Introduction Between now and Tuesday, December 14th, your instructor will ask yo

Introduction
Between now and Tuesday, December 14th, your instructor will ask you to write an essay in response to the question below using the readings contained in this packet and your own experiences and observations. This exit assessment essay is included in portfolios required by many English classes at MassBay to help determine student progress and which classes students should take next. Please check with your instructor to see how the exit assessment essay and portfolio are used in your class.
The Topic and Readings
This reading packet contains texts on the topics of success, life choices and happiness. The prompt (question) below asks you to consider what defines a successful life.
Remember, do not merely summarize the readings in your essay. Instead, make connections between the ideas in the readings and your own thoughts and experiences. Use the readings to support, illustrate, and explain the ideas that are important to you. If you disagree with ideas in the readings feel free to say so. If some of the ideas in the readings resonate with your beliefs or have made you think differently about the world, you should express that as well.
EXIT ASSESSMENT QUESTION (WRITING PROMPT)
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What defines a successful life?
Think about your own experiences, observations, and beliefs, and think about the ideas, information, and examples in the readings as you back up your claims.
Remember, in order to obtain a score that demonstrates your readiness for EN101 or higher, your essay must include specific, sustained references to at least two different sources in the reading packet.
Students wishing to jump to EN102 or to have their portfolio considered for the Certificate of Excellence in Writing should be sure that integration and citation of quotations is in MLA style.
Background
In what has been dubbed “the great resignation,” Americans in 2021 are quitting their jobs in record numbers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 4.3 million Americans, or 2.9% of the entire workforce, resigned in August alone, and that came after a long string of other, record-setting months.
People are resigning for many reasons. Some have been forced to do so in order to care for children or family members at home. Others have left in search of more money, or have chosen to live off of generous unemployment benefits rather than suffer the indignities of low-paying jobs. But there are many who resigned because the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic gave them a chance to reflect on their lives, to take stock of what is important, and, often, to completely reimagine what “success” means to them.
With this in mind, please consider your own views of success as you respond to the writing prompt above. What are your priorities as you envision your future? What matters?