write a 4-5 page paper on one of the following topics:
Effective communication vs. miscommunication in social media and tips for positive interpersonal interactions
Nonverbal communication in patient/provider care: Does it impact quality of care?
Share advice on any class topic with future classmates who will be taking our 1310 course. Think about it as a "message in a bottle" to future students.
Remember to connect your observations and experiences to a scholarly source like our textbook.
Explain the topic you chose and why
Analyze your audience. Who is the target audience for this speech (think about age, gender, race, ethnicity, etc.)
Sample Answer
A Message to the Future: Navigating COMM 1310 for Personal and Academic Success
The decision to compose this paper as a "message in a bottle" to future classmates in our COMM 1310 course was a deliberate one. The conventional academic paper, while valuable for demonstrating mastery of course material, often lacks the personal touch needed to truly convey the transformative power of the concepts we've studied. This approach, however, allows for a more authentic and empathetic reflection on the journey. I’ve chosen this topic not just to meet the requirements of the assignment, but to provide a foundational toolkit for those who will follow in our footsteps, encouraging them to view this class not as a simple requirement, but as an essential guide for navigating their lives, careers, and relationships. It is a paper designed to be read, not just graded.
The target audience for this message is, of course, a future cohort of students enrolled in COMM 1310. While their specific identities will be as varied as the day is long, we can make some informed assumptions about who they are. They are likely a diverse group of college students, most in their late teens or early twenties, coming from a variety of backgrounds—different cities, states, and even countries. Their racial and ethnic backgrounds will be a mix of cultures and experiences, each bringing a unique perspective to the classroom and the group projects they’ll inevitably encounter. They may be business majors, engineering students, or aspiring artists, but they all share one thing in common: they are on a path to a broader education, and this course is a key part of that journey. They may arrive with preconceived notions about communication, seeing it as something intuitive or effortless, and may be skeptical of the need to study it formally. My goal is to bridge that gap, to show them that what seems simple on the surface is actually a complex, nuanced, and endlessly fascinating field of study.
The very first piece of advice I can offer you is to challenge your own perceptions. In the textbook Communication Mosaics: An Introduction to the Field of Communication, Julia T. Wood (2018) argues that "perception is an active process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting people, objects, events, situations, and activities" (p. 67). You will quickly learn that what you see and understand is not objective reality, but rather a reflection of your own experiences, biases, and cultural background. The class will teach you to recognize your own perceptual filters—those internal screens that influence how you select and interpret information. For example, you might be quick to judge a classmate as "uninterested" because they are quiet, when in reality, they may simply be a reflective listener who needs more time to process information. This course will give you the language to perform a "perception check," to ask clarifying questions rather than make assumptions. This simple skill is perhaps one of the most powerful you will learn, saving you from countless misunderstandings both in the classroom and in your personal life.
Beyond perception, this course will fundamentally alter how you think about listening. You will learn the crucial distinction between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physiological act; sound waves hit your eardrums. Listening, however, is a psychological process that requires effort and intention. It's about being present, fully engaged with the speaker. You’ll be introduced to different types of listening, from empathetic listening, where your goal is to understand another person’s perspective, to critical listening, which involves analyzing and evaluating what you hear. My advice is to practice active listening. This means more than just nodding your head. It means paraphrasing what the speaker has said to confirm your understanding, asking open-ended questions, and putting aside your own internal thoughts to truly focus on the other person. You will find that this skill is not just for formal presentations, but for every conversation you have with your friends, your family, and your professors.