Getting Through My Intimidating First College Paper

I have never felt truly confident in my writing, even before starting university. As I walked into my first ever class at Penn and read on the syllabus that I had an essay due in less than a month, I became filled with dread and worry. I felt my writing skills were not on the level they had to be in order to complete this assignment. I didn't even know how to start. However, as the due date came closer and closer, I decided I had to figure something out or I would risk failing my first assignment. This was when I realized how truly helpful the resources are at Penn and how much faculty and peers genuinely wish to help. The first thing I did was to stay behind after my writing seminar ended in order to talk to my professor about my paper. At this point, I had nothing except a poorly written proposition. During this short meeting with my professor, I was able to put together a sort of outline to guide me through the essay writing process. The second thing I did was to set up an appointment at the Writing Center. The tutor I was paired with worked with me to restructure my outline in a way that made more sense to me. The third thing I did was to attend the office hours of the professor who teaches the class I had to write the paper for. Discussing the topic of the essay with him helped me understand what he was looking for in an essay. The last thing I did was spend some time with my peers discussing the paper, which made me feel that I was not as lost as I thought I was. It was thanks to these resources that I was able to confidently complete this assignment and receive a grade that I am proud of.

- Emma L.