thesis statement for life after high school

Argumentative Essay About Attending College After Highschool

Introduction.

In today’s rapidly changing workforce, going to college after high school is advisable. The change in the employment scene makes it clear that more and more jobs now demand a college education. The change, combined with the many advantages of going to college, makes it a logical choice for high school graduates looking to have a happy and rewarding life. College after high school is a win-win choice that can increase an individual’s chances of finding a career, help him become a well-adjusted adult, and add to the health of society.

Although the job market is changing, it is precisely because jobs now require higher knowledge and skills. In the recession of 2007-2010, as jobs requiring a college degree grew rapidly, those for high school graduates or those with some college education declined sharply. This trend underlines the need for a college education to adjust to changing needs in the labor market. Furthermore, the unemployment rates strengthen the incentive of higher education. As of December 2019, the rate of unemployment for people over 25 with bachelor’s degrees was only 1.9 %, which is lower than the rates (listed in descending order) for those with some college or an associate’s degree (2.7 %), high school graduates (3.7 %), and high school dropouts (5. The figures assert that higher education provides an avenue to employment and may guarantee a degree of job security that would be unheard of without a college degree.

Besides studying and learning, colleges become places for professional development and contact. All the resources colleges provide–career services, internships, job fairs, and volunteer programs–help prepare students for the job market. More than 80 % of college students take part in internships before graduating, acquiring practical experience and important contacts for their professions. There are many channels on college campuses for networking, which is an integral part of career development. From fraternities and sororities to clubs, students can make connections that will last beyond graduation.

The most compelling reason to go to college after high school is the significant financial gain it promises. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s calculations, a bachelor’s degree has given an average rate of return over even that from the stock market or housing. During a lifetime, college graduates make $ 570,00 more than high school graduates. Their career earnings are 71 %to 136 %higher. This correlation is reflected in Forbes ‘list of America’s richest people, 85 % of whom have a college education. College is an even more significant financial investment, and college graduates also have lower rates of underemployment than high school-only graduates or those with no high school diploma.

Outside of academics, colleges also develop vital personal skills, which are the key to success in life. The campus communities are many and varied. Students become acquainted with different cultures, religions, and viewpoints, which provide them with a deeper understanding of the world. Via a poll of 11,000 college students, interpersonal skills proved to be the skill most needed in daily life. Furthermore, college graduates’ contributions to society are not limited to their professional lives. Higher productivity, lower crime, better health, and better citizenship come from a college education.

The college offers more than just professional benefits. Its effects also include health and longevity of life. According to studies, 83 percent of college graduates report being in excellent health, up from the high school graduate’s 73. Adults over 65 with college degrees have more years spent in good cognition and fewer years suffering from dementia. This health boost does not stop with the individual but carries over to their family. Also, a college-educated parent can provide a stable environment and support the family unit. However, schools, in particular, should combine traditional college courses with vocational ones.

Going to college after high school is not only a good decision but also a wise strategy. It opens many great doors for one’s career. It offers rich opportunities for personal development while contributing more than its fair share to the well-being of society as a whole. The various advantages described in the previous section of this argument emphasize just how crucial a role higher education plays in teaching individuals to live and lead a vital and rich existence. The figures speak for themselves, and the costs of gaining a college education pale compared to its benefits, making it an essential investment for every high school graduate.

ProCon.org. (2023, June 29).  Is a College Education Worth It?  Procon.org; Britannica. https://college-education.procon.org/

Freedman, D., & Davis, L. (2018).  Linfield Magazine Linfield Magazine College or Career? College or Career? https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1709&context=linfield_magazine

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Related Essays

Developing academic skills, are visual representations always helpful in the communication of knowledge, what is the libertarian critique of rawls, integrative paper (comprehensive exam), college completion rate in america, annotated bibliographies: sexual misconducts in higher education, popular essay topics.

• American Dream
• Artificial Intelligence
• Black Lives Matter
• Bullying Essay
• Career Goals Essay
• Causes of the Civil War
• Child Abusing
• Civil Rights Movement
• Community Service
• Cultural Identity
• Cyber Bullying
• Death Penalty
• Depression Essay
• Domestic Violence
• Freedom of Speech
• Global Warming
• Gun Control
• Human Trafficking
• I Believe Essay
• Immigration
• Importance of Education
• Israel and Palestine Conflict
• Leadership Essay
• Legalizing Marijuanas
• Mental Health
• National Honor Society
• Police Brutality
• Pollution Essay
• Racism Essay
• Romeo and Juliet
• Same Sex Marriages
• Social Media
• The Great Gatsby
• The Yellow Wallpaper
• Time Management
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Violent Video Games
• What Makes You Unique
• Why I Want to Be a Nurse
• Send us an e-mail

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Literary Analysis “Life After High School”

Save to my list

Remove from my list

Literary Analysis “Life After High School”. (2016, Apr 16). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/literary-analysis-life-after-high-school-essay

"Literary Analysis “Life After High School”." StudyMoose , 16 Apr 2016, https://studymoose.com/literary-analysis-life-after-high-school-essay

StudyMoose. (2016). Literary Analysis “Life After High School” . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/literary-analysis-life-after-high-school-essay [Accessed: 14 Aug. 2024]

"Literary Analysis “Life After High School”." StudyMoose, Apr 16, 2016. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://studymoose.com/literary-analysis-life-after-high-school-essay

"Literary Analysis “Life After High School”," StudyMoose , 16-Apr-2016. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/literary-analysis-life-after-high-school-essay. [Accessed: 14-Aug-2024]

StudyMoose. (2016). Literary Analysis “Life After High School” . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/literary-analysis-life-after-high-school-essay [Accessed: 14-Aug-2024]

• High School Musical Movie Review: Unrealistic Expectations for High School Pages: 2 (516 words)
• How My Teachers Influenced On My Life After High School Pages: 2 (558 words)
• My Experience of Overcoming Obstacles In Life After High School Pages: 4 (1013 words)
• Taking a gap year after high school Pages: 8 (2150 words)
• My Plans After High School Pages: 3 (777 words)
• Middle School vs. High School Pages: 2 (548 words)
• How High School Sports Have Impacted My Life? Pages: 2 (461 words)
• An Outlook on the Average High School Student's Life Pages: 6 (1708 words)
• Zekkyou Gakkyu Manga By Ishikawa Emi: The Life Of Japanese High School Students Pages: 6 (1512 words)
• Life's Lens: Navigating New Beginnings in High School and Photography Pages: 2 (414 words)

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

Home — Essay Samples — Education — Graduation — Life After High School: Setting Goals and Exploring Career Options

Life after High School: Setting Goals and Exploring Career Options

• Categories: Graduation High School

About this sample

Words: 701 |

Published: Sep 7, 2023

Words: 701 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The importance of setting life goals, the significance of career exploration.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr Jacklynne

Verified writer

• Expert in: Education

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 790 words

1 pages / 630 words

1 pages / 466 words

2 pages / 819 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Graduation

Graduation is an exciting time for my life, specially a university’s graduation. When I think of family, relatives and friends gathering together to celebrate a gratifying event, I feel I accomplished my goal. Graduation from [...]

Prom night, a rite of passage for high school students, holds a unique significance in the American cultural landscape. It symbolizes a blend of tradition, expectations, and realities that shape the teenage experience. This [...]

A student graduation speech is a pivotal element of any graduation ceremony, providing a moment for the graduating student to reflect on their educational journey. This speech allows the speaker to share personal experiences, [...]

“Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others.” – Helen Keller Reflecting on "why I choose business major," I see it as a journey toward professional growth and personal fulfillment. Helen [...]

It is a known fact that memories are sometimes all that we have. When one is old, and you have spent your entire life, you like to reminiscent about your life. One such memory is of one’s farewell party. Everyone knows that even [...]

Prom. The very word brings giggles and butterflies to millions of high school students. It seems to be a source of hope or a light at the end of the tunnel, many endlessly fantasize how and with whom they will spend this magical [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: 4 Steps + Examples

What’s Covered:

What is the purpose of a thesis statement, writing a good thesis statement: 4 steps, common pitfalls to avoid, where to get your essay edited for free.

When you set out to write an essay, there has to be some kind of point to it, right? Otherwise, your essay would just be a big jumble of word salad that makes absolutely no sense. An essay needs a central point that ties into everything else. That main point is called a thesis statement, and it’s the core of any essay or research paper.

You may hear about Master degree candidates writing a thesis, and that is an entire paper–not to be confused with the thesis statement, which is typically one sentence that contains your paper’s focus. 

Read on to learn more about thesis statements and how to write them. We’ve also included some solid examples for you to reference.

Typically the last sentence of your introductory paragraph, the thesis statement serves as the roadmap for your essay. When your reader gets to the thesis statement, they should have a clear outline of your main point, as well as the information you’ll be presenting in order to either prove or support your point. 

