The course assignment prompt is critical, and throughout the semester, you will receive at least two or more in one course. Your course assignment prompt is a detailed account of what to do on an assignment. The assignment is to demonstrate what you have learned about a particular topic or subject to your instructor. Sometimes, you will respond in writing, oral or visual presentations, via scantron, a digital essay and story, or a group project with your class peers. But, no matter the form, a course assignment prompt is like a map because it outlines for you your opportunity to provide evidence that you have engaged the material. Read it carefully so that you can move on successfully to the next topic or subject.

Some instructors only give a midterm exam and a cumulative final exam. Therefore, you have very little room to make up for classroom assignments. That is why it is so critical for you to review the course syllabus. Find out early if you only have a midterm exam and a final exam or if your instructor will give you several exams throughout the semester. Without question, mini exams in a given course throughout the semester are a better deal, but this is where a close reading of the text comes in. Yes, the course assignment prompt is a text. It is imbued with information that you must consider before you take any action on the assignment.

Most instructors will spend at least half of the classroom time reviewing the course assignment prompt. Some will even use the entire classroom session on it. Whatever time the instructor uses to review the course assignment prompt, this is your golden moment to ask any pertinent questions. That’s why they revisit the course assignment prompt word for word to make sure it is straightforward for everyone. No instructor likes it when students are unclear about their expectations—this is why most instructors give written rather than verbal assignments. Further, if you have a question, they will ask you, “what does it say on the course assignment prompt?” Sounds familiar? Like the course syllabus, the instructor will ask you if you have read the text first. If you haven’t, you have lost another opportunity to make a strong impression on your instructor.

Let’s say you have listened carefully during the in-class review of the course assignment prompt. And that you reread the text several times after class, and you are still unclear about some aspect of it. Should you wait until the next class session to ask for clarity, wait until the instructor has office hours, or send an email asking for further clarification? Remember, the course assignment prompt is a time-sensitive document—the clock is ticking on the due date. And the longer you wait to ask for clarification, the more time you lose responding to the course assignment prompt. So, whichever the scenarios mentioned earlier cost you the least amount of time, that’s the approach you take to get a response from your instructor.

University instructors are doing their own research, teaching other courses, advising students, and providing service to their department and the university. Therefore, they are also pressed for time like you are. The course assignment prompt is a text that helps them and you, so they include everything you need to know to respond in a manner that will give you a positive assessment. Again, carefully read the course assignment prompt before you began to demonstrate what you have learned about a particular topic in the course.

Here are some things that you should look for on the course assignment prompt:

• What is the purpose of the course assignment? That is, what will you have learned about the topic or subject.
• What are the learning outcomes?
• Is a first draft due?  If so, when is it due?
• When is the final draft due?
• What are the consequences for missing the due date?
• Is there a student/teacher conference before or during your work on the assignment? If so, when do you meet? Should you bring an outline or some aspect of the project to show what stage you are developing the project?
• If you have a learning disability, should you have the assignment sent to the learning center to complete? Are you allowed more time to complete the project? How much time?
• Should you turn it in via the university interface system (Blackboard) or bring a hard copy to class?
• What are the assessment criteria?
• What is the length of the assignment?
• Do you need a cover sheet?
• What type of format is expected? Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA)
• Are in-text citations required?
• Is a bibliography required?

You will soon learn that most instructors write their course assignment prompts differently. So if you do not find each one of the bulleted sections on your Course assignment prompt, don’t worry too much. Your instructor is a professional, and they want to make sure you have everything you need to succeed. And the first way to begin is to read the course assignment prompt like a boss!

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Close Reading is Critical Reading

Close reading is simply being observant of the nuances in the text. Therefore, close reading is critical reading. Most authors will unfold their information in texts incrementally rather than abruptly. This helps the reader to engage a topic and to understand all of the subtleties that comprise it. If you find a topic difficult, you may have to read it more than once. This doesn’t mean that you cannot understand the subject. It simply means that you realize that there is a missing link in your grasp of the topic. And before you can move forward, you have to reread a passage or two again. Believe it or not, that’s a good thing! You realize that your learning style requires a certain level of information before you can carry on.

Since you will have to read a lot in college on a multitude of topics, you need a few strategies:

• Have a conversation with the text, particularly with confusing and complex information
• Reread critical passages for comprehension and clarity
• Annotate important passages for in-text citation and classroom conversation
• Note the transitional words and sentence structure for meaning
• Summarize what you read in your own words
• Synthesize what you read to other information

Writing is Reading, Research, and Re-Writing

Now that you have read the texts and completed your research reading, it is time to write. There are many books on writing, but what they all agree on is time -management. Writing is not a night before an assignment is due task. It requires strategic action if you want the optimum assessment of your writing from your instructor—an “A” on the essay. After all of your reading, you should have narrowed your topic. Now you need to outline and get started with the writing. But here are some steps to get you started in the process:

• Define Your topic and narrow its scope depending on the number of pages required defined by your instructor
• Do your research and read the assigned texts
• Write a thesis statement to argue and support with passages from the readings
• Outline your essay so that you stay on course and help your reader to understand the journey you are taking them on
• Paragraphing is essential, so consider these: introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and concluding paragraph
• Don’t forget to cite your sources — your instructor will tell you to use either the Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA)

Your instructor will probably introduce you to Aristotle and his treatise on ethical and persuasive writing in your First-Year Writing course, The Art of Rhetoric. Aristotle created a framework that most writing instructors still use to teach writing. The five canons of rhetoric are critical to the prewriting and writing process:

• Invention            (inventio)            the beginning stage
• Arrangement     (disposition)       organization of the argument
• Style                     (elocutio)            your tone and voice
• Memory              (memoria)          your retrieval of information from thought
• Delivery               (actio)                  the presentation

