can't spell to save my life

Write using some combination of:

powerful imagery

a new take on an old idea

an uncommon perspective

a non-standard format

well-metered writing

a persistent narrative timeline

subtle motifs

brutal honesty and vulnerability

a magnificent depiction of a common entity

a denial of expectation

a clear authorial voice (MUST HAVE)

well-placed sarcasm

if you’d like to go to college in the united states, odds are you’re going to have to write the common app essay a.k.a. the most painful 650 words of your life. here are some tips, tricks, and guidelines to make that slew of words slightly less painful.

start over the summer. you’ll be really glad you did when all your friends are scrambling in october and you’re just chillin. it really speeds up the application process, trust me.

you don’t have to pick a prompt you love, just one you can give a good answer to. i didn’t like any of the prompts i was given to choose from when i had to write my common app essay. they all felt awkward and kind of clunky to me, and they weren’t things i would have chosen to write about if i’d been given a say in the matter. you may find a prompt you love. write that one. or you may not find one you love. if not, here’s what you should do: rule out the ones you hate, and then come up with essay ideas for the ones you can tolerate. pick your favorite essay idea from that list, and voila, you have an essay you like that’s answering a prompt you’ve been given.

answer the prompt’s question. this seems basic. but make sure you do it. and if your prompt has multiple parts to it, make sure you address everything. 

you’re telling a story. your common app essay is not an “about me” page. it’s really more of a creative writing piece. you should tell some kind of story. you should be showing, not telling. most people choose to do a combination of narrative and memoir in their essay, but you can play around with your format if you like. people have written one-act plays where all the characters are different aspects of their personality. people have written letters or diary entries. i wrote a news article. if you’re feelin it, then go ahead and be creative with your format.

showcase yourself. the college application process is all about you, and so your essay should be about you, too. the admissions rep who reads it should be learning something about you, so figure out what you want to show them about yourself. i would recommend writing about something that shows (not tells - #1 rule of writing right there, i really can’t emphasize it enough) them a unique character trait of yours, like how hardworking you are, how stubborn you are, how much you crave knowledge, how passionate about x you are, how well you bounce back from failure, how you never give up, etc. i personally choose to show everyone how salty, satirical, and funny (well, i think i’m funny) i am. it’s up to you to decide which of your best features you’d like to highlight.

talk about something that you haven’t already mentioned in your application. some people in the appblr community (and maybe even your college counselors) will disagree with me on this, but hear me out. your academic transcript and your extracurriculars already tell the admissions reps a lot about you. if you’ve taken the hardest math classes at your school and are a mathlete who goes to math competitions, they know you really like math. you don’t need to go and write an essay about how much you like math. trust me, they’ve figured out that you’re a math person by now. if you’ve told them that you’ve played the piano for twelve years, don’t write an essay about playing the piano. you’ve got a lot of service hours? they get it, you like service, and they’re probably not all the interested in hearing more about it. college admissions reps are always looking to learn new things about you. they know you play soccer, but they don’t know about how you tried to teach your pet turtle to walk on a leash. they know you’re president of cooking club, but they don’t know about how every time you visit your grandma, she has you untangle all of her jewelry because her old, arthritic hands can’t anymore. they don’t know about your love for singing in the shower. they don’t know about how you can never turn down a dare. they don’t know about the hoops your parents made you jump through to get a puppy. use a unique story to highlight that character trait you picked out when you were reading that last bullet point up there that you want everyone to know about. help admissions reps learn something new about you by telling them something new. not only does this help them get a clearer picture of who you are and how good a fit for their school you’d be, but you’ll probably end up with a more original, creative, fresh essay, which will impress reps in itself.

If you’re applying early action, you’re probably working on one (or several) short extracurricular statements. First, a quick FAQ:

Q: Why do so many schools ask for these? A: The Common App used to require students that students write a 1,000 character (approx. 150-word) extracurricular statement. When in 2013 the Common App dropped the requirement, many colleges kept it as a supplement.

Q: Do I really have to write it? A: When students ask me this my usual response is: “Really? You’d rather not talk about that thing you’ve devoted hundreds of hours of your life to? Okay, good idea.” (I’m not actually that sarcastic, but that’s what I’m thinking.)

Q: Which extracurricular activity should I write about? A: I write about that here.

Q: What should I say? How should I structure it? A: Keep it simple.

    a. What did you literally do? What were your actual tasks?     b. What did you learn?

With 150 words, there’s not a lot of room for much more. And while your main statement is more “show” than “tell,” this one will probably be more “tell.” Value content and information over style.

