People Face Trade-Offs

 

People Face Trade-offs

You have one semester left to graduate and you have the finances to do a maximum of four courses. Three of the courses are required courses. The last course slot belongs to an elective. You have narrowed down your choices to three electives, all of which are very popular and very useful courses that you are very interested in. Decide on the course you want to take. Then using at least two economic decision-making principles, explain why you are making this choice.

Develop a response that includes examples and evidence to support your ideas, and which clearly communicates the required message to your audience. Organize your response in a clear and logical manner as appropriate for the genre of writing. Use well-structured sentences, audience-appropriate language, and correct conventions of standard American English 

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Writing Performance: 1 – inadequately communicates the writer’s message.

Writing Trait: Commentary:

Focus & Meaning

There is inadequate or no use of focus and meaning. The writer fails to establish a controlling idea or bottom line and demonstrates no understanding of purpose, no adaptation to audience, and completes no parts of the task.

The response does not illustrate an understanding of audience by including relevant details to make the ideas clear and convincing. The writer mentions opportunity cost in the second paragraph, but there are no details explaining or analyzing the opportunity costs for the various electives. There is no mention at all of a second principle of decision making.

The response does not state the central/controlling idea. The writer hints at the purpose with the sentence: “I have the make the decision on what elective class I want to take is a tough decision.” However, there is no mention throughout the response of the use of two economic principles of decision making in the selection of the elective.

Content & Development

There is inadequate or no use of content and development. The writer fails to develop ideas, using no business concepts or terms.

Little or no evidence is used to explain the central/controlling idea of the essay. The response is essentially a collection of questions that the writer would use to select an elective. These questions are not related in any way to an economic principle of decision making.

Important details, business concepts, and terms are needed to explain and illustrate each main idea. The writer needs to answer the questions posed and relate the answers to a decision-making principle.

Specific information about opportunity cost is inadequate. Specific information about a second economic principle of decision making is absent.

Organization

There is inadequate or no organization. The writer demonstrates no evidence of structure and no evidence of paragraphing or grouping of information, logical connections, and transitional devices.

The response demonstrates no evidence of a good introduction. It does not include a clear sentence that conveys the overall message. The writer indicates that a decision must be made, but there is no thesis for the response that would alert readers to the decision-making process. (“I have the make the decision on what elective class I want to take is a tough decision.”)

Logical connections and transitional devices are not used to help connect ideas within or between paragraphs.

The response does not include a strong conclusion. The writer does not indicate which course will be selected or why. Therefore, there can be no conclusion containing main points of the response.

Language Use & Style

There is inadequate use of language and style. The writer demonstrates impersonal or unclear and incoherent language and word choice, no awareness of audience, and major errors in sentence structure and usage.

Sentence lengths are short. Most of the sentences are short questions. (“The first question I would ask myself is when are the classes? What days are they on? Would I rather take an earlier class or a class later in the day?”)

Language and word choice are often unclear or incoherent. (“I have the make the decision on what elective class I want to take is a tough decision.”)

Mechanics & Conventions

There is inadequate or no control of mechanics and conventions. Errors are so severe in punctuation, spelling and usage, and grammar and sentence structure that they significantly interfere with the communication of the message and undermine the authority of the writer.

The response demonstrates inadequate use of punctuation (i.e., apostrophes, colons, commas, hyphens, italics, parentheses, periods, quotation marks, and semicolons). (“I have the make the decision on what elective class I want to take is a tough decision.”)

The response demonstrates inadequate spelling and word usage. (“

The questions I have wrote are just a few questions I would ask myself before deciding on what elective class I would take.

“)

The response demonstrates inadequate grammar (i.e., inadequate use of subject-verb agreement, pronoun use, parallel structure, and sentence structure with very frequent fragments and run-ons). (“The questions I have wrote are just a few questions I would ask myself before deciding on what elective class I would take.” “Would I rather take an earlier class or a class later in the day?”)

What elective class should I take? I have the make the decision on what elective class I want to take is a tough decision. The first question I would ask myself is when are the classes? What days are they on? Would I rather take an earlier class or a class later in the day? Would these classes interfere with any of my other classes I am taking? If I have a job would it interfere with my work schedule?

Another question I would ask myself is what is the opportunity cost of these three classes? Is there any class that has a higher opportunity cost than the other two?