Of course, each instructor has their unique way of teaching the process of writing—but all will agree that reading and writing are connected. Further, close reading should become a habit of mind when expanded thinking is needed to create longer forms of writing. It all begins with time management

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Some instructors may ask you to sign the course syllabus. Some may go even further and have you sign
it as part of a course contract. In either case, the syllabus is critical to the fruition of the course, and it
behooves you to read it thoroughly. If you have a question about the exam date, a class reading, or the
midterm and final, the syllabus is the first place to look for an answer. If you do not and ask the
instructor, be prepared for this response: “what does it say in the syllabus?” If you can’t answer that
question, you have signaled to the instructor that you have not read it. Trust me, most instructors will
not quote what’s in it for you because they do not want to give out conflicting information. This also
prevents them from misquoting or appearing to provide preferential treatment to one student. In short,
the course syllabus is also about equity. Everyone has a fair and equal shot to successfully navigate the
terrain ahead of them.

The course syllabus serves several primary purposes to help you navigate your way to a successful end
to your journey. First, like most maps, the course syllabus is about logistics. It provides detailed
information regarding the flow of things between the origin and the destination. Second, quite often,
the course syllabus is fixed—it is not going to change so that you can play catch up. Therefore, you should plan your
trip and develop a strategy for completing the journey well before you must take it. Third, most instructors will provide
you with a link to the course website for the syllabus. Or they may put their syllabi online
in the university’s digital course management system—Blackboard, Canvas, etc. Make sure you understand how to navigate the system on day one and bring your laptop to class. If your instructor stresses a critical assignment, make sure you highlight it and put it in your calendar. Finally, make sure you review syllabi from each course on the first day of the semester, noting due dates for assignments.

The features of a course syllabus vary, but here are some essential features of most:

• Instructor information – name, title, office location, phone number, and e-mail (also names and contact information for teaching assistants)
• Course Information (course semester, title, section, and number; meeting times, days, and location)
• Course content description (also prerequisites for the course)
• Course objectives and goals
• Learning outcomes (this information is vital if you transfer to another university or want to take a more challenging course)
• Required texts and supplies for the course (university bookstore, library, online, electronic reserves, etc.)
• Campus resources available and where (tutoring, writing, counseling, learning disability, public safety, etc.)
• Grading rubric and percentages for each assignment 
• Assignments plus the dates due, time due, and how to submit 
• Mid-term date and final exam date
• Dates of university holidays 
• Expectations for classroom interaction and group work
• Penalties for late work
• Extra credit assignments
• Academic Integrity Policy (plagiarism, for example)
• Attendance Policy

You will have many questions about the assignments and the function of the class. Your course syllabus is the map that can provide you with most of the answers on this journey that will last several weeks. If you have read it and still have questions, ask the instructor during class. You may not be the only one who wants to know how to navigate a particular task during the journey. Remember, you are not the first to take this journey—all it requires is planning your path from the beginning to the end.

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• Read the assigned text before you arrive at your university
  I can’t stress this enough. Doing the common reading at your pace is a good way for you to wrestle with some of the ideas on your own before you articulate them in the classroom discussion and your essay. Take this time to underline passages that strike you as odd or inspiring and have a conversation with yourself about why? Then, when you write your essay, you can use those underlined passages in the text. Are there patterns that you find? What are they? And why do you think the author placed them there? Search the author’s social media and see if there are insights into the book from them or other readers. Introduce yourself—tell the author that you are reading their book for your university’s common reading. And that you look forward to their discussion when they come to the campus or virtually for the reading. Reading at your pace also gives you time to rethink and refine your engagement with the text. So, don’t worry—the goal is to get you to articulate your thoughts in a clear, coherent, and persuasive manner.

• Participate in the facilitated discussion in your first-year seminar
  Yes, you will have to share your thoughts in your first-year seminar discussion using The Socratic Method, named after the Greek philosopher Socrates.  He taught his students by posing one question after the other to draw out ideas that are nuanced and not so obvious. The Socratic Method is about asking questions to stimulate critical thinking, reasoning, and logic—it’s about stimulating debate or lively debate inside and outside the classroom. You’re probably performing the Socratic Method with your friends when you discuss the latest Marvel movie or analyzing the merits of some controversial lyrics by your favorite artists. So, don’t worry—the goal is to get you to articulate your thoughts in a clear, coherent, and persuasive manner. 

• Attend the author’s speaking engagement on campus    
  Make sure you attend the author’s reading when they visit the campus. You may not have a choice as some instructors view the event as critical to understanding the text. Your instructor may also link points to the author’s reading to your attendance. These extra points for attendance can be vital at the end of the semester when your instructor tallies your final grade. More importantly, this is the time for you to hear the author answer questions from students about the common reading. You may also want to write down quotes from the author to add to your essay that you will write. Or do something bold and ask a question. You can add this to your writing as well. If possible, take a photo with the author and add that to your essay—visual imagery is a powerful way to interact with the reader of your writing. Remember, the common reading is about a shared intellectual experience. So, share what you know or pose a question to the author. 

• Be prepared to write an essay about your engagement with the book 
  The common reading is all about your first essay in your first-year seminar. That’s why it is essential to keep track of every step of this process. If you have, then you are in a much better position to write an engaging essay that your grade will reflect. If not, you will struggle to write, and it will show. Plus, you have wasted time trying to play catch up, and trust me, it will show in your writing, and your grade will reflect your late start. 
  
  The university’s common reading is a great starting place for your academic experience to begin. The common reading will help you find connections to the book using the Socratic Method rather than a passive relationship. Also, the university’s common reading allows you to interact with the author and your instructor personally and share an intellectual experience with your graduating class.

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