Compare / Contrast Essay — Survey of American Students

You will soon begin working on a survey to find information about an aspect of American students’ lives.  You will conduct a survey of CMU students to gather information.  When you have all the information you need, you will write an essay that presents the results of your survey and compares them with what is true in your country and/or with information from the article you have read on that topic.  Follow the steps below. 

1.  Choose one of the following topics:

  • acohol use among college students
  • student’s views on adoption
  • tobacco use among college students

2.  Read the assigned article related to the topic you have chosen.

3.  Brainstorm to make a list of 10-12 questions that are related to your topic. 

4.  Narrow down your list of questions to about 8-10 that you think are most important or interesting.  Most of your questions should be open-ended; in other words, the questions should elicit more than just “yes” or “no” or a short answer.  If you ask as “yes/no” question, be sure to ask “Why?” or “Why not?”  Check with the teacher to make sure that the questions are appropriate. 

5.  Type your list of questions.  At the top of the page, make space for information about each respondent:

            Age:                                            

            Gender: (male or female)

            Major:

            Year in school: (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate student)

6.  Make a few of copies of your questions and test them by interviewing a few Americans.  If some questions do not “work,” revise or delete them.

7.  Make at least 15 copies of your survey.  Interview at least fifteen American students.  It is better for you to ask them the questions and write down their answers on the survey paper than have them read the survey and fill it in.  In this way you can be sure that you understand their answers and that they have given you useful information.

8.  Compile the responses–put all the information together.  What were common responses?  What questions elicited a variety of responses?  Think about the reasons that students answered the way they did.  Did you get different answers from people of different age, gender, or major? 

9.  Think about how the results of your survey compare with the article you have read and with what is true in your culture.  What are the similarities and differences?  What are some possible reasons for those similarities and differences?     

10.  Write a three- to four-page essay that presents the results of your survey and compares them with the article and/or with what is true in your culture.  I will give you a separate handout describing this assignment.