write an essay about your past

My last holiday

Learn how to write about your last holiday.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

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My last holiday was a five-day trip to Prague in the Czech Republic. I know Prague well because I lived there when I was at university, more than ten years ago.

Instead of staying in a hotel, I stayed with one of my old friends. It was so much fun, and a little bit like my old life. I wanted to do all the same things I did in my university days, so I visited the university. It has changed a lot and looks more modern. I also went to the supermarket near my old house. I loved seeing all the different foods. I was really happy to find my favourite cheese and chocolate biscuits but they were a bit more expensive than I remember!

We did some touristy things too. We walked up beautiful Petrin Hill and around the castle. The views of the city are amazing up there. We walked across the historic Charles Bridge. My friend's flat is very near the TV Tower so we saw the famous baby statues climbing up it. Those things haven't changed, of course.

1. Try to make your writing interesting for the reader. To do this, you can make it personal with your own memories and experiences.

2. Use adjectives to add detail to your descriptions.

3. Write clear and simple sentences and organise your ideas in short paragraphs. Give each paragraph a different topic.

4. Use so, but, and, because and other linking words.

Where was your last holiday?

Language level

I want you to know that I am very happy and enjoying my vacation quite a bit. The destination on this vacation has been the Colombian Caribbean coast, We arrived two days ago, this is a very nice experience. Yesterday I discovered the window to the world that is located in Barranquilla, as well as the boardwalk, they are very warm places but above all very visited, as the afternoon fell I went to visit some of my husband's brothers. Tomorrow we will get up very early to travel a few kilometers and be able to visit Cabo de la Vela, in La Guajira, we will leave at 6 am, because we must be in Uribia Guajira at 3 pm, there the tour guide will be waiting for us, who will be the one in charge of directing this adventure. I also had the opportunity to visit Cartagena de Indias and its beautiful beaches, I really liked getting to know the beach, the sea and the people who live there, But what I liked most was being able to visit Cabo de la Vela and learn a little about the reality of the Wayuu culture, being able to enjoy the beautiful landscapes and sunsets that this beautiful place offers.

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My last was holiday three-week trip to Fez in Morocco. Fez it’s my hometown so I know it well because I lived there for 26 years. I went to visit my family there and I stayed at home, every day I was invited by my sisters and brothers, they made me delicious dishes and we had a good time together. I’ve been seeing my friends every day in the café, we’ve been seeing football matches and we’ve been talking about different topics. In this holiday I made many things important for me, I had driving courses to be confident when I’m going to buy a car, in the same time I had English courses.  

My last holiday was a three-day trip to Thua Thien Hue in Vietnam. I always want to go there, so in the summer of last year, I decided to take a trip to Hue with my family.

We booked a small hostel near Hue Walking Road. We stayed in a twin room, which was clean and had full amenities. The owner was very friendly; he showed us good restaurants, attractions, and how to deal with sellers in the market. We tried local foods such as Bun Bo Hue, Banh Xeo, Banh Bot Loc, etc. The food in Hue is cheap and amazing; I thought that I could eat it all day!

We did some touristy things too. We visited Hue Capital and had a chance to learn more about Vietnam's history. The architecture is very majestic and beautiful. We also went to Thien Mu Pagoda. It is one of the most sacred temples in Vietnam, so we prayed for health and happiness and wished everyone good luck. In the evening, we walked across the historic Trang Tien Bridge. It was so beautiful at night; there were a lot of people walking there. 

It was three amazing days. I felt so relaxed and hope to visit more places in Vietnam.

My last holiday was a two-day trip to Baguio in the Philippines. I had lived there before for five months. So I decided to go back for just a visit on my holiday. Unfortunately, there was heavily raining as we got off the bus. Otherwise, getting a taxi was super hard, and we were waiting for around an hour. Fortunately, I got home safely and I made so much fun with my friends. I visited the old places that I often did because it made me happy and refresh. In conclusion, I had so much fun spending my last holiday in Baguio.

I remember last year when I went with friend to the beach in summer. My Lastsummer holidays was 2days and 3 nights trip to Ngwe Saung Beach in Myanamr . Ngwe Saung, is a beach resort located 48 km west of Pathein, Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. In 2014, the town of Ngwesaung had 10,732 people.The beach is 5hours drive with no traffic away from the principal city of Yangon. Ngwe Saung is well know for An unspoilt 15 kilometres stretch of silvery sand and modern amenities have made Ngwe Saung a popular destination for less budget conscious tourists from Lower Myanmar. I booked for our stay at a hotel near the beach, name was "Grand Paradise Hotel ". My friend and i prepared everything we needed on our trip as light food and soft drinks to have on the way to the hotel. And also we prepared necessary clothing for the sea, sun cream and some essential medicines. After 5hours of driving we arrived the hotel at 12PM afternoon and went to our rooms to rest change clothes and take all what we need to go to the beach. This Hotel is near the beach,all services was good and room are cleaned, wide and nice. We put our bags on the table and went to swim in the sea and then went out for lunch that my friend ordered from a fish restaurant . The Crab ,Lobster and fish was fresh and tasty and we enjoyed our meal very much. After lunch we sat under the canopy enjoying the sea view, refreshing breaths ,listening to music and playing fun games. OH really nice Ngwe Saung beach Myanamr.

My last holiday was far away in time in different reasons. We were at black sea coast on September so there where not so much other people. We was drinking a wine that was cheap there and going some excursions

My last holiday. Last summer, in particular on the last weekend of June, I decided to visit Granada, an amazing city in Spain. I visited Granada for the second time with my family, my wife, and two daughters. I was so happy because I visited Granada sights, especially Alhambra Palace, and Civilization Museum. We arrived at the hotel by bus at 11 a.m. The hotel was wonderful and clean, and the food they offer was delicious. My family really liked the traditional typical dishes of Granada, in particular the dish named Baella. During the holiday, I met some of my Spanish colleagues and they invited us to visit their house which is located in a nice village in the city suburb. Really, I liked this place for the large landscape, calmness, and the kind people who live in. On the fifth day of our holiday, we walked around the city and saw the old city which has been built above the mountain. So, you can see the whole city from above it. Despite the enjoyment that we have got, the negative thing about that holiday was that we spent so much money and also many friends need to buy some things from there, so I bought some souvenirs and I hope that I can keep one for myself to remind of that divine place. By and large, this holiday was great and unforgettable thanks to my Spanish friend, Gaspar, who provided me with a Guidebook which makes my trip easy and coy.

My last holiday was four days on São Miguel dos Milagres with my family. We stay on the beach house of my grandpa. There is a pool, and four rooms in that. There we go to the beach, to some interesting restaurants, to a beach clube and to an ice cream shop. I love that travel and i'd love go back to São Miguel dos Milagres.

On the first weekend in March, we took an amazing trip to Barcelona. We went by train from Atocha station and the journey lasted two and a half hours.

When we arrived at the historic Barcelona Sants station, we took the metro to Plaza de Tetuan, which is where we had the apartment. We left our baggage and went to visit the city centre, Las Ramblas, Plaza Catalunya, La Boqueria Market, Paseo de Gracia, etc. On Sunday, we saw the beautiful Sagrada Familia which is my favourite landmark. Later, we went to the incredible Nou Camp stadium to see the Barça game against Valencia. After the game we visited the official store and did some shopping but everything was very expensive. On Monday, before returning to Madrid we went back to the Nou Camp to take a guided tour of the trophy room, changing rooms, benches, and the VIP box.

