I'm the first person in my family to go to college, and I'm realizing that everyone around me seems to understand something I don't. My parents work blue-collar jobs. When I tell them I have to write an essay, they say 'okay, write a paper,' but they don't really get what that means. I don't have older siblings or cousins who can explain the unwritten rules. I've figured out the basics—thesis, evidence, conclusion—but I feel like I'm missing the deeper cultural knowledge about what an essay is supposed to be.
My classmates talk about 'finding their voice' and 'making an argument' like it's obvious. To me, an essay is just a thing I write to get a grade. Is it supposed to be more than that? How do I move from writing essays that just 'get the job done' to writing essays that actually say something? I feel like I'm playing a game where everyone else knows the rules and I'm just making it up as I go.
My classmates talk about 'finding their voice' and 'making an argument' like it's obvious. To me, an essay is just a thing I write to get a grade. Is it supposed to be more than that? How do I move from writing essays that just 'get the job done' to writing essays that actually say something? I feel like I'm playing a game where everyone else knows the rules and I'm just making it up as I go.