MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Guide shape:

This guide will be lemon-shaped.

-Both the introduction and conclusion will represent the thin ends of the lemon by providing general information, outlines, and concepts.

-The body paragraphs of the guide will represent the thick middle of the lemon by providing supporting details to the general information in the introduction and conclusion.

Beginning:

The guide beginning will include the following elements.

-The beginning will hook the audience with a story. I plan on telling a story from a memorable SCUBA dive of mine while on my abroad experience in Cambodia.
-The beginning will define and describe necessary background terms and concepts. These include Song Saa Foundation, study-abroad, SCUBA diving, culture shock, and so on.
-Finally, the beginning will present the main claim or thesis: undergraduate science students, who are interested in studying abroad in an exotic locale like Cambodia, must be aware of essential aspects of such an experience. This guide details these aspects, preparing these students to make the most of their experience.

Middle:

The guide middle will discuss four essential aspects of the abroad experience in a unique country like Cambodia.

-The first aspect details cultural considerations. This includes culture shock and respecting different cultures.
-The second aspect discusses challenges of adapting to a new environment. This includes jetlag and parental concerns, like malaria, political unrest, hazardous wildlife, or other dangers that an undergraduate student may face.
-The third aspect analyzes how to make the most of an abroad experience in Cambodia general. This includes relevant personal, academic, cultural, and career development gains.
-The fourth aspect examines how to enhance scientific abilities through an abroad experience in Cambodia. This includes skills that will prepare students for graduate school.

The guide will include four research findings to support the points made about these aspects: one about culture shock (related to point 1), one about jetlag (related to point 2), one about malaria in Cambodia (related to point 2), and one about general benefits to an abroad experience (related to point 3).

End:

The guide end will include the following elements.

-The end will clarify that guide content focuses on WHAT TO KNOW. This entails information for undergraduate students to help them generally with scientific abroad experiences in lesser-known countries like Cambodia.
-The end will apply two cases to exemplify the guide’s points: the case of a former Song Saa volunteer, and my experience as a volunteer.
-The end will invite undergraduate students to also participate in Song Saa Foundation initiatives.
-The end will acknowledge the guide’s limits. Namely, the guide heavily bases points about more general scientific abroad experiences on my experience, which has limited scope.
-The end will include suggested reading for undergraduate students. This reading consists of various webpages and documents about scientific experiences abroad in Cambodia.

Logos:

The guide’s logos stems from the guide middle’s research findings.

-One finding is about culture shock’s effects on people’s ability to return home.
-A second finding is about jetlag’s effects on undergraduate student academic performance.
-A third finding is about malaria’s continued prevalence in Cambodia.
-A fourth finding is about general benefits to an abroad experience based on survey data.

Pathos:

The guide’s pathos stems from the guide’s case studies in the end section. I will discuss the case of a former Song Saa volunteer, as well as my own experiences. These experiences will add an emotional and personal touch to the guide.

The guide’s pathos also stems from parents’ feelings about their son or daughter going abroad to a country like Cambodia. Parents may be concerned about diseases, political unrest, hazardous wildlife, or other dangers present in foreign areas.

Ethos:

The guide’s ethos stems from the authors and organizations behind the sources in the annotated bibliography. These sources are credible, adding legitimacy to the guide.

Structure:

The guide structure will be to illustrate a concept, namely a set of guidelines to direct undergraduate science students through a study-abroad experience in Cambodia. This structure will be carried through a general introduction and conclusion, with detailed body paragraphs between those paragraphs.

Detailed body paragraphs may include a timeline (an undergraduate students should not go abroad until either junior or senior year), and an FAQ section at the guide’s end.

Goal:

The guide’s goal is both to inform, as well as to advise, undergraduate students.

D -- what a comprehensive plan! Your sections will be short, right? Otherwise, this could grow to be too long, for the assignment and all your end-of-the-semester work.

You COULD share this document with the program; perhaps such a testimonial will help them attract other students to this little-known but compelling part of the world.