Journal Response

In college courses, some professors issue students to read an extra text, sometimes a biography, historical fiction...etc.

So when they ask you to write a Journal response you may be like...What??

Trust me, from what I've seen, these journal responses will come to be very useful to you as a student.

I remember reading Sky of Red Poppies by Zoreh Ghahremani for English 205 Critical Thinking. It is an easy read, but I did the mistake of speeding through the book [I actually enjoyed it].
This isn't a problem if writing the journal is all up to you.

However, some professors will have already prepared a list of questions of the assigned readings. Professors like thoughtful responses! Please feel free to think about the questions and write what you think about it. Professors also appreciate questions, it means you are thinking.

Answering to Journal Questions will help you to develop critical thinking skills. Why the character was going through a certain conflict. Was it gender related or cultural reasons? How did this conflict change the main character...etc...

Near the end of the semester GUESS WHAT? We had to write a paper related to the historical conflict in the selected book.

I was able to be the first one to hand it in. YOU KNOW WHY?


Because all my journal responses were filled with ideas and notes, facts from the related text! Including useful comments from my professor.
JOURNAL RESPONSES ARE IMPORTANT.

The more effort you put into it, the better you become as a writer, and a thinker, developing research and critical thinking skills that you will need.

In other classes, such as my History and Literature classes, these journal writings have been a great help. I've used my journal responses as a study guide for my tests.

You guys may want to think about it seriously. It is worth the effort. I passed these writing classes with an A.
So I hope my tip helps you to become successful in your courses. Don't be enticed to take the shortcut. We all know how the race between the tortoise and the hare finished, right?
Wish you guys the best!

English 205 Extended Definition Example

College level
ENGLISH 205
Example of an EXTENDED DEFINITION

I know many of you are struggling to understand what an extended definition is because it is necessary for your research paper.

To my best knowledge, this extended definition is to give your audience a background understanding of whatever topic you choose. I chose to write about a current event such as the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood "party" in Egypt and how that was working out in Egypt.

Therefore, I gave a brief summery of what was then the current situation so that in the actual research paper, the reader would know where I was coming from. If you are going to talk about smething complicated that needs to be known beforehand in order to understand your research paper, add it into your "extended definition"

However, in all available opportunities you may have, PLEASE see your professor to know espicifically what he/she may want from you. This is ONLY and example. Different Professors =Different Worlds/Different Brains & ways of thinking.

My topic was "Muslim Brotherhood: The Cause to Rising Civil Unrest in Egypt."

S.S.

English 205

15, April 2013

Extended Definition Paragraph for Research Paper

                           Muslim Brotherhood: The Cause to Rising Civil Unrest in Egypt.
  

The Muslim Brotherhood “Party” which cannot be officially called that due to not

fulfilling requirements to be recognized as thus, is now at the center of this current civil

unrest in Egypt. The members of this party also have double membership to an

organization founded in Egypt also known as The Muslim Brotherhood, that although

given to charitable works, is also involved in dark and devious goals.  Al-Banna, the

founder of The Muslim Brotherhood, said “It is the nature of Islam to dominate, not to be

dominated, to impose its law on all nations and to extend its power to the entire planet.”

              There is no disguising what they are now planning and imposing on Egypt. Because of its’

influential power over its’ members, one of whom is  current President of Egypt Mohamed Morsi,

The Muslim Brotherhood ‘Party’ is, therefore, in a sense governing Egypt through the use of its’

puppet. Now, this ‘leading party’ is trying to establish laws in their favor despite the Egyptian

citizen’s protests while neglecting them and the country. This reflects where the Muslim

Brotherhood’s true intentions lie. Egyptians wanted a democracy, but according to The Free

Dictionary’s Encyclopedia The Muslim Brotherhood is against westernization which has a lot to do

with the modernization that Egyptians want. What The Muslim Brotherhood ‘Party’ is giving them

instead through President Morsi is actually leading towards an Islamic Republic like many of its’

other Arab neighbors, which Egyptians fear.