The questions I have wrote are just a few questions I would ask myself before deciding on what elective class I would take.

Writing Performance: 2 – is limited in communication of the writer’s message.

Writing Trait: Commentary:
Focus & Meaning

The essay contains minimal focus and meaning. The writer suggests a controlling idea or bottom line but demonstrates minimal understanding of the purpose, demonstrates more self-absorption than adaptation to audience, and completes few parts of the task.

The response suggests, but does not clearly state, the central/controlling idea. The writer tells us that there is a decision to be made. (“While finishing up my degree in Healthcare Management, I was faced with the decision of choosing between 3 courses for my last semester.”) However, two concepts of decision making are not clearly identified and are left for readers to untangle.

The response demonstrates minimal understanding of purpose with some additional, nonessential information included.

Content & Development

There is minimal content and development. The writer develops ideas incompletely and inadequately, using few business concepts and terms.

There is minimal evidence that explains or supports the overall message. Although the writer mentions opportunity cost in the summarizing sentence, the supporting details about the opportunity costs for each of the electives are not identified as such. Likewise, the details that support the use of incentives in the decision-making process are not sufficient to explain the economics behind the choice of the management leadership course.

Each main idea should be written as a topic sentence in its own body paragraph. The entire response is organized in one paragraph instead of grouping the main ideas of opportunity costs and incentives into separate paragraphs.

Organization

There is minimal organization. The writer demonstrates little evidence of structure and little evidence of paragraphing or grouping of information, logical connections, and transitional devices.

The response demonstrates little evidence of a good introduction. Although the first three sentences can serve as the introduction to the response, they are not a separate paragraph. There is one sentence that seems to be the thesis. (“I have chosen to take the Management 320 leadership class for several reasons.”)

Little evidence of paragraphing or grouping of information is shown. The response is organized into one paragraph, although main ideas appear to be grouped. In addition, there is little evidence of logical connections and transitional devices to help connect ideas. Using logical connections and transitional devices (in addition, however, on the other hand, for example, as a result) would have helped the response move from one main idea to the next.

The response does little to include a conclusion. There is no concluding paragraph, although the last sentence could serve as a conclusion to the response. As such, it does little to summarize the main points of the response.

Language Use & Style

There is minimal use of language and style. The writer demonstrates unprofessional language and word choice, little awareness of audience, and makes basic errors in sentence structure and usage.

There are run-on portions in the response. (“Marketing Innovation would provide new ways of thinking and help progress my ways of working but these skills can be learned in other ways.”)

Sentence lengths are short. (“I was debating between CSM 204- Personal Finance, MKT 400- Innovation, and MGT 320 Leadership.” “I have chosen to take the Management 320 leadership class for several reasons.”)

There are basic errors in word usage. (“Marketing Innovation would provide new ways of thinking and help progress my ways of working but these skills can be learned in other ways.”)

Mechanics & Conventions

There is minimal control of mechanics and conventions. Patterns of errors in punctuation, spelling and usage, and grammar and sentence structure substantially interfere with the communication of the message and undermine the authority of the writer.

The response demonstrates minimal use of punctuation (i.e., apostrophes, colons, commas, hyphens, italics, parentheses, periods, quotation marks, and semicolons). (“Being a leader and knowing skills to use in certain situations are qualities that all management majors should have and therefor benefits me greatly.” “Marketing Innovation would provide new ways of thinking and help progress my ways of working but these skills can be learned in other ways.”)

The response demonstrates minimal spelling and word usage. (“Marketing Innovation would provide new ways of thinking and help progress my ways of working but these skills can be learned in other ways.”)

The response minimally demonstrates grammar (i.e., minimal use of subject-verb agreement, pronoun use, parallel structure, and sentence structure with frequent fragments and run-ons). (“eing a leader and knowing skills to use in certain situations are qualities that all management majors should have and therefor benefits me greatly.”)

