Some of my students (especially those outside humanities disciplines) find it challenging to write an essay. Here's one approach I suggest: 1. Read.

This might seem obvious, but reading is the beginning of a conversation. Your essay is one of your contributions to the conversation. Reading is like listening to someone else. Begin there, with reading and listening before you speak/write.

When I taught at Penn State I often had college seniors in my intro classes. They were ticking off the last box so they could graduate. So often they’d say things like “I wish I had taken this my first year. It would have changed my career.” chronicle.com/article/repair… Part of the problem: lack of agreement on what — and who — an education is for.

My current shelfie. I’ve collected a few new books this summer. These will all be fast reads for me. Read this thread to see what I mean: I try to read 250-300 books each year. That means about a book each day, six days a week. But I’m not a supergenius speedreader; I’ve just figured out how to “triage” my desire to read broadly.