At the end, we went to the apartment to take the suitcases and so, we took the metro to the Sants station where we boarded the high speed train back to Madrid.

I go to Thailand for a camping holiday, It was fun I go caving on the first day, I see many bets are sleeping on top of the cave.(no time to finish)

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How to Rewrite Your Past Narrative

Your past has subjective meaning, which you can reframe..

Posted July 26, 2019 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

According to the Theory of Narrative Identity , developed by scholar and researcher Dr. Dan McAdams, we form our identity by integrating our life experiences into an internalized, evolving story of ourselves, which gives a sense of unity and purpose to our lives.

This life narrative integrates our reconstructed past, perceived present, and imagined future. All three coexist at the same time. Hence, from an experiential standpoint, the past, present, and future are not separate and linear, but holistic and co-occurring.

Your past, present, and future are all happening right now—at least in your mind. As American writer and Nobel Prize laureate, William Faulkner famously put it, “The past is never dead. It's not even past.”

When you change the meaning and narrative of your past, you simultaneously change the narrative of your present and future. And vice versa. Changing the narrative of your present and future simultaneously alters the meaning or narrative of your past.

The story we hold of ourselves is continually evolving and changing based on the experiences we are having. No, the facts about your past can't change. But the story you tell yourself about them absolutely can change.

Unfortunately, most people are not strategic about their narrative identity. They aren’t conscious of the meaning-making process they instinctively go through in their day-to-day life, and as a result, they often shape limiting stories based on the emotions they are experiencing.

Your entire identity and view of the world is a meaning. A story. The questions to ask yourself:

Is this story serving you?

Is this the story you want to tell?

The story you have in your mind about the world at large and yourself as an individual is far from objective.

Chances are, much of who you believe you are is based on stories that you tell yourself, that have come from experiences in your past. Potentially traumatic experiences wherein you didn’t or haven’t had an empathetic witness help you to positively and powerfully frame those experiences.

A fundamental aspect of reframing the past is to shift what was formerly seen as a negative experience into a positive one. Having studied this for over a decade, I’ve never seen a more useful reframing technique that what Dan Sullivan calls, “The Gap and the Gain.”

According to Sullivan, most people are living in “The Gap.” They always see what’s missing. For example, I could get my daughter a candy bar on my way home from work and when I give it to her, she might say, “You didn’t get the one I like."

That’s the gap.

My daughter didn’t notice or appreciate the fact that I went out of my way to get her a gift. Or that she got a candy bar. Or that she got a treat she wasn't expecting.

She only noticed that the thing wasn’t what could have been. She didn’t realize that she just gained something. She only saw the gap.

Most people live their entire lives in the gap. Dan teaches his entrepreneurs instead to live in the gain.

This is actually quite simple: Rather than measuring yourself against your ideals, you measure yourself against where you were before.

This is very effective for goal setting. Most people don’t like goals because it's emotionally difficult to deal with failure. It also turns out that succeeding or reaching your goals is often a letdown. But these emotional problems are not inherent problems with the goal setting or imagination , but rather, about focusing on the wrong thing. Fundamentally, these emotional problems are occurring due to unintelligent meaning-making and narrative construction.

When you get emotionally attached to outcomes, you’re living in the gap. When you live in the gain, then all you see is progress. What you focus on expands.

This is important to how your brain works. When you create meaning, then you create a lens through which you see the world. Psychologists call this selective attention . We “selectively” notice or pay attention to things that matter to us. Things which are relevant to our narrative. Our brain ignores information that doesn’t fit with our narrative.

For instance, when you buy a new car, let’s say a Tesla, you start to see Teslas everywhere on the road. The reason you didn’t see Teslas before buying yours is that Tesla wasn’t relevant to your narrative. But once they become meaningful and part of how you see yourself and the world, then you see them.

Selective attention is why Sullivan’s concept of the “Gap” and “Gain” is so important. When you live in the gap, as most people do, then all you see is what is lacking—in yourself, others, and the world at large.

When you’re in the gap, you could be a billionaire but not happy. All your brain sees is what is missing. Being in the gap also makes you the victim of your past. The past or some experience is “causing” you to be the way you are.

Psychologists have found that when people view themselves as depressed, then they don’t notice or pay attention to the several intermittent moments throughout a given day when they were feeling good. Additionally, when you view yourself as depressed, then the only memories that easily come to mind are those which align with your current viewpoints. The whole past becomes colored by your present identity. What once may have been good experiences are tainted by your current narrative.

Shifting to “the gain” not only allows you to see your depression differently, but it also allows you to see all the moments when you truly weren’t depressed. You can become more mindful of your past. You can see that, indeed, there were many previous experiences where you weren’t feeling depressed. You can then start to focus on those experiences more.

But when you shift your focus onto the gain, all you see is benefits, even if you didn’t exactly reach your goal. This is fundamental to reframing your past.

Think about your past for a minute. Think about all the areas where you see “gaps,” or negatives. How could you reframe the meaning of those experiences? How could you turn your gaps into “gains”?

This is how you strategically remember your experiences. You remember your past intentionally, not reactively. You are the one who assigns meaning to your experiences. You’re the one formulating the story.

So how could you shift the gaps of your past to gains?

How could you turn that traumatic experience from PTSD to post-traumatic growth ?

What good has come from that experience?

Remember, meaning-making is all about assigning cause-and-effect, shaping the bigger picture, and shaping your identity. Re-remembering the past is about changing the cause of the events, altering your view of reality, and altering your view of yourself.

Russell Wayne Baker was a highly regarded and famous American journalist, narrator, and author of Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography. This thing about that autobiography, though, is that it was originally rejected by publishers as “uninteresting.”

In response to having his story rejected, he told his wife, “I am now going upstairs to invent the story of my life.”

The result was the Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, Growing Up. The truth is, this “re-invented” version of his story was no less true than the original version he wrote. Because, the past, like the future, is a story we make up. Of this, Gordon Livingston M.D. said:

“Each of us have similar latitude in how we interpret our own histories. We have the power to idealize or denigrate those characters that inhabit our life stories. We just need to experience both alternatives as reflections of our current need to see ourselves in certain ways, and to realize that we are all able color our past either happy or sad.”

Using myself as an example, I grew up in a broken home. My parents got divorced when I was 11. That divorce led my father into a deep depression, and ultimately, to becoming an extreme drug addict. Throughout my teens, I had little stability and barely ended up graduating high school. I made a ton of mistakes and faced a lot of emotional pain and confusion.

During this period of my life, I created all sorts of meaning to help me understand and navigate my experiences. Part of that meaning was that my dad had failed me and my younger brothers. That he was a bad person, and that he didn’t care about us.

I felt like a total victim with everything happening to me. Almost a year after graduating from high school and basically doing nothing, I decided to change my life. I was done playing video games 15 hours per day. I didn’t exactly know what my future was, but I was sick of feeling out of control.

I’ve since changed my life. I went to school, earned a Ph.D., started a successful company and created a healthy and happy marriage . My past doesn’t define nor limit me.