The thesis statement should not be confused for a topic sentence , which is the first sentence of every paragraph in your essay. If you need help writing topic sentences, numerous resources are available. Topic sentences should go along with your thesis statement, though.

Since the thesis statement is the most important sentence of your entire essay or paper, it’s imperative that you get this part right. Otherwise, your paper will not have a good flow and will seem disjointed. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through developing one. It’s a methodical process with steps that you need to follow in order to create the best thesis statement possible.

Step 1: Decide what kind of paper you’re writing

When you’re assigned an essay, there are several different types you may get. Argumentative essays are designed to get the reader to agree with you on a topic. Informative or expository essays present information to the reader. Analytical essays offer up a point and then expand on it by analyzing relevant information. Thesis statements can look and sound different based on the type of paper you’re writing. For example:

• Argumentative: The United States needs a viable third political party to decrease bipartisanship, increase options, and help reduce corruption in government.
• Informative: The Libertarian party has thrown off elections before by gaining enough support in states to get on the ballot and by taking away crucial votes from candidates.
• Analytical: An analysis of past presidential elections shows that while third party votes may have been the minority, they did affect the outcome of the elections in 2020, 2016, and beyond.

Step 2: Figure out what point you want to make

Once you know what type of paper you’re writing, you then need to figure out the point you want to make with your thesis statement, and subsequently, your paper. In other words, you need to decide to answer a question about something, such as:

• What impact did reality TV have on American society?
• How has the musical Hamilton affected perception of American history?
• Why do I want to major in [chosen major here]?

If you have an argumentative essay, then you will be writing about an opinion. To make it easier, you may want to choose an opinion that you feel passionate about so that you’re writing about something that interests you. For example, if you have an interest in preserving the environment, you may want to choose a topic that relates to that. 

If you’re writing your college essay and they ask why you want to attend that school, you may want to have a main point and back it up with information, something along the lines of:

“Attending Harvard University would benefit me both academically and professionally, as it would give me a strong knowledge base upon which to build my career, develop my network, and hopefully give me an advantage in my chosen field.”

Step 3: Determine what information you’ll use to back up your point

Once you have the point you want to make, you need to figure out how you plan to back it up throughout the rest of your essay. Without this information, it will be hard to either prove or argue the main point of your thesis statement. If you decide to write about the Hamilton example, you may decide to address any falsehoods that the writer put into the musical, such as:

“The musical Hamilton, while accurate in many ways, leaves out key parts of American history, presents a nationalist view of founding fathers, and downplays the racism of the times.”

Once you’ve written your initial working thesis statement, you’ll then need to get information to back that up. For example, the musical completely leaves out Benjamin Franklin, portrays the founding fathers in a nationalist way that is too complimentary, and shows Hamilton as a staunch abolitionist despite the fact that his family likely did own slaves. 

Step 4: Revise and refine your thesis statement before you start writing

Read through your thesis statement several times before you begin to compose your full essay. You need to make sure the statement is ironclad, since it is the foundation of the entire paper. Edit it or have a peer review it for you to make sure everything makes sense and that you feel like you can truly write a paper on the topic. Once you’ve done that, you can then begin writing your paper.

When writing a thesis statement, there are some common pitfalls you should avoid so that your paper can be as solid as possible. Make sure you always edit the thesis statement before you do anything else. You also want to ensure that the thesis statement is clear and concise. Don’t make your reader hunt for your point. Finally, put your thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph and have your introduction flow toward that statement. Your reader will expect to find your statement in its traditional spot.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or need some guidance on your essay, there are tools available that can help you. CollegeVine offers a free peer essay review tool where one of your peers can read through your essay and provide you with valuable feedback. Getting essay feedback from a peer can help you wow your instructor or college admissions officer with an impactful essay that effectively illustrates your point.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write a thesis statement + examples

What is a thesis statement?

Is a thesis statement a question, how do you write a good thesis statement, how do i know if my thesis statement is good, examples of thesis statements, helpful resources on how to write a thesis statement, frequently asked questions about writing a thesis statement, related articles.

A thesis statement is the main argument of your paper or thesis.

The thesis statement is one of the most important elements of any piece of academic writing . It is a brief statement of your paper’s main argument. Essentially, you are stating what you will be writing about.

You can see your thesis statement as an answer to a question. While it also contains the question, it should really give an answer to the question with new information and not just restate or reiterate it.

Your thesis statement is part of your introduction. Learn more about how to write a good thesis introduction in our introduction guide .

A thesis statement is not a question. A statement must be arguable and provable through evidence and analysis. While your thesis might stem from a research question, it should be in the form of a statement.

Tip: A thesis statement is typically 1-2 sentences. For a longer project like a thesis, the statement may be several sentences or a paragraph.

A good thesis statement needs to do the following:

• Condense the main idea of your thesis into one or two sentences.
• Answer your project’s main research question.
• Clearly state your position in relation to the topic .
• Make an argument that requires support or evidence.

Once you have written down a thesis statement, check if it fulfills the following criteria:

• Your statement needs to be provable by evidence. As an argument, a thesis statement needs to be debatable.
• Your statement needs to be precise. Do not give away too much information in the thesis statement and do not load it with unnecessary information.
• Your statement cannot say that one solution is simply right or simply wrong as a matter of fact. You should draw upon verified facts to persuade the reader of your solution, but you cannot just declare something as right or wrong.

As previously mentioned, your thesis statement should answer a question.

If the question is:

What do you think the City of New York should do to reduce traffic congestion?

A good thesis statement restates the question and answers it:

In this paper, I will argue that the City of New York should focus on providing exclusive lanes for public transport and adaptive traffic signals to reduce traffic congestion by the year 2035.

Here is another example. If the question is:

How can we end poverty?

A good thesis statement should give more than one solution to the problem in question:

In this paper, I will argue that introducing universal basic income can help reduce poverty and positively impact the way we work.

• The Writing Center of the University of North Carolina has a list of questions to ask to see if your thesis is strong .

A thesis statement is part of the introduction of your paper. It is usually found in the first or second paragraph to let the reader know your research purpose from the beginning.

In general, a thesis statement should have one or two sentences. But the length really depends on the overall length of your project. Take a look at our guide about the length of thesis statements for more insight on this topic.

Here is a list of Thesis Statement Examples that will help you understand better how to write them.

Every good essay should include a thesis statement as part of its introduction, no matter the academic level. Of course, if you are a high school student you are not expected to have the same type of thesis as a PhD student.

Here is a great YouTube tutorial showing How To Write An Essay: Thesis Statements .

Life After High School

Sunny didn’t tell anyone about the engagement ring. Of all sins, she thought, betrayal is surely the worst

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

College essays

• Choosing Essay Topic
• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

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 .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, July 23). How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips. Scribbr. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/argumentative-essay/

Is this article helpful?

Jack Caulfield

Other students also liked, how to write a thesis statement | 4 steps & examples, how to write topic sentences | 4 steps, examples & purpose, how to write an expository essay, what is your plagiarism score.

• Affiliate Program

• UNITED STATES
• 台灣 (TAIWAN)
• TÜRKIYE (TURKEY)
• Academic Editing Services
• - Research Paper
• - Journal Manuscript
• - Dissertation
• - College & University Assignments
• Admissions Editing Services
• - Application Essay
• - Personal Statement
• - Recommendation Letter
• - Cover Letter
• - CV/Resume
• Business Editing Services
• - Business Documents
• - Report & Brochure
• - Website & Blog
• Writer Editing Services
• - Script & Screenplay
• Our Editors
• Client Reviews
• Editing & Proofreading Prices
• Wordvice Points
• Partner Discount
• Plagiarism Checker
• APA Citation Generator
• MLA Citation Generator
• Chicago Citation Generator
• Vancouver Citation Generator
• - APA Style
• - MLA Style
• - Chicago Style
• - Vancouver Style
• Writing & Editing Guide
• Academic Resources
• Admissions Resources

How to Write a Thesis Statement–Examples

What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement summarizes the main idea of a paper or an essay. Similar to the statement of the problem in research, it prepares the reader for what is to come and ties together the evidence and examples that are presented and the arguments and claims that are made later. 

A good thesis statement can provoke thought, arouse interest, and is always followed up by exactly what it promises—if the focus or direction of your essay changes over time, you should go back to your statement and adapt it as well so that it clearly reflects what you are explaining or discussing. 

Where does the thesis statement go in my paper?

Your thesis statement should be placed near the end of your introduction—after you have given the reader some background and before you delve into the specific evidence or arguments that support your statement.

Can you give me a thesis statement template?

Depending on the type of essay you are writing, your thesis statement will look different. The important thing is that your statement is specific and clearly states the main idea you want to get across. In the following, we will discuss different types of statements, show you a simple 4-step process for writing an effective thesis statement, and finish off with some not-so-good and good thesis statement examples.

