POSITION ESSAY SAMPLE #1: HELPING THOSE IN NEED:

HOW CAN WE REALLY HELP THE POOR ACROSS THE

OCEANS?
DoSomething reports that around 3 billion people worldwide live on $2.5 a day while 1.3 billion
have even less – about $1.25 a day. Poverty leads to malnutrition which kills over 22.000 children
every day.

750 million do not have clean drinking water, and as a result, around 2.300 people die of diarrhea
or poor sanitation every single day.

As you read these statements, real people with real lives died after struggling with horrible living
conditions. They could not win this fight on their own; they just don’t have the power for it.

People like me and you born in a country where provisions of light are seen as a lawful right, and
not a blessing have only a slight idea of what poverty really is. No wonder we don’t rush to help the
developing countries.

The problem, as I see it, lies in our understanding of what this concept truly means.

Poverty is not just about having a less comfortable life than what you are used to. It is definitely not
about having fewer luxuries in our lives. And I want to make it clear that the poor in the developing
countries do not have the privilege of having a roof over their head, clean water, and plain food.

Poverty those 3 billion people are facing daily is about having little to no access to clean water, food
supplies, or medicine to keep them up and running. They do not have discounts and privileges.
They are striving to survive!

So, it’s high time we saw the reality and stood up to help those needing our help!

The question is how exactly we as students can help people living in poverty?

I have gathered several good options which you can consider with me to make a difference.

How to help the poor when you are a student

Volunteer at an international organization. You can make a difference in someone’s life by joining
a program that makes lives people living in poverty better. For instance, an organization called Global
Crossroad can be a good choice for you. They are organizing trips for young people from all over the
world to the corners of the globe where their help is most needed. Thus, you can help kids living on
the streets in Peru, feed the poor at a food stand in Uganda, teach English to underprivileged kids in
Argentina, or work at an orphanage in India. Your impact there will be truly priceless. There are tons
of other organization doing the same good thing all over the world. Join them, and you won’t regret
it! This experience will indeed change your life and make you into a brand-new person!

Support a volunteer. If you do not have an opportunity to go somewhere, support someone

financially. If you have the heart for the poor or want to help your heart grow, donate money to a
volunteer who is willing to go to a different part of the world to help the poor. Your investment is
valuable, so don’t hesitate!

Donate money. As a student, you might have a pretty busy schedule, so going places can be a tough
call. But you can always donate money to trustworthy organizations for them to take care of those
who are now struggling with all sorts of hardships in life. Even a few dollars can make a huge
difference, and we all know that we can give more than that!

Help the locals. Even though the word “poverty” is quite stretched, there are still people that need
help around you. So, look for organizations taking care of such people and join them in their effort to
make a world a better place. For instance, DoSomething has recently run a campaign called “Teens
for Jeans.” They collected gently-worn jeans for teens that could not afford to get a pair of new ones.
There are dozens of other opportunities to help the poor in your community, so maybe start there
and then consider going overseas to help!

We cannot stay indifferent to the problem of poverty: sympathy is what makes us humans. So, I hope
the facts mentioned above will persuade you that the problem is real and much more significant than
we thought while the suggestions of how to help and solve this problem will give you a right direction
and push you toward the goal.
POSITION PAPER SAMPLE #2: DO ANTI-SMOKING AD
CAMPAIGNS REALLY HELP?
Yes, we have all seen those scary ads that warn people about horrible consequences smoking can
bring. However, according to the official sources, more than fifteen of every 100 people in the
United States aged 18 and older smoke today.

They, too, see those ads. But they simply do not stop them from this dreadful habit. Or do they?

Many politicians and public activists state that anti-smoking ads are effective. And I believe so too.
And here is why.

First of all, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, the number of smokers
dropped significantly in the recent years. “Current smoking has declined from 20.9% (nearly 21 of
every 100 adults) in 2005 to 15.5% (more than 15 of every 100 adults) in 2016,” they report. And
these figures are vivid enough for us to believe that antismoking campaigns really work. Active
work in this area has helped many people quit this habit and go back to life with no smoking-
related diseases.

