ANYONE Else freaking out over personal statement?

Rwasko · 10-27-2009, 12:49 PM

I am in the Scholars Program at UCLA. There was this personal statement workshop that I went to. I felt like everyone had something different to say on how to write the dang thing. I am stressing. SOMEONE MUST FEEL THE STRESS WITH ME?

lostmarch · 10-27-2009, 04:41 PM

I am stressing too. Everything I write sounds so stupid.

SeeHerFly · 10-27-2009, 05:27 PM

I was stressed out too. Honestly, the best thing you can do is just be yourself. I know it sounds simple but that really is the essence of the personal statement. It is supposed to be a reflection of who you are and in 1,000 words or fewer, your objective should be to give the reader a good idea of who you are and what you have to offer. Sorry, I know you've probably heard that a million times by now...

Best of luck!

lilaterila · 10-27-2009, 07:13 PM

Haha personal statement workshop?

... *So everybody, the first thing you do when you write a personal statement is to think of something personal, and write it down as a statement to your school of choice*...

Writing a personal statement should be the last thing people need to worry about. Honestly. But just a few words of advice:

Think of why you have been in college and working so hard to make it. Think of your ambition and your character and where you think you will be headed in the next five years. Let them see that you have substance in whatever got you this far. Think of something you are most proud of in yourself, and run with it... on paper.

Jeremybeach · 10-27-2009, 09:34 PM

I FEEEEEEEEl the stress sistah! (or brothah?)
anywhoo, yeah--
i think the 1000 word limit is....stupid! i think that's what's killing everybody honestly
it wouldn't be bad if they maybe combined the two essays or made you write one (because if they're going to put a cap on the words why don't they just read one!? sorta makes sense)

we should all help each other! despite the fact that it could...in fact...be risky.

Jeremybeach · 10-27-2009, 09:37 PM

@ lilaterila,

is it bad that i think college is probably THE biggest waste of time ever? besides meeting new poeple, networking, finding out what your interests are, classes really never taught me anything, and a lot of my friends think so too. i'm a good student usually but I just--idk--i find nat geo even more appealing!! haha.

if it weren't for the cultural expectation to go to college, i would def not be going. but now that i'm in it, imight as well get my degree. urgh!

vintij · 10-27-2009, 10:26 PM

RWASKO whats your name?

I went to that workshop too. Im guessing you go to a cc in the LA area right? Anyway just listen to the old black lady, i forgot her name but she is the smartest one out of all the people you heard talk. Listen to her advice because she knows whats up.

bobsonolis · 10-28-2009, 10:53 AM

People put way too much emphasis on the personal statement. Let your gpa do the talking for you. I wrote mine a few days before the application was due and it worked out fine for me.

Hiroshi66 · 10-28-2009, 11:08 AM

I'm not really 'freaking out' over the personal statement, but the hardest part for me is getting started. I'm hearing conflicting opinions about it. Some people say that it 'puts a face' on your application and is very important, but I've also heard people mention that it is not important at all for transfers and that your GPA is more important. And some people mention that they are both important! Up until now I've been leaning towards the latter, but I'm still not sure. Hmm.

Rwasko · 10-29-2009, 12:04 PM

vintij, my name is rachel. Yeah... Lena Brown seems to know what she is talking about! My peer mentor thought I should make some major changes in one of my essays...and I disagree with him. I am a stress ball and I should be reading the million pages of my history book instead of worrying about my personal statement. I think that the workshop stressed me out...because I thought my essay was AWESOME and then someone deflated my ego. Sucks to be me. Thank god for college confidential! Thank you for all of your advice!

Rwasko · 10-29-2009, 12:05 PM

jeremy where do you live? If we are close we can meet at starbucks or something and peer edit each others essays?

Jeremybeach · 10-29-2009, 12:36 PM

Hey Rwasko!
i live in the los angeles area :-\ It says san diego for you right? I don't know if you're familiar with LA (b/c even i'm not familiar with it! I've not been here very long).

Rwasko · 10-29-2009, 01:02 PM

I live in sd.

next time I am in LA I will pm you though!

Jeremybeach · 10-29-2009, 04:54 PM

haha ok

sounds like a plan.
san diego's cool though! people seem more genuine than here haha

vintij · 10-30-2009, 02:24 PM

You guys put way to much stress on yourselves. Granted, i wrote my essay about 9 months ago and have been revising it every day since, but i know that the end product, whatever it may be, will be good enough to get me in somewhere. Remember, UCLA is not the only school out there. If they don't accept you it means nothing, just go to a different school and get a good education because GRAD school is what people really care about. If you have a harvard law degree, or even a UCLA law degree your chances at making bank are greater than if you have a whittier law school degree. So don't get so stressed about undergrad, focus on setting the path to an even better grad school. Nobody who goes to a UC, in my opinion, should be thinking about ending their education with a bachelors. What's the point of going to a research university if it ends there? Might as well go to cal state.