Table of Contents:

• Types of Thesis Statements
• How to Write a Thesis Statement Step by Step 
• Not-So-Good and Good Thesis Statements 

Types of Thesis Statements 

Depending on whether your paper is analytical, expository, or argumentative, your statement has a slightly different purpose. 

Analytical thesis statements

An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its components, evaluates the pieces, and presents an evaluation of this breakdown to the reader. Such papers can analyze art, music, literature, current or historical events, political ideas, or scientific research. An analytical thesis statement is therefore often the result of such an analysis of, for example, some literary work (“Heathcliff is meant to be seen as a hero rather than a horrible person”) or a process (“the main challenge recruiters face is the balance between selecting the best candidates and hiring them before they are snatched up by competitors”), or even the latest research (“starving yourself will increase your lifespan, according to science”). In the rest of the paper, you then need to explain how you did the analysis that led you to the stated result and how you arrived at your conclusion, by presenting data and evidence.

Expository thesis statements

An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience, such as a historical development, a current phenomenon, or the effect of political intervention. A typical explanatory thesis statement is therefore often a “topic statement” rather than a claim or actual thesis. An expository essay could, for example, explain “where human rights came from and how they changed the world,” or “how students make career choices.” The rest of the paper then needs to present the reader with all the relevant information on the topic, covering all sides and aspects rather than one specific viewpoint.

Argumentative thesis statements

An argumentative paper makes a clear and potentially very subjective claim and follows up with a justification based on evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the author’s claim is true. A thesis statement for such a paper could be that “every student should be required to take a gap year after high school to gain some life experience”, or that “vaccines should be mandatory”. Argumentative thesis statements can be bold, assertive, and one-sided—you have the rest of the paper to convince the reader that you have good reasons to think that way and that maybe they should think like that, too.

How to Write a Thesis Statement Step-by-Step 

If you are not quite sure how you get from a topic to a thesis statement, then follow this simple process—but make sure you know what type of essay you are supposed to write and adapt the steps to the kind of statement you need. 

First , you will have to select a topic . This might have been done for you already if you are writing an essay as part of a class. If not, then make sure you don’t start too general—narrow the subject down to a specific aspect that you can cover in an essay. 

Second , ask yourself a question about your topic, one that you are personally interested in or one that you think your readers might find relevant or interesting. Here, you have to consider whether you are going to explain something to the reader (expository essay) or if you want to put out your own, potentially controversial, opinion and then argue for it in the rest of your (argumentative) essay.

Third , answer the question you raised for yourself, based on the material you have already sifted through and are planning to present to the reader or the opinion you have already formed on the topic. If your opinion changes while working on your essay, which happens quite often, then make sure you come back to this process and adapt your statement.

Fourth and last, reword the answer to your question into a concise statement . You want the reader to know exactly what is coming, and you also want to make it sound as interesting as possible so that they decide to keep reading.

Let’s look at this example process to give you a better idea of how to get from your topic to your statement. Note that this is the development of a thesis statement for an argumentative essay .

• Choose a specific topic: Covid-19 vaccines 

Narrow it down to a specific aspect: opposition to Covid-19 vaccines

• Ask a question: Should vaccination against Covid-19 be mandatory?     
• Answer the question for yourself, by sorting through the available evidence/arguments:

Yes: vaccination protects other, more vulnerable people; vaccination reduces the spread of the disease; herd immunity will allow societies to go back to normal…

No: vaccines can have side-effects in some people; the vaccines have been developed too fast and there might be unknown risks; the government should stay out of personal decisions on people’s health…

• Form your opinion and reword it into your thesis statement that represents a very short summary of the key points you base your claim on:

While there is some hesitancy around vaccinations against Covid-19, most of the presented arguments revolve around unfounded fears and the individual freedom to make one’s own decisions. Since that freedom is offset by the benefits of mass vaccination, governments should make vaccines mandatory to help societies get back to normal.

This is a good argumentative thesis statement example because it does not just present a fact that everybody knows and agrees on, but a claim that is debatable and needs to be backed up by data and arguments, which you will do in the rest of your essay. You can introduce whatever evidence and arguments you deem necessary in the following—but make sure that all your points lead back to your core claim and support your opinion. This example also answers the question “how long should a thesis statement be?” One or two sentences are generally enough. If your statement is longer, make sure you are not using vague, empty expressions or more words than necessary .

Good and Bad Thesis Statement Examples

Not-so-good thesis statement : Everyone should get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Problem: The statement does not specify why that might be relevant or why people might not want to do it—this is too vague to spark anyone’s interest.

Good : Since the risks of the currently available Covid-19 vaccines are minimal and societal interests outweigh individual freedom, governments should make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory.

Not-so-good thesis statement : Binge drinking is bad for your health.

Problem: This is a very broad statement that everyone can agree on and nobody needs to read an article on. You need to specify why anyone would not think that way.

Good : Binge drinking has become a trend among college students. While some argue that it might be better for your health than regular consumption of low amounts of alcohol, science says otherwise.

Not-so-good thesis statement : Learning an instrument can develop a child’s cognitive abilities.

Problem: This is a very weak statement—”can” develop doesn’t tell us whether that is what happens in every child, what kind of effects of music education on cognition we can expect, and whether that has or should have any practical implications. 

Good thesis statement : Music education has many surprising benefits on children’s overall development, including effects on language acquisition, coordination, problem-solving, and even social skills.

You could now present all the evidence on the specific effects of music education on children’s specific abilities in the rest of your (expository) essay. You could also turn this into an argumentative essay, by adding your own opinion to your statement:

Good thesis statement : Considering the many surprising benefits that music education has on children’s overall development, every child should be given the opportunity to learn an instrument as part of their public school education.

Not-so-good thesis statement : Outer space exploration is a waste of money.

Problem: While this is a clear statement of your personal opinion that people could potentially disagree with (which is good for an argumentative thesis statement), it lacks context and does not really tell the reader what to expect from your essay.

Good thesis statement : Instead of wasting money on exploring outer space, people like Elon Musk should use their wealth to solve poverty, hunger, global warming, and other issues we are facing on this earth.

Get Professional Thesis Editing Services

Now that you know how to write the perfect thesis statement for your essay, you might be interested in our Wordvice AI Proofreader . And after drafting your academic papers, be sure to get proofreading that includes manuscript editing , thesis editing , or dissertation editing services before submitting your work to journals for publication.

We have many more articles for you on all aspects of academic writing , tips and tricks on how to avoid common grammar mistakes , and resources on how to strengthen your writing style in general.

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

Related Resources

Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

• Previous Page: Introductions
• Next Page: Conclusions
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

Making the Transition from High School to College Essay Writing

In the month before my high school graduation, everything suddenly turned slow. Hallways, filled with Virginia humidity, had a molasses quality to them. I wrote my last high school paper then: an essay on Shakespeare’s Hamlet . In it, I wrote about Hamlet’s idealism and his relationship with his father postmortem; essentially, I made sweeping generalizations and focused on overarching themes. The essay was nothing like my college papers.

In high school, I started my essay process by researching scholarly articles on sites like JSTOR or the MLA International Bibliography . I’d read scholars’ takes on what I was writing about at the time— Hamlet , Wuthering Heights , Emily Dickinson’s poems—and begin to craft an idea, which would then translate into a thesis. To support my argument, I’d include paragraphs from my primary texts. Instead of analyzing the texts myself, I’d quote the analyses of the secondary sources. At the end, I’d gather my citations in a works-cited list, staple the paper together, and turn it in.

In college, my well-oiled routine changed; my papers now consist largely of my own ideas and analysis. I still engage with secondary sources and include works-cited lists and other kinds of bibliographies in my essays. After all, in higher education, where you’re surrounded by academics—who make a living from their original thoughts—crediting sources becomes even more important. But for me, entering the hallowed halls of university meant writing essays in a new way. College is a land of academic freedom. Free from testing standards and unoriginal, rigid curricula, I enrolled in English classes like American Horror and James Joyce’s Ulysses. In these classes, I relearned how to write a research paper. 

My process begins while I’m reading a text for class, weeks before my professor even mentions an essay assignment. I like to annotate the text, underlining passages, jotting down possible essay ideas, categorizing paragraphs thematically, and so on. (I can never sell any of my books secondhand because they’re all crammed with marginalia.) Once the assignment has been introduced, I quickly pull together a few topic ideas and schedule a meeting during office hours to discuss them with my professor. Office hours are an underrated resource: most professors sit and wait in their office during these hours, so why not fill that time with discourse on the latest book you’ve been reading or possible essay topics? At the least, you get a stimulating intellectual conversation, and at the most, you’ll be able to easily ask that professor for a recommendation letter when the time comes.

