I need help. I just got my first college essay back (it was for an intro to psych class), and I got a C. I'm honestly in shock. I worked so hard on it. I did the reading, I had a thesis, I had evidence. I thought it was good.
But my TA's feedback says: "This is too descriptive. You need to be more analytical." I don't even know what that means. Like, isn't an essay supposed to describe things? How do I describe something without... describing it?
I went to office hours to ask, and she tried to explain it, but I'm still confused. She said I'm just summarizing the readings instead of using them to make my own point. I thought my point was the thesis, and the summaries were the evidence? I feel like I'm missing a fundamental puzzle piece here.
For example, I wrote a paragraph summarizing one of the studies we read. Then another paragraph summarizing another study. Then I concluded that both studies support my thesis. My TA said that's just a book report. She wants me to "put the sources in conversation."
What does that look like in practice? How do you write a paragraph where two sources are "talking" to each other? Do you just say "Smith says X, but Jones says Y, and here's why that disagreement matters"? Is that the secret?
I feel like I'm in over my head. Help a freshman out!
But my TA's feedback says: "This is too descriptive. You need to be more analytical." I don't even know what that means. Like, isn't an essay supposed to describe things? How do I describe something without... describing it?
I went to office hours to ask, and she tried to explain it, but I'm still confused. She said I'm just summarizing the readings instead of using them to make my own point. I thought my point was the thesis, and the summaries were the evidence? I feel like I'm missing a fundamental puzzle piece here.
For example, I wrote a paragraph summarizing one of the studies we read. Then another paragraph summarizing another study. Then I concluded that both studies support my thesis. My TA said that's just a book report. She wants me to "put the sources in conversation."
What does that look like in practice? How do you write a paragraph where two sources are "talking" to each other? Do you just say "Smith says X, but Jones says Y, and here's why that disagreement matters"? Is that the secret?
I feel like I'm in over my head. Help a freshman out!
