Assignment: You’ve been asked to complete this writing diagnostic as a way for me to get a sense of who you are as a writer—and of your authentic voice—at the start of the term. To be clear: this is not a placement test nor will your writing be assessed in any subjective, formal way. I am not trying to see whether you are a “good” or “bad” writer. (I happen to believe there is no such thing as “bad” writers.) I simply want to get a sense of your voice and style. If you complete this diagnostic, you will receive full credit. So, to that end, please do not worry about whether your writing is technically perfect—no need to stress over misspelled words or missing commas here. For this diagnostic, please spend 45-60 minutes writing a short, informal essay in response to one of the following three prompts. Do not use any outside resources, as there is no research necessary. It’s also important to note that these questions, by design, do not have a “right” or “wrong” answer. So, you don’t have to worry about being correct. Aim, instead, to share and support your own opinion and experience related to the topic. Do not exceed 500 words. Option 1: Jonathan Haidt is a well-known social psychologist and author who recently published a NYT best-selling book entitled, The Anxious Generation. In this book, Haidt argues, essentially, that social media use is leading to high rates of anxiety and depression among young people. He writes, “This is the great irony of social media: the more you immerse yourself in it, the more lonely and depressed you become.” Do you agree with this statement, based on your very limited understanding of Haidt’s argument? Why or why not? Option 2: Over the past several years, American colleges and universities have come under increased scrutiny, as some question whether or not a college degree is valuable. As part of this conversation, questions have arisen about whether students should be required to take general education courses, like sociology, history, and English, regardless of their desired degree. As a student at a two-year college, where do you situate yourself within this conversation? That is, what value is there, if any, in requiring degree-seeking students take humanities classes as part of a Gen Ed curriculum? Option 3: Since COVID, colleges are offering more and more classes online. Online classes, specifically asynchronous classes, offer students an opportunity to have more flexible schedules, which can be beneficial, especially if students are trying to find work-life-school balance. Yet, statistically, students are much more likely to succeed in an in-person class. If online classes are becoming more popular, and if many students prefer them, why do you think students are much lesslikely to be successful online, rather than face-to-face? Requirements: Use Times New Roman, size 12 font; do not exceed 500 words; double-space; include name and date in top left-hand corner
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