After I’ve ironed out my topic, I begin by skimming through the text again (yes, the whole text) and picking out small passages to quote. My extensive marginalia now come into play, leading me to the snippets I want to analyze. As an English major, I primarily focus on textual analysis—meaning that I examine words and punctuation in depth, with the help of the Oxford English Dictionary , to connect them to broader themes. Just as in high school, I use peer-reviewed journals from online databases in my papers, but now I avoid relying on them heavily.

So, for example, for my paper in my James Joyce’s Ulysses class, I analyzed quotations from the “Circe” chapter to argue that Joyce was subversively promoting orientalist ideas. Each paragraph focused on a sentence where words and images had secondary meanings linked with orientalist theory. To reinforce my thesis, I tied in works like Edward Said’s Orientalism and Brad Bannon’s article “Joyce, Coleridge, and the Eastern Aesthetic,” from the James Joyce Quarterly . In my papers, I view my secondary sources as a medium that allows me to converse with their authors. So while I agreed with Said’s theory, I also addressed scholars who countered his argument. Likewise, I disagreed with Bannon’s thesis that Joyce was justified in his use of the orientalist aesthetic and laid out my reasons.

This method doesn’t solely apply to papers about literary texts. My final paper for my American Horror class focused on the characters Wendy and Jack in Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining. I used textual analysis to argue that Wendy embodies male, patriarchal characteristics, threatening Jack’s place as the head of the family, thus sending Jack into madness. In film studies, textual analysis involves examining dialogue, costumes, or scenery in vivid detail. For my analysis of the film, I wove in quotations from other sources, such as Barbara Creed’s essay “Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection” and Frank Manchel’s piece “What about Jack? Another Perspective on Family Relationships in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining .” Unlike the secondary-source quotations in my high school papers, these quotations did not replace my conclusions but added to them.

But some things don’t change. As in high school, when I finished writing, I gathered my sources in a works-cited list, stapled the paper together, and turned it in.

Works Cited

Bannon, Brad. “Joyce, Coleridge, and the Eastern Aesthetic.” James Joyce Quarterly , vol. 48, no. 3, 2011, pp. 495–510. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/ 23342956.

Creed, Barbara. “Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine: An Imaginary Abjection.” Screen , vol. 27, no. 1, 1 Jan. 1986, pp. 44–71. doi:10.1093/ screen/27.1.44.

Joyce, James. Ulysses . Random House, 1961.

Kubrick, Stanley, director. The Shining . Warner Bros., 1980.

Manchel, Frank. “What about Jack? Another Perspective on Family Relationships in Stanley  Kubrick’s The Shining .” Literature / Film Quarterly , vol. 23, no. 1, 1995, pp. 68–78. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/43798713.

Said, Edward W. Orientalism . 25th anniversary ed., Vintage Books, 2003.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark . New Folger’s ed., Washington Square Press / Pocket Books, 1992.

Steve Colburn 04 October 2018 AT 05:10 PM

Thank you to Alice Yang for a very engaging essay. Does that ever take me back to the transition from High School to college, from underclasswork to upperclasswork, from undergrad work to grad school. It also took me back to my years spent teaching composition, literary analysis, and creative writing workshops. Well done!

Your e-mail address will not be published

Join the Conversation

We invite you to comment on this post and exchange ideas with other site visitors. Comments are moderated and subject to terms of service.

If you have a question for the MLA's editors, submit it to Ask the MLA!

Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

Writing Process and Structure

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Getting Started with Your Paper

Interpreting Writing Assignments from Your Courses

Generating Ideas for

Creating an Argument

Thesis vs. Purpose Statements

Architecture of Arguments

Working with Sources

Quoting and Paraphrasing Sources

Using Literary Quotations

Citing Sources in Your Paper

Drafting Your Paper

Generating Ideas for Your Paper

Introductions

Paragraphing

Developing Strategic Transitions

Conclusions

Revising Your Paper

Peer Reviews

Reverse Outlines

Revising an Argumentative Paper

Revision Strategies for Longer Projects

Finishing Your Paper

Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist

How to Proofread your Paper

Writing Collaboratively

Collaborative and Group Writing

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Activities to Teach How to Write A Thesis Statement

Research Writing , Secondary Literacy , Writing

If there’s any literacy skill you would want your English Language Arts students to master, it would probably be how to write a thesis statement . If you want to teach your students how to write powerful, eloquent, and exceptionally captivating thesis statements, then you’ll love the activities in this article.

The key to any good essay is a strong thesis statement. A strong thesis statement sets the tone and clarifies the author’s purpose : it tells you the writer’s opinion, along with the level of thought and criticism that has gone into formulating it.

A strong thesis statement also creates an alluring introduction paragraph. This makes each paper in your grading pile a lot more inviting.

How do you teach students to write a thesis statement to make their audience continue reading? This blog post explores six activities to teach how to write a thesis statement.

1. Differentiate Between Strong and Weak Thesis Statements

Writing a thesis statement might be a new skill for your students. Thesis statements are often taught as a topic sentence or the “whole essay boiled down into one sentence.” This can be a challenging concept for your students to grasp.

To teach how to write a thesis statement, have a discussion about what makes a strong thesis statement. You can turn this into a collaborative lesson by brainstorming clarifying statements ; these statements dictate what a thesis is and is not.

For example: “ A proper thesis statement is written in one sentence ,” or “ a proper thesis statement is directly related to the rest of the essay .” This is a great opportunity to teach students the difference between concepts like a “topic sentence” or a “hook.”

Your students can use this free bookmark to differentiate between a strong thesis statement and a weak one. This slideshow lesson also explores clarifying statements with detailed examples.

2. Evaluate Thesis Statement Examples

Now that students have plenty of guidelines, challenge their understanding by evaluating thesis statement examples . You can use thesis statement examples from past students’ essays. You can even write your own examples based on the clarifying statements you create with your class.

If you’re open to your students receiving constructive, anonymous criticism , you can even have them write a thesis statement and evaluate each one as a class. I’ve had success with providing students with a thesis statement topic and having them write a thesis statement. Then, I prompt them to swap with their elbow partner to offer feedback.

If you’d rather provide a comprehensive list of thesis statements that reflect the common errors you would typically see in students’ essays, there are several student examples in this introductory lesson on how to write a thesis statement – this is one of my favourite activities for teaching thesis statement writing!

3. Provide a Thesis Statement Template

One of the easiest ways to teach how to write a thesis statement is to offer a thesis statement template . There are a variety of thesis statement templates that students can use as a framework for their essays. I start with a basic template that involves the three parts of a thesis statement: a topic, position, and evidence . I then demonstrate to students how they can create variations of this template, depending on which order they introduce each part. You can find examples for each template in these thesis statement handouts .

You can also introduce a few sentence styles to your students. These styles scaffold eloquent thesis statements. They also offer students the space to articulate their thoughts without exceeding the one-sentence limit.

Sentence Styles for the Three Parts of a Thesis Statement

Here are a few sentence styles that incorporate the three parts of a thesis statement. Each style also includes an example written by a real student:

• Style A : “Noun phrase; Noun phrase; Noun phrase – Independent Clause” Example: “The promotion of hygiene; the presence of medical professionals; the prevention of death – these are all reasons why supervised injection services are an important facet of public health.”
• Style B : If (subject + verb + object phrase), if (subject + verb + object phrase ), if (subject + verb + object phrase ), then (independent clause) Example: “If taxpayers do not wish to have their money allocated to cruelty, if more than 100 million animals die from animal testing a year, if alternatives to animal testing exist, then governments should ban the practice of testing on animals.”
• Style C : Independent clause: subject + verb, subject + verb, subject + verb Example: “College education should be entirely funded by the government: student debt would be eliminated, education would not be commodified, and access to education would not be exclusive to privileged people.”

All of these sentence styles are outlined in these practice worksheets for how to write a thesis statement, with writing prompts to reinforce each thesis statement template through repeated practice.

4. Daily Practice Activities to Teach How to Write a Thesis Statement

One of the most effective ways to teach how to write a thesis statement is through repeated practice. You can do this by incorporating daily bell ringers into your persuasive writing unit. To assign this activity, I provide students with three topics to choose from. I then prompt them to develop an opinion and write a thesis statement for one.

I’ll also include bell ringers that provide a thesis statement that students need to evaluate. Students really enjoy these drills! They get the opportunity to develop opinions on interesting topics, and many of them choose to explore these ideas as the subject of their final research paper.

If you’re looking for pre-made worksheets with thesis statement activities, these daily thesis statement bell ringers include one month’s worth of thesis statement prompts, graphic organizers, and templates in both digital and ready-to-print format.

5. Use a Self-Assessment Thesis Statement Anchor Chart

You can provide students with a thesis statement anchor chart to reference the guidelines and rules they’ve learned. A personalized anchor chart is best – like this free thesis statement bookmark – so that students can have it on hand while they are reading and writing.