While finishing up my degree in Healthcare Management, I was faced with the decision of choosing between 3 courses for my last semester. I was debating between CSM 204- Personal Finance, MKT 400- Innovation, and MGT 320 Leadership. Each one of these classes would be useful later on and would provide knowledge that is not only useful in the workplace, but also to myself. I have chosen to take the Management 320 leadership class for several reasons. Each class has an opportunity cost that comes along with it. Personal Finance would provide a great way to manage company and personal money, learn how to buy products and property, and prepare for retirement. A trade-off to taking personal finance is that it does not relate to my major as the management leadership class does. Marketing Innovation would provide new ways of thinking and help progress my ways of working but these skills can be learned in other ways. I used another economic decision making principle, incentives to choose Mananagement Leadership and thought it would be the best choice to go along with my major. Being a leader and knowing skills to use in certain situations are qualities that all management majors should have and therefor benefits me greatly. It will also benefit me later on in the work force and is necessary for me to perform the duties my job requires as a manager. All of these choices have the opportunity cost of not learning the information in the classes not chosen while learning the leadership class information, but I have chosen the best class for me.

Writing Performance: 3 – partially communicates the writer’s message.

Writing Trait: Commentary:
Focus & Meaning

Focus and meaning are limited. The writer establishes a controlling idea or bottom line but demonstrates little understanding of the purpose, demonstrates self-absorption with little adaptation to audience, and completes some parts of the task.

The response does not illustrate an understanding of audience by including relevant details to make the ideas clear and convincing. The writer briefly describes the opportunity costs associated with each class in the body paragraph. However, the focus seems to be on the benefits of taking the spreadsheet course as opposed to being on the opportunity costs or other decision-making concept associated with the choice.

The response states a limited central/controlling idea. One sentence in the introduction provides readers with a hint of the central idea of the response. (“In order to pick the best class to take in my last semester, I need to assess the benefits of each one and figure out which class would be more intellectually profitable.”)

Content & Development

There is limited content and development. The writer develops ideas briefly and inconsistently, using limited business concepts and terms.

Specific information about opportunity cost is limited. The writer mentions opportunity cost in the topic sentence of the body paragraph, but it is clearly not the predominant concept being considered in the decision-making process. (“Another good way to help make my decision is to consider the opportunity costs of picking each class.”)

Supporting details, including business concepts and terms, are limited. The response contains only one full body paragraph with supporting details also found in the introductory and concluding paragraphs. Overall, the details that support the concept of opportunity costs associated with the different electives are limited to the four-sentence body paragraph.

Organization There is limited organization. The writer demonstrates evidence of structure but lacks paragraphing or grouping of information, logical connections, and transitional devices.

The response demonstrates some evidence of a good introduction. The writer does hint at the purpose of the response (“…I need to assess the benefits of each” elective). The introduction does include some background information about the three different electives being considered.

There is some evidence of logical connections and transitional devices to help connect ideas. (“Another good way to help make my decision….” “After thinking about my decision,….”)

The response demonstrates some evidence of a conclusion. The writer does announce which elective has been chosen in the concluding paragraph and makes token mention of opportunity cost in the final sentence. (“…opportunity costs are not as great as they would be if I were to choose one of the other courses.”)

Language Use & Style

Language use and style are limited. The writer demonstrates less professional language and word choice, some awareness of audience and control of voice, and relies on simple sentences with insufficient sentence variety and word choice.

In general, sentence lengths are short. (“The second class, a marketing/advertising class, will be helpful in continuing my education in my major course of study. This class will also aid in me being more prepared for a career in business. The third class is an art-based class dealing with theatrical productions.”)

Mechanics & Conventions

There is limited control of mechanics and conventions. Several noticeable errors in punctuation, spelling and usage, and grammar and sentence structure may interfere with the communication of the message and undermine the authority of the writer.

The response demonstrates limited use of punctuation (i.e., apostrophes, colons, commas, hyphens, italics, parentheses, periods, quotation marks, and semicolons). (“I have always had an interest in theater and musicals so this class would be taken for its exact purposes: an elective.”)

The response demonstrates limited spelling and word usage. (“I have always had an interest in theater and musicals so this class would be taken for its exact purposes: an elective.”)

There are many different processes that can be used to make the best decision in a situation that can have an affect on my future. In order to pick the best class to take in my last semester, I need to assess the benefits of each one and figure out which class would be more intellectually profitable. The first class, a computer spreadsheet course, would greatly benefit my future in any career. The second class, a marketing/advertising class, will be helpful in continuing my education in my major course of study. This class will also aid in me being more prepared for a career in business. The third class is an art-based class dealing with theatrical productions. This class caught my eye purely out of personal interests instead of future-oriented reasons. I have always had an interest in theater and musicals so this class would be taken for its exact purposes: an elective.

