CGTC FAQs: Academic Support

One of the biggest challenges that students encounter while writing an essay is starting it. Seemingly underappreciated by college students in general, the brainstorming step has assumed a lesser position nowadays in the life of the essay-drafting process due to technological advancements. 

We must keep in mind that the best creative efforts--whether via writing, speech, visual art, film, drama, or music, among other things--involve uncertainty and messiness on the road to becoming finished products. If the line from point A to point B were always straight and convenient, the process or journey of uncovering and discovering along the way would not be necessary. As a matter of fact, the deviations that might have seemed at first to lead us astray from our intended path, as well as the great ideas that we regretted deleting, are just as critical on the journey as the major landmarks like the thesis statement and topic sentences and the observations that didn't get abandoned. 

Here's a quick but organized way to brainstorm using a marker and pen, a sheet of notebook paper, phrases, and single words (This might seem "old-school," but I've found that physically engaging in the writing process this way can stimulate creative energy and help unlock ideas.).

1.) Divide one sheet of notebook paper into four equally spaced sections by drawing three lines across the paper with one of the two shorter ends of the paper facing you. You might want to use markers of different shades to create the lines. 

2.) The four sections from top to bottom represent the introduction and first three body paragraphs, and using only phrases and single words, you're going to list answers to this question in the first section: What do you want to prove, and why? Here are some examples of phrases and single words related to a specific position and why that position is important:

disadvantages associated with using Chat GPT

weakens students' critical thinking skills

normalizes deception

plagiarism

no individual voice

mechanical

non-literate

3.) In section #2, you'll answer this question using phrases and single words: What is your most important evidence?

students' essays seeming more mechanical-sounding

less concern about individual expression

robotic

non-creative

students seeming to believe that Chat GPT's flowery wording, which can affect reading comprehension for the average reader, is superior to everyday conversational diction that would most likely be easier for a broad readership to follow

a method that discourages students from developing their own writing voice

4.) In section #3, you'll answer this question using only phrases and single words: What is your second most important evidence?

not acknowledging sources

incorrect citations

false ownership

no pride in authentic ownership

unethical

5.) In section #4, you'll answer this question using only phrases and single words: What is your third most important evidence?

automatic product

no process

less problem solving

less critical thinking

shallow

surface

little appreciation for discovery

I hope that this FAQ is helpful! While the organization does resemble an outline (and I know that outlines might be considered "old-school" and boring), it allows for more deliberate and productive brainstorming and perhaps will allow you to generate ideas that will lead to stronger and clearer insights along the way as you continue adding meat to your brainstorming skeleton.