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Essay and report writing skills

Course description

Course content, course reviews.

Writing reports and assignments can be a daunting prospect. Learn how to interpret questions and how to plan, structure and write your assignment or report. This free course, Essay and report writing skills, is designed to help you develop the skills you need to write effectively for academic purposes.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• understand what writing an assignment involves
• identify strengths and weaknesses
• understand the functions of essays and reports
• demonstrate writing skills.

First Published: 10/08/2012

Updated: 26/04/2019

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5+ Hours of Video Lessons Covers All 9 University of California Schools 48-Page Workbook with Exercises and Sample Essays

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This course is the result of requests from students to share (even) more tools for digging deep and standing out on their college essays.

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COLLEGE ESSAY ESSENTIALS

A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Successful College Admissions Essay

ETHAN SAWYER IS THE COLLEGE ESSAY GUY  |  ★★★★★ “That kind of says it all. While he may have named himself that, he has earned the title. His passion for writing essays that is conveyed in this book, will help any student get through the somewhat stressful and daunting process with fun and ease."  – gonzo14, Amazon Customer

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I didn't know how to write an essay at all, but by taking this course now I really know how to write one. It encouraged me to think about the challenges I've faced in my life and their impact on me. The first exercise made me to go and look at my Scrapbook and photos and this really made me happy. This course helped me in writing an essay while bringing my memories back, which made me realize that I'm capable of reaching my goals and I'm strong. -Ana, Student 2017

"The past week, was more of a journey than a tutorial for my personal statement. Before the course, I was looking outwards for inspiration. My week with Ethan taught me to find inspiration within myself, but best of all, he provided me the tools to put it on paper." -Jonathan, Student (2017)

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" Before this course , I had one extracurricular activity that overlapped in all four of my personal insight question. Afterwards I was amazed how the beabies, feelings and needs exercise, and example essays helped me discover aspects of myself that I never thought I'd feel comfortable talking about. Now all four of my essays focus on different aspects of me which I'm proud of ." -Shazaib S, Student

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Mastering the Art of Essay Writing

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The famous English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton once wrote, "The pen is mightier than the sword." However, merely possessing a pen or computer does not automatically make one an excellent writer. Writing a good essay requires that you effectively communicate your views to the reader. There are many different essay-writing techniques and infinite topics to choose from, but writing an essay generally follows the same pattern. This academic writing course teaches you what an essay is and explores their various types and structures. We go through each step of the writing process, starting with strategies for choosing an engaging topic. The course explains how to plan, research, write, revise and edit your essays.

Essay writing requires a unique combination of creativity and logical planning. In light of this, our next section delves into the intricacies of specialised essay writing. We go through various writing styles and strategies and explain how to tailor your voice and tone to suit different audiences, contexts and objectives. We also provide techniques required to write effective persuasive essays, literary analysis essays, research papers and more.

This academic writing course empowers you and helps you express their thoughts with clarity, persuasiveness, flair and impact. It is designed to accommodate learners at various skill and pedagogic levels, from school to university and beyond, and suits both novices and experienced writers. The course has no prerequisites and provides the training you need to improve your essay-writing abilities. Essays are an important element of any educational environment and the essay-writing skills learned here can be transferred to journalism as they drive the writing of opinion pieces, features and other articles. Sign up for this academic writing course to learn how to write great essays that impress your markers and readers.

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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How to Write an Essay

University of California, Berkeley via edX Help

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College Writing 2.1x is an introduction to academic writing for English Language Learners, focusing on essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. The five-week course includes a review of basic grammar terminology and understanding; writing effective sentences and paragraphs; introductions and conclusions; strategies for writing longer texts; and thesis statements. The course materials will be offered via readings and videos. An optional course workbook, in ebook form, may be used for additional writing work. Students will participate in online discussions as well as peer review. Students will complete an essay for this part of the course.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of State

UC Berkeley is partnering with the U.S. Department of State to extend the reach of College Writing 2X. Participating U.S. Embassies will host in-person, facilitated discussions sessions around the course content in order to maximize the learning experience. The State Department-supported EducationUSA network will also offer facilitated discussions in some locations for students interested in pursuing higher education in the United States. This partnership is part of the English Education Alliance (E2A), a global effort of the U.S. Department of State to address the global demand for 21st century English language skills.

