During the economic recession of the past decade, an increasing number of traditional-age students opted to begin their studies at less expensive local community colleges rather than four-year universities. At the same time, forced by corporate downsizing to develop new career interests, non-traditional students turned to community colleges for…

The personal essay--a paper in which a student brings in his or her own experience or concerns--is probably familiar to most historians. Teaching at the City University of New York, the author has found grading personal essays somewhat perplexing. They are sometimes written in response to an assignment that does not call for personal reflection.…