Through my transformational process over the past 10+ years, I’ve become a new person over and over again. I’ve learned to look at my past differently. I’ve learned to look at my parents and their choices differently. I view my past with increasing compassion, not judgment. Thus, my narrative and the meaning of my past has changed dramatically from what it was during the experience, and to me, that’s a huge sign of growth.

Part of shifting from the gap to the gain is getting more information. On multiple occasions, I’ve talked to my dad about that period of our lives. He’s since cleaned up his own life and even spent a few years as an addiction recovery guidance counselor. In hearing about those years from my dad’s perspective, I’ve been greatly humbled. He was going through great trauma himself. Not only did my parent’s divorce shatter him, but his kids abandoned him in his greatest time of need.

I’m not justifying my dad’s behavior. But I am choosing how I remember my experiences. I’m choosing to remember the gain, not the gap. For instance, during my experience, my story about my father was that he had failed me and my brothers. During my mission experience, my story was that I had forgiven him for what he had done, in losing sight of his responsibilities and becoming a drug addict.

Having studied psychology over the past 10 years, as well as addiction, in addition to becoming the parents of adoptive children (by the way, my father was adopted), I’m seeing my father with increased compassion. Moreover, over the past 10 years, I’ve watched my dad change his life, get himself under control, and become one of my best friends. He is one of my absolute heroes. So now, my narrative about the whole experience is awe for what my father went through and for who he became as a result.

The more emotionally developed I become, the less negatively impacted I am by my past and the more I get to shape the meaning of it.

The same is true for you.

At this point, it is your job to completely reshape your past narrative. The first step is shifting from the gap to the gain. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Think about three to five key experiences that you feel have negatively impacted your life.

Step 2: List all of the benefits or opportunities or learning that has come from those three to five experiences.

Step 3: Think about your current view of the cause of those experiences. Then, rethink the cause. Is it possible that there's more to what happened than you initially thought? What would it mean if something else caused this event?

Step 4: Think about how these experiences have shaped your view of life and of the world. Then, rethink your view of life and the world. If you looked at this event differently, how would that change how you view life? How would it change how you feel about other people?

Step 5: Think about how these experiences have shaped your identity, and how you view yourself. Then, rethink your identity. Focus on the gains, not the gaps. How have you grown because of these experiences? What strengths or opportunities have come because you went through this? Why is your future going to be different because you’ve been through this? What are you committed to doing and being because of what you’ve learned? How could you help other people? Given that you’ve gone through such difficulty, what does this say about you as a person? What does this say about what you could do in the future?

McAdams, D. P., & McLean, K. C. (2013). Narrative identity. Current directions in psychological science, 22(3), 233-238.

Treisman, A. M. (1969). Strategies and models of selective attention. Psychological review, 76(3), 282. Chicago.

Benjamin Hardy, Ph.D. , is an organizational psychologist and author of the forthcoming book Personality Isn't Permanent .

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How to Write About Experience: A Step-by-Step Guide

Whether you are writing a college application essay or creative nonfiction, this guide will help you how to write about experience.

There are many theories about how and why humans evolved to have an unparalleled capacity for language. One theory is that two million years ago, early humans developed language to describe their personal experiences with toolmaking to teach those skills to others. 

When you write nonfiction about your own experience, in any format, you are doing something profound. You are creating an opportunity for empathy and learning. 

Writing about your own experience may sound easy (after all, you’re the world’s foremost expert on yourself), but it isn’t always as simple as “Me name Oog. Me make knife by flaking chip from stone, see!” The personal essay writing process is full of risks and potential pitfalls. However, doing it well is within nearly anyone’s grasp if they follow a few basic steps. 

Write About Tension and Conflict

Write about growth, write about something remarkable yet relatable, listing ten ideas, organizational revision, thematic revision, stylistic revision, proofreading, the bottom line on writing about experiences, what are some good topics for a life experience essay, what are examples of personal experiences, step 1: choose a topic.

If you’re old enough to write a personal essay, you’ve lived long enough to have a wealth of experiences to write about. You may think nobody would want to read about your boring life, but you’re wrong. The key is simply choosing the right experiences to write about.

In any piece of writing—a novel, a memoir, or even a college application essay—the number one way to keep a reader’s interest is to focus on two dynamics: tension and conflict. Ideally, this will include both external conflict (you versus an obstacle in the outside world) and an internal conflict (you versus yourself, emotionally speaking).

Conflict is essential for a good essay. Nobody wants to read about the dinner party you hosted where the food turned out great, the guests all got along, and someone helped you do the dishes before they left. Instead, they want to read about the dinner party you hosted where one guest threw a glass of wine in her husband’s face before storming out. Conflict makes every story more interesting. 

Tension is different from conflict, but they are related. One form of tension is that uneasy period of waiting for the obviously inevitable conflict to occur. For example, suppose conflict is a glass of wine to the face.

In that case, tension is the wife slicing her steak viciously as she watches her husband play footsie with another woman, growing red-faced with anger, standing up to leave, realizing she has a glass of wine in her hand, throwing it, and the horrifying slow-motion sequence of red wine flying through the air on the way to her husband’s face.

Tension can take a variety of other forms. Foreshadowing can create tension. If you mention that the party ended with a glass of wine to the face, but you start by describing a party that is going smoothly, the reader’s curiosity about how the party went from A to point Z can create tension. 

The subtext is another good strategy. If you can give the reader the feeling that not all is as it appears or that they know more than the characters do, the reader will wonder if and how the characters will figure it out and what conflict will result.

There are exceptions, but in general, readers find stasis boring and growth interesting. Even in the case of our caveman Oog describing his innovative stone tool construction technique, communicating about how you learned to do something important is intrinsically interesting. That is why 99% of protagonists in fiction (James Bond excluded) experience an arc of personal growth over the course of a story. Nonfiction is no different.

Phillip Lopate, an expert on the art of creative nonfiction, calls it the “double-perspective.” He explains , “In writing memoir, the trick, it seems to me, is to establish a double-perspective, which will allow the reader to participate vicariously in the experience as it was lived (the confusions and misapprehensions of the child one was, say) while conveying the sophisticated wisdom of one’s current self.”

This does not necessarily mean that your writing should contain anything as heavy-handed as an explicit lesson or moral. Instead, your goal should be to balance clarity and subtlety. The key is to show growth rather than merely telling the reader that you grew.

One of my mother’s favorite stories is about a “rubber” chicken. In this story, she, a newlywed, prepared a wonderful dinner to impress her in-laws. As she carried out a platter topped with a golden, steaming, juicy chicken that she had roasted to perfection, she tripped on a rug.

Everyone stared as the chicken launched off the platter, bouncing across the room like a rubber ball. Concealing her panic with an upbeat tone, she said, “Oops! I’ll be right back.” She picked the chicken up from the floor, took it into the kitchen, dusted it off, put it back on the platter, and walked back into the dining room. Beaming, she announced, “Good thing I roasted a backup chicken!” 

It could have happened to anyone. Something like it (embarrassment at the moment you’re trying your hardest to impress someone) has happened to everyone. It is entirely relatable, but it is also remarkable. It is a story with tension and humor baked in (pardon the pun). The visual image of the chicken bouncing across the room is memorable. Listening to the story, I felt her triumph as she overcame her panic and devised a creative solution. 

