ASU ENG 101: First-Year Composition
ENG 101 is the first half of ASU's required first-year composition sequence, focused on rhetorical awareness, the writing process, and composing for different audiences through a series of essays and a portfolio of revised work. Nearly every ASU and ASU Online student takes it.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Arizona State University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
The workload is steady rather than hard: drafts, peer reviews, and revisions due continuously, which punishes procrastinators in the compressed 7.5-week online sessions especially. Grades hinge on engaging the process: students who skip peer review or submit unrevised drafts lose points that have nothing to do with writing talent.
What you'll cover
- • Rhetorical situation and audience analysis
- • The writing process
- • Drafting and substantive revision
- • Peer review
- • Reflection and portfolio writing
The ENG 101 study guide
How to study for ASU ENG 101, step by step.
- 1
Calendar every process deadline on day one
ENG 101 grades the pipeline (drafts, peer reviews, revisions, reflections), and something is due nearly every week. In a 7.5-week online session the cadence doubles, so map all of it before week one ends.
- 2
Treat peer review as a graded assignment
Skipping or phoning in peer review costs points that have nothing to do with writing talent. Give substantive feedback, since it's graded, and articulating what's weak in others' drafts sharpens your own.
- 3
Revise substantively, not cosmetically
Instructors can tell a re-proofread draft from a rethought one. Change structure, cut paragraphs, sharpen the thesis. Visible revision is what the portfolio is designed to reward.
- 4
Analyze the rhetorical situation before drafting
For each essay, write three lines first: who's the audience, what's the purpose, what's the genre. It's the course's central framework and the fastest way to make drafts land.
Today
Today's ENG 101 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for ENG 101. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is ENG 101 at ASU hard?
No, but it's relentless: something is due nearly every week, and revision and peer-review participation are graded. Students who engage the process get strong grades; even good writers lose points by skipping steps.
What do you write in ENG 101?
A sequence of essays exploring rhetorical situations and audiences, typically narrative, analysis, and persuasive-leaning pieces, developed through drafts and peer review, often culminating in a revised portfolio with reflection.
Can I take ENG 101 online at ASU?
Yes, it runs constantly through ASU Online in 7.5-week sessions. The compressed format doubles the weekly pace, so the same draft-revision pipeline arrives twice as fast and planning matters more.