Maggie Sokolik

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• JJ jualtru 10 years ago Excellent material, excellent activities, but today I am having problems to log in the course and I have already missed a week without doing my homework which is too bad for me. I have enrolled this course and I really want to continue till the end. My e-mail is [email protected] and I would appreciate your help. Helpful
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While Sandel argues that pursuing perfection through genetic engineering would decrease our sense of humility, he claims that the sense of solidarity we would lose is also important.

This thesis summarizes several points in Sandel’s argument, but it does not make a claim about how we should understand his argument. A reader who read Sandel’s argument would not also need to read an essay based on this descriptive thesis.  

Broad thesis (arguable, but difficult to support with evidence) 

Michael Sandel’s arguments about genetic engineering do not take into consideration all the relevant issues.

This is an arguable claim because it would be possible to argue against it by saying that Michael Sandel’s arguments do take all of the relevant issues into consideration. But the claim is too broad. Because the thesis does not specify which “issues” it is focused on—or why it matters if they are considered—readers won’t know what the rest of the essay will argue, and the writer won’t know what to focus on. If there is a particular issue that Sandel does not address, then a more specific version of the thesis would include that issue—hand an explanation of why it is important.  

Arguable thesis with analytical claim 

While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake” (54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well” (51) is less convincing.

This is an arguable analytical claim. To argue for this claim, the essay writer will need to show how evidence from the article itself points to this interpretation. It’s also a reasonable scope for a thesis because it can be supported with evidence available in the text and is neither too broad nor too narrow.  

Arguable thesis with normative claim 

Given Sandel’s argument against genetic enhancement, we should not allow parents to decide on using Human Growth Hormone for their children.

This thesis tells us what we should do about a particular issue discussed in Sandel’s article, but it does not tell us how we should understand Sandel’s argument.  

Questions to ask about your thesis 

• Is the thesis truly arguable? Does it speak to a genuine dilemma in the source, or would most readers automatically agree with it?  
• Is the thesis too obvious? Again, would most or all readers agree with it without needing to see your argument?  
• Is the thesis complex enough to require a whole essay's worth of argument?  
• Is the thesis supportable with evidence from the text rather than with generalizations or outside research?  
• Would anyone want to read a paper in which this thesis was developed? That is, can you explain what this paper is adding to our understanding of a problem, question, or topic?
• picture_as_pdf Thesis

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Speaker 1: Welcome to your crash course on essay writing. By the time you finish this series, you'll be all set to ace your essay. This is the first video of the playlist, in which you'll learn the basics. In an academic essay, the goal is to persuade readers of a position or perspective through informed arguments, supported with evidence and analysis. There are three main stages to writing an essay. Preparation, writing, revision. In this video, I'll quickly go through all the stages and steps with you. And in the next few videos in this playlist, we'll go more into detail for each stage with example sentences and paragraphs. Can't wait? Let's dive right in. Hi, I'm Jessica from Scribbr, here to help you achieve your academic goals. In the preparation stage, you first need to understand the assignment and choose a topic. Once you've chosen your topic, you should come up with an initial thesis. This is the main point you want to make in the essay, or the position you're going to argue for. At this stage, it doesn't have to be perfectly phrased, but it's important to start with a clear idea of what you want to say. Then you can start creating an outline and planning your essay structure. This will kickstart your writing and keep you on track. Preparation is done, and now we're moving on to writing. Every essay starts off with an introduction. It's important to grab the reader's interest right off the bat and inform them what will be covered in the essay. Hook the reader in the first sentence, and then give context that'll help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing brief background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. But don't overdo it. Just enough to give the reader a taste, you know? Next, remember the thesis statement from before? Present it here. Tell the reader the central argument you're going to make. The thesis statement is usually one or two sentences long, and it drives the whole essay, so make sure to spend some time on this part. You can end your introduction section with an overview of the essay, so basically signposting your essay structure. Moving on to the body section. This is the longest part of your essay, usually around 60 to 80%. Here is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. It's easy to get lost in a big chunk of text. To give your essay a clear structure, it is important to make use of paragraphs. Each paragraph should be centered around just one argument or idea. Introduce the purpose of each paragraph using topic sentences. A good topic sentence makes the transition from the previous paragraph and introduces the argument to be made in this paragraph. After the topic sentence, present evidence by providing the reader with data, examples, or quotes. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument. Phew. The hard work is done, and you've arrived at the last paragraph of your essay, the conclusion. Here are three things you should do. Summarize and tie together the points you made in the essay's body. Show the outcome of your arguments. What new insights have you provided? Emphasize why your argument matters. After you're done writing, but before you submit your hard work, it's important to revise and polish your writing. Double-check your arguments. Have you said everything you meant to say, or do some points need restructuring? Finally, make sure to check your grammar, spelling, and formatting. And if you've cited sources in your paper, also use a plagiarism checker to make sure everything is good to go. Once you've checked everything off this checklist here, you're good to go. When you're ready, your next step should be creating an outline for essay. Click this to learn how to do so. See you there. you