You can distribute the anchor chart at the beginning of your research paper unit. Students can refer to it while evaluating thesis statement examples or completing daily practice activities. A thesis statement anchor chart has been a complete game-changer in my classroom, and I’m pleased to learn that many of my students have held on to these after completing my course.

6. Provide Engaging Thesis Statement Topics

You can collaborate with your students to generate an engaging list of good topics for thesis statements. Start by writing down every topic that your students suggest. Then, you can narrow this list down to avoid broad, far-reaching thesis statements that lead to a watered-down essay. When I make this list with my students, we end up with topics that are truly engaging for them. I also have the opportunity to clarify which topics might be a little too vague or broad for an exceptional essay.

For example, students often suggest topics like “racism” or “the problem with school.” These are learning opportunities to demonstrate to students that a great thesis statement is the essential starting point for an even greater essay.

To elaborate, a topic like racism has different implications all over the world. It is far too complex to explore in a single, 750-word essay. Instead, we work together to narrow this topic down to something like “racism in the media,” or even better, “representation in Hollywood.”

Additionally, a topic like “the problem with school” is more of a conclusion. To solve this, we work backward to identify some of the aspects of our school that make it an obstacle . This can include uniforms, early starts, or cell phone policies. This process leads students to a more concise topic, like “cell phone policies in twenty-first-century schools.”

If you’re looking for engaging thesis statement topics to inspire your students, I’ve included a list of 75 argumentative essay topics in this practice unit for how to write a thesis statement .

Tying it All Together

There are plenty of fun thesis statement activities and practice lessons that you can incorporate into your curriculum. Give thesis statements the love and attention they deserve in the classroom – after all, they truly are the most important part of a research essay.

All of the worksheets, lessons, and activities explored in this blog post are included in Mondays Made Easy’s unit for teaching how to write a thesis statement . This bundle has everything you need to teach your students how to master their thesis statements and apply these essential literacy skills to their writing.

• Translators
• Graphic Designers

Please enter the email address you used for your account. Your sign in information will be sent to your email address after it has been verified.

Transitioning from High School to College Academic Writing

You've done it — you've been accepted to college! Those countless campus tours and application essays have finally paid off. While this is undoubtedly an exciting milestone, it can also bring uncertainty and worry. College education can saddle you with a more significant workload, and you'll be taught by professors with higher expectations.

One subject that significantly differs between high school and college is writing. You might have become accustomed to the 5-paragraph essay model in high school, which served you well then. However, college requires a more advanced level of writing that does not rely on an outlined structure. How can you successfully make the shift from high school to college writing?

Breaking away from the 5-paragraph essay

We learned this format as early as elementary school and applied it throughout middle and high school. Here is the basic structure:

• Introduction
• 1 st body paragraph: Main idea #1
• 2 nd body paragraph: Main idea #2
• 3 rd body paragraph: Main idea #3

The 5-paragraph essay is a simple and effective way to organize your writing into distinct sections. The introduction introduces your thesis statement. The three body paragraphs each represent one main idea. The conclusion is a summary of what you've written. Although this is a great way to learn to write papers, this format is too formulaic and isn't functional beyond high school. Let's break down the differences between high school-level and college-level writing, paragraph by paragraph.

What makes a great college-level introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph of the essay. It introduces your argument or thesis statement and creates a roadmap to prove your thesis throughout the rest of your paper. It is essential to make your introduction clear and detailed, so your readers know what to expect. In fact, this is probably the most important part of your essay, so it's important to familiarize yourself with the different techniques you can use at the beginning to grab the reader's attention. If you still don't know how to start your essay, check out the various study materials on the Studocu educational platform.

Here's what a high school-level introduction entails and how a college-level introduction departs from that model.

High school…

• Hook : The hook is the first sentence of the introduction. Its purpose is to draw readers into your paper — to entice them to read the rest of it. A hook can be a question, quote, anecdote, or even exclamation. The hook does not need to correlate directly to your argument.
• Thesis statement : The thesis statement is introduced toward the end of the introduction. It is typically one sentence with three main points — each representing one of the essay's body paragraphs — that will prove the thesis. The thesis should be argumentative, but it can be broad and general.

Versus college

• No hook : College essay introductions do not require a hook. Since many college papers have word count and page requirements, a hook will take up unnecessary space. It's better to dive straight into your argument than to pander to your reader with an eye-catching statement.
• Thesis statement : The thesis statement is still included, introduced toward the end of the introduction. It can vary in length between one to three sentences, depending on the complexity of your argument. Your thesis does not require three main supporting points; you can use as many or as few supporting details as you need to prove your thesis. Most importantly, your thesis should be specific and argumentative.

Building strong body paragraphs

Once you've got your introduction down, it's time to begin your body paragraphs. These are where you're likely to see the most significant differences between high school-level and college-level writing.

Under the 5-paragraph essay format, high school essays contain three body paragraphs. There are no strict length requirements for each of the body paragraphs. Each body represents one of the three main ideas chosen to prove the thesis, and each main idea has three points of evidence to support it.

Let's consider an example. Your essay thesis centers on the importance of helping to reduce climate change. Here is an outline of the contents of one body paragraph:

Body paragraph #1 : Alternative transportation methods can help reduce your carbon footprint.

• Evidence #1 : Carpooling
• Evidence #2 : Bike riding
• Evidence #3 : Walking

These three pieces of evidence support the main idea of your first body paragraph.

Here are some other ideas to consider as you write your body paragraphs:

• Research and sources : High school papers don't usually include much — if any — external source material, so you don't have to do any additional research. For example, an essay on John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath will include evidence solely from the book. Likewise, a lab report or scientific paper will contain information from the lab you have completed. Some high school research papers require external research but not to the same degree as a college paper.
• Analysis : In high school papers, analysis of evidence is present but not extensive. It may point out more general ideas that are pretty obvious to readers. One piece of evidence can include two to three sentences of analysis and stop there.
• Transitional statements : You will most likely include transitional phrases such as "in conclusion" or "in addition" in your writing. They serve to move you from one point to the next, but they don't provide much context for your argument. Each body paragraph will have an opening sentence relating to its respective main idea.
• Connection to the thesis : Each body paragraph focuses solely on its main idea. There is little to no connection back to the thesis because it is assumed that the bodies serve the thesis.

College papers can have as few or as many body paragraphs as you need to prove your argument. The amount of body paragraphs you have is also influenced by the page length restriction or other requirements for your paper.

Body paragraphs should never exceed one page in length. They are each typically one to two-thirds of a page. If your body paragraph is longer than one page, you likely have enough evidence and analysis to split that paragraph into two separate bodies. Double-check to ensure you are not combining two points into one body paragraph. Each paragraph should have its own main idea.

Some other things to consider as you write your body paragraphs are:

• Research and sources : College papers will often require external research and sources. This isn't always a requirement, but the extent of external research is more common than in high school. For example, an essay on John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath may include direct quotes from the book as well as external research on the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl . Likewise, a scientific research paper might include results from your own experiment and external statistics from past published experiments.
• Analysis : Aside from the thesis statement, your analysis is the most important part of the paper. The analysis is extensive and specific, aiming to bring light to an unexplored topic. You will point out small details readers may have considered unimportant and draw conclusions about them. You'll bring a fresh perspective to evidence and teach your readers something new.
• Transitional statements : You'll likely use transitional statements in your college writing, but they will serve a more significant purpose. Each body paragraph will begin with a transitional sentence connecting one body paragraph to the next. They should be specific — not general — and outline what you'll be discussing in the paragraph. You do not want any of your paragraphs to be disconnected. After all, they each serve the same purpose: proving the thesis statement.
• Connection to the thesis : Every body paragraph refers back to the thesis. While each paragraph has its main idea to discuss, you can't forget the purpose of each one. You should actively discuss how your analysis of evidence proves your argument.

Ending with a strong conclusion

The conclusion is the last paragraph of an essay. Like the other elements, the content of the conclusion differs between high school writing and college writing.

• Summary : High school conclusions summarize what you've discussed throughout your paper. You restate the thesis and the three main points you've made supporting your argument. There is no further analysis included in the conclusion.
• Drawing connections : These conclusions draw no connections between disciplines. For example, an English paper conclusion solely discusses what was written in the essay. Using The Grapes of Wrath as a topic example again, the conclusion focuses only on the book and its literary implications. You do not draw connections between the book content and its historical connections.
• Summary : While you usually restate the thesis at the end, college conclusions are not merely a summary of what you've written. Rather, these conclusions answer the "so what?" question. Why should readers care about your argument? Why is your paper important? What does it add to the existing research on this topic? What's its relevance? These are just some of the questions to consider as you craft your concluding statements.
• Drawing connections : One way to answer the "so what?" question is to draw interdisciplinary connections between what you've said and what's already been written. For example, if you're writing a sociology paper on the foster care system in the United States, you could connect it to what you've learned in an economics or history class. How does a child's socioeconomic status impact the likelihood of ending up in the foster care system? How has the creation and role of the foster care system evolved over time? These are the kind of questions to consider as you make connections across disciplines in your conclusion.

