Writing Exam 2 (Final)

Instructions and Template

( __ / 170 points= __ %) (15%) (AFA-F22-DD)
Use this document to do and submit your work.
Your Name: Waqar Abbas Baig
Your program or field (full name, in English; see LP p. 143): Combined Science

GRADING: (10=excellent, 8=very good, 6=adequate, 4=unsatisfactory, 2=poor, 0-not done/not relevant)
__ / 30 Part 1: Applying for a position in a field-related company, organization or university faculty (2 points each; based on
relevant, clear, realistic and in-depth answers)
__ / 5 Part 1: Five Questions (1 point for each accurate, in-depth and relevant question)
__ / 30 Part 2: Essay (based on thesis, arguments, responses, supporting ideas, clarity, relevance…) (out of 10, multiplied by 3)
__ / 5 Part 2: Five Questions (1 point for each accurate, in-depth and relevant question)
__ / 20 Field-Specific Vocabulary (minimum 20 different field-specific appropriate items; highlighted) (1 point each)
__ / 10 Transitions (minimum 10 different, accurately used, and highlighted acceptable transitions, as shown in LP p. 52-54 except
“also, and, because, but, or, so, too”) (1 point each)
__ / 40 Language accuracy, richness and professionalism (out of 10, multiplied by 4)
__ / 30 Homework from Classes 9-13 (6 points per homework, submitted on time, fully completed and followed all instructions)

Submit your work as a Word document in the appropriate folder in Léa-Travaux before the deadline as stated in Léa-
Communiqués (before the end of Class 15). There is a 20% penalty for lateness, as per Department policy, no later than
one week. At the top of your document, write your name and current program (or future program if you plan to change
and if that’s the focus of this work).

 Part 1: Applying for a position in a field-related company, organization or university faculty

 Part 2: Field-Specific Debatable Essay on a Policy or Law (around 600 words + 5 questions; 35 points)
 Part 3: Five Homework Assignments (Classes 9-13) (submitted before the end of classes 9 to 13; 30 points)

Part 1: Applying for a position in a field-related company, organization or university faculty. Write:
The name of company, organization or university you are applying at: Concordia University
The name of position or university faculty you are applying for: Computer Science

Answer all the following questions in full sentences.

1. Why did you choose to apply at this company/organization/university?
I chose to apply to your university because everyone in my family studied at Concordia and had a wonderful
experience and was told that the teachers were nice, and the environment was full of positivity and fun activities. I
chose to apply into Computer Science because I believe technology is the future of this world and that more people
are becoming more reliant on technology and is important in facilitating people’s lives and providing the consumers
with more security and protection. In the future, I would like to be part of the group and project that manufactures
this product that help people live better lives.

2. What skills, qualifications and knowledge can you bring to this company/organization/faculty?
I have been studying science for many years, ever since I was little, so I believe that my brain in terms of problem
solving is strong. I believe that I can provide many great ideas to my peers and supervisors that may benefit them
and have been praised by previous mentors and comrades of the positivity that I bring in the work environment.
1
3. What qualities do you think are essential to have for someone working/studying in this field?
I believe they should have a positive personality and know how to work in teams because in the future, they will
have to work with others when building a new product. Nothing can be done alone. I believe they should be
proficient in managing their time as this program requires a lot of work and dedication.

4. What relevant experience do you have beyond the theory learned in class (ex: internships, volunteer experience,
tutoring, training, summer jobs, part-time/full-time jobs, competitions, laboratory work)?
Unfortunately, I do not have any experience. During my educational path, I have only focused in my studies and not
felt like doing anything else.

5. What technical skills/knowledge would you feel most capable of and interested in passing on if you were to
train/tutor someone?
I think I would train others to effectively study, because many people do put in the efforts but still do not pass their
classes only because their studying technique is not good. I would teach others how to effectively use flashcards,
active recall, etc.

6. What field-related tool(s)/resource(s) do you feel most capable of, knowledgeable in and interested in using?
During CEGEP, I have used many tools in laboratories, such as: pipettes, burettes, multimeters. So I feel comfortable
using many chemistry and physics lab instruments, and am also a little knowledgeable in programming and am using
languages such as Python and C++.

7. What are some examples in your educational path where you a) performed well in working in teams, b) showed
leadership skills, c) were put under pressure, and/or d) held a position of responsibility?
Except working in teams during laboratory sessions, I have not done any other works in team and have never shown
leadership skills, which is one of my weaknesses.

8. What are some challenges you expect to face here and how do you expect to handle them?
Just like transferring from high school to CEGEP, I am expecting to have more work and less sleep.

