History Journal / Group Discussion Guidelines


WRITING IS THE MIRROR OF THE MIND.  When you want to see what you look like, you look in the mirror.  But where do you look to see what is in your mind? A reflection of what is in your mind, visible to yourself and others, is what you write. 

If your writing is clear, then it shows that your thinking is clear; the converse is also true as unclear writing reveals unclear thinking. 

Writing is the means of clarifying and refining our thinking. The mere process of writing out our thoughts compels us to have to clarify and structure our thinking.  That is why the Department of History requires that a majority of your grade be based on essay exams with the overall intent to clarify our thinking on historical issues specifically and improving our thinking skills generally.