Other things to keep in mind

Now that we've discussed the differences in formulating your papers, let's consider some of the other key distinctions between high school and college writing.

Quality over quantity

High school writing assignments do not tend to have minimum word counts to meet, so you can write as much as you want to prove your argument. However, college writing assignments usually have strict word count requirements so that you focus on the quality of your writing instead of the quantity. You must write good, compelling arguments and analysis. Your writing should be concise so you can communicate your ideas clearly and effectively without filling your paper with fluff.

Summary vs. analysis

While high school writing does require some analysis, the summary does not introduce new ideas. You can summarize a source as evidence and summarize your paper in the conclusion. In contrast, college writing requires strict analysis. Any summary you provide should be no longer than one or two sentences to introduce a source or provide context.

With college writing, you need to provide quality analysis. Consider everything — even the most minor details — including punctuation marks, speech patterns, and motifs , because sometimes the smallest, most inconsequential-seeming points make for the most significant analysis.

Word choice and specificity

You might be tempted to use complicated language in your college papers to impress your professors. Spoiler alert: they probably won't be as impressed as you might have thought. Instead, use field-specific terminology throughout your paper. If you're writing a biology research paper, it will make sense to include words like "polypeptides" and "anabolism." When writing your paper, take care to use simple language that fits the context of your argument. This will keep your writing clear and concise, prioritizing understanding over complexity

Specificity is similar to word choice, but it refers particularly to overstatements . You should avoid using overstatements in your college writing. Generalized phrases like "society," "throughout history," and "many people believe" are examples of terms that signify generalizations and assumptions. Remain focused in your writing and use terms specific to the community, institution, or field you're writing about.

Tone, voice, and tense

In college, your writing should maintain an active voice. This gives your writing more clarity. Your tone depends on your argument, but it should mostly remain neutral. Your tone matters most when you include external research in your argument. For example, if you're paraphrasing a scholarly article with a positive tone, your paraphrased version should also convey a positive tone.

The tense is also largely dependent on what you're writing. For example, English Literature papers use the present tense. Meanwhile, some disciplines – like the sciences – do not have a strict tense requirement and might include a mix of past, present, and future tenses. You should always be aware of what tense your discipline requires.

High school papers almost always use MLA for citations, if they require citations at all. College citations depend on the disciple in which you are writing. For example, English Literature essays follow MLA format, which includes the use of parenthetical citations in your paper. However, history or political science papers require Chicago Style citations — this includes the use of footnotes, not parenthetical citations. Psychology and behavioral science disciplines use APA style .

The distinction between style guides might be confusing, but there are many informative sources online, such as Purdue Owl , that can teach you how to properly cite a source in any citation style.

Making the transition

We've thrown a lot of information at you about making the move from high school to college, so take your time learning your new expectations and go easy on yourself as you learn new ways to write. Don't forget that practice makes perfect, so practice writing as much as you can.

If you find yourself continuing to struggle in this transition from high school to college writing, don't be afraid to ask your professors for help. They hold office hours for a reason! You can stop by to discuss your thesis, and some professors will even read drafts of students' essays and give valuable feedback. Remember that you're not the only one trying to make this shift. You have plenty of resources at your disposal — use them!

Header photo by Mangostar .

How to Make Life After High School Worth All the Hard Work

What's next? Here are some things to consider when it comes to life after high school.

Megan's contributed both writing and research to a myriad of associations including academic publications, cultural institutions, non-fiction works, and experimental collaborative projects.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

Life after high school looks different for everyone. For some it's compiling lists of every possible item you might need in the dorms and others it's asking an adult to look over your employee intake paperwork to make sure you filled out the tax information right.

But, if there's one thing we all have in common when we graduate, it's feeling a little lost. Well, there's no better way to prepare yourself for the unknown than demystifying it.

You've Graduated High School, Now What?

You spend about twelve years of your life working towards this mythical end-goal of graduating high school. But, once you've got that diploma in hand and no concrete goal ahead of you, you can feel like a marionette doll whose strings have been cut. No matter how much helpful advice you read in congratulations cards or sitcoms you see play out the trials that pop up in early adulthood, there's no comprehensive packet to reference.

• How Much Money to Give for a Graduation Gift in 2024
• Student Council Speech Ideas & Tips to Help You Win
• What to Wear for High School Graduation: Graduates & Guests

Having the whole world at your fingertips can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Whatever path you take outside of high school will help nudge you along to becoming the adult you're meant to be. Here are some options and tips to consider.

Seek Out Higher Education

In the social environment we live in, degrees are the currency we dole out to get hired at even the most basic entry-level positions. Yet, in America, higher education is a hefty investment at every level. There are other educational options out there beyond a traditional four-year path though.

Trade/Vocational Schools

Trade schools were once recommended by guidance counselors in schools all over the US, but as our society's grown to prioritize traditional education, they fell to the wayside. Yet, they're making a huge comeback as university prices skyrocket.

While trade schools do cost money to attend - amounts which vary depending on your state - they're significantly less than university. You also learn a concrete skill (aka trade) during your training that you can immediately go to work with after you graduate.

Some common trades people learn at trade schools are:

• Cosmetologist
• Electrician
• Real Estate Agent
• Massage Therapist
• Dental Hygienist

Community College

Community college has a reputation for being the less-difficult, less-competitive little brother to four-year universities. However, that reputation is starting to change with rising university costs. At community colleges, you can get your associate degree (estimated to take two years to complete) which you can use to enter into a career.

Or you can go to a community college to finish all of your basic general education courses and transfer the credits over to a four-year university, and only have to deal with the higher tuition costs for two years. Be careful when doing this, because not every university will accept community college credits. Private universities are less likely to accept all of your credits, so they might end up foiling your plans.

The biggest appeal of attending community college is that they're substantially less expensive than university, but their accredited courses look the same on the diploma as a university's does.

The traditional pathway that's marketed to teens today is the four-year university. Both private and public universities have their pros and cons, but one of the biggest controversies surrounding higher education in the past few years is rising costs.

With student loan debt mounting, it's a good idea to think about what exactly you want to do for a career and see if it requires a four-year degree. The kind of money that university costs means you don't want to make assumptions about the kind of requirements your career path needs.

If you were unsure of your plans after high school during senior year, you're not out of luck if you decide on higher education. Some schools or community colleges have rolling admissions options that may allow you to be accepted and enroll in about a month. Less exclusive colleges may also have later application deadlines.

Online Degree Programs

Choosing to take classes online through an accredited college or university is another option for today's teens after they graduate high school. While you won't get the traditional on-campus experience, there are lots of other perks, including flexibility and possibly lower tuition costs.

Gain Life Experience Through Non-Academic Pathways

After you graduate from 12 straight years of education, you don't have to feel pressured into signing for several more years of the same thing. There are other things you can do after high school as you move forward in life.

Take a Gap Year

Taking a gap year simply means that you decide to wait a year before committing to any kind of educational program. It's a great idea if high school left you really burnt out or you're hoping to figure out what excites you from a career standpoint.

However, it can be all too easy to turn a gap year into a gap forever. So, give yourself an end date that you're ready to commit to. So when that day comes, you can either choose to follow a career, an educational path, or something else.

Jump Into the Workforce

Many graduated high school students jump right into the workforce. It's a great way to start gaining valuable job experience that you can use in the future while also financially supporting yourself. Getting a job and working every day is a great way to begin to discover the skills, roles, and environments that you thrive in and the ones that you don't enjoy all that much.

• Exploring Career Clusters to Find Your Path

Gain New Skills With Skill-Specific Courses

You can also take a hybrid approach to your immediate future. Explore the different options ahead of you in a less financially committed way while supporting yourself by trying out a few online courses. There are so many different course programs out there, like Skillshare or Coursera , that can teach you valuable life and job skills for a fraction of the cost of university. Similarly, you get to take it at your own pace and can focus on only the things you're interested in.

Things Many Adults Wish They Knew Before Graduating High School

Hindsight is 20/20, and every adult looks back on their early adulthood wishing there were some things they'd done differently. But, as is often the case, you don't know what you don't know. So, use these hard-earned cheat codes from the adults who've been in your shoes.

• 25 Life Skills for Teens to Learn Before They Leave Home

Be Sensible With Your Money and Budget

It's so tempting to blow through your first few paychecks. And while we definitely encourage enjoying the money you're getting for your hard work, it's never too early of a time to save. It might be years down the line that you're looking at making a larger purchase, but when it comes, you'll be wishing you hadn't cashed that bonus check in on a restaurant-quality soda machine.

