By Saturday, July 19, 2014, post your work to this Discussion Area. For this first discussion assignment, compose a response that addresses all of the following:

• Begin by discussing your program of study and your career goals. How did you find yourself on this path? What drew you to this area of study, and what are some of your specific interests in the field? What do you hope to do with your degree when you graduate?

• After you’ve completed the first part of your response, begin thinking of potential essay topics that are related to your academic or career interests. List three preliminary topics that you could potentially develop into fully researched, persuasive essays over the duration of this class. Be sure to include enough information so that your instructor and your classmates can get a good idea of what each topic might entail—you may need to write two or three sentences to adequately explain each topic idea.

Respond to your peers’ posts by offering advice on their potential essay topics. Which topics seem to lend themselves to college-level research? Which topics are complex enough to warrant writing a full paper on them? What brainstorming or prewriting techniques might be useful to further develop the topics? Are the topics multifaceted and able to be debated or argued effectively? As you respond to your peers, remember to call upon the information you learned in this module’s readings.

By Saturday, July 19, 2014, post your responses to the appropriate Discussion Area.