Meeting on methods of essay writing and innovative approaches held at YSU

Yerevan State University hosted a meeting under the title "Essay Writing" aimed at familiarizing students from general education schools with the specific features of writing an essay. The event was organized through the joint initiative of the Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology and the Center for Admissions and Affairs with Applicants. The session was led by Associate Professor Arman Gharagulyan from the YSU Chair of Social Philosophy, Ethics and Aesthetics.

According to Ani Avetisyan, Head of the Center for Admissions and Affairs with Applicants, the proposal to organize such a meeting came from schools where a need had been identified to present the topic to students in more detail. 

"Teachers point out that there is a growing need to develop essay-writing skills among students. Therefore, in cooperation with the Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology, we decided to organize this meeting. We also plan to hold a meeting on the topic of artificial intelligence in the future. I believe that such discussions will be continuous," she said.

Associate Professor Arman Gharagulyan emphasized that general education schools have recently adopted the decision to more actively use the essay as an educational tool. It has become one of the important components of knowledge assessment, which has also brought to light the issue of insufficient experience. Students typically become familiar with the features of essay writing in the upper grades, when they already possess certain skills. In contrast, the participants of today's meeting were mainly students with limited prior experience.

"Essays are necessary in a wide range of situations—when applying for jobs, academic programs, and in some cases even for university admission. Of course, it is difficult to help students master it in a single meeting, but it is possible to cultivate the right attitude, motivation, and initial enthusiasm. It is important that students do not perceive essay writing as a puzzling and complex task, but rather as an opportunity for creativity," Gharagulyan stressed.

The meeting particularly emphasized the formation of motivational approaches. Presenting the structural features of an essay, the speaker identified the primary challenge as a philosophical one—namely, how to create an engaging and compelling essay. According to him, the main task is not merely the logical sequence of sentences; it is far more profound, as the final result is expected to be a vibrant piece of work that reflects the individual's intellectual horizon.

"I try to combine my philosophical knowledge with my role as an instructor, offering initial guidelines on how to approach the task to achieve a more impressive result," he noted.

Speaking about the effectiveness of the meeting, Arman Gharagulyan said, "I expect that all of this will certainly have a positive impact. The number of participants significantly exceeded our expectations, and the feedback shows that many are interested in the topic and are eager to take part in the discussions. From this, we can infer that the material was presented comprehensively and that we are already seeing good results."

Among the participants at the meeting were students and teachers from Yerevan general schools №114, 105, 135, and 142.