Carleton’s 100-word Autobiography: Though the maxim “know thyself” was central to Socrates’ philosophy of education, there is little emphasis on this important knowledge in the academy today and expressive or reflective writing often does not help to train students in the forms of academic writing they need for their scholarship. Nevertheless, self-knowledge and reflection are central to successful intellectual engagement. Rather than assign a major expressive essay, I often begin a semester with shorter exercises that reveal to students the importance of this kind of knowledge and its practical uses. Since our students are high achievers, I challenge them to write two autobiographical sketches of 100 words, plus or minus a few. One of the first considerations for a writer is that of “audience” so I ask students to address their first sketch to a potential employer and then I ask them to write a sketch of the same length to a potential date. Naturally these are two radically different audiences requiring students to consider their language more carefully. At the same time, the exercise encourages worthwhile personal reflection and a thoughtful selection of details from life. Students enjoy this exercise and it helps them start thinking about writing in a broader context in its practical applications outside the class and off campus. 103 home | course goals | faculty policies | sample assignments | texts & reviews | teacher's quick links