<p>Ok, so I just announced to the family that I was done with my personal statement, and now everyone has been reading it. That’s not the worst part though…the worst part is that everyone is crossing things out and rewording things and criticizing the writing without regards to the fact that honestly, it’s a PERSONAL statement.</p>
<p>Does anyone else on here have to deal with this? How do you guys cope with it? I like to believe that I have a new thing called Post Traumatic Writing Disorder…</p>
<p>i just dont let my family read it LOL but they wont understand it anyways. my dad pick up a paper that was suppose to go to a teacher to write my letter of recommendation and started to chatise me cause i wrote under “list the 3 most important things in life” to be “friends, education, family” he wanted me to write “power money and knowledge”</p>
<p>Man, its glad to know I’m not the only one going through this. So maybe next time I shouldn’t have them read it?</p>
<p>I mean I know they are curious and would like to help…but it hurts when yo’ve poured your soul into your writing, and to have it returned with a bunch of red marks all over it.</p>
<p>Well, if it’s the style they’re criticizing, then that’s better than the substance being criticized. After all, it’s much easier to change a wording than it is to re-route half the essay for a discontinuity. Don’t feel so hurt by such changes – really, all criticism should be taken with a grain of salt, and it’s just the writing, not the subject. Ask yourself: are they founded changes? Can you see what might be wrong with it*? Don’t dismiss them because those making the corrections may not be “qualified” to do such. Evaluate their changes and decide whether they’re appropriate.</p>
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<li>I was going to correct this, but left it – do you see what’s wrong with it? =p</li>
</ul>
<p>I made a deal with my parents and sister about this. They all (my mom especially) really wanted to read my personal statements, but I was really anxious about them reading and critiquing, so we agreed on something:</p>
<p>I would write the essay to my satisfaction (as in, I thought it was at least a second draft), then I would allow them to read it and make CONSTRUCTIVE comments (my mom’s really nitpicky about wording). Once they told me some comments, I would go back and take another look, revise as I felt was needed, and then let them read it again. If they had more issues with it, then I was still perfectly within my rights to ignore their suggestions.</p>
<p>It’s good to get other opinions on your piece (for instance, my friend helped me with the first few lines, and my mom suggested the second paragraph), but only if they’re constructive and secondary to your own gut feeling and intent.</p>