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2.2.3: Writing an Exemplification Essay

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• Page ID 256706

• Amber Kinonen, Jennifer McCann, Todd McCann, & Erica Mead
• Bay College Library

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First, decide on a topic that you feel interested in writing about. Then create an interesting introduction to engage the reader. The main point, or thesis, should be stated at the end of the introduction.

Gather evidence that is appropriate to both your subject and your audience. You can order the evidence in terms of importance, either from least important to most important or from most important to least important. Be sure to fully explain all of your examples using strong, clear supporting details.

key takeaways

• An exemplification essay clearly explains a main point using evidence.
• When choosing evidence, always gauge whether the evidence is appropriate for the subject as well as the audience.
• Organize the evidence in terms of importance, either from least important to most important or from most important to least important.
• Use time transitions to order evidence.
• Use phrases of exemplification to call out examples

Examples of Essays

• “Homeless,” by Anna Quindlen
• “Black Men and Public Space,” by Brent Staples
• “The Dark Side of Web Fame,” by Jessica Bennet
• “That’s So Mysto: What Makes Slang Stick,” by Juliet Lapidos

• Emotional Intelligence

How Expressive Writing Can Empower Students

Using writing and reflection to build college students' emotional intelligence..

Updated September 26, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

• Expressive writing can help students process emotions and foster personal growth.
• Expressive writing can also help to increase students' comfort in exploring and expressing emotion.
• Incorporating expressive writing in the curriculum positions emotional health as integral to learning.

Late at night, a student sits at her desk while the soft glow of a laptop screen casts shadows across the room. Outside, the city street is quiet, but inside, her mind is racing. Fingers hover over the keyboard and then begin typing—slowly at first, then with a growing urgency. The assignment is an expressive writing exercise for her university course on the relationship between storytelling and healing. After reading others’ stories about trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder, cancer, epilepsy, and more, the student sits alone with her own stories. In the stillness of her room, the student writes freely, pouring thoughts onto the screen. She writes anonymously, and that freedom unlocks something—emotions begin to surface, words flow, and the page becomes a safe space.

In this medical humanities course on storytelling and healing, students do not just study illness and trauma from a distance—they dive into their own emotional landscapes, using writing as both a mirror and a balm. Fashioning my assignments after James W. Pennebaker and John Frank Evans’s work in Expressive Writing: Words That Heal , I asked students to write four expressive writing exercises over the course of the semester as well as a final metacognitive reflection. As their final reflections suggest, what emerged was an appreciation for narrative as a tool for catharsis, emotional clarity, and long-term self-care, as students discovered that writing can help in ways they had not anticipated.

What Expressive Writing Looked Like in Our Course

In Chapter 11 of Expressive Writing: Words that Heal , Evans presents a six-week program that starts in week 1 with four 20-minute timed free writing sessions. In weeks 2 through 6, the focus shifts to more-structured activities and reflective exercises. Weeks 2 through 6 involve writing poetry, affirmations , transactional letters, and legacies, all based on the material generated in the initial week 1 free-writes.