The point is you don’t need to have worked as a war zone medic or climbed Mt. Everest to write a compelling story about your own experience. You simply need to mine your memories for moments that will surprise your readers, spark an emotional response, and engage their empathy.

Step 2: Brainstorm and Build

Coming up with the base topic that will form the backbone of your essay is the easy part. The next step is to develop the idea into a draft.

If I had in mind that I wanted to write a story about my mother, I might start by thinking about how she is a kind and caring person. She grew up on a farm, and she taught me to read …  BORING! When it comes to writing essays, the first idea is rarely the best idea. 

One great strategy for digging deeper, to find the truly interesting story, is to make a list. Force yourself to make a list of at least ten different things you could write about that fit the subject.

Even if you love the second or third idea, press on and write at least ten bullet points. You may stick with the second idea, but it’s more likely that around idea eight or nine, you’ll start running out of steam, and then BAM! You’ll remember the rubber chicken.

Even if you already have the central spine of your story, you can use this technique to flesh it out. I might try to think of the top ten lessons I learned from hearing my mother’s rubber chicken story (stay calm, think fast, lie when necessary, don’t put throw rugs in the dining room, always cook a backup chicken, etc.). Just remember that your first idea will almost always be the most boring, obvious idea. Dig through the chaff until you get to the wheat.

Mind maps are a great way to brainstorm connections that will give your essay depth. Take your central idea and write it in the center of the page, and then circle it. For example, I might write “Rubber Chicken” in the middle as my starting point.

Then draw lines radiating away from the circle, and at the end of each line, write down an idea related (even if tangentially) to the central topic. For example, my second-level ideas might include connections like “Mom teaching me how to cook,” “Vegetarianism,” “When honest people lie,” “Overcoming humiliation,” and “Disastrous first impressions.” Write as many as you can.

Circle each second-level idea, then repeat the process. Then see if you can find connections between any second and third-level ideas and draw lines connecting them.

In going through this process, I might discover that rather than writing about my mother’s rubber chicken story itself, I really want to write about terrible first date experiences (connecting the humiliation and first impressions topics). I might realize that I can use the rubber chicken story as an anecdote that contrasts how I actually handled a disastrous blind date with how I wish I’d handled it. 

These kinds of unexpected connections often result in the most innovative essays. 

One of my favorite essays that I’ve written appeared in my mind, fully formed, after I read a truly stunning essay (Leslie Jamison’s “The Empathy Exams.”). I set the book down on the couch next to me and grabbed my laptop to start writing. When I finally stood up, five thousand words later, I had a free-write that, with editing, became a pretty strong essay. 

It is rarely the case that a brain dump results in a structurally sound essay in the first draft. But even when the result is a hot mess that will never see the light of day, it is an extremely valuable exercise.

A no-thoughts-censored free-write uses the momentum of your internal, intuitive sense of narrative to help you uncover ideas that you would never have thought of simply by making lists or writing your first draft using a pre-determined structure and outline.

You might only save a sentence or two from your free-write to use in your actual essay. Still, the process of getting into a flow state, writing without constraints, simply letting your brain wander is an invaluable creative process. You might need to repeatedly free-write related themes to find the magical glue that holds your essay together. 

Step 4: Revise, Revise, Revise

This section is not simply called “Revise” because the truth is virtually no great essays about your experience result from one writing session and one revision session. Therefore, revision should be viewed not as a single editing pass but as a series of them, each targeting a specific aspect of the essay. 

It is crucial to find the proper structure for your topic. Once you do, you may need to rewrite substantial sections of your draft or write entirely new sections. Therefore, structural revision should always be the first editing pass you make to save yourself wasted time and effort (for example, time spent proofreading a section you end up cutting). 

You can go with a standard structure, like chronological order, or using a “frame story” (for example, starting with a flash-forward to the ending, then moving back in time to tell the story in a chronological format), or the classic three-act structure (set-up, rising action, and climax/resolution).

You can also try a more creative or innovative structure. The “braided essay,” in which you have several distinct threads/stories that weave together, is a great choice. 

You may need to try fitting your essay into several structures before you find the one that works best for describing your experience. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box.

At the same time, don’t get so attached to a structural gimmick (reverse-chronological order, or present tense, or anything other than first-person, for example) that it distracts from the substance of your writing.

Once you have the general structure, consider how you’ve integrated your major themes. Do they cohere, or do they send the reader’s mind heading in too many directions? Are they too obvious, or are they too subtle? Can you find ways to represent your theme implicitly, using symbolic images?

For example, is there an anecdote you can swap out for a different one that addresses the theme more meaningfully?

If it turns out all of your content related to one theme is in the last third of your essay, consider how you can sprinkle it into the beginning. Or perhaps you’ll want to do the opposite.

Is your essay structured to build up to a huge and unexpected revelation? Maybe you want to cut out obvious hints about the revelation that slipped into the first half. 

Only after the substance of the essay feels solid should you give serious attention to your sentence quality, but that doesn’t make it any less important. If you have any doubt about the power of style to elevate an essay, read one by David Sedaris, Virginia Woolf, Hunter S. Thompson, or James Baldwin.

When you’re editing for style, one of the best strategies is reading your essay aloud. Consider how your sentence length and structure affect pacing and emphasis. 

Remember that you’re writing about your experience, so the authorial voice should sound like you . You can aim for a slightly elevated version of how you normally speak, but be careful not to elevate it too much. Many otherwise delightful essays have been ruined by overly formal diction or overuse of a thesaurus.

Revision is a great time to inject some humor. You might also do a little research and include a quotation that fits your theme or some factual information that contextualizes the personal experience you’re writing about. 

Try to replace vague, mundane details with unusual, specific information. (My mother’s roasted chicken didn’t just fall to the floor, it bounced across the room like a rubber ball, for example.) Replace the passive voice with action verbs. Find good opportunities for figurative language, but don’t overdo it. 

Only when your essay feels like it’s polished and firing on all cylinders should you bother to look for typos and formatting problems. Unfortunately, by this time, you will likely be unable to actually read your essay. Instead, your eyes will skip over it and read what you expect to see there rather than the words that are actually on the page. 

That makes it extremely important to have a friend proofread your essay rather than doing it all yourself. The good news is, your essay should be so well-written at this point, from your previous rounds of editing, that it will be a pleasure for your friend to read for you.

There are certain essays and essay collections that stick with you. Sometimes it’s because the author had a truly extraordinary experience, but more often is because in reflecting on the subject, the author showed genuine insight into their own life that sparks the reader to have a new understanding of their own life.

With deliberate use of conflict, vivid detail, and the double-perspective, you can elevate your own experience and inspire others with your writing. 

FAQs on How to Write About Experience

You can’t go wrong following the three guidelines described above (write about tension and conflict, write about growth, and write about something remarkable but relatable). However, the specific experiences you write about should be guided by the goal of the writing.

For example, if you’re writing a college application essay, make sure that you directly and specifically answer the prompt. If the application asks, “Describe a person you admire and why,” don’t forget to explain the why (not just what admirable thing the person did, but why that thing mattered to you personally). But even though the prompt doesn’t ask it, remember the overall Why? Why should they want a student like you at their university?

The same principle applies when writing about your work history and other relevant experience for a prospective employer. Perhaps above all, the university or hiring manager you’re writing for wants to see that you have the potential, under their guidance, to grow as an intellectual/professional and as a human being. So show them that you know how to grow.

