Does my essay answer the question or questions being posed? Does it clearly answer all parts of the question, supported by course materials?

In General Psychology, you will write several essays throughout the term. For each essay you will answer a question about the Module: Week topic(s), writing in a way that is engaging and furthers discussion on the topic. Use the guidelines below to write a substantive essay:

Each essay must include at least 400 words.

While meeting the word count is important, it is possible to write an essay that is long enough, but not substantive enough to earn full credit. The second criteria of a good essay is including a clear and substantial answer to the prompt. When preparing your essay, ask yourself,
Does my essay answer the question or questions being posed?
Does it clearly answer all parts of the question, supported by course materials?

When answering the essay question, it is important to use concepts, research, and/or theories from the Module: Week material to support your thoughts. A good essay will:
Offer a thoughtful response on the topic being discussed, and
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the topic by using material from the resources provided for that Module: Week in your answer. Using anecdotes or personal experiences are not as substantial or scholarly as using research and/or theory to advance the discussion.