Summary-Response Assignment

Assignment
This assignment gives you the opportunity not only to show that you understand source material but also to express what you think about the ideas it includes. The audience for this summary-response comprises your classmates and me, but it is always helpful when writing a summary-response to think of readers that may not have read the original text. By imagining an uninformed reader, you will be sure to include sufficient information in your summary. You may respond to the source text in a variety of ways. In class, we discussed using personal experiences and reactions; evaluating the currency, thoroughness, and reliability of the sources; and examining the internal logic of the source. You may incorporate other sources as part of your response. For this assignment, you will be summarizing and responding to “College is a Waste of Time and Money” by Caroline Bird.

Organization
Begin your essay with a summary of the source text. Provide a general idea of what the source is about and the points you intend to address in your response. Avoid including any extraneous material. The summary should be no longer than a page; it may be briefer.

Place your thesis statement at the end of the summary or at the beginning of the response. After reading your thesis statement, your audience should be able to predict the form and content of the rest of your essay.