ANALYSIS ESSAY #1 PROMPT: Focusing on the question, What’s College For?, analyze how students weigh out the advantages and disadvantages or the causes and effects of a college education or an issue related to college. One of the sub-topics below will give you an limited aspect to dive into with research and opinion–they say/I say in response. See the introduction in T/I pp. 485ff.
All final drafts of essays are to be typed, double spaced, 12-pt. plain, black font like Times New Roman or Arial. You need to document those sources you use in MLA format and add a works cited. Visuals can be included. Draft and final draft will be submitted under other assignments listed.
1. What is your topic?
Effects of Acadmic related Mental Health Issues: Academic performance, social relationships, overall well-being.
2. What are advantages/disadvantages OR aspects of the issue you are working on that could be covered in 3-5 subpoints?
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Academic Performance: How mental health issues can impact grades and academic success.
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Social Relationships: Effects on students’ interactions and relationships with peers.
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Physical Health: Connection between mental health and physical health issues.
3. What sources might you use? You can use any of the articles in They Say/I Say pp. 485-577; find other articles using library database Academic Search Complete or Google Scholar; don’t forget the power of adding in an interview or first hand testimony from people you know who have experience with your topic or issue.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8068628/
https://isminc.com/advisory/publications/the-source/understanding-impact-mental-health-academic-performance
4. What do other people say about your topic or issue? What do you say in return–do you agree with them? disagree with them? partially agree or disagree?
What Others Say: Many studies highlight that mental health issues among students are on the rise due to academic pressure, social isolation, and financial stress. Research might suggest that campus resources are often inadequate or not well utilized.
Your Response: You might agree that there is a crisis, but you could argue that more effective support systems are needed or that existing services are underutilized due to stigma or lack of awareness. You could also suggest that proactive measures and policy changes are necessary to address the root causes effectively.
5. If you were to sum up your central idea for the paper, what would it be? Template example: Many people say (or think or experienced) college is for_____, and I (agree, disagree, partially agree or disagree) because _____.
Many experts believe that the mental health crisis among students is primarily caused by academic pressure, financial stress, and social isolation, and I agree with this assessment because while these factors contribute significantly to mental health issues, effective campus resources and preventive measures are crucial for mitigating these challenges and improving student well-being.
NOTE: You can go many different ways on this essay. First, narrow the big topic of “What’s College For?” to a smaller area for you to analyze. The first group of suggested topics lend themselves to looking at the advantages/disadvantages of decision-making about college based on that one area. For instance, if you chose a topic like “Well-paying jobs and careers”, you could look at either advantages or disadvantages or both to analyze how students choose to go to college and major in something based on whether they will get a good job afterward.
PLEASE NOTE – THEY SAy/I SAY WAS PRIMARILLY USED THIS SEMESTER!
However, choose something from the second group of topics like “Return on Investment”. You will most likely look at ways to get a good salary without spending too much money or take too much out in student loans so that you are not in debt for the rest of your life or paying for too much education that is not needed. That’s where the supplemental reading in analyzing causes and effects from The Norton Field Guide helps.
After you determine your narrowed topic, then you can come up with your sub-points to your narrow topic and the approach you are taking, and locate sources.