A lot of smokers oppose such claims and state that ad campaigns against smoking are inefficient. All
they do, in their opinion, is scare both smokers and non-smokers and persuade only a small
percentage of people with this habit to quit. Is it really worth all the money and time invested in
them?

I believe so. If even a small number of people can be cured of this habit by trivial ads showing the
real consequences of this choice), then it is worth every penny.

Another reason why I believe that antismoking ads are effective is that a lot of people did not start
smoking despite the peer pressure, stress (which allegedly is relieved by smoking) or any other
aspects.

When we look at the numbers dropping, we only think of people that quit, and we often forget to
take into account those who never started smoking. Seeing ads showing the reality of smoking with
the all the negative effect it can have on the body of the one smoking is a powerful tool that can
motivate a lot of people to think twice before taking their first puff.

Finally, parents that see such ads get to quit to realizing how dangerous passive smoking is for their
kids. And this is a real victory, I believe. Growing up in families with smokers not only gives you the
idea that smoking is totally normal but also exposes you to the hazardous effects of smoking at a
very young age.

To save younger generations from that, antismoking activists create a special sort of campaigns to
target this layer of society. And it does work given the dropping numbers of smokers out there.
POSITION PAPER #3: SHOULD HOMEWORK BE
MANDATORY?
I can almost see many students nodding along with me as I ask this question. Younger
generations overloaded with home tasks and numerous assignments have already raised
this issue many times.
Yet, homework remains mandatory.
Is it fair or should it be canceled?
I believe that homework should not be viewed as a mandatory part of education for several
reasons.
First, children spend seven hours every single work day at school. That is a huge chunk of
life, and with homework added on top of these hours, a child is left with no time to live his
life to the fullest, socialize, or grow in other areas.
Second, sitting at your desk solving problems does no good to your health. Kids need time
to get outside and have some fun, join a football league, or ride their bikes with friends
around the block. Otherwise, children will be very smart but surprisingly weak physically.
Another argument against this position is that homework is not always the best way to
obtain knowledge quality-wise. Students tend to ask their parents or siblings for help
whenever facing difficulties. Busy parents not always willing to spend extra time explaining
school material to their little one solve the problems themselves aiming to have more time
for family, not lessons. As a result, the child will have the homework done. But that’s really
not his work. So, the whole idea of dedicating time to self-education is lost here.
Finally, knowing that after classes you would still have to work at home makes a kid less
concentrated at school. This results in short attention spans and difficulty to concentrate
on something for too long.
All in all, homework should rather be an option. Students understanding that they are left
behind at some subjects will take their time to go over the material at home. However, in
other cases, they should have time after school for other activities.
#1
We find this position essay rather powerful. The author not only presents his ideas clearly
but also leaves the readers with a clear call-to-action.
Another good point is that the author used statistical data from reliable sources to
demonstrate that his position is supported by facts and not just emotions. Besides, the
paper is well-structured and organized in an easy to scan manner making it easy for the
audience to familiarize themselves with the arguments.
However, it might be hard to grasp the idea of a position essay from just one essay. So, here
is another example of position paper for your consideration.
#2
As you see such ads indeed are effective. And even though there still are people who
oppose the ideas described in them willing to keep their dangerous habit, I hope that the
meaning and hazards of smoking will one day become more obvious to them too.
Another great example of a position paper that presents an idea that one can either agree
with or oppose to. The writer did a very good job in presenting a thesis in the very
beginning of his essay and then supporting this thesis with several points further on in the
text. The text sounds logical, and the writer uses arguments to persuade the readers in his
point.
The downside of this essay is that it is missing Works Cited page. Probably it was not
required, but it’s always better to have it in place. The same refers to the previous essay.
In other words, he is using all the essential techniques to make his essay stand out.
Last but not least, meet a short position sample essay #3.
#3
The third essay has no links to trustworthy sources, yet it describes all the main points
quite clearly. Some statistical data to support the ideas would be good, but not necessarily
vital.
The thesis is clearly supported by four different arguments making the position of an
author quite bright and clear. We would recommend you paying attention to this position
paper example too when looking for ideas to inspire you.

Happy writing!!!