This I Believe

This assignment asks students to select a strongly held personal belief and craft a persuasive essay in favor of their beliefs. This project also requires an accompanying reflection essay. In the First-Year Composition curriculum at Northern Illinois University (NIU), reflection makes up 50% of each major project grade.

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Students should tell a specific story about themselves. This is their own own experience, work, and family, things they know that no one else does that have shaped their core values. This is a specific story, so they can also consider a moment when their belief was formed, tested, or changed. The story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—and it can be funny—but it should be real. Be brief: Your statement of belief should be between 400 and 600 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at a natural pace, or about two pages—maybe slightly more or less. Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about a belief. Also, rather than writing a list, focus on one core belief. Be positive: Write about what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Be personal: Make your story about you; speak in the first person, “I.” Tell a story from your own life. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to write and speak.