9. What are some positive experiences you expect to get if you are selected to work/study here?
I am expecting to build many great relationships with my classmates and make friends, join activities and event.

10. What are your short-range and long-range academic and/or career plans?
In the future, I would like to like to work in the health sector and apply my knowledge of computer science in
software used in medical devices and hospitals.

2
11. What do you wish you had done differently in college to make it more enriching, useful, enjoyable and rewarding?
I wish I could have studied more so that I would get better grades. That would be rewarding enough for me.

12. What change(s) would you like to see in your college program to make it more beneficial, enriching, useful,
enjoyable and rewarding?
I wish the college would make certain mandatory college classes complementary such as philosophy, because I know as
a scientist, I will never talk about Freud or other philosophers in my life.

13. What change(s) would you most like to see made in the educational path to get more people interested in your
field?
I honestly think for my field (Science), there is not much to change because it is really based on preference. I believe
every hard class given serves a purpose, which is to see if the student is a strong problem-solver, which is the main
requirement for any future scientist.

14. What changes/developments/improvements would you like to see happen in your field in the near future?
I do not see any problems in my field if I am being honest. I find everything in my field enjoyable.

15. What challenges do you see people in your field facing now or in the immediate or near future?
A lot of work and not a lot of time to have a social life, which is why it is important to build a schedule.

16. What are 5 questions you would like to ask about our organization/company/university/faculty? (Avoid
generalizations, basic questions, questions which can easily be found on-line…; show your originality, curiosity,
ability to ask in-depth questions, and more relevant questions).
1- What type of student succeeds most in this university?
2- What internship does my program offer in this university?
3- What type of challenges do students regularly face in this student?
4- How would you is this school unique compared to other schools?
5- What makes you proud to be affiliated with this university?

Part 2: Field-Specific Debatable Essay on a Policy or Law Instructions (30 points + 5 points) (around 550 words)
Paragraph 1-Introduction (around 200 words)
Begin with a grabber, and relevant and thought-provoking ideas related to the main idea of your essay. State a problem
you see in your field or program and elaborate on the issue. Provide enough essential background information to be able
to understand the main points of the issue. End this paragraph with your thesis statement, which is a sentence that
states your topic and your opinion. Thus, if your debatable topic is about euthanasia, you would first explain what
euthanasia is before you state your point of view, which goes at the very end of this paragraph. (ex: Medically-assisted
aid in dying should remain an option for all Canadians.) Bold your thesis statement.
Paragraph 2-Two Supporting Arguments (around 200 words)
Write two distinct arguments that support your position. Elaborate on each argument, providing relevant information.
Bold each supporting argument.
Paragraph 3-Two Opposing Arguments and Two Responses (around 150 words)
3
Write two distinct opposing arguments and a response to each. Bold each opposing argument and response.
Paragraph 4-Conclusion (around 50 words)
Make a link with your first thought-provoking ideas or grabber to create a closure for the reader. End it so that the
reader is fully on-board with what you are arguing for.
Part 5-Questions. Write five in-depth and thought-provoking direct questions on your topic that you would like a
specialist in the field to answer. (Each one of the 5 must be a different type). (not included in the word count)

Part 2 - Essay. Write your essay here:

The cost of healthcare has skyrocketed in many nations. For instance, Americans without health insurance are reasonably certain
that they will not be able to cover the costs of their medical care. Numerous other developing nations are experiencing the same
problem. This has sparked a discussion in which it is now asserted that the government, not the hospital, should be in charge of
providing healthcare. Today, free healthcare is the standard in many nations, including Canada. The idea of providing universal
health coverage appears fantastic from a humanitarian perspective. The idea of providing free healthcare to all nations, however,
may not be feasible once people are made aware of the economic realities behind it. the knowledge that healthcare so important
for many people to decrease the number of sick people in the country and the number of death due to lack of money, for
treatment, the moral and economic aspect doesn’t fairly justify it which is why I think that universal healthcare should not
happen.