Here’s a great example:

Example 1: Journalism

VIOLENCE IN EGYPT ESCALATES. FINANCIAL CRISIS LEAVES EUROPE IN TURMOIL. My quest to become a journalist began by writing for the international column of my school newspaper, The Log. My specialty is international affairs; I’m the messenger who delivers news from different continents to the doorsteps of my community. Late-night editing, researching and re-writing is customary, but seeing my articles in print makes it all worthwhile. I’m the editor for this section, responsible for brainstorming ideas and catching mistakes. Each spell-check I make, each sentence I type out, and each article I polish will remain within the pages of The Log. Leading a heated after-school brainstorming session, watching my abstract thoughts materialize onscreen, holding the freshly printed articles in my hand—I write for this joyous process of creation. One day I’ll look back, knowing this is where I began developing the scrutiny, precision and rigor necessary to become a writer.

Three techniques you should steal:

1. Use active verbs to give a clear sense of what you’ve done: Check out his active verbs: writing, delivering, editing, researching, re-writing, brainstorming, catching, polishing, leading, holding, knowing.

2. Tell us in one good clear sentence what the activity meant to you.

“I’m the messenger who delivers news from different continents to the doorsteps of my community.”

and

“One day I’ll look back, knowing that this is where I began to develop the scrutiny, precision and rigor necessary to become a writer.”

Okay, that’s three sentences. But notice how all three are different. (And if you’re gonna do three, they have to be different.)

3. You can “show” a little, but not too much.

In the first line:

“VIOLENCE IN EGYPT ESCALATES. FINANCIAL CRISIS LEAVES EUROPE IN TURMOIL.”

And later:

“Leading a heated after-school brainstorming session, watching my abstract thoughts materialize onscreen, holding the freshly printed articles in my hand…”

The first one grabs our attention; the second paints a clear and dynamic picture. Keep ‘em short!

Example 2: Hospital Internship

When I applied to West Kendall Baptist Hospital, I was told they weren’t accepting applications from high schoolers. However, with a couple teacher recommendations, the administration gave me a shot at aiding the secretaries: I delivered papers, answered phone calls, and took in patients’ packages. Sadly, inadequate funding shut down large sections of the hospital and caused hundreds of employees–myself included–to lose their jobs. But then Miami Children’s Hospital announced openings for inpatient medical volunteers. Again, I faced denial, but then I got a chance to speak to the lead inpatient medical physician and cited my previous experience. While working at MCH, I delivered samples, took down visitor information, administered questionnaires, and organized records. I helped ease the work of the nurses and doctors, while delivering medicine and smiles to dozens of patients. I may not have directly saved any lives, but I’d like to think I helped.

Three more techniques you can steal:

4. Start with a “problem to be solved.”

Did you initially face an obstacle? In the first sentence say what it was, then in another sentence say how you worked through it. That’ll show grit. Note that this essay has not one, but two obstacles. And each time the writer worked through it in just one sentence. Brevity ftw.

5. Focus on specific impact. (Say whom you helped and how.)

Read the ending again:

“I helped ease the work of the nurses and doctors, while delivering medicine and smiles to dozens of patients. I may not have directly saved any lives, but I’d like to think I helped.”

This applies to fundraisers too (say how much you raised and for whom) and sports (who’d you impact and how?).

6. Write it long first, then cut it.

hi! here are some ways to keep you things organized and easy to find. 

binders

pros: vvv helpful for keeping up with class work, all you papers in one place, everythings is easy to divide, best way to transfer things from a folder, binder covers (best thing ever, super easy to make) 

cons: bulky, can rip if too many things in it, hole-punching most things, take up a lot of room, stuffing everything in the front pocket

★ get plastic dividers with pockets!! & buy a hole puncher 

folders

pros: good for loose paper or homework/worksheets, for one subject (math, history, music)

cons: rip/break if too many things are in it, crumpled papers

★  don’t get paper ones! + color code for your classes!

file folder

pros: good for seperating classes, comes in different sizes & pocket numbers, already divided and sometimes color coded

cons: take up a lot of room if there’s too many things, can get heavy fast, shoving things in = crumpled things

★  keep it at home to transfer things or keep if your locker (if you have one)

pencil cases

great way to organize pens, pencils, markers, etc

★ only bring a limited amount to school! you don’t need all your supplies

care bag

items: pads/tampons, cramp meds, wipes, hair ties, bobby pins, travel size deodorant, hand sanitizer, kleenx/tissue, lip balm, mints, whatever you want

bags: makeup bag or a bath & body works bag

laptop

useful for typing notes and storing them incase the physical copy gets ruined or lost

folders for each subject (color coded if you like) 

planner

good for keeping track of homework, assignments, tests, etc.

you can use a bujo, regular planner, google calender, or an app

useful masterposts: 

organizing systems for school by @tbhstudