What’s the Point?
Literally, what is the point of an essay, what is the thesis. It can be conceptualized as the main claim one is making in the paper. There’s some conventions behind it, but ultimately the only important things are its clarity and properly fitting the essay. In order to begin the process of developing a thesis one can start by questioning what should be answered by the paper. This questioning is flexible in nature and a gradual process starting from broad to narrow, wherein you finalize with a highly polished question from which the thesis is derived.
Responding—Really Responding—To Other Students’ Writing
Reviewing a peer’s work as a student is often a tricky thing. There’s a certain balance to be achieved if one wants to do so successfully, while avoiding faux pas’ such as hurting sensibilities. A good place to start is to gestate oneself as a friendly reader. This way one can avoid overly critical reactions, while still being able to give constructive feedback. Additionally, one should primarily focus on content, clarity, logic, etc vs pinpointing every single minor perceived fault. All in all, when critiquing a peer’s work, your goal should be to deliver clear, constructive feedback on aspects of the essay which are harder for an individual to assess themselves.