Six week, online section of English 201A

This course is an accelerated and condensed version of the semester-length 201A course. What does that mean? You'll learn and strengthen the same skills, just at a faster pace than that of a full semester.

Each week, you'll write, whether that's a couple of sentences, a paragraph, or an essay. You won't start out writing essays, though; that comes a bit later. Using this approach, you'll be building on your previous writing, extending it into longer explorations and support of your ideas.

This course is entirely online. There are no mandatory meetings.

Interested in what others say about the course? Read on.

The theme is happiness

Our theme for the course--that is, the main topic you'll be exploring--is happiness. 

You'll look at happiness from various angles, including your own expectations and assumptions about what happiness is and how to be happy. All of your writing and research will deal with one or more aspects of this topic. 

You'll support your ideas with research, explanations, comparisons and contrasts, and different texts like music and art. 

This course is completely online

And there are no books to buy! It's a six-week, condensed version of English 201A that starts June 12th, 2023 and finishes July 21st, 2023. You'll have access to the course in Canvas at cuesta.instructure.com.

There are no online lecture sessions like the kind you may have been required to attend during the past couple of years. You'll have opportunities to meet online with your peers and me to ask questions and collaborate, and you'll be able to ask questions and collaborate using Pronto (a messaging app), discussion forums, and other online features of Canvas, too. 

The six-week, condensed version of 201A gets you to the same goal in less time: to be able to write college-level essays. So the pace is quicker, but the class is a lot of fun which makes the time pass even more quickly! You'll find that whatever your college writing skills are now, they'll be stronger by the end of the course, and you can proceed with confidence to your next college class knowing how to make writing essays easier and more effective. Bonus, you'll have plenty of support and feedback to guide you through the course so you can make the best of your learning opportunities. The course is designed to start with smaller steps and then to build on those steps weekly. There are plenty of practice activities where you're encouraged to explore your skills before tackling essays.

No required textbook

There are no required texts to buy! 

All the handouts, media, and texts you'll need are provided in the course, except for material you'll locate as part of your research effort. You have online access to the Cuesta Library to perform research as well as the option of visiting the library.

To enroll in the course, visit Class FinderLinks to an external site. to view CRN 50343 for the summer 2023 semester.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are valued

Photo of Cuesta students collaborating on a project.

I’ve designed this course to be a welcoming environment where you can exchange ideas freely with your peers and me, where each person is respected and their perspective is valued. The strength of the course lies in the diversity of you, the students. You are a member of a learning community where everyone can participate and gain support from each other no matter their background or skill set. 

In addition, you'll have opportunities to learn more about diverse perspectives regarding key topics and issues throughout the course. Curiosity is the key!

Contact Me

The best way to contact me is to use the Canvas Inbox, which in a browser looks like a letter being dropped in a mailbox::  
In the Canvas Inbox, click the pencil icon  to compose and send an email to me. I will generally respond to your emails within 24 hours on weekdays.

You can also message me in Pronto. 

If you're not in Canvas, you can also reach me by Cuesta email at colleen_harmon@cuesta.edu.

College policies

For college policies about adding and dropping a class and student conduct, check out PoliciesLinks to an external site.

Ask other questions or get help

The Student Success CenterLinks to an external site. can assist with questions about tutoring, borrowing a laptop, emergency funding, etc. 

Financial AidLinks to an external site. is chock-a-block with information to help finance your education.

And for questions or help with housing or food or to join a great club, check out Student LifeLinks to an external site..

And remember, I'm interested in your success. So please reach out to me with any thoughts, concerns, or questions. Message me in Pronto or using the Canvas Inbox.