I am struggling to write a captivating essay

Lindagaf
Sun, 25 Aug 2019 16:50:25 +0000

The essay doesn’t have to be about a trauma, or struggle, or some grand idea. I work with kids on their essays professionally, and some do write about those things, but I usually don’t recommend it.

The majority of kids feel they don’t have an interesting story to tell. I disagree. Every student has something interesting to share about themselves. Usually, I encourage kids to write about something that makes them happy or feel fulfilled. My students have written about the following: bringing a nightlight to college, discovering a love for gardening, a barely accessible beach that feels like home, a love for plumbing, a fear of mannequins that lead to an appreciation of prosthetic limbs (really great essay, btw), working at summer camp, jumping into a lake, bread baking, impersonating a political figure, and so many more. For every single one of those essays, the student has genuine attachment or strong feelings about the thing they’ve written about. My kids have been accepted to a lot of excellent colleges, so I know that writing about all those things can make for good essays.

Personally, I think only idea 3 sounds worth pursuing, but avoid being cliched about it. 1 sounds fairly dull, 4, absolutely no way. Idea 2 might have potential, but maybe focus on what you’ve learned about yourself by teaching the course. The goal of this essay is to discuss yourself. You are the topic. Not your mom, the team, the class, or your unfortunate friend.