LIT344 / Comedy & Satire

BEST PRACTICES

Over the past fifteen years I've accumulated this list of things that successful students do. These are practices which, if followed religiously, will not only get you the grade you want, but the grade you deserve. Some of these points come directly from the research in education, others from my own experience.

   

  • Never give up!
    Research in education has shown that persistence or, as it's better known, stick-to-it-ive-ness, is the single most important factor in student success. Most of the time, if you "hang in there" you'll make it. (And that's especially true in this class. As long as you stick with me, I'll stick with you).

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  • Ask Questions
    Don't be embarassed or reluctant to ask a question. Remember, you're paying for this course. You have a right to an answer and I will do my level best to respond promptly and as clearly as I can. And if that's not good enough, ask again.

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  • Have Foresight
    Students who succeed look ahead. Many will write assignment due dates and schedule other items, like the days to post to the Discussion Board, on their calendar. If you're computer savvy, you can put them into your online calendar and set up a reminder.

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  • Figure out what's in it for You
    Successful students generally value learning for its own sake. Grades matter, but understanding matters more. When you know the value of what you're being taught, everything else will fall into place.

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  • Make full use of the Textbook and other Resources
    In addition to the textbook, which is your essential resource, there are a number of documents on the BlackBoard site and also at the Dr. Write Site. These include the Syllabus, Lectures, Frequently Asked Questions, and Checklists. Successful students print these out and keep them handy as a reference during the course.

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  • Consider How You "Look"
    Successful professionals generally need to, and take pride in, expressing themselves in a way that shows them in their best light. You may not even be aware of it, but people draw conclusions about you based on how you write. If your resume makes you appear to be less competent you might not get the job you want or get a promotion. I point out spelling and grammatical errors because I care and the corrections I point out can help make you a better writer.

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    		Don't Write to Satisfy the Teacher
    Most of the time, it doesn't work. A friend of mine says this kind of activity is crazy-making. If focus on the assignment and how to meet the requirements you'll do better. And you'll do even better if you focus on what you the assignment is trying to teach you.

    Think of it this way. If you were taking golf lessons and paid no attention to what the instructor tells you with regard to your stance, your swing, and other aspects of your game, and simply spent the time trying to figure out what made me happy would you ever become a good golfer?

       

    		Avoid saying "I think" or "I believe"
    If you are the writer, it's evident that the things you're saying are what you think. A statement like "I think the essay was well written," is weak. If you think the essay was well written, then say "The essay was well written."

    And leave beliefs to matters of faith. It's equally weak to say "I believe that the essay was well written." If you believe that Mohammed received his revelations over a period of 23 years from the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel)," it's OK to introduce the sentence with "I believe," but saying "I believe the purpose of the essay is Referential," is inappropriate.

       

    		Avoid saying "SHOULD"
    I think it was Joe Ely who sang "Musta, Notta Gotta" and "shoulda, woulda, coulda" is in the same class when it comes to writing about Central Ideas. The word should implies a moral. "We should all love one another," is a nice 'message' but it's not a Central Idea.

       

    		Minimum Means "the least"
    If an assignment says the minimum number of words is 300 that means that the instructor can't conceive of anyon being able to accomplish the assignment in less. It doesn't mean to write 300 words and then stop. It means that the best students might be able to do it in 300 words. And leads us to another rule...

       

    		Don't Count Words
    Unless an assignment seems especially short, I don't count words, so neither should you. Focus on completing the assignment (use the checklists).

       

    		It's Not Like You're Really There
    A phrase I see a lot on assignments is "It's like you're really there" or "It seemed real." Another one is "the writer paints a picture in your mind." The appearance of reality is one of the basic features of great literature. Those are the things we're studying this term, but phrases like this don't add anything to an analysis. In fact, they trivialize it. (I suspect they're leftovers from high school.) If you truly felt "really there" or that the author painted a picture in your mind, identify what the author did to cause you to feel that way and use the tools provided in the course to analyze that.

    Now it's your turn. Is there a special practice you have for studying, preparing to write, reviewing materials, taking notes? Send me a description of the things you do that help you to succeed and I'll add them to this list.