<p>Based on previous years, how has the experience been like? Where did the essay end up? How was the discussion?</p>
<p>If history repeats itself, the essay is not truly mandatory. They tell you it is, but it’s just a scare tactic. </p>
<p>I was one of those people who still ended up doing it anyways just in case. Your discussion leader asks you to submit it to them through e-mail. Wasn’t graded obviously, though I think they gave some certificates for the best written ones.</p>
<p>Half the people in my discussion group didn’t show up, most of them didn’t even write an essay so the discussion went nowhere. We just talked about ourselves lol. Attended the lecture by the author which was really boring and I fell asleep on the bench but I got my book signed anyways on the way out just for kicks.</p>
<p>Yeah, it definitely isn’t mandatory - maybe if your group leader could be a future professor of yours and might remember your name, it’d affect you. Otherwise, it isn’t. I didn’t go to mine (the discussion leader was an administrative employee in the NHS…and I’m in the college).</p>