level of formality that seems appropriate for the situation and the course. The main thing is to give enough information about your thought process so far that the instructor or TA can help you productively. Let&#8217;s practice!<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>Writing Workshop<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Read the following essay prompt. Let&#8217;s say it&#8217;s for an imaginary course called &#8220;Ways of Knowing.&#8221;\n<div class=\"textbox\" style=\"background-color: white;\">French novelist Anatole France wrote: \u201cAn education isn\u2019t how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It\u2019s being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don\u2019t.\u201d What don\u2019t you know?<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Brown University admissions essay question, as quoted in Ryan, Julia. \u201cApplying to College Shouldn't Require Answering Life's Great Questions.\u201d The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2013, www.theatlantic.com\/education\/archive\/2013\/10\/applying-to-college-shouldnt-require-answering-lifes-great-questions\/280250\/.\" id=\"return-footnote-427-3\" href=\"#footnote-427-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>Spend around 5 minutes breaking down what the question is asking for. Are there words or concepts you need to review or look up?<\/li>\n<li>Spend around 5 minutes brainstorming how you could tackle the question.<\/li>\n<li>In your workshop document, use the template to write an email to an imaginary professor sharing your initial ideas and asking for clarification.\n<div class=\"textbox\" style=\"background-color: white;\">\n<p>Dear Professor Unklar:<\/p>\n<p>I was hoping you could provide some clarification about the essay topic for &#8220;Ways of Knowing.&#8221; My understanding is that this assignment is asking us to [ YOUR BEST UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE PROMPT IS LOOKING FOR ].\u00a0I was thinking of approaching this by [\u00a0 YOUR APPROACH\u00a0 ], but wanted to run the idea past you first.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for any guidance you can offer!<\/p>\n<p>[YOUR NAME]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-427\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>What if I&#039;m still not sure where to start?. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Confused. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>:  Rahman Hajati. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/working-thinking-confused-messy-hair-3558801\/\">https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/working-thinking-confused-messy-hair-3558801\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cc0\">CC0: No Rights Reserved<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-427-1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/waylandstudentpress.com\/52263\/articles\/students-respond-to-the-university-of-chicagos-essay-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/waylandstudentpress.com\/52263\/articles\/students-respond-to-the-university-of-chicagos-essay-questions\/<\/a> <a href=\"#return-footnote-427-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-427-2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.collegeessayadvisors.com\/supplemental-essay\/university-of-chicago-2019-20-supplemental-essay-prompt-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.collegeessayadvisors.com\/supplemental-essay\/university-of-chicago-2019-20-supplemental-essay-prompt-guide\/<\/a> <a href=\"#return-footnote-427-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-427-3\">Brown University admissions essay question, as quoted in Ryan, Julia. \u201cApplying to College Shouldn't Require Answering Life's Great Questions.\u201d The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2013, www.theatlantic.com\/education\/archive\/2013\/10\/applying-to-college-shouldnt-require-answering-lifes-great-questions\/280250\/. <a href=\"#return-footnote-427-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":161083,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Confused\",\"author\":\" Rahman Hajati\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/working-thinking-confused-messy-hair-3558801\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc0\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"What if I\\'m still not sure where to start?\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen 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