Set up a budget as early as possible so that by the time you really need one, sticking to it will be like second nature.

Start Building Your Credit

Credit is a vital part of adulting that you just can't avoid. But, if you're not accruing debt and paying it off, you're not building credit. So, it might be time to get yourself a credit card, as it's the easiest way to build a consistent credit profile.

If you're worried about racking up credit card debt, decide to only use your credit card on one specific purchase. For example, only use your credit card to fill up your gas tank. Then, you can easily pay it off every month, build good credit, and avoid accruing debt.

Enjoy Life While You're Young

You might feel like you need to figure out your five-year-plan and hustle to make every second count towards building a career. But looking back, so many adults wish that they'd really enjoyed life while they were young. When you've got disposable income, no partner or kids to be accountable for, and no serious bills to save for, life is an open world just waiting to be explored.

That's not to say you can't explore it when you're older, there are just more roadblocks in the way. Take those road trips, visit the strange sites you want to see, and stay up late at night while it's still as easy as waking up in the morning and just going .

Employers Care More About Experience Than Good Grades

In higher education, good grades really serve one purpose - moving you onto the next stage of higher education. Most employers will never go through your transcript to see what grades you made on your courses. All you need to do is get the degree.

But, something that will give you a leg up on other college grads is job experience. Now, college is a full-time job, but in the summers or during the semester, try to do internships, connect with people in your field, and take on small projects. Build a portfolio of skills and connections that you can use to make yourself the best candidate for a post-grad job.

Your Don't Have to Make Your Passion a Career

Hustle culture and capitalism have created this compulsion where many people feel like they're a failure if they're not somehow profiting off of their passions. But, you don't have to turn all of your passions into careers. Some things you can keep just as hobbies.

Once you start getting to paid to do something you love, it might lose that veneer of pure pleasantness. A hobby doesn't have deadlines or metrics or expectations. Of course, you can be passionate about your work, but you don't have to take everything you love to do outside of work and make it into a side business.

Growing Up Means Growing Apart From Some People

Humans are meant to evolve. You're going to be a vastly different person at 30 than you are at 18. Naturally, that means you'll lose people along the way. But you'll gain new ones that match your place in life and don't expect you to be a past version of yourself. In order to grow, you have to surround yourself with people who push you to be a better version of yourself every day.

Life After High School Moves On

The earliest days in your adulthood are some of the hardest. You'll push your independence and self-reliance to the very brink. But life goes on. Every day presents a new challenge, and no matter what you choose to do after high school, you'll learn to navigate adulthood through trial and error. And you'll come out on the other side more self-confident and assured because of it.

latest in US News

NYC pols from all boroughs urge Hochul to keep rule limiting pot...

More women are skipping college to make six figures as...

Shocking video shows cops enforcing Tim Walz's curfew by shooting...

Tim Walz called out for 'going behind' more senior sergeant's...

NYC teen nabbed with gun on basketball court — one of six busts...

Disney wants NYU doctor allergy death suit tossed because of...

Migrant charged with rape in third NYC sex crime bust of an...

Okla. college students may have been drugged for trafficking,...

Here’s why students are taking a less traditional route after graduation.

Contrary to popular belief, only half of recent high school graduates are planning to attend a four-year college or university, according to new research.

A survey of 1,000 recent public high school graduates (ages 18 and 19) and 1,000 parents of public high school students found that just 22% felt “very prepared” for life after graduation.

And parents agree: Less than half of parents surveyed (43%) believe their child is ready for the “real world” after graduating high school.

Results found one in two students are taking a perhaps less traditional route. About a quarter (24%) plan to immediately enter the workforce after high school, while a fifth (21%) are planning for a two-year college or university, like a community college.

Others are looking to go to a trade school or get a certificate (9%), take a gap year (7%) or join the military (4%).

Still, public schools predominantly teach the test and college prep, without focusing enough on careers and life skills. Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Learn4Life for Personalized Learning Month in August, the survey looked at graduates’ post-high school plans and how they’d design their high school experience if given the chance.

When asked what they wished their high school focused more on, 36% said they would have liked to learn about post-high school life — beyond going to college or university. And with so many opting for less traditional next steps, 37% vied for more exposure to job skills and 20% desired more application of classroom material, outside of testing.

This was in addition to learning about real-world skills (49%), mental health support (41%) and life skills like conflict resolution or stress relievers (41%).

Not only would recent grads like more education focused on “real-world skills,” but they’d appreciate courses on financial literacy (40%) to be incorporated into their high school education.

That’s along with mental health courses (36%), passions and interests beyond the lesson plans (29%) — and they want their school to do a better job understanding each student’s individual needs (25%).

The desire for real-world exposure is also echoed by what recent graduates feel schools should spend less time focusing on: standardized testing (30%) and overall scores (28%).

“Traditional public high schools are built to prepare students for a traditional four-year college/university — but we’re seeing a shift in what students would like, and what they plan to pursue post-high school,” said Shellie Hanes, Learn4Life superintendent of schools. “It’s important that schools adjust, changing their methods and their lesson plans to focus on individual students and what their post-high school plans might be.”

When asked how they would like the structure of the day to change in high schools, many of the options selected by recent grads focused on flexibility.

Over a third of graduates surveyed want high schools to teach students “how to think” rather than “what to think” (36%) — and they wanted more flexibility in schedules/times of classes (35%), as well as more flexibility for student-athletes or students who have jobs (34%).

Respondents would also have liked the ability to select and pursue classes they were interested in (33%) — and have classes that fit their learning style (28%).

The average graduate surveyed said they spent less than half the school day learning about topics they were passionate about — only 43%. In an ideal world, they’d like to dedicate the majority of their day (65% of it) to their interests and passions.

Giving students time to follow their passions may help with engagement overall, and may better prepare students for the various avenues they’re pursuing after graduation — which is incredibly important, as only 22% of recent graduates felt “very prepared” for their next step, post-graduation.

“Although disappointing, it’s not surprising that only a fifth of high school graduates feel ready for the next step. The way public high schools are currently set up, there’s not a chance for the individualized, student-centric personalized learning we find so successful,” added Hanes. 

“Allowing high school students the time to pursue passions will help them develop a love for learning and thrive during school — which, at the end of the day, is what we all want to see.”

WHAT WERE STUDENTS’ PLANS, FOLLOWING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION?

● Go to a 4-year college/university — 50%

● Get a job — 24%

● Go to a 2-year college/university — 21%

● Go to a trade school/get a certificate — 9%

● Take a gap year(s) — 7%

● Go into the military — 4%

WHAT AREAS WOULD RECENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES HAVE LIKED THEIR SCHOOL TO FOCUS MORE ON?

● Real-world skills (how to buy a car, steps to closing on a home, family planning, etc.) — 49%

● Mental health support — 41%

● Life skills like conflict resolution, coping, stress relievers, etc. — 41%

● Financial literacy (saving, investing, etc.) — 40%

● Specific job skills — 37%

● Mental health courses — 36%

● Post-high school life beyond going to college or university — 36%

● Passions and interests beyond the lesson plan/required material — 29%

● Understanding each student’s individual needs — 25%

● Acting to meet each student’s individual needs — 21%

● Application of classroom material beyond testing — 20%

● Media literacy to recognize what’s real or fake news — 17%

● Social media responsibility — 16%

● How to decipher what’s real or fake online — 15%

● How to code, use AI — 14%

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans — 1,000 parents of public high school students and 1,000 recent public high school graduates (ages 18 and 19) — was commissioned by Learn4Life between June 17 and June 27, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research.

Advertisement

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

We spoke to 5 people who knew Kamala Harris before she was VP. Here's what we learned

Jonaki Mehta

Ari Shapiro

Marc Rivers

Patrick Jarenwattananon

Ashley Brown

Kamala Harris in 2019. Joshua Lott/Getty Images hide caption

For more on the 2024 election, head to the NPR Network's live updates page .

A confident young girl. A tough boss. An empathetic prosecutor. At times, slow to make decisions. A “consummate college student” with a wry sense of humor.

These are some of the ways the people in Vice President Kamala Harris’ life remember her before she became a household name in Washington — people who shared many laughs, lunches, conversations and school bus rides with the likely Democratic nominee for president of the United States.

Today, Harris is faced with the shortest presidential campaign in modern U.S. history after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in mid-July.

It's official: Kamala Harris becomes Democrats' 2024 presidential nominee

Her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, has been in the national spotlight for decades, including as the former president.

So All Things Considered spoke with five people who knew Harris well during various chapters of her life to better understand what makes her the person she is today.

A multicultural upbringing among activists and leaders

As first-grader Carole Porter waited for the bus that would take her from their Berkeley, Calif., neighborhood to a desegregated public school nearby, she met a little girl named Kamala Harris. Struck by her kindness and confidence, Porter remembers becoming fast friends. They played together in the streets of their multicultural neighborhood.

