Proposal Essay
ASSIGNMENT:
For this assignment, you will be writing a proposal that argues for taking a specific action. In a proposal, you want the reader to see that there is a problem and that you have the best solution for this problem. The essay should include:
• An introduction that engages the reader, explains or defines a current problem, then presents a thesis statement that argues for the best solution to that problem.
• A body section that provides a detailed and fully explained plan for addressing the problem, including the people, resources, and time to carry out the solution.
• A conclusion that discusses the costs and benefits, restates your argument, and brings a sense of closure.
REQUIREMENTS:
• 2-3 pages long
• APA formatted (use the paper template)
• At least 3 sources that you have evaluated.
TIPS:
• This is a short paper, so do not try to address a massive problem. For example, to solve the problem of carbon emissions in the United States, it would take a massive proposal that addresses the actions of every state and involves numerous organizations. Instead, you could focus on a proposal for reducing carbon emissions in your home. A smaller problem will allow you to provide the detailed information that a good proposal requires.
• Don’t leave out major steps in your process. If you want to address the problem of an abandoned lot by building a community garden, don’t skip from contacting the local government to inviting people to plant seeds. Consider how the lot will be cleared, where the equipment and seeds will come from, and who will take care of these steps in the process.
• If you don’t know how much something costs, look it up. You don’t want to provide inaccurate information or try to make your plan look better by using low numbers. In the same vein, don’t exaggerate benefits. If your proposal is to add a stop sign to a busy residential street to make it safer for children to play, don’t say that it will benefit everyone in the neighborhood. The stop sign might not affect everyone in the area, let alone benefit them. Your benefits should stay focused on the people your problem originally addressed: the children who play on the busy street.
PROPOSAL ESSAY PLANNING DOCUMENT
ORGANIZING AND DRAFTING YOUR PROPOSAL
Follow the guidelines below and fill in the blanks.
A. THE INTRODUCTION: IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM
1. Grab the audience’s attention: Use an anecdote, compelling statement, interesting fact, or intriguing question to capture the audience’s attention.
_________ Imagine how easy college would be if we did not have to worry about____________
_procrastination? _______________________________________________________________
2. Identify your topic: Tell your audience what your proposal is about. Clearly identify the problem you are trying to solve.
___ Procrastination has an adverse effect on all facets of a student’s college journey. _________
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3. State your purpose: In one sentence, tell your audience the purpose of your proposal.
___________My proposal is to educate students on the causes of procrastination and steps to take to prevent themselves from succumbing to it. ______________________________________
4. State your main point (thesis): Clearly state the result you are seeking so your audience knows exactly what you are asking them to agree to.
__Procrastination can be limited or even avoided altogether by take the proper steps such as breaking the work to be done into smaller more manageable goals, find an emotional connection to the assignment, build confidence, maintain a comfortable workspace, eat healthy and get proper sleep, set goals and stick to them, and practice proper study habits.
5. Offer background information: Provide historical information on your topic so your audience has a basic understanding of the problem you are trying to solve.
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6. Stress the importance of your topic: Explain briefly why this problem should be important to your audience.
_________In order to excel in school, procrastination must be tackled headfirst. _____________
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B. THE PROBLEM SECTION: ANALYZING THE PROBLEM’S CAUSE
1. State the problem:
________Procrastination has an adverse effect on students in college. ______________________________________________________________________
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2. State the problem’s causes:
_______Motivation / Self-confidence/ fear of failure/ lack of understanding/ concentration/ perfectionism/ low energy/ poor organization _________________________________________
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3. State the problems effects:
____Submitting subpar schoolwork, lower grades, and poor health including higher risk of anxiety and depression_______________________________________________________
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C. THE PLAN SECTION: DESCRIBING YOUR SOLUTION
1. Identify your solution to the problem.
________Provide students the education to combat procrastination________________________________________________
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2. Tell your audience why your approach makes sense.
___Incorporating this solution will provide the leg up student need to excel. _______________
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3. List step-by-step how you would solve the problem, and why you would do it that way.
___Divide and conquer/ Find emotional connection with the project/ self esteem boosts/ organization and dedicated study spaced / allow for proper sleep schedules with diet and exercise/ goal setting ___________________________________________________________________________
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4. List the deliverables of your proposal. Deliverables are the items that the audience will receive if they say yes to the project.
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E. CONCLUSION: DISCUSSING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF THE PLAN
1. Signal the conclusion: Use a heading, transitional phrase, or transitional sentence to signal clearly that you are concluding.
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2. Restate your main point (thesis):
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3. State the cost of the plan: Estimate of the time and/or money needed.
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4. Identify the major benefits of the plan:
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5. Restress the importance of the subject:
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6. Look to the future: Describe the positive future that will happen if your audience agrees to your proposal.
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F. RESEARCH: WORKS CITED
List at least three reliable sources you will use in making your proposal. (Your sources may change later, but that’s okay.)
A. (2019, October 2). Why Do Students Procrastinate? Causes & Tips. Oxford Learning. https://www.oxfordlearning.com/why-do-kids-procrastinate/
Klingsieck, K. B. (2013). Procrastination. European Psychologist.
Schouwenburg, H. C. (1995). Academic procrastination. In Procrastination and task avoidance (pp. 71-96). Springer, Boston, MA.