Another good way to help make my decision is to consider the opportunity costs of picking each class. If I do not choose the computer course, I will give up being able to further my abilities with spreadsheet development. If I do not pick the marketing class, I will be forfeiting the opportunity to further my study in my major. Finally, if I decide against the theater class, I lose the chance to learn more about certain historical theater-based productions.

After thinking about my decision, considering my options, and based on what would be most beneficial from an intellectual perspective the best class to take would be the spreadsheet course. This class is more profitable in many different ways instead of being one-dimensional. I feel I have the most to gain from this class in that it can help me throughout my life no matter what career I choose to take with my major course of study. I also feel that my opportunity costs are not as great as they would be if I were to choose one of the other courses.

Writing Performance: 4 – adequately communicates the writer’s message.

Writing Trait: Commentary:
Focus & Meaning

There is adequate focus and meaning in the essay. The writer establishes a controlling idea or bottom line, demonstrates a basic understanding of the purpose, usually adapts the message to the audience, and completes many parts of the task.

The response demonstrates an understanding of purpose with most information contained in the response essential to the overall message. The writer’s thesis in the introductory paragraph includes the concepts of incentive and trade-offs. (“In choosing one elective, I would be facing a trade-off between the elective I choose and my other courses and I would need to respond to incentives that the elective would offer.”) The writer includes a paragraph within the body of the response that discusses the incentive the computer class provides, and he/she includes a statement in the concluding paragraph that lists incentive as important to his/her decision. The concept of trade-offs is adequately discussed in the first body paragraph.

Content & Development

There is adequate content and development. The writer develops ideas adequately, using some business concepts and terms.

The explanation and details used to explain the main ideas in the body paragraphs are adequate. The writing includes four to five supporting details in a paragraph to explain and illustrate each main idea. For example, in the first body paragraph, the writer includes the benefit of refreshing his/her skills with Microsoft programs, the opportunity costs of not choosing the global studies and mythology classes, and the possibility that the computer class will take more time than the writer would want to spend.

Ideas are developed adequately, using some appropriate business concepts and terms. The writer demonstrates an adequate understanding of opportunity cost and incentives.

Organization

There is adequate organization. The writer demonstrates a generally unified structure, inconsistent use of paragraphing or grouping of information, logical connections, and transitional devices.

The response demonstrates a good introduction, which includes adequate background information about the topic. The scenario is described (must select an elective), the courses under consideration are listed, and the concept of the trade-off involved in the course’s selection is adequately conveyed.

The response demonstrates an adequate conclusion, which summarizes the writer’s reasons for the selection of the computer course. However, opportunity cost is not included in the summary beyond the brief mention of trade-off in the first sentence. (“A trade-off if crucial to consider when choosing an elective to take along side my required courses.”)

Language Use & Style

There is adequate use of language and style. The writer demonstrates appropriate professional language and word choice, an awareness of audience and control of voice, and generally uses correct sentence structure with some variety.

Sentence lengths are adequately varied. (“If I were to narrow down my options to three courses such as a Computer Science class, an Introduction to Global Studies class, and a Greek and Roman Mythology class, I would feel the need to choose one that would benefit me in the long run. In choosing one elective, I would be facing a trade-off between the elective I choose and my other courses and I would need to respond to incentives that the elective would offer.”)

Language in the response is generally appropriate and professional. (“I could focus my attention on my required courses and not have to complete tedious computer homework outside of class. But on the other hand, if the class demands a lot of attention, it may take away my focus from my required courses and give me the incentive to put off the computer work until the last minute.”)

Mechanics & Conventions

There is adequate control of mechanics and conventions. Some errors in punctuation, spelling and usage, and grammar and sentence structure do not significantly interfere with the communication of the message.

The response adequately demonstrates correct use of punctuation (i.e., apostrophes, colons, commas, hyphens, italics, parentheses, periods, quotation marks, and semicolons). There are some errors in punctuation. (“However, in choosing a Computer Science course as my elective I would be missing out on the opportunity of learning about global issues in culture and economics going on around the world or I would miss the opportunity of learning the fun and exciting history of mythology in ancient Greece or Rome.”)

The response adequately demonstrates correct spelling and word usage. (“A trade-off if crucial to consider when choosing an elective to take along side my required courses.”)

