Thesis Statement Conferences

Although it is not mandatory, I strongly encourage all students to meet with me for a ten-minute mini-conference during which we'll discuss your thesis statement for the first formal essay. Since the allotted time for each meeting is relatively short, it is very important that you are prepared to discuss your thesis statement before we actually sit down together. Before our meeting, please:

Reread The Bedford Handbook, pages 648-49.
Select a topic from the four I described in class on Friday: authority/heroism; nature; fantasy (dreams versus realities); personal growth
Pose a question about the text which lends itself to a stimulating discussion sustainable for five, double-spaced, typewritten pages.
Take a position on that question, and express it in the form of a thesis statement. Pay strict attention to the thesis statement evaluation criteria which we covered in class last week during our collaborative learning exercise.

Bring a typewritten copy of your question and your thesis statement to the conference.

Please arrive at least five minutes prior to the scheduled meeting time. Do not be late: if you are even five minutes late, you will throw off the schedule for the day's subsequent meetings and screw things up for everybody.

Conferences will take place in my office, [xxxxx] Stevenson Center. Consult the map attached to your syllabus for the exact location of the building, and bear in mind that on the map Building Six of the Stevenson Center is labeled "Chemistry" while the building's actual facade bears the name "Science and Engineering Building." If you cannot honor the scheduled appointment, I expect the courtesy of a phone call.

So you won't forget all of this, retain this sheet and mark down the time and day of your scheduled appointment.

Day:_____________

Time:____________