Even if you’re writing an essay that is more creative, more literary, focusing on the double-perspective is often the easiest way to find an essay topic with enough meaningful substance to mine. Look for a past experience that is vivid in your memory (so that you can accurately and compellingly portray your younger self’s experience) but is also remote enough to show growth (by contrasting the at-the-time experience with a new perspective).

Trauma can be a tempting starting point for an essay, but be cautious. Unless you have sufficient distance and have done the hard work of processing and recovery, trauma can be just as challenging to read as it is to write. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t write about your trauma without including at least a few moments of levity, you aren’t ready to write about it for others to read.

If you’re trying to write about your experiences and still struggling to come up with a subject, here are five great starting points: 1. Write about a time when you faced significant obstacles and overcame them. 2. Write about the end of a meaningful relationship, for better or worse. 3. Write about the first time you visited a place totally unlike your usual environment and what it showed you about your blind spots. 4. Write about a firmly held belief you used to have and what changed your mind. 5. Write about a habit that is important to you and how you formed it.

Emily Cordo is a freelance writer with an MFA in creative writing from Texas State University. She spends her spare time practicing yoga, cuddling her 20-year-old cat, and running a mini-farm in Indiana.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Past — My Past, Present and Future Life: Journey of Self Discovery

My Past, Present and Future Life: Journey of Self Discovery

• Categories: My Future Past Personal Life

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Words: 629 |

Published: Aug 31, 2023

Words: 629 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Recounting my past and present life, battling my troubled past, a turning point, embracing future change.

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Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

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Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

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How to Write a Letter to Your Past Self (With Examples)

“I’m so proud of you.”

When was the last time you heard that? What’s more, when was the last time you said those words to yourself? The last few years have been difficult for everyone, particularly on our mental health. If you’re a high-achiever, you tend to be your own worst critic. Giving yourself credit where credit is due may not come second nature. If this sounds familiar, keep reading, because the exercise I’m about to share will help you be more compassionate with yourself.

We’ve already explored the benefits of journaling , but today I want to take writing for mental health a step further with a letter to your younger self. Whether you’re doing this assignment for school or for personal development (in that case, A plus!), you’ll be amazed at the perspective it provides.

Why Write to Your Past Self?

The old adage, “Hindsight is 20/20,” is cliche, but it’s also true. Writing letters to yourself is a powerful way to reflect on your life experiences and inform your future thinking. Remember that it’s unrealistic to expect that “past you” could have anticipated all that would happen in your life. Letter writing like this should come from a place of love and compassion. The benefits of writing a letter to yourself in the past include…

• Increasing self-awareness
• Cultivating gratitude
• Gaining a new perspective
• Processing past trauma
• Practicing mindfulness and being in-the-moment

Writing to your past self, even in the form of a short note , allows you to tell a new story about things you’ve experienced. Maybe you went through a difficult life transition, suffered a loss, or moved across the globe. Letter writing can be a therapeutic tool in viewing your past self through a more compassionate lens.  

How to Write a Letter to Your Past Self

Get in the zone.

Sit in a quiet spot with a journal or piece of paper and your favorite pen . This should be a space where you can hear your thoughts clearly and remain undisturbed for a while. Something as simple as lighting a candle or playing soft music can get you into the writing zone.

Choose a Date in the Past

t’s recommended to use five years as the point in the past to look back to. This allows enough distance for you to have experienced life changes but it's still close enough to remain active in your memory. Consider a date immediately before a life transition , like going to college, moving, or getting married.

Or, think back to yourself at a specific age . What were you like as a pre-teen, teen, or young adult? How have you changed and grown since then? Any moment in the past that had a significant impact is the best way to start a letter to yourself .

Start Letter Writing

Begin by taking a few deep breaths in and out. By simply writing “ Dear past self, ” you’ll probably find that your subsequent words flow easily. Write down what you have learned since your chosen date and what has strengthened you in difficult times. Write down your hopes and dreams and give yourself credit for not giving up. The more you write, the more new insights and perspectives you’ll discover.

If you’re like me, you’ll benefit from some writing prompts to get you started. I’ll list some of my favorites from The University of Edinburgh and Allina Health below.

Letter Writing Prompts

• What is the memory I have from this time? Why is it significant?
• How did I feel during this time? How did I process those feelings?
• What do I wish I could have said or done differently then?
• What are the main things that I’ve learned since then?
• What wisdom or knowledge do I wish someone could have given me at that moment?
• What types of people have helped me along the way?
• What is the best advice I could give my past self?
• What would I tell myself to get through the challenges I faced?
• What do I wish my younger self had known to feel better now?

After you’ve finished your letter to yourself, put it out of sight and out of mind . Only reread it after a few days have passed. Then, ask yourself these questions…

• Do I want to make any additions or changes?
• How could I follow the advice I’ve given myself better?
• What can I take from this letter to apply to my future?
• What am I able to see now with gratitude?

Letter to Past Self Examples

Dear Past Self,

I know you’re struggling right now, and I want you to know I’m here for you. You might feel like you’re never going to get past this, but I promise you will. You might feel small, helpless and incapable, but believe me, that’s not true. You deserve more credit than you give yourself. Stop doubting your skills and downplaying your potential. Your moment will come.

You are shaped by your past, but your past doesn’t dictate your future. You’ve been through challenge after challenge and come out the other side. You’re starting to understand that every experience you have, good or bad, can teach you a valuable lesson.

Remember that this too shall pass. Keep learning, growing, and persevering.

I’m so proud of you. With Love,

Your Future Self

This is just one of many ways you can format your letter. Here are some other letter to past self examples to take inspiration from:

Concordia University letter to yourself example

NYU letter to yourself example

A Lesson in Compassion

We often look back on the past and think, “If only I knew then what I know now.” Writing a letter to your past self is like a mini memoir. You’re writing about the past with knowledge of the present. This allows you to bridge your past, present and future selves with wisdom that can only come from hindsight.

Above all, writing letters to yourself is a lesson in self-awareness , personal growth, and self- compassion . Allow this activity to help you reflect, make space for healing, and get your pen moving. And remember: stay inky, my friends.

About the Author

Madeleine is a copywriter and video script whiz for creative and inventive brands. As an empathy-based marketer, every website, landing page, blog, email, and video she writes showcases her clients at their best. Some say she's a mind-reader, but she's really just an expert listener with one goal in mind: to inspire readers (and viewers) to take action. A true logophile, she's the one who (unabashedly) keeps a hard copy thesaurus on her desk. When she's not on set or crafting copy, you can find her nose in a book sipping a matcha latte.

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• Applying For Scholarships

About Yourself Scholarship Essay Examples (2023)

Jennifer Finetti Sep 28, 2022

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A popular scholarship essay prompt is “Tell us about yourself.” This question is relatively open-ended, which may make it difficult to answer at first glance. What should I tell them about myself? My struggles, my goals, my passions…? These may all be fitting topics, depending on the scholarship. We’ll show you some scholarship essay examples about yourself, along with writing tips to guide you along the way.