The response demonstrates generally correct grammar (i.e., adequate use of subject-verb agreement, pronoun use, parallel structure, and sentence structure with few fragments and run-ons). There are some errors in sentence structure. (“During my last semester of college, if finances allow, I will take four classes, three of my courses will be required courses for my degree and my last course will be an elective of my choice.”)

In a senior’s final semester of college, choosing which classes to take may seem like an easy decision but in reality may be difficult. During my last semester of college, if finances allow, I will take four classes, three of my courses will be required courses for my degree and my last course will be an elective of my choice. Choosing an elective may be very difficult because universities offer many interesting electives to take. If I were to narrow down my options to three courses such as a Computer Science class, an Introduction to Global Studies class, and a Greek and Roman Mythology class, I would feel the need to choose one that would benefit me in the long run. In choosing one elective, I would be facing a trade-off between the elective I choose and my other courses and I would need to respond to incentives that the elective would offer.

If I were to choose a Computer Science class as my elective and my major is Business Marketing then the computer class may benefit me by refreshing my skills on using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Powerpoint, and ethical uses of the Internet. However, in choosing a Computer Science course as my elective I would be missing out on the opportunity of learning about global issues in culture and economics going on around the world or I would miss the opportunity of learning the fun and exciting history of mythology in ancient Greece or Rome. And if the computer course I was taking turned out to be time-consuming or difficult, it may take away my time to study for my required courses.

However, the computer course I choose may or may not provide incentives that appeal to me. If the teacher gave many extra credit bonuses or no homework outside of class, then this may be something I would like in my last semester of college. I could focus my attention on my required courses and not have to complete tedious computer homework outside of class. But on the other hand, if the class demands a lot of attention, it may take away my focus from my required courses and give me the incentive to put off the computer work until the last minute.

A trade-off if crucial to consider when choosing an elective to take along side my required courses. Which class will benefit me in the long run? Which class will not take me away from focusing on my required courses? I would choose a Computer Science class because a computer education would not only help me in my personal life but work life as well when I graduate. And knowing that a computer education would help me in the long run with my career is an incentive for me to pursue it as my fourth and final class.

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Writing Performance: 5 – strongly communicates the writer’s message.

Writing Trait: Commentary:
Focus & Meaning

There is good use of focus and meaning in the essay. The writer establishes and maintains a clear controlling idea or bottom line, demonstrates a general understanding of the purpose, adapts the message to the audience, and completes most parts of the task.

The writer demonstrates a thorough understanding of the purpose, as seen in the introductory paragraph. (“That being said, each course has its own benefits that the other two do not have and weighing those benefits helped me finally choose the right course.”) Through the body paragraphs and into the concluding paragraph, the writer provides information to support his/her analysis of the opportunity costs associated with his/her decision.

All of the details used in the response relate to the central/controlling idea and do not include additional, nonessential information. Although the writer does not label the decision as having been predicated on the opportunity costs associated with the choices, the body of the response contains the pertinent information about each elective and the role that his/her current employer plays in the decision.

Content & Development

There is good content and development. Ideas are developed clearly, using business concepts and terms.

Relevant points explain and illustrate the value of each elective effectively. The writer explains the benefits of taking the creative writing class. (“Having them (his friends) as study partners would be a definite benefit and finishing school with a published piece of work would be a source of pride and bragging rights, also.”) The writer describes that, “The art history class brings its own excitement with the opportunity to visit world-class museums close to home, … course tuition includes museum memberships that allow students unlimited numbers of visits during the semester, … and …. (t)ransportation from campus is offered by the university.” Finally, the writer devotes two paragraphs to the benefits of taking the video production class. (“…the company will pay for its tuition, fees, books and supplies and will also give me a substantial pay raise.”) All supporting details enhance or explain the main reasons for taking each elective.

Ideas are developed clearly, using appropriate business concepts and terms. The writer demonstrates his/her understanding of the task and concepts. (“As appealing as these opportunities are, they eventually became my opportunity costs for choosing video production.”) Labeling of the opportunity costs associated with not choosing the video production class as such would have solidified the concept within the response.

Organization

There is good organization. The writer demonstrates a mostly unified structure, consistent use of paragraphing or grouping of information, logical connections, and transitional devices.

