What Is It?
• A short, timed, ungraded writing assessment: No points based on writing skill because you have not yet benefitted from instruction. You will receive points for completion.
• Administered to students on the first day or during the first week of classes.
• Designed to give the writing professor a sense of what students can do upon entering the classroom.
• Helps “diagnose” any areas of concern.
• Provides feedback and allows for interventions to improve student performance.
Instructions
Choose one of the topics (prompts) below and draft the best essay that you can in the time allowed. You should finish the essay in no more than 1.5 hours. Your goal is to produce a well-organized, well-supported, grammatically, mechanically, and stylistically correct essay that utilizes all that you know about writing and the writing process.
Please submit all drafts; type your name, and section number on all pages.
Approximate Length: 500 words.
Writing Prompts (Choose One)
1. What Are You Good At (doing)? Identify and discuss ONE thing you are good at doing. HOW did you get good at doing that one thing (the process), and how might you apply that process of “getting good” to being a student in this class and/or in college?
That “one thing” can be anything–acting, writing, hair and makeup, cooking, sports, listening, math, or taking care of animals.
2. College Ready? What does it mean to be “college ready”? Do you think you are ready for college? If so, how? If not, what might you be able to do now that you are here? What are you prepared to do that will help you succeed in ENG 101? In college?
3. Three Words: Choose three (3) words that best describe you as a writer. Think about how you feel about writing, your strengths as a writer, what you experience (emotionally and mentally) as you write, your performance in writing academically, and/or what worries/concerns you have about writing in general.
4. VUU (QEP) Motto: Virginia Union’s Quality Enhancement Plan motto is “Tomorrow Starts Today.” What does this mean to you? How do going to college–and doing well–fit into your definition? Feel free to include ways that this class can help prepare you for tomorrow.