What they want to know about you

As you prepare to write, think of the topics the scholarship committee would be interested in. These may include:

• Your current degree, as it applies to your overall career goals. You can explain why you chose your current educational path and what you want to do with that.
• Your short-term and long-term professional goals . Frame your answer as if to say “Where will you be in 5 years? Where will you be in 10 years?” Scholarship committees like to reward people with defined aspirations.
• Past experiences that sparked your passions. You could talk about an influential person in your life, but make sure most of the essay focuses on you. After all, you are talking about yourself.
• Something about you that relates to their organization. With any scholarship essay, you should try to connect yourself with the organization providing the funding. Don’t force a connection. Find one that naturally fits. Mention hobbies, experiences and goals that match what the review committee is looking for.
• Something unique that sets you apart from other applicants. This may be volunteer experience, career specialties, situational differences (growing up in an area that didn’t encourage education), etc.

Note that you do not have to throw all this information into one essay. Choose the elements that best fit the scholarship. If you were on the review board, what would you want to learn about each applicant? What would make you choose one applicant over another? Keep this in mind as you develop your thoughts.

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What they don’t want to know about you

There is plenty of information you could include in an about yourself scholarship essay. There is just as much information to avoid though. Some topics to keep out of your essay include:

• False information. Do not make up stories or fabricate goals to fit the prompt. The scholarship committee can instantly tell when someone is lying, and they will disqualify you immediately.
• Past struggles that do not pertain to the essay topic. You can briefly mention struggles from your past, as long as you mention how you’ve learned from them. Do not make your essay a long story about the hard life you’ve led. Focus on your triumphs, not your obstacles.
• Vague goals and aspirations. Scholarships are usually given to students who have a plan. If you say, “I’m not sure what I’m doing yet,” the committee will select a more motivated candidate. If you have a plan and a backup plan, that’s fine. Just make sure you mention both options and show which one you favor.
• Cliché stories that most people tell. There is something that makes you stand out as a person. Use that to your advantage. Don’t rely on generic information they’ll find with other applicants.
• Unrelated elements of your personal life. In most cases, you should not mention your significant other in the essay. You might mention a spouse if you need to reference your children or a turning point in your life, but these personal details do not fit most essays. Any information that seems frivolous or ill-placed should be removed from the essay.

Read through your essay carefully. If you stop at one point to say, “Why did I mention that?” get rid of the corresponding information. Showcase the best elements about yourself in a fluid and cohesive manner.

Short scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (100 Words)

With 100 words, you can only focus on one or two elements of your life. Think about your biggest selling points – the things that show you are the ideal candidate. Start by introducing yourself and your educational status. Then jump into the main topic of the essay. You may not have room to mention how the scholarship will help your education. Instead, mention how your education can help your career. The other information will be implied.

My name is Christian Wood. I am a high school senior who will be attending the University of Nevada, Reno in the fall. I want to become an online journalist. My goal is to work for the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, or another news outlet that has a strong online presence. Most people already get their news on the internet, and the industry will be even bigger by the time I graduate. Getting a degree in journalism with a focus on digital media will set me up for a fulfilling, fast-paced career fit for the future.

Word Count: 96

Medium scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (250 Words)

With a mid-length scholarship essay, you have more space to explain how your past has influenced your present and future goals. You should have rom for an intro paragraph, a few body paragraphs, and a conclusion (maybe incorporated into the last body paragraph). Think of a few main points you want to touch on, and write those down first. If you still have room, you can add more details about yourself.

My name is Sarah, and I spent most of my childhood on the wrong medication. I experienced a problem common in clinical psychology – misdiagnosis. Professionals provide inaccurate diagnoses for many reasons – f rom antiquated testing methods to limited education. I want to open my own psychological testing facility and help change that. Therefore, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology.  I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child because I had trouble focusing in school. The medication m y doctor prescribed to me only made me numb to the world around me. I couldn’t think or process emotions, or had no emotions at all. After several years my parents finally decided to get a second opinion. I saw a specialist and she concluded that I didn’t have ADHD , but a combination of dyslexia and dysgraphia (difficulties with reading and writing). She sent us to a therapist who helped me learn how to work around my conditions, and my life improved tremendously. I went from being a lifeless student with barely passing grades to an honor roll student full of joy and excitement. Unfortunately, my story is not one of a kind. There are countless children in America who are put on mind-altering medications that do not adequately address their needs. I cannot help all of those children, but I can provide a better alternative for the ones in my area. Through proper education, funded by financial aid, I can learn about psychological evaluations and provide the most accurate diagnoses possible.

Word Count: 249

Long scholarship essay example: Tell us about yourself (500 Words)

Scholarship essays that are 500 words or longer let you tell the whole story. You can discuss your past, present and future in a comprehensive manner. Avoid rambling and make sure each topic contributes to the overall essay. If one piece feels out of place, remove it and elaborate more on the existing elements. By the end of the essay, the reader should have a full understanding of who you are and what you want to accomplish.

My name is Sierra Breault, and I am a junior at Murray State University. I am double-majoring in Criminal Justice and Forensics Science, and I will graduate in 2024 with two bachelor degrees. My career goal is in social justice, so I can contribute to criminal justice reform. I want to ensure that those who commit crimes are treated fairly.  I come from a small town where excessive force and even death by cop incidents are often committed, especially against minorities. A few years ago, one of my relatives was charged for a crime although the crime scene evidence wasn’t properly obtained, catalogued and analyzed.  This experience played a big part in my wish to study criminal justice. I started exploring the career more when I decided that a desk job just wasn’t for me. Throughout high school I struggled because of the routine nature of it all. I saw the same people and attended the same classes every single day. I knew I didn’t want a job that would be that stagnant. That’s when I got the idea to work in law enforcement, because there would always be a new challenge for me to tackle. After researching the field even more, I set my sights on crime scene investigation. I have performed much better academically in college than I ever did in high school. That’s because there is no routine to the experience. Every week, I have new projects to complete, tests to study for, and activities to try. I have been involved with the campus Crime Stoppers organization all three years of college, and I was elected president for the upcoming term. This lets me work closely with law enforcement to supplement my college education and further my career.   After graduating, I will apply for work as a dispatcher in a state organization, such as the Department of Criminal Investigation. While my ultimate goal is to work as a forensic analyst or crime scene investigator, those positions usually only go to people within the organization. Dispatch is the most direct option for career entry, giving me the best chance to pursue my dream career. I am applying for this scholarship to help me finish the last two years of my degrees. As a college junior and soon-to-be senior, my scholarship opportunities are limited. Most awards are reserved for freshmen. I took advantage of those early on, and I have one recurring scholarship that covers half of my tuition. However, I need additional financial aid to cover the remainder of my academic costs. I appreciate your consideration, and I hope that you can help me pursue a profession in criminal justice. This is my passion, and I have a clear plan to turn that passion into a lifelong career.

Word Count: 463

YOU SHOULD ALSO READ

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Examples

Essay: How Will This Scholarship Help You Achieve Your Goals (W/Example)

Scholarship Essay Examples – Career Goals

Financial Need Scholarship Essay Examples

How to Write a Scholarship Motivation Letter

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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Your Past Does Not Define You

Every human being has his or her past. For someone, the past comprises of unfortunate events, such as sexual violence, accidents, and the fear of domestic abuse. Some other people’s past consists of pleasant moments. Most of the past, however, contains a combination of good and bad memories. People should not permit their past to define them, irrespective of what kind of life they have had before, as this tends to leave a lasting impression on them. Typically, individual perspectives are shaped on the foundation of what one has encountered (Mourão et al. 139). An individual’s future is only defined by their hard work, commitment, and dedication but not their past.

