Essay Advice?

[Taktiq]

My English professor assigned us with an essay that defines a problem and then proposes 3 possible solutions. It was supposed to be local or college focused in scope, but apparently since so few people turned anything in, and the end of the semester is coming, she just wants something written. I'm no scholar and it's probably half-a****, but the following is what I've proposed, and I figured/hoped you guys could give me some input. ANY help and/or criticism at this point would be welcome.

How can we possibly achieve success in Afghanistan?
1. Continue with the trend (?) toward “Afghanistanization” by turning the fight for the country back over to the Afghan people, with support and advisement by special forces and intelligence. While reducing/pulling out any conventional forces who cannot carry out unconventional warfare or foreign internal defense missions.
2. Elect a new and hopefully more effective governing body than what currently exists with Hamid Karzai. His government, though popularly elected has been impotent and overly corrupt.
3. Request help from Iran, while shifting reliance away from Pakistan and the ISI. They have a major stake in the outcome of the region especially due to narco-trafficing in the region originating in Afghanistan, have offered support as recently as this year, and can begin to put pressure on the Pakistani government.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Taktiq

...I figured/hoped you guys could give me some input. ANY help and/or criticism at this point would be welcome.

Taktiq--

I urge you to read carefully your school's guidelines on academic integrity before proceeding further along this trajectory of inquiry. In some cases, even well-intended requests such as yours may be in non-compliance with an institution's standards.

[Costa]

What are the restrictions on format/length?

word count? style of paper? research? opinion?

There are other ways of achieving what you want to accomplish in the scholastic world.

[LarryW]

IMHO you should keep it simple. Just answer the assignment without trying to introduce a cure for such political malestroms as Afghanistan. Introduce a topic you are very familiar with. Boring? Probably, but you will write a better paper and get thru it with fewer nights of no sleep. Just a thought. (BTW, previous comments re: academic integrity are seconded.) Good luck.

[Warrior-Mentor]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

Taktiq--

I urge you to read carefully your school's guidelines on academic integrity before proceeding further along this trajectory of inquiry. In some cases, even well-intended requests such as yours may be in non-compliance with an institution's standards.

First, listen to Sigaba on this one.

Second, you're going to need a narrower topic if you hope to answer the question comprehensively in anything shorter than 10 pages.

[Taktiq]

“What are the restrictions on format/length?
word count? style of paper? research? opinion?
There are other ways of achieving what you want to accomplish in the scholastic world.”

MLA format
12-point font (Times New Roman)
4-5 pages of text, not including the Works Cited page.
a minimum of 2-3 credible sources
a properly prepared Works Cited Page according to MLA style

“IMHO you should keep it simple. Just answer the assignment without trying to introduce a cure for such political malestroms as Afghanistan. Introduce a topic you are very familiar with. Boring? Probably, but you will write a better paper and get thru it with fewer nights of no sleep. Just a thought. (BTW, previous comments re: academic integrity are seconded.) Good luck.”
“First, listen to Sigaba on this one.

Second, you're going to need a narrower topic if you hope to answer the question comprehensively in anything shorter than 10 pages.”

I understand what you’re all saying here. As I said I’m no scholar, but I thought it’d be an interesting exercise to try out in essay format. I do plan on attempting to keep it as simple as I possibly can, but to be honest I’m not sure I could come up with enough to come close to 10 pages. As to the comments academic integrity, I’m not sure I know what you’re meaning. I know I have no plans for plagerism or to cheat in any way.

My biggest problem has actually been coming up with a narrower topic. Afghanistan just sparked my interest and I just couldn't come up to any solutions for any of the headaches I deal with at work.

[lksteve]

The academic integrity issue is crucial...that said, I'd recommend you stay close to home in selecting a question and stick to what you know in terms of issues and solutions...the subject you have selected is beyond the scope of an undergraduate composition course.

Your question is poorly crafted..."How can we possibly..." You have to be kidding me. The question should be succinct and should be devoid of emotion or drama. Your suggested solutions are weaker.

Find a local topic, a subject closer to your wheel house. Do some research, put some effort into it. Education is a participant-based sport.

[Taktiq]

Originally Posted by lksteve

The academic integrity issue is crucial...that said, I'd recommend you stay close to home in selecting a question and stick to what you know in terms of issues and solutions...the subject you have selected is beyond the scope of an undergraduate composition course.

Your question is poorly crafted..."How can we possibly..." You have to be kidding me. The question should be succinct and should be devoid of emotion or drama. Your suggested solutions are weaker.

Find a local topic, a subject closer to your wheel house. Do some research, put some effort into it. Education is a participant-based sport.

I'm still not understanding the issues you guys are bringing up about academic integrity. Could somebody please be a little more specific about that.

Anyway, the question that you quoted was only what I had posted for my professor. But I do realize that it wasn't formulated all that well.

The point about my solutions being weak was exactly the type of criticism I was looking for. If someone could tell me why, that'd be even better, but I understand most of you don't have the time to discuss the pro's and con's for whatever reasons. In the meantime, I have been wracking my brain to come up with something else, but still as nothing more than just an academic exercise, it's an interesting subject to postulate on.

[LarryW]

I'm still not understanding the issues you guys are bringing up about academic integrity. Could somebody please be a little more specific about that.

IMHO it appears as if you're asking a reputable forum of experienced soldiers to write your paper for you. If you start your paper you will most probably find the depth of your own lack of knowledge about the subject. That will use up valuable time. No doubt there are other classes you also need to pay attention to. Sorry if this observation offends you. It's just my opinion.