While Pennebaker and Evans focus on using expressive writing to address trauma, I adapted the exercises to be more accessible for my students; I encouraged them to write about anything that bothered or concerned them—a complicated event or something that "kept them up at night." For each of the four assignments, they wrote continuously about a chosen topic for 20 minutes with the understanding that the writing would become emotional, but if it became too difficult emotionally, they should choose a new topic.

After the initial 20 minutes, each assignment over the course of the semester had a different follow-up task:

• Write an unsent letter (focused on gratitude , compassion, or empathy).
• Compose a poem modeled after Jane Kenyon’s “Having It Out With Melancholy” or “Otherwise.”
• Reflect on a personal experience with family expectations or a rite of passage, inspired by Langston Hughes’s “Salvation.”
• Write affirmations for themselves in six months.

At the end of each assignment, students completed a brief self-reflection, similar to the postwriting check-ins that Evans outlines in Words That Heal . Students did not submit the initial free writing, and I marked all submitted work anonymously as complete/incomplete in the learning management system while also making students aware of my role as a mandated reporter. To provide support, I invited the director of the Masters in Counseling program to speak to the class. He helped de-stigmatize mental health, shared resources for free counseling, and warmly encouraged students to reach out to him if needed.

Key Emergent Themes From Students' Final Reflections

The following themes were apparent in students’ final reflections:

• Emotional awareness and catharsis: Many students experienced emotional shifts through writing, often describing a sense of relief or release, like they "got something off their chest." They reported heightened emotional awareness and clarity in understanding their emotions after writing.
• Personal growth and self-awareness: Numerous reflections highlighted personal growth, particularly in emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Students gained insights into their own behaviors and emotional patterns, which helped them recognize areas for self-improvement and emotional regulation .
• Challenges with vulnerability: Some students found it challenging to engage with difficult emotions or past traumas , but many also noted that this difficulty was an important part of their personal journey. They tried different coping strategies such as taking breaks or pacing themselves through emotionally intense writing.
• Coping and healing: For several students, expressive writing became a coping mechanism, helping them process unresolved emotions or difficult situations. Some students indicated they plan to continue writing as a tool for self-care and emotional management.
• New perspectives and insight: Many students reported gaining new perspectives on past events, relationships, and themselves through reflective writing. This led to emotional healing, forgiveness , and personal revelations about how they handle stress and emotional turmoil.
• Long-term impact and continued practice: While not all students planned to continue with expressive writing, many saw its long-term potential. Some expressed a desire to integrate it into their lives regularly, using it as a tool for self-reflection and emotional expression in stressful or pivotal moments.
• Increased comfort with expressing emotions: Several students noted that writing helped them become more comfortable expressing their emotions, especially for those who struggled with verbally communicating their emotions. This exercise helped them develop a greater ease in externalizing internal emotions.
• Benefit of structure and prompts: Some students appreciated the structured nature of the exercises, finding the prompts helpful in guiding their reflection and making the process of emotional expression more manageable.
• Sense of validation and empowerment: A recurring theme was the validation students felt when they wrote about their emotions. Expressing emotions in writing helped them feel heard and empowered, as it allowed them to process feelings they often kept hidden.

As a pedagogical tool, expressive writing in a course about storytelling and healing offers unique insights into the power of narrative as a means for recovery. By allowing students to explore their own stories of vulnerability and growth, the course not only teaches them about narrative’s capacity to heal but also engages them in that very process. This experiential learning deepens their intellectual engagement with the material while simultaneously fostering empathy and self-compassion, critical skills for any student in the humanities or health-related fields. Moreover, the practice invites students to see their stories as part of a larger human continuum of suffering and healing, encouraging them to connect personal experiences with broader cultural and societal narratives.

For college students, expressive writing could offer a structured way to develop emotional intelligence and self-regulation —skills often expected of students but overlooked in traditional curricula. With mental health challenges amongst college students on the rise, incorporating expressive writing into medical humanities courses provides a proactive approach. By normalizing emotional reflection within academic spaces, we position emotional health and personal growth as integral to learning.

Pennebaker, James W., and John Frank Evans. Expressive Writing: Words That Heal . Idyll Arbor, Inc, 2014.

Melissa Rampelli, Ph.D. , is an Assistant Professor of English at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, PA. She specializes in the history of psychology and gender studies among other areas.

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