First off, universal healthcare is bad for the economy and stifles competition. It leads to monopolies, and in nations with free
healthcare like Canada, the government is interfering in patient-doctor interactions as a result of the monopolisation of the
healthcare industry. Because Canadians spend a significant amount of money through taxes for healthcare-related goods and
services rather than paying for specific doctors and hospitals, they should not be viewed as a model for free healthcare. Because
the government does not utilise a specific health insurance tax that earmarks tax money and instead uses tax receipts, it is
impossible to know how much of the tax is going toward providing healthcare. Anything given away for free has no value, just like
any other product. Patients learn when to spend their money on medical help when they pay for services, which is why many
nations with free health care are seeing an increase in demand. In order to meet the enormous demand, the medical facility must
be extended and more doctors become necessary. You can obtain rapid medical attention if you have the financial means to do
so. Free healthcare is supported by numerous countries around the world who claim that it will lessen any inefficiencies in the
delivery of healthcare. But by constructing projects that need funding, they spend more tax money. In the end, the system
becomes so wasteful that the cost of society's health care requirements is several times higher than it would have been had
everyone privately seen a doctor. In conclusion, the government does not have the authority to appropriate funds from those
who wisely save for the future and distribute them to others who do not. Second, there is no moral justification for free medical
treatment. It is unfair that you are paying for the care of others. The funds utilised for others could have gone to members of your
family who might be in worse shape than the other individual. The fact that doctors must labour around the clock and put their
lives in danger because patient numbers are at an all-time high is unjust to the hard-working nurses and doctors at hospitals.
Additionally, it makes people irresponsible because they are more likely to disregard their health since healthcare will be
monetarily paid. People begin living unhealthy lifestyles rather than concentrating on being healthy and exercising appropriate
caution. For no other reason than they can easily obtain free healthcare services if a problem arises. People will no longer be
motivated to work harder and try to gain more money in relation to encouraging residents to have unhealthy lifestyles because
they will believe that as long as they can receive treatment for nothing, they do not need to worry about anything, which is a bad
mentality to have.
Now, those who believe that healthcare should be provided without charge claim that this is a right and will help many people.
First, when more individuals become eligible for health care, there will be a higher level of patients, resulting in lengthier waiting
times because of a staffing deficit. There are situations when waiting a long time to visit a doctor can make someone's illness
worse. Since everyone has the freedom to spend their hard-earned money whatever they like, the concept of rights is unfair.
Therefore, no one has the right to obtain "free" goods or services because they must be created. Giving away the goods for free
while disregarding the rights of doctors would be unfair

4
 Choosing a Field-Specific Debatable Topic
Your debatable topic must be based on a practical and concrete solution to a problem that is related to your field.
I encourage you to show me your thesis statement and arguments way before the due date. It must be:
1-debatable, which you can argue either for or against a realistic specific course of action that has real-life implications
(not simply a philosophical debate topic). It is basically a proposal to fix something you see a problem with.
2-relevant to our society and is related to your current/future program or future career
3-specific enough to be able to debate on the details
4-on a topic that a local level of government (federal, provincial, municipal) or a government institution (schools,
hospitals, public transit, police forces, Hydro Quebec, etc.) has the authority to change
Examples of poor thesis statements, reasons for that and suggestions for improvement:
Poor thesis statement 1: The U.S. should have much stricter gun laws.
Problems: not directly relevant for us in Canada; not specific enough (what is stricter?)
Good thesis statement: Canada should ban the possession of all assault rifles by private citizens.

Poor thesis statement 2: The rich should pay more for speeding fines.
Problem: too vague (what do you mean by rich?) (how much is “more”?)
Good thesis statement: Speeding fines should be proportional to the total wealth of a person, such as 0.01% of their assets,
rather than a fixed rate.

Example Thesis Statement and Arguments on why CEGEP should be transformed into purely technical colleges:
Background: explain the CEGEP (Collège d’Enseignement générale et professionnel) acronym, when it started (1967),
why it was created (to make post-secondary education more accessible, it’s cheaper than university), and to
better prepare students for university, led by Paul Gérin-Lajoie.
Thesis: CEGEPs should be transformed into purely technical colleges, and those in pre-university programs should go
directly to university.
Arguments for:
1-Students in many countries, such as Germany, are already required to choose their career path at an earlier age, so
why not in Quebec, which would force students to decide earlier, and get them on track for a career earlier?
2-This would allow college students to strictly focus on their technical skills and knowledge, thereby not being required
to take core courses.
Opposing arguments with Responses:
Opposing 1: The CEGEP system is a model that allows students to learn more than just technical skills, but rather also
think about society as a whole (critical thinking, for example).
Response 1: However, critical thinking should be covered in high school, which is mandatory, so more children get to be
exposed to it.
Opposing 2: CEGEP allows students more time to develop their interest and know how they can contribute to society.
Response 2: Nevertheless, students should not waste their time; if they don’t like any technical program, then they
should choose to go to university. Let students spend as much time as possible on their trades/technical
skills and less time on aspects unrelated to their future careers.

NOTE: As with all of your writing assignments, ensure that you use Spell Check, Grammar Check, and review your
material before you submit it. Always ensure you have fully understood the instructions before you begin, and ensure you
did all the required tasks before submitting it. Should you have any questions on anything in this document or if you want
feedback on your choice of video and text, feel free to let me know well in advance of the due date.
5
6