The phrase “time heals all wounds” has proved to be true for some people. Despite the many challenges these individuals have faced and the losses they have encountered in their lives, everything has improved for them. It may be because, as more time progressed, the pain of the initial sting of the unfortunate situation they were facing disappeared. Alternatively, it is because they started to forget how much it hurt them. Both ways, whatever transpired before is now gone, and these men and women have learned to capitalize on their past instead (Lalonde). It must be noted that almost everyone experiences tough times, and challenges will never stop following mankind, therefore people should not be held back by unfortunate events which happened a long time ago.

An individual’s past does not define them, neither does it stop them from becoming the person they want to be. Everyone evolves and changes daily, depending on their experiences and those around them. One should never be scared of their past; instead, they should keep a checklist about whom they want to be (Mourão et al. 142). If one’s previous life becomes too tough to imagine, then they should let that be a reminder of how strong they have become, and they have been in that situation for a purpose. The individual they used to be is no longer the one they have to be.

No matter who an individual is now or who they were yesterday, where they come from, or where they are heading to, the fact is that they are in charge of their destiny. They are controlling their own future, goals, and ambitions. Therefore, it is everybody’s responsibility to take the first step in molding their dreams into a successful reality. People have to realize that nobody deserves all of the undesirable events that happen to them, and the truth is that society has been dealing with those negative experiences for a long time (Lalonde). One has to understand there is no limit when it comes to success; only that one has to work hard, withstand all the challenges and focus on one’s ultimate objective.

Whether consciously or subconsciously, people’s perception of their previous experiences will shape how they approach life. Some of the prominent individuals who were molded by their past but not defined by it include Abraham Lincoln, who, during his lifetime, has encountered many failures and losses. He lost his company, his fiancé left him, and eventually, he had a nervous breakdown. While running for the presidential office, Lincoln failed multiple times. Some would reflect on this and conclude he will never succeed in any way (Lalonde). Nevertheless, he was elected the President and he helped to put the American slave emancipation in motion. Next is Nick Vujicic, who was born without limbs, and he might have easily let this condition define his prospect. He instead used his disabilities to shape his future (Lalonde). He did what was necessary to empower himself, and he now lectures to large audiences on living a full life. Stories like this one should serve as an encouragement to each and every one.

Another example is Ben Carson, who was born and raised by a single mother in abject poverty. Throughout school, he suffered and had a fiery temper. His mother would insist that each week Ben read two books and then wrote a report on each one. He subsequently went on to complete high school with honors, attended and graduated, and received his Master’s Degree at the university (Lalonde). People like Ben were all raised under tough conditions. They could have let their pasts control them, but luckily, they took charge of their lives. Instead of defining them, their past served to transform and shape them into better men. They were able to overcome their challenges to achieve their goals.

Some people claim that success or failure in life depends on the conditions in which one grew up. Although that may be true in some cases, the fact has always been that the efforts one puts in now will determine where they will be in the future. Achieving one’s goals means striving to improve not only on the previous conditions but also on current ones. Everyone has a major role to play in creating a better future for themselves. As an individual, one should not focus on what happened before, but instead, they should strive to improve their current conditions by investing their efforts in productive activities.

Works Cited

Lalonde, Joseph. “Your Past Doesn’t Define You. It Helps Shape You.” Joseph Lalonde , 2020.

Mourão, Fernando, et al. “What Surprises Does Your Past Have for You?” Information Systems , vol. 71, 2017, pp. 137-151. Elsevier BV.

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How to Write an Essay About a Famous Person in History

Last Updated: December 13, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 90,200 times.

There are lots of things to think about when writing a paper about a famous person from history. Your teacher may have given you this assignment with exact instructions on who to write about and what information to include, or they may have just asked you to write about someone from history that you admire without telling you exactly what information to include. When writing the essay, take your time and rely on good information that you have collected from books and respected internet resources. Don’t underestimate the time you will need to edit your essay in order to have a final product that you can feel proud of.

Preparing to Write Your Essay

• Should you choose your person or has one been assigned?
• Does your teacher want you to use a citation style? For example, they may want you to use the MLA format or maybe they want you to use Chicago Style. [1] X Research source If your teacher says they don't care, then there's nothing to worry about, but make sure that you include a “References” page at the end of your essay. On this page, you should include all of the different websites, books, and/or magazines that you used to write the essay.
• Is there a word limit? Does your teacher require a specific font or font size? Should you double-space the essay? If you're not sure, ask you teacher.

• Try to think about the things you know the person has done. Did they live a pretty normal life, but did one really cool thing? A person who was more or less “normal” could be harder to write about if your teacher wants a ten page essay. For example, although Adolf Hitler was not in any way an admirable human being, writing a historical essay about his life would be pretty easy because he did a lot of different things.
• On the other hand, if there is a historical figure you are really interested in, you will have a good time researching and writing about your person whether they led very busy lives or not. The most important thing is to choose someone you find fascinating. Try making a list of your hobbies and interests and then run a Google search to find famous people who also had one of these hobbies or interests.
• 3 Brainstorm a list of questions. Write down all of the questions you want to answer about your person. If your teacher told you what questions to answer, then use those. If your teacher did not, then this is up to you. Make sure you talk about when and where they were born, whether they had a good childhood or not, what makes them special and interesting, what they accomplished (whether good or bad), and why you find them interesting. [2] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• Write down anything you find interesting and want to include. At the same time that you do this, write down the source of that information. For example, the name and author of the book or the address of the website.
• If you are having a hard time finding information about your person in the library, ask the librarian to help you search. They’re there to help you, and may have ways of finding information that you hadn’t thought of. Plus, if you find the information through the library, there is a better chance that you will find high quality information.
• Make sure that you understand what is considered an acceptable source of information by your teacher. For example, some teachers may consider it OK to use websites such as Wikipedia, while other teachers may not. If you’re not sure, just ask them.
• Try to include at least one primary source that was written by the person you are researching, such as a letter, journal entry, or speech. This will help you get to know the person better than you would by only using secondary sources, such as articles and textbooks.

• Write your outline so that the information is in the same order that it will be in in the paper. For example, don't put questions about how the person died before the questions about where they were born and who their parents were.

• Don’t plagiarize though! If you copy someone else's work without giving them credit for their work, this is called plagiarism. If you do find something interesting that you want to include, be sure to give credit to that person. Plagiarism is a big deal, so it’s best to learn early that it isn’t worth the risk.

Writing the Essay

• In the body, you will write about all of the information that you found when you were researching. It is the part of the paper where you answer any and all questions you have come up with.
• Your essay will be more clear if you separate different parts of this person’s life into paragraphs. For example, the first paragraph might start out by explaining when, where, and to whom this person was born. In this paragraph you might talk about what kind of childhood this person had, and whether they had any big experiences that made them into the person they were.
• In later paragraphs, you can talk about what the person did that made them famous. You might also want to include interesting things that you found about this person’s personal life. For example, whether or not they got married or whether or not they suffered from any mental disorders.