The introduction includes adequate background information about the topic. The readers learn that the writer must make a decision for which elective to select in choosing between three high-interest, highly recommended courses by analyzing their benefits and that “weighing those benefits helped me finally choose the right course.”

Paragraphing or grouping of information is consistent. Body paragraphs describe the benefits of the two electives not chosen and then outline the reasons why the third elective was the obvious choice.

The conclusion summarizes the main points of the response well by listing the reasons for the writer’s choice of elective. (“In the end, I was given the opportunity to show what a valuable asset I could be to my company as a full-time employee instead of an intern. This opportunity along with the paid tuition and fees and increase in pay are benefits that far outweigh the costs of forgoing an art history or creative writing class.”)

Language Use & Style

There is good language use and style. The writer demonstrates appropriate professional language and word choice, some evidence of voice, a clear sense of audience, and uses well-structured and varied sentences.

The language and tone are consistent and professional in nature. (“When choosing between two goods or services a person will choose the good with the largest incentive offered. This incentive came with the video production course, but did not come from the course, instead from my employer with whom I am finishing a paid internship.” “With a university that offers such diverse course options and a quality teaching staff, it is difficult to choose just one option.”)

Sentences are well structured and varied. (“The university has a multitude of fine arts and humanities courses to pick from, but I’ve narrowed my choices down to three classes I have been interested in taking since coming to campus: creative writing, art history and video production. All three have been very popular with the student body, the professors come highly rated and they each are offered at times that work well with my internship schedule.”)

Mechanics & Conventions

There is good control of mechanics and conventions. Few errors in punctuation, spelling and usage, and grammar and sentence structure do not interfere with the message.

The response demonstrates good use of punctuation (i.e., apostrophes, colons, commas, hyphens, italics, parentheses, periods, quotation marks, and semicolons). (“The university has a multitude of fine arts and humanities courses to pick from, but I’ve narrowed my choices down to three classes I have been interested in taking since coming to campus: creative writing, art history and video production. All three have been very popular with the student body, the professors come highly rated and they each are offered at times that work well with my internship schedule.”)

The response demonstrates good spelling and word usage.

The response demonstrates correct use of grammar with only an occasional error (i.e., good use of subject-verb agreement, pronoun use, parallel structure, and sentence structure with a lack of fragments and run-ons). (“My pay raise and the tuition paid is a choice that will end up saving the company money by not using a professional marketing firm.”)

With three of my last four classes chosen for my final semester before graduation, I still lack my last elective course. The university has a multitude of fine arts and humanities courses to pick from, but I’ve narrowed my choices down to three classes I have been interested in taking since coming to campus: creative writing, art history and video production. All three have been very popular with the student body, the professors come highly rated and they each are offered at times that work well with my internship schedule. That being said, each course has its own benefits that the other two do not have and weighing those benefits helped me finally choose the right course.

The price for tuition and books, being about equal, are not the true costs that I considered when choosing between the three courses. The cost comes from what I have to give up because I did not choose the other two. My close friends will take creative writing for the chance to be published in the school’s review at the end of the semester. Having taken a few classes with them in the past, I know that I would enjoy their company. Having them as study partners would be a definite benefit and finishing school with a published piece of work would be a source of pride and bragging rights, also.

The art history class brings its own excitement with the opportunity to visit world-class museums close to home. Not only would I be exposed to some of history’s most notable works of art, but course tuition includes museum memberships that allow students unlimited numbers of visits during the semester. Transportation from campus is offered by the university, as well. As appealing as these opportunities are, they eventually became my opportunity costs for choosing video production.

When choosing between two goods or services a person will choose the good with the largest incentive offered. This incentive came with the video production course, but did not come from the course, instead from my employer with whom I am finishing a paid internship. By picking video production, the company will pay for its tuition, fees, books and supplies and will also give me a substantial pay raise. An increase in income and bills paid are hard acts to follow.

Of course, my employers were not going to put up this kind of money for free and being former business majors themselves they knew that “trade can make everyone better off.” In return for these perks my employers are asking me to produce a web video highlighting some of the latest products from the company. My pay raise and the tuition paid is a choice that will end up saving the company money by not using a professional marketing firm. Both of us will benefit.

With a university that offers such diverse course options and a quality teaching staff, it is difficult to choose just one option. In the end, I was given the opportunity to show what a valuable asset I could be to my company as a full-time employee instead of an intern. This opportunity along with the paid tuition and fees and increase in pay are benefits that far outweigh the costs of forgoing an art history or creative writing class.

