Write an essay in which you draw from your own experience to express a personal viewpoint. Include a detailed description of an event or experience (or series of events or experiences) that has led you to learn, believe, or understand something. The experience could be something that happened recently or very long ago. It might have been something very important, or it might have been a very small thing. For example, it may have been a time when you:

• had to adapt to new circumstances (e.g., moving to a new place, starting a new school)
• experienced a disappointment (e.g., a death in your family, failing an important exam)
• were influenced by a special person (e.g., a relative, a friend, a teacher)
• made an important choice or decision (e.g., your university, your major)
• accepted a new responsibility (e.g., started a new job)
• confronted a big problem
• faced a challenge
• suffered an illness or injury
• etc.

Your first draft is due on Wednesday, October 3. It should be a complete essay (close to 500 words, at least), and it must be typed, double-spaced on A4 paper. Please bring three copies of your first draft ready to hand in at the beginning of class on October 3:

1. Hand in one copy along with your prewriting. (Put your essay on top, and staple all of the papers together with one staple in the top left corner.)
2. We will use the other two copies in class for peer editing/review. (The peer editing/review activity will be a part of the grade for your first draft.)