Thesis Statement and Informal Outline Worksheet

GEN/201 Version 5

Thesis Statement and Informal Outline Worksheet

In this course, you will write a 1,050- to 1,400-word comprehensive Continuing Academic Success essay,
due in Week 5. The Week 5 essay will help you apply what you learned in this course and take
responsibility for your success in your education and your career. Please review the requirements for the
Week 5 assignment to become familiar with the instructions. Starting this week, and in the weeks to
come, we will be building upon an outline with a thesis statement, subtopics, and research to assist in
your final paper.
For this week, using the Center for Writing Excellence resources, provide your thesis statement and begin
creating the informal outline for your Continuing Academic Success essay assignment. Include the
following in your outline this week:

The benefit of creating educational goals, including at least one educational goal you set for yourself
Your personal learning style, as well as how knowing your learning style can help you be successful
as you move through your program and career
How the writing process can help you advance your education and career
Which resources, inside and outside of the university, you can use to help you reach your goals and
make you more successful
An explanation of the importance of academic integrity

Thesis Statement
This is a one-sentence summary of your Week 5 paper that will be based on the bulleted items above.
Setting and pursuing educational goals, demonstration of developed writing skills will significantly
improve daily and professional life, even though it requires hard personal efforts and maintenance of
academic integrity in the university; analysis of the personal learning style in combination with useful
knowledge resources will bring academic and personal success.
Informal Outline
Each topic below should be a main idea for a paragraph that might be in your Week 5 assignment (see
bulleted items above). Each support point should be something that you plan to write about that relates to
the corresponding topic.
1. Topic 1. The benefit of creating educational goals, including at least one educational goal you set
for yourself
a. Support: Firstly, creating an educational goal, or any goal, ties people to its completion.
In my point of view, majority of individuals tend to feel obliged when they set goals.
However, it is highly important to have them well-written so that a student can organize
his efforts to accomplish them correctly and do the evaluation after. As fa as I am
concerned, when I joined the course about academic success in the University of
Phoenix, one of my education goals was to improve writing skills to the degree that I will
not have problems with the writing academic papers.
b. Support: Secondly, setting goals is undoubtedly useful not only for academic success,
but in daily life as well. Adult people are often busy with their jobs, home duties, children
and personal affairs. It is often occurred they have a mess with a list of businesses to do
and can not manage time properly to complete everything needed on time. The solution

Thesis Statement and Informal Outline Worksheet

GEN/201 Version 5

would be in setting objectives for every day or week and trying to complete as much as
possible. I do believe it would reduce stress or even give even a little of free time. It
helps to be motivated in things you have to do. For example, I write a to-do list for
everyday and set priorities for tasks. Therefore, I manage to finish everything and save
time.
2. Topic 2. Your personal learning style, as well as how knowing your learning style can help you be
successful as you move through your program and career
a. Support. It is difficult to answer the question about personal learning style as it is not
always clear. There are special self-assessments with questions which can help
determine it. Acquirement with a personal learning style can give an understanding in
which way it is better to be taught. Some people perceive visual information better with
further analysis while others prefer to read and discuss issues in a group. Furthermore,
third may listen and perfectly learn the material. Knowing a personal learning style
develops more sophisticated and complex understanding about learners and appear to
move on the locus of responsibility for their success as learners ()
b. Support: Hence knowing personal learning allows to focus on necessary resources of
learning and save valuable time for other affairs and increases. For example, I have to
learn a new topic in math. I have read a passage but did not really understand a point.
However, I know I am a kinesthetic learner. Then I prefer to take an example regarding
the topic and see how the theory is used on practice.
3. Topic 3. How the writing process can help you advance your education and career

a. Support: Incorrect grammar, spelling and writing style will cause readers bad
impression. Especially for people whose job includes writing skill is the main one reporters, for example, this will lead to bad reputation or even worse firing from work.
b. Support: Writing skills are vital in academic life. There are many activities where they are
used: starting from research projects, diplomas and finishing with different application
letters for scholarships, masters degrees or PhD. I dont mention if you study law
sciences or journalistic major. Moreover, good writing skills would be an advantage in
writing personal statement for CV, because it give a first impression about a person who
is applying for a job.
4. Topic 4
a. Support: There are many valuable resources which can be used for reaching academic
success. The first helpful tool is Center for Writing Excellence, located in the library tab. It
should help to practice and develop my writing skills. The Tutorials and Guides page
contains various resources that can help improve writing skills. This section also have the
information about writing process tips and formatting academic essay. Plagiarism section
is one of the most important as most of students face with problems here.
University Library which contains eBooks and other media resources important for the
course. I believe they both can give a good help in personal development to get
academic success in the future.
b. Support: Outside resources are quite valuable and can give complementary and full
understanding of the topic. I always go to the search engine when I do no know a
definition or something. Also, I used APA website to read about anything I need about
plagiarism there. One more resource citation machine helps to generate references
in APA style by entering information about paper and its author very practical.

Thesis Statement and Informal Outline Worksheet

GEN/201 Version 5

5. Topic 5
a. Support: Many students are expected to maintain integrity and high standards of study
while studying of the university. There is an inspirational quote: "Academic Integrity is a
commitment, even in the face of adversity, to the five fundamental values: Honesty, trust,
fairness, respect, and responsibility. From these values flow the principles of behavior
that enable academic communities to translate ideals into action." (Center for Academic
Integrity, Duke University, 1999). Academic dishonesty or cheating leads to erosion or
main peoples qualities mentioned above, as well as a person who does it minimize
learning of material. By submitting any assignment in the university student acquire with
rules of submitting, stating that his work is original and do not contain plagiarism.
Breaking the rules may lead to different penalties, from lowering a grade to exclusion
from the university.
b. Support: Following academic integrity enables not only maintains high reputation of the
university but also helps to build a society where people are honest, trust, fairness,
responsible and respectful to each other. These qualities are relatively rare among
people and are very appreciated by employers. Moreover, the more you learn, the more
you reveal about your abilities and about the world. It is very important in reaching
academic and professional success.