Writing Performance: 6 – very effectively communicates the writer’s message.

Writing Trait: Commentary:
Focus & Meaning

There is very effective focus and meaning in the essay. The writer establishes and maintains an insightful controlling idea or bottom line, demonstrates a thorough understanding of the purpose, clearly adapts the message to the audience, and completes all parts of the task.

The writer clearly demonstrates a thorough understanding of the purpose. The introductory paragraph outlines the main idea of the response. (“Two such principles are ‘Trade offs’ and ‘Opportunity Cost’. These principles apply to the decision that I am currently faced with.”) The electives that will be discussed are presented. (“I am going into my senior year of college, and I must choose between three electives: Marketing 334, Public Speaking, and Corporate Selling Principles.”) All of the details used in the response relate to the central/controlling idea very effectively and do not include additional, nonessential information.

Content & Development

Content and development are very effective. The writer develops ideas fully and memorably, using appropriate business concepts and terms.

Relevant points explain and illustrate the trade-off associated with the selection of an elective very effectively. Details explain and illustrate each main idea very effectively. (“I decided to first evaluate Marketing 334. This class is not your average elective class; it has more benefits and real world experience than most. It teaches many skills such as formal dining etiquette, resume building skills, interview skills, and the like.” “This led me to consider taking a Public Speaking elective. This class would prepare me to more confidently present my thoughts and ideas to large audiences in a professional setting.” “This led me to consider Corporate Selling Principles as an elective. This class would directly tie in to what I want to do in my professional life. It will teach me various ways to pitch a product to a wide range of different groups for many different purposes.”)

Organization

There is very effective organization. The essay demonstrates a cohesive and unified structure with effective use of paragraphing or grouping of information, logical connections, and transitional devices throughout.

The writer very effectively groups main ideas into paragraphs. The first three body paragraphs discuss the benefits of each of the electives being considered. The fourth paragraph is the analysis of the trade-offs associated with the selection of the elective. The fifth body paragraph adds the opportunity cost factor into the analysis, fully rounding out the writer’s decision-making process.

Logical connections and transitions between paragraphs and sentences are used very effectively. The writer uses the last sentence of a body paragraph to foreshadow the main idea of the following paragraph. For example, the last line of paragraph two is used as a transition. (“Then I began to question my skills and confidence when it comes to addressing large groups of people.”) The first line of paragraph three, following the transition sentence, continues with the main idea very effectively. (“This led me to consider taking a Public Speaking elective.”)

Language Use & Style

There is very effective language use and style in the essay. The writer demonstrates precise, professional language and word choice, a defined voice, a clear sense of audience, and well-structured and varied sentences.

The language and tone are consistent, precise, and professional. (“It not only helped me compare the benefits, costs, and trade offs, but it helped me to come to the most logical conclusion and to relate economic principles to life decisions. Most people think economics only involves graphs, charts, and comparison of data, but in reality, day to day decisions can be made based on the basic economic principles of trade offs and opportunity cost.”)

Sentences are well structured and varied with an excellent voice for business writing. (“In the business world I may be asked to address crowds and effectively communicate my point. Because I feel I am somewhat lacking in this area, the class would certainly be worth taking. This class consists of four speeches that are assigned by the instructor, forcing the student to be creative with regard to variety of topics.”)

Mechanics & Conventions

There is very effective control of mechanics and conventions. There are few or no errors in punctuation, spelling and usage, and grammar and sentence structure.

The response effectively demonstrates correct use of punctuation (i.e., apostrophes, colons, commas, hyphens, italics, parentheses, periods, quotation marks, and semicolons). (“This class is not your average elective class; it has more benefits and real world experience than most. It teaches many skills such as formal dining etiquette, resume building skills, interview skills, and the like. Considering the fact that I will be graduating in a semester, these skills would greatly benefit my personal marketability, along with making me feel more prepared for the jump to the business world.”)

Excellent spelling and word usage are effectively demonstrated. (“By not taking Marketing 334, I will lose the exposure to principles of etiquette, but I will still be exposed to principles of proper behavior in a business environment in the class I chose. Although the negative part of the trade off certainly exists, it was not enough to outweigh the positive.”)

