JOURNAL GUIDELINES
Review date: June 2004

Chaffey | CoopEd | Handbook | End-of-Term

The purpose of this project is to get you thinking. It can help you test your own experience against the ideas of many others; the authorities you are studying, the teachers, your fellow students and workers. It is an opportunity to refine your ideas through writing, an opportunity to understand what you know, don’t know, want to know and how it relates to you and your career.

Journal Content
The content should be based on academic, career, or work related issues. This is not a personal diary. Though it definitely should contain personal opinion regarding these issues. It should not contain discussions of personal issues unless these issues relate or have impact upon academic, career, or work related issues. If you have any questions concerning journal content, please contact your instructor in the Cooperative Education office.

Questions you might want to address in your journal.

1. What do you like about your job or internship, or if not working, school?
2. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
3. How are you balancing demands of home, work, school and recreation?
4. What are the most difficult things about school or work?
5. Write about an incident at work or school.
6. Write about personal relationships at work or school.
7. Where is the power base at work?
8. Who are the decision makers at work?
9. What do you know about additional training opportunities in your chosen career field?
10. If I could have my ideal job, it would be.......
11. How is this job helping you apply what you learn in school?
12. A place to document resources as references for the future.
13. A place to document successes as they occur.

Format
    Obtain a three-ring binder for your entries and each entry must be typed Date each entry. Make the first page the title page with identifying information. The title page includes your name and major, semester and year, faculty advisor and date submitted. If you are working, your employer’s name, supervisor’s name and his phone number must be included.

Each entry must be made using the following standard composition format:
    Essay Organization – Use the five paragraph pattern listed below:

Introduction   3-5 sentences
Body   4-8 sentences
Body   4-8 sentences
Body   4-8 sentences
Conclusion   2-5 sentences

The Introductory paragraph should contain your thesis statement. In that one sentence you will be telling your reader the central idea of your essay. The thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. It should clearly describe the point you are trying to make. Following the thesis statement, a new paragraph should begin the body of your paper.

Body paragraphs – Each paragraph of the body of the paper should support, explain, and expand upon your thesis statement. Each paragraph should begin with a new topic sentence, followed by sentences containing supporting data. The concluding sentence of each paragraph should bring closure to that portion of the topic.

The Final paragraph should contain the conclusion of your paper. It should contain a brief summary of the point you are trying to make. The closing paragraph should also contain reference to the importance of your topic, and possible areas of further research.

Grading
The journal is worth 100 points. The points will be earned in the following manner:

1. If the full number of entries is included, the maximum number of points will be given.



2. If each entry is prepared using the essay organization format described above the maximum of fifteen points that can be earned in this area.



3. A maximum of ten points can be earned for overall appearance and presentation.

JOURNAL GRADING SHEET