• Don't write more than one or two paragraphs for your conclusion. It should simply go over what you have written in the body about who this person was and why they were interesting and important.
• For example, you might write, “In summary, Martin Luther King Jr. was a driven man who, although his life was tragically cut short, accomplished amazing things in his life. Though his upbringing presented many challenges, he went on to become a great man who wasn’t afraid to stand up for what he believed in.”
• In the next paragraph, you can summarize what you wrote about why you find him so interesting. For example, “This great man inspires me every time I read about him. I hope that I too can stand up for the right thing if I am ever in a position to do so, even if it is difficult or scary to do so.”

• For example, you can say, “In this essay, I will be discussing a man that nearly everyone has heard of. He was a minister who became famous during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s for standing up for the rights of not only African Americans, but for all human beings.”
• After you introduce your person, you will state what you will be telling your reader about this person. For example, “In this essay, Martin Luther King Jr.’s life will be discussed beginning with his birth in Georgia, to his travels to Germany where he officially began to be known as ‘Martin,’ to his untimely death in 1968.”
• Don’t give everything away in the introduction. Think of the introduction like a movie preview. You want to give enough information to get the reader interested, but not so much information that they will already know everything else written in the essay before they read it.

• Don’t expect the second draft to come out perfectly either. The purpose of the second draft is to fix up any major spelling mistakes or grammar errors, and to see how you feel about the information you’ve written now that it’s all out there.
• A second draft is what you will give to anyone who has offered to proof read your essay, so make sure that it is easy to read. It is best to have this version typed and double-spaced so it will be easy for whoever is helping you to make notes on things you can improve in your final draft.

Editing Your Essay

• For example, a good proofreader might point out to you that your paragraph about the death of your person might be better if you put it before your paragraph which talks about the legacy this person left behind.
• Try asking a classmate to read your essay. It's a win-win for both of you because you can offer to read their essay in return. Meet up a few days after reading to talk about errors and ways to make each of your papers better.
• If the person has done a good job, they may have a lot of things to say about your paper. Try not to take anything bad they say about your paper personally. They're not trying to make you feel bad, they just want to help you get a good grade.
• Give them a physical copy of the paper that is double-spaced. This will make it easy for them to make corrections and write notes on your paper.

• Make notes as you read in a bright colored pen on a physical copy of your paper.
• Read your paper twice. The first time, focus on what you've written, and don't look for spelling mistakes or other grammar errors. While you're reading think about whether it is easy to follow and whether or not it makes sense. This will be the time to consider rearranging any information, adding anything extra, or removing anything that doesn't seem important.
• Read through the article a second time to check for grammar and spelling issues. Mark any misspelled words or typos, and make a note of any awkward sentences that you want to go back and change.

• You should also read the essay out loud. Reading the essay out loud will help you find sentences that sound strange.

• Make sure to follow any instructions your teacher has given you about how to format the document. For example, with regard to font, font size, and line spacing.
• By now, you should feel confident that you have a well-written paper. If you still feel unsure, you can ask a different person to read your essay to reassure yourself that you have caught any mistakes.
• If your teacher said they don’t care about the formatting, then stick to the defaults of your word processing program. Generally, it is a good idea to stick to font size 12 and a standard font such as Times New Roman. To make your paper easier to read, consider changing the line spacing to 1.5 or 2, unless your teacher has said not to do this.
• Your teacher probably expects you to turn in a typed copy of your essay. Unless your teacher has specifically asked for handwritten papers make sure you turn in a neat, typed copy.

Community Q&A

• Don’t put off writing your essay. As soon as you receive the assignment you can start thinking about who you want to write about and begin writing your essay outline. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Keep in mind the due date. Write down the due date in your calendar, and make sure that you hand your paper in on time. Your teacher may not accept it if is late, which means you’ve wasted a lot of time and energy for nothing. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• For some people, it can be helpful to hand write the first draft. If you are having a hard time getting started at the computer, then try switching to paper and pen to get past your initial writer’s block. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Never ever plagiarize or copy someone else’s work without giving them credit for what they have written. Plagiarizing someone else’s work can get you into big trouble at school. If you do find something that someone else wrote and want to include it in your essay, then you can do this, but be sure to cite your sources in the format required by your teacher. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Don't pay someone to write your paper for you. There are many websites online where you can supposedly pay someone to write your essay for money. Don’t try it. There is a good chance you will get caught and the website may or may not be a scam. If it is a scam you will have wasted your money and still have to write the essay yourself. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://libguides.brown.edu/citations/styles
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
• ↑ http://history.rutgers.edu/component/content/article?id=106:writing-historical-essays-a-guide-for-undergraduates
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/essay-outline/
• ↑ http://www.slideshare.net/alinaemma/writing-an-effective-essay-or-speech-about-an-outstandng-or-a-famous-person-a-guide-for-speaking-and-writing-exercises-on-speaking-and-writing
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/
• ↑ https://ualr.edu/writingcenter/tips-for-effective-proofreading/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Proofreading.html

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My Past Life (Essay Sample)

Table of Contents

My Past Life

Life is always essential for a person’s well-being because it represents how it can facilitate decisions, activities, and the existence of an individual. Each person can on only live once, which enhances the credibility of the organization to become productive as well as to ensure that the level of their credibility becomes responsive to environmental stimuli. Life is always precious that all organisms want to maximize this opportunity so that they can establish a fruitful and productive well-being that can inspire other individuals. However, past life is something that is considered sensitive because there are different arguments that could tackle about the norms and the practices that past life events can influence our present generation. This paper aims to discuss about my past life that makes a significant reason to my existence in life.

If you are basing from flashbacks, my past life can be recalled as a person from the past generation who also lived in a simple life from the previous generation. It was a generation that learned something different due to the existent facilities and situation that are comparable in the present society. My past life reveals a story on how I successfully managed my life gracefully until my demise and then reborn in the present day. For this reason, past life is a significant measure for myself to become true to my past activities because there are background of interests that can generate a significant improvement with my present activities. Although others find it weird, my past life reveals that I have a mission in the present society where I can show relevant information from the previous activities that can be corrected.

The advantage of having a past life is that you are able to recall your past experiences in your present body that reflects your previous status. Your spiritual essence will bring you the norms and practices that you have already been applied from your past life, which could ensure that you will prevent past mistakes that happened in the past. This is similar with the accomplishments made from the past that it can be continued from the present day as your second life. The disadvantage is that your re-existence in the present day will generate a few believers. The reason behind is that there are interests of the general population have yet to prove this theorem in their studies. Lack of evidence pointing towards the past life endangers a person’s susceptibility to become reliable due to the narrative experience being shared without citing relevant facts.

The learning insight that can be taken from this story is the ability of an individual to share their thoughts and experiences to others. For this reason, sharing informative scenarios and experiences creates a relative advantage to the routine of an individual towards others. The relevance of revealing the past life may not be an easy task to fulfill, but it is still important for the world to know that there are such things that comprehends with the traditional belief and values in the present society. My past life reveals that there are helpful practices from the past that allow your present body to change it and will start performing a productive lifestyle. Reminiscing past life enhances a creative framework for individuals to become aware about unconventional issues that relates with their present activities and issues in the present life (Harvey, 2012).

• Harvey, Peter (2012). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge University Press. pp. 57–62. ISBN 978-0-521-85942-4.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, getting college essay help: important do's and don’ts.

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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