Many college students have trouble composing an essay about themselves, despite this being one of the more common assignments one will see in colleges and universities throughout the country. But like in many other areas, it’s hard trying to come up with something to say about oneself without it sounding pompous. That is why we have developed these basic instructions for composing a good college essay about yourself:
- Starting Your Personal College Essay
- How to Write About Sensitive Topics
- Finishing the Personal College Essay
When you write a college essay about yourself you are basically being asked to write some experience or event from your life. Think about your college essay like a story and as such should begin with something that immediately hooks the reader and transports him or her into your world.
Don’t waste words with a simple introduction; start with a bang, something entirely unexpected. Follow this with some background information or detailed setting, but not too much that you lose the reader’s interest. By making a connection in the first few sentences your reader is more likely to want to read even more.
There are times you are given topics to choose from or you are allowed to develop one for your own, regardless of your options you may decide to write about something sensitive in your life. The first thing to remember is your reader; your topic must be appropriate material your reader won’t find offensive.
Also, be conscientious of writing about other people. While you may have a personal relationship or connection with this person, you don’t want to provide any personal details that might implicate them or identify them with something for which they did not provide consent.
There are several students that find ending the college essay just as hard as starting it. But what makes it so difficult? Many believe that it’s hard to write an ending when one’s life isn’t truly over. The best way to overcome this hurdle is to focus on just the central theme you’ve discussed throughout the essay.
Think about where the story you have just told actually end? If you are discussing an event that led to you wanting to join nursing school, when did that event actually end? If you are discussing a time when you had trouble learning a new language, you can end your essay with the feeling you had in earning your first A in that class. If you think that you’re good at writing, consider applying for a freelance writing job at Writing Jobz.
