0.1 1. aaa creating success

Week 1: introduction / creating success

Let's Get Started! Introductions and Syllabus Review

Sample essay mla format

Spiderman Brown Albert EinsteinAAA 090 September 30, 2013

Planning for a New Life Going to college is like entering a whole different world. It takes a lot of preparation. I knew I'd have to learn to think in new ways, but then I found out I had to learn to plan my daily habits too. My life requires moreplanning than ever. I hadn't realized at first how much time I'd have to spend away from home. In addition to the hours I'vealways worked, I now have additional hours away from home that I spend in class or at the library. I need to schedule everything! For instance, I have to plan for my lunches and dinners to come with me because I can't runhome in between work and school, and I can't afford fast food all the time. I also have to plan on what goes into my backpack every day. I need different materials on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from what I need on Tuesday andThursday. Therefore, I have to make sure I change things out before I leave the house in the morning. It has taken me a while to get it all right so I don't forget anything and so I don't carry around extra stuff that could get heavy. Iride my bike, so I don't have a car trunk to act as a locker. Planning My load correctly every day is important. The little time I have at home, I spend studying and then preparing for the next day. It has taken some getting used to.Being a student has meant learning a lot of unexpected stuff I didn't plan on, like how much planning of everyday things it really takes to succeed. I am getting better and better at organizing myself. That's a good thingbecause my classes keep getting harder.

Success journal criteria

Use the following criteria as a checklist as you do your written assignment:

Title

• Does my paper address all of the questions asked for in the assignment?
• Does my paper stay on the topic, without straying or adding irrelevant information?

• Is my paper typed in Times New Roman font, using 12-point size throughout?
  Typed is preferred, but you may hand-write your paper if you do not have access to a keyboard, or if typing is especially difficult for you
• Is it on standard 8 1/2 x 11-inch white paper?
• Does it have one-inch margins?
• Is it left-justified only?
• Is it double spaced (2.0) throughout, with no extra space between paragraphs?
• Is the first line of each paragraph indented on tab (approximately five spaces, or 1/2 inch)?
• Is it approximately 275-350 words (1 to 1 1/2 pages) in length?

If handwritten:

• Is my paper legible, i.e., written neatly enough that another person would be able to read it without difficulty?
  Illegible papers will be returned ungraded.
• Is it on standard 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper (college ruled or wide ruled)?
• Are the edges clear of clutter (spiral binding scraps, etc.)?
• Are the left and right margins approximately one inch, or aligned with the vertical margin line printed on the page?
• Is the first line of each paragraph indented approximately five characters of 1/2 inch?
• Is it approximately two pages (275 - 350 words) in length, without skipping lines?

Heading

• Does my paper begin with a four-line heading in MLA format, as follows?
  • Does the first line contain my name (first name first)?
  • Does the second line contain my instructor's name?
  • Does the third line contain the name of my class (subject and course number)?
  • Does the fourth line contain the due date (written out or in European format?)
    Examples: April 10, 2013 or 10 April 2013
  • Are the above four lines in the upper left corner, double-spaced (no extra space)?
• Is the title centered on the top line?
• Is the title in 12-point type (without quotation marks, bold face, or other effects)?
• Is the title appropriate for the assignment?
• Is there a double space (2.0 - no extra space) between the heading and the title?
• Is there a double space (2.0 - no extra space) between the title and the first line of the essay?
• If my paper is more than one page, are subsequent pages numbered in the upper right corner?

Clarity

• Does my paper have three main elements: 1) introduction, 2) body, and 3) conclusion?
• Did I address the topic using full sentences and paragraphs?
• Do my sentences make sense?
• Are my paragraphs written in a logical order?
• Does each paragraph address a complete point, thought, or idea?
• Did I start a new paragraph when moving to a different point, thought, or idea?

Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

• Do I have complete sentences?
• Does each sentence have a subject and a verb? (If not, it is a fragment.)
• Do I have correct agreement (subject-verb; pronoun-antecedent; singular-plural?)
• Do I have the correct pronoun case?
• Did I avoid comma splices and run-on sentences?
• Do I have proper punctuation?
• Did I spell-check carefully?
  The computerized spell check only catches words that is does not recognize. You cannot rely solely on the computer to check your spelling!
• Did I proofread?

Use the above criteria as a checklist as you do your assignment.
Refer to the sample essay in MLA format to see how your paper should look.

Assignments

Reading

Academic success agreement

• Type the following information in the subject area: Your First and Last Name, AAA 090
• Type the following information in the body area: My name is _______________________. I am enrolled in AAA 090, _______ Semester. I understand that I create and earn my grade. I am responsible for exhibiting successful behaviors in class and showing respect to others. I understand that in order to achieve success, I must attend and participate in class, study and make wise choices. I also understand that if I have any questions or concerns, I must contact my instructor immediately to seek help.