ASU ENG 102: First-Year Composition
ENG 102 completes ASU's first-year composition requirement, shifting to research-based argument: finding and evaluating sources, building an extended researched essay, and documenting it properly. It's the course where most students write their first real college research paper.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Arizona State University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
The researched argument is a term-long build, and weak topic choices early make every later stage painful. Source evaluation and integration are the skills actually being graded. Papers stuffed with quotes but thin on the student's own argument are the classic deduction, along with citation-format penalties.
What you'll cover
- • Research questions and topic development
- • Finding and evaluating sources
- • Argument and evidence
- • Synthesizing and integrating sources
- • Citation and documentation
The ENG 102 study guide
How to study for ASU ENG 102, step by step.
- 1
Lock a narrow, arguable topic in week one
Every later stage of ENG 102 inherits your topic choice. 'Social media harms attention in college students' is researchable; 'social media is bad' is a term of pain. Get instructor sign-off early.
- 2
Gather and evaluate sources before drafting
Build an annotated list: what each source claims, why it's credible, which part of your argument it serves. Source evaluation is the skill actually being graded, not source collection.
- 3
Draft your argument first, then place evidence
Papers stuffed with quotes but thin on the student's own argument are the classic ENG 102 deduction. Write your claims in your own words, then bring sources in to support them, not replace them.
- 4
Cite as you write
Add the in-text citation and reference entry the moment you use a source. Citation-format penalties are pure bookkeeping losses, and retrofitting citations the night before is how they happen.
- 5
Schedule a revision pass against the rubric
A few days before the final deadline, check the draft line by line: arguable thesis, integrated sources, counterargument addressed, documentation clean. In a 7.5-week session this pass needs its own calendar slot.
Today
Today's ENG 102 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for ENG 102. 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 102 harder than ENG 101?
Most students find it more work: the research component adds source-finding, evaluation, and citation on top of the writing. Students who pick a focused, arguable topic early consistently report a smoother course than students who stay vague.
What is the ENG 102 research paper like?
An extended researched argument built in stages (proposal, annotated sources, drafts, final essay) where you stake a position and support it with evaluated, properly cited sources rather than summarizing what sources say.
How do I pick a good ENG 102 topic?
Choose something arguable, narrow enough to cover in one paper, and with accessible scholarly sources. 'Social media harms attention in college students' beats 'social media is bad', since specificity makes research and argument both easier.