Paper 1
Self-reflective essay
Van Noy

Try to envision your first paper as the first one that would go into your portfolio as an English major or student of English. It should contain information about your background, ideas, and expectations. It will help future (and present) teachers respond effectively to your needs as a student.

1. Give an account of your background In English, American and other literatures. State the courses you have taken in high school and/or other institutions. Mention some of the authors and the literary works that you studied. You don't have to be comprehensive.

2. State your experiences with studying literature and/or criticism/theory (if any). Did you like it, enjoy it, or did you ever have any negative feelings toward literature? Are you resistant to criticism in any way? What contribution has reading and writing made to your intellectual growth? Can you think of a valuable course, or a remarkable writer, that had a profound influence on your thinking?

3. What authors do you wish you had read in high school to better prepare you for college?

4. What are your expectations as an English major or student of English? What do you want to accomplish? What kind of knowledge, skills, and abilities do you hope to acquire?

5. Create a profile of a good teacher. What qualities do you value most in a good teacher?

6. What are your career goals? How do you think the course of study as an English major/minor/concentration will help you attain your goals?

7. If you changed your major from another subject to English, state the factors that prompted you to make the change.

8. Comment on how you read. What makes something “good” when/if you evaluate it? What “worldview” do you bring to the text?

No minimum or maximum length for this paper. But in order to give an adequate profile of yourself as an English major or student of English, you will probably need at least two pages. I’d prefer that you refer to the above as prompts and write an essay, not a Q&A transcript.

The entry paper should be written in an informal style. It should reflect among other things your feelings, your aspirations, and your enthusiasm