The response effectively demonstrates correct grammar (i.e., excellent use of subject-verb agreement, pronoun use, parallel structure, and sentence structure; particularly a lack of fragments and run-ons). (“This class would prepare me to more confidently present my thoughts and ideas to large audiences in a professional setting. In the business world I may be asked to address crowds and effectively communicate my point.”)

When making life decisions, economic principles can be applied to help one arrive at the best possible choice. Two such principles are “Trade offs” and “Opportunity Cost”. These principles apply to the decision that I am currently faced with. I am going into my senior year of college, and I must choose between three electives: Marketing 334, Public Speaking, and Corporate Selling Principles. All three classes will provide valuable experience that will help me in my job the following year. Each class has different helpful attributes that will benefit me as a marketing major.

In order to choose the best class for my major, I decided to make a list comparing each of the electives by evaluating the economic principles of trade off and opportunity cost. I decided to first evaluate Marketing 334. This class is not your average elective class; it has more benefits and real world experience than most. It teaches many skills such as formal dining etiquette, resume building skills, interview skills, and the like. Considering the fact that I will be graduating in a semester, these skills would greatly benefit my personal marketability, along with making me feel more prepared for the jump to the business world. Then I began to question my skills and confidence when it comes to addressing large groups of people.

This led me to consider taking a Public Speaking elective. This class would prepare me to more confidently present my thoughts and ideas to large audiences in a professional setting. In the business world I may be asked to address crowds and effectively communicate my point. Because I feel I am somewhat lacking in this area, the class would certainly be worth taking. This class consists of four speeches that are assigned by the instructor, forcing the student to be creative with regard to variety of topics. I feel this is relevant because there will many times that I will give a presentation on concepts that are difficult to explain. With background experience, this would not only be easier, but my confidence in it would be greater, resulting in a more effective presentation. Though public speaking would adequately prepare me for my career in many ways, I might still lack knowledge of some of the nuances of selling.

This led me to consider Corporate Selling Principles as an elective. This class would directly tie in to what I want to do in my professional life. It will teach me various ways to pitch a product to a wide range of different groups for many different purposes. It will teach me to maintain a professional demeanor in a selling environment and allow me to more effectively communicate. The main project of this class is to produce a pitch based off of a group and product both picked by the instructor. This will be useful because it will force me to adapt to many situations. In the professional world, I will often be asked to work with individuals that I am not familiar with, on a project that deals with something I have not previously been exposed to. This class will adequately prepare me for such situations both by nature of the group work, and by principles of selling relayed to me by the professor. I could very clearly see the value in this class, but my decision would not be an easy one.

The first economic principle I used to help me make this decision was the principle of trade offs. All three options could be beneficial to my future, which meant that I would face a trade off no matter what my choice. According to this economic principle, all decisions involve trade offs. In this case, I decided to take Corporate Selling principles. By choosing this elective, I will be gaining skills in selling, communication, marketing, and confidence in presenting to groups. The trade off was worthwhile, because I will gain a more diverse group of skills by taking this class. By not taking public speaking, I may be slightly less prepared for addressing groups in the largest settings. Despite this, I will learn to communicate effectively, which made the trade off worthwhile. By not taking Marketing 334, I will lose the exposure to principles of etiquette, but I will still be exposed to principles of proper behavior in a business environment in the class I chose. Although the negative part of the trade off certainly exists, it was not enough to outweigh the positive.

The second economic principle I used was the principle of opportunity cost. Though this principle is similar to trade offs, it is different in the sense that it directly measures the skills I will not obtain as a result of my choice. It measures the “cost” of my decision. By choosing Corporate selling principles, I will have to give up the resume building advice that Marketing 334 would have provided along with table etiquette and interview skills. I will also have to give up the in depth exposure to speaking to large crowds that the Public Speaking elective would have provided. The gains that I will receive from taking Corporate Selling outweighed the losses incurred by not taking one of the other two options. Therefore, the opportunity cost is present, but not so overwhelming as to make my choice a poor one.

In conclusion, using these two economic principles to help me make my choice was a very effective method. It not only helped me compare the benefits, costs, and trade offs, but it helped me to come to the most logical conclusion and to relate economic principles to life decisions. Most people think economics only involves graphs, charts, and comparison of data, but in reality, day to day decisions can be made based on the basic economic principles of trade offs and opportunity cost.