I'd recommend you stay close to home in selecting a question and stick to what you know in terms of issues and solutions...the subject you have selected is beyond the scope of an undergraduate composition course.

Concur.

[Taktiq]

LarryW:

In no way was I intending to have anyone else write my essay for me. I did not mean for it to appear that way, and if it did, I hope I didn't offend anyone.

[Costa]

Well to start off, I agree with the QP's and support on this one as far as choosing a different topic.

In my experience, most college instructors have their own extreme viewpoints on any war or wartime people. There are always exceptions, but most are not military friendly. You could be taking points off your score before you begin on this one. College is about doing things that flow with the professors' way. The name of the game now is not if you can pass a test on the material, it's if you can pass that particular professor's test on the material.

With that being said, unless your class is specifically on the middle east or a conflict, I would stray away from something as complex as A'stan for this one. When you get into your upper level courses (especially if you take anything in the Criminal Justice field), there will be plenty of time to write about it. Trust me.

As far as structure goes, I would use around 4-5 sources MINIMUM. You won't find yourself struggling to find things to write about towards the end of the paper.

To back up the QP's and support again (as a CJ student nearing the end of my college career), remember to Keep It Simple Stupid.

[lksteve]

You are a guest on a website maintained by men who have had to deal with issues of a substantial greater gravity than a college essay. We are not a party to this assignment. The parties that should be involved are you and your professor. We are out of our lane on this one. You should be seeking guidance on topics from the professor. The professor should be willing to assign some limits or boundaries. If not, the professor hasn't given sufficient thought to the assignment and you should recall that when the end of term evaluations are passed around.

I cannot believe a college student can't find a question that directly affects them in this day of rising tuition and costs and shrinking resources. Sorry, I am perplexed by your inability to find a local issue that deals directly with your education. Perhaps you are lucky. I could probably write a paper dealing with issues that could impact a student at the University of Wyoming or Colorado State and my undergraduate years are long over.

Focus on the 25 meter target. That isn't just for guys in the pipeline, it's a damned smart way to live. Keeping it simple is a smart way to go. You are pole vaulting over mouse turds. If the course were an international relations course, you might be closer to the intent of the assignment. It seems to me, the assignment deals with critical thinking and composition. Were I grading you on what I've seen here, you would fail.

To quote the line from the Infantry School of 25 years ago, your interpretation of the problem is part of the solution. Reason the task, conditions, and standard for this assignment and do it. This is your monkey, not ours.

At least, that's my $0.02.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Taktiq

I'm still not understanding the issues you guys are bringing up about academic integrity. Could somebody please be a little more specific about that.

Depending upon the guidelines on academic integrity at a specific institution, the very act of seeking precise guidance (i.e. asking questions like "Why doesn't this work?) can be in non-compliance.

Similarly, having a third party read a draft and offer specific editorial comments can also be considered violations. As an example, people often use the verb "to infer" when they mean "to imply." If a third party points out that "to infer" is incorrect, that guidance is probably okay. But if that third party then gives you the correct answer, that suggestion may be an act of non-compliance.

IMO, one of the reasons why the Ivory Tower is soundly thrashed in many segments of America is because academics do not articulate clearly the central premise of the university is that students are expected to do most of their learning on their own. This concept is codified in the formula that for every unit/hour of a specific course, the student is expected to invest another three to four hours of work in the library, in the study hall, in the lab, and in consultations with the professor/instructor.*

MOO, the failure of academics to explain this concept to their students contributes to the perception that today's university experience is one of indoctrination rather than education. Is an instructor who stands in front of a class, flapping her (or his) gums about this ism or that ism actually telling students "here's the truth--toe the line or I'll give you a bad grade"? Or is that instructor saying "Based upon my twenty years of studying this field, here's what I think, but I'm much more interesting in learning what YOU have to say after you've spent some time thinking/reading/studying the course materials"?

My $0.02.

__________________________________________________ _____
*One can also talk to one's fellow students, but, that, like, you know, can, like, you know, be like, a like, not, um, you know, be like very, um like, efficient process, you know, so, like, there's some, er, um, like value in being, like, very selective in having these kinds of conversations. Like, you know?

[Dozer523]

AHhhhhh, Jeez Louise! Here do this.
1) go to the upper right hand corner to Search, type: "Afghanistan"
2) Cut and paste ALL the posts on to a word document
3) String them together with "and" "thusly" "however" and "furthermore"
4) About every five or six sentences, skip a line and indent.
5) Lastly, write this: "Afghanistan has confused non-Afghans for as long as recorded history. Will we get it right? Only time and treasure will tell."
6) Cite your sources.

Don't complain we "never help".

Originally Posted by Sigaba

IMO, one of the reasons why the Ivory Tower is soundly thrashed in many segments of America is because academics do not articulate clearly the central premise of the university is that students are expected to do most of their learning on their own. This concept is codified in the formula that for every unit/hour of a specific course, the student is expected to invest another three to four hours of work in the library, in the study hall, in the lab, and in consultations with the professor/instructor.

The Hell with that! I went to college to get away from Mom and Dad, drink, meet pretty girls and get an ROTC commission.

[ZonieDiver]

Dozer! What a nice guy! If I Fed-Ex all the essays my students wrote yesterday, could you get them graded and back to me by Monday at 10 a.m.? I have a busy weekend planned! Thanks in advance...