“It was really a vast range of people. Mayor Warren Widener, the first Black mayor [of Berkeley], lived across the street from us, we had two Oakland Raiders on our block, and Huey Newton visited us regularly,” Porter says.

Trump attacks Kamala Harris’ racial identity at Black journalism convention

Porter believes growing up around two strong women shaped Harris.

She and Harris spent a lot of time together at the daycare beneath the home of Harris’ mother, which was run by the neighborhood matriarch, Regina Shelton. Shelton educated Harris about Black culture, including by taking Kamala and her sister Maya to church, and by teaching them how to cook soul food.

Kamala Harris, left, and Carole Porter. Carole Porter hide caption

At the same time, Harris’ mother Shyamala Gopalan ensured that her daughters visited India every other year, and their grandparents would visit California in alternate years. Porter remembers Harris taking her to the family home in Berkeley on one such visit. “Her grandparents were in the window and she wanted me to wave at [them]," Porter says. "She’s very proud of her Indian heritage, her family, her name. And she always corrected people on how to pronounce her name.”

Porter’s younger sister and Harris’ younger sister, Maya, both became pregnant as teenagers around the same time. “It was a beautiful time, and it was a very challenging time,” says Porter, who recalls both families becoming deeply involved in raising the two babies. “That’s what we do in our communities — is we raise and we lift up and we take care of our own.”

Both Regina Shelton and Shyamala Gopalan have since died. Porter tears up as she thinks about Shelton and Gopalan seeing Harris run for the highest office in the land. She says their community’s collective pride isn’t just about the chance that Harris could become president. “It’s about having the opportunity to share some really strong, deeply rooted, important values and beliefs with other people that she was raised with, that we were raised with in this little redlined neighborhood in Berkeley, California. Who knew?”

• Listen to the full conversation between Carole Porter and Ari Shapiro here .

An early education in ambition

It was an “electric” time at Howard University when Harris was in college, according to her sorority sister, Jill Louis. In the 1980s, anti-apartheid demonstrations took hold at campuses across the nation, including Howard, a historically Black university located in Washington, D.C.

Jill Louis and Lorri Saddler, who attended college with Kamala Harris. Jill Louis hide caption

“We were highly focused on the impact we could have. We were the first generation to have the opportunities provided by not being born into legal segregation,” Louis says.

That kind of atmosphere, Louis says, drove her peers, including Harris, to be highly ambitious and focused. “We actually dressed up to go to school. Kamala carried a briefcase.” That wasn’t unusual at Howard at the time, “Because we were about our business, the business of achieving that education and being able to move forward.”

Harris announces record-breaking $310 million July fundraising haul

Harris and Louis both protested at the South African embassy. But Louis remembers that even then, Harris was “polite” in her activism. “She is always about the rule of law. We weren’t there to be disruptive or just defacing or to be outside the bounds of expressing our constitutional rights,” she says.

Louis says the people they surrounded themselves with — including their fellow members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority — were all highly ambitious. Many are now lawyers, school leaders and university executives. “None of us were shrinking violets,” Louis says. At the same time, the world was only just opening up opportunities to young, Black women, like them. “And so I compliment her for having a vision bigger than anything any of us had ever seen.”

• Listen to the full conversation between Jill Louis and Ari Shapiro here .

Surrounded by women who were “firsts”

In 2000, Louise Renne was on the hunt for a prosecutor who could be both firm and empathetic. At the time, Renne was the San Francisco city attorney and needed someone to lead her office’s Family and Children's Services Division.

Louise Renne, circa 1999, when she was San Francisco City Attorney. Louise Renne hide caption

“What happens within the confines of a family and child requires a certain toughness to deal with, but also somebody who was kind and compassionate,” Renne says.

She hired lawyer Kamala Harris for the job. The first time Harris was overseeing adoptions for the court, Renne recalls she rushed into her office with an armful of teddy bears to distribute to families as a token of that day. It hadn’t been done before, and Renne says, “I thought it was certainly an indication of an out-of-the-box look at what would be a very meaningful day in the life of the child and the family making the adoption.”

Renne was the first woman in San Francisco to lead the City Attorney’s office, and she says it’s no surprise that Harris has gone on to become the first Black and South Asian woman to hold many of her public offices. After all, she came up in a working environment where she was surrounded by the likes of Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, the first pair of women to represent any state as senators, and Nancy Pelosi, who would go on to become the first female speaker of the House.

Not only were they “firsts,” says Renne, but they were “substantive, policy-driven, public-spirited, practical people.”

• Listen to the full conversation between Louise Renne and Ari Shapiro here .

An expectation of excellence under all circumstances

Since her teenage years, Lateefah Simon was committed to making systemic change from the outside — as an activist. By the time she was 19 years old, she was running an organization that served young women in the criminal justice system.

That’s when she met Kamala Harris, who was working for the San Francisco City Attorney’s office at the time. They were serving on a taskforce together to change city policy and stop charging young victims of sex trafficking with crimes.

Kamala Harris, middle, officiating Lateefah Simon's wedding. Supplied: Lateefah Simon hide caption

“I really believed in her. The young women that I worked with believed in her. But never in a million years did I think that I would work for her,” Simon says.

A few years later, when Harris became San Francisco’s first female district attorney, she pursued Simon for a job in her office. Simon declined the offer a few times, but recalls Harris telling her, “You can either carry this bullhorn on your back for the rest of your life, demanding that elected officials work for you and the young people that you care about, or you can become a part of my team, and we can actually deconstruct some of these inequities.”

Simon went on to work for Harris for several years, and remembers her as a boss with high expectations. On Simon’s first day, the new employee arrived “dressed down” in casual clothes, and Harris sent her home saying, “You are being paid by the very victims and survivors through tax dollars to represent them in this role. You will come with everything that you have every day.”

Lateefah Simon, left, and Kamala Harris. Lateefah Simon hide caption

The next day, when Simon returned, expecting to be fired for not procuring professional clothes, Harris pulled a suit out from behind her desk that happened to be Simon’s size. “We lift as we climb,” Harris told Simon, “I sent you home so you understood that this is big government, and government is not the enemy, it is the prize.”

With Harris’ encouragement, Simon went on to earn a college degree. Simon is now running for Congress and still considers the vice president a mentor today.

• Listen to the full conversation between Lateefah Simon and Ari Shapiro here .

A leader aware of their place in history

Over a decade ago, President Barack Obama visited the San Francisco Bay Area for a Democratic Party fundraiser, where he paid a joking compliment to California’s attorney general at the time, Kamala Harris. He said she was “by far, the best-looking attorney general in the country,” which drew national accusations of sexism.

Barack Obama greets then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris in San Francisco in February 2011, as then-California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, middle, watches. Saul Loeb/AFP/via Getty Images hide caption

Gil Duran was the man tasked with managing the fallout as Harris’ communications director at the time. Duran remembers Harris’ response as “graceful and tactful,” which represented a leadership quality he saw throughout his short time as a staffer for her.

But working for Harris wasn’t easy. Duran remembers his job interview as feeling like “being put on the stand” by a skilled prosecutor. “She was trying to ferret out whether I would break or crack under the pressure of the media and the press that would be coming her way shortly,” he says.

Harris has earned a reputation for having a high turnover of staff over her years as a public official. Duran left his job as her communications director after just five months. His on-the-record criticisms echo the complaints of some other former employees who will only speak anonymously.

While Duran says Harris assembled a team of highly competent people, he says he was often frustrated by how long she could take to make decisions. He describes her as someone who was exacting on certain details of cases but could struggle with other details. He recalls a boss with standards that were high without being clear.

Year of Global Elections

In china, trump has cachet but few see u.s. ties improving under him or harris.

“I found it hard to navigate a situation where it wasn't really clear to me how I could do a good job because doing the job in a way that had worked everywhere else didn't seem to work there,” he says.

At the same time, Duran acknowledges that that toughness may have come from the unequal pressures placed on Harris. “I think she's very aware of her place in history,” he says, “And I think she felt that she would be held to a much, much higher standard than white or male politicians.”

As California attorney general, Kamala Harris posed in front of the California state capital building in Sacramento in 2013 with a "flat Stanley" drawing to help a young relative with a school project. Supplied: Gil Duran hide caption

Duran thinks that as Harris approaches her presidential candidacy, she should be scrutinized and held accountable for her policies and her leadership. He hopes she has learned from her last, failed campaign to secure the Democratic nomination for president, and from the challenges she has faced in her other roles as a public official. While he doesn’t see a future in which they work together again, he says, “I certainly hope to be able to criticize her when she's President Harris.”

• Listen to the full conversation between Gil Duran and Ari Shapiro here .
• Kamala Harris