Title: Competency Assessment: (CU3 M4) Essay 3
Course: SkillsCom WR 122 15.0 > Section: Credit Unit 3 Module 4 - Forming a Personal Argument Essay

Essay 3 Assignment

Build on the mini-essay you’ve created in Module 2 by developing it into a full-fledged essay. This will be a piece constructed around the models from the This I Believe website of about 1,000 to 1,500 words. Unlike the short pieces on that website, your essay will include outside sources and citations.

Define Your This I Believe/Personal Philosophy Argument

First, consider the question posed at the site: What is something that you hold as a personal philosophy, and how did you come to put that philosophy into practice? Remember: a personal philosophy is something you’ve exercised in multiple situations and developed over time, not a one-time lesson.

For example: A personal philosophy would be Sarah Adams’s Always be kind to the pizza dude or Harold Taw’s philosophy that people should take time to honor their family by keeping specific traditions.

A bad example: I learned I should always study for exams in advance. This isn’t a philosophy; it’s a lesson. A philosophy would be, always be over-prepared.

Compose a one- or two-sentence personal philosophy statement that begins with the words “I believe.” This will be the thesis of your essay, and it will likely appear in the first paragraph.

Explain, through vivid examples, how you came to believe this.

This essay should be based in personal experience (do not create a false experience for this assignment). Though you’ll be including outside sources, the bulk of the writing here will be from your own experience. Remember: to convince your audience to consider your philosophy, it will be necessary to convince them of its value. Do this by showing them how you came to select or realize this philosophy.

In addition, show your audience how you currently still use or practice this belief, or how it still has an effect on your life. Give specific examples. It’s not enough to say, “This has made me a better person.” Instead, show your audience that you now do x, y, and z, which have made you a more patient partner/parent/student, etc.

Tip: Responding to an essay that you find on the This I Believe web site may be an effective way to start this paper. If you choose to do so, make sure the essay is correctly cited in both your essay and in the bibliography.

For example, you might write, “Having read Harold Taw’s essay, ‘Finding Prosperity by Feeding Monkeys,’ I considered the traditions that honor my own family heritage. Like Taw, I believe in honoring family tradition through uncomfortable acts: I believe in the yearly family reunion.

Or: After I read Leah Ollman’s “Doing Things the Slow Way,” I realized my personal philosophy directly opposes hers. I believe we should speed up our daily tasks in order to provide more time for long-term happiness.

Find and include outside sources

To include outside sources, consider where you might find someone who would agree or disagree with your philosophy. Include that writer/speaker’s belief and describe how it supports or opposes your own.

For example: In Emily Echols’s This I Believe essay, Baking by Senses and Memories (Webpage), she describes her belief that baking for others expresses love and keeps alive family traditions. In an extended essay on this topic, she might bring in outside sources that agree -- cookbook authors who’ve said the same thing, for instance -- or sources that would take issue with the idea that baking something as rich (and unhealthy) as a pecan pie is a good idea. She could discuss the points in those articles and reiterate her own argument at the same time.

You should include at least two outside sources for this essay, though having more than two would be even better (as long as they can be melded into the essay well).

Conclude with a restatement of your belief.

Most of the essays on the This I Believe site both begin and end with a clear statement of their philosophy. As you look for a way to wind up your own essay, consider how to restate your belief for your audience in a new but persuasive way.

Remember that, at its core, this is an argument paper. All belief essays argue that others should at least pay attention to the beliefs being explained, if not convert to them. Therefore, as you craft and conclude this essay, use the lessons from this class so far to engage your audience and to prove your belief’s usefulness and sense. Utilizing ethos, logos, and pathos-based writing may come in handy here.

Include your bibliography in APA format