The College Dropout Boom
Exam Expectations
Because this is a college-level essay exam, write using all of the skills and techniques that we have covered as well as those that you developed in earlier courses, including those for watching the time allotted, to submit your best work.
Your essay should demonstrate your mastery of course writing and documentation concepts. It should also demonstrate your ability to follow instructions.
Ultimately, the essay must have an original, well-thought out point to make; in other words, it must have something valuable to “say” for a college-level paper. Organization, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, MLA documentation of source material, etc. will be strongly considered when the work is graded.
Grammar: At this point, no major grammatical errors should appear in your writing. For each of the following major grammatical errors, one point will be deducted from the paper (proofread carefully, as these errors can significantly detract from the paper grade):
Sentence Fragment
Run-On Sentence
Comma Splice
Mixed Sentence
Subject/Verb Agreement Error
Additional Expectations Exist when Writing Essay Exams for Composition Classes
Use the current, updated MLA style guidelines for page layout and documentation. Cite in-text AND in a Works Cited page.
Incorporate source information correctly, always using signal phrases and, when appropriate, parenthetical citations. Provide apt quotations that have been carefully selected.
Review the citation model for citing essays from your textbook: “Selection from an anthology.” in your Rules for Writers Do not cite textbook essays based on where they were originally printed. Practice your citations (and pre-type a Works Cited page) in advance. HINT: If you pre-type the Works Cited page in advance of starting the exam, you can have that document open during the test and copy the pre-typed Works Cited content into your new document.
Write and revise so that you use specific word choices and clear, correct sentence structures.
Evaluate your essay for accuracy and leave enough time to proofread for common errors. You may want to look over my comments on your previous work as you prepare for the Final Exam. Look for patterns of errors that you tend to repeat in previous assignments.
Above all, before you begin to write, think critically about any texts or other resources that you are assigned in advance to ensure that you have something valuable to say about them. You will be evaluated based on your ability to present your ideas and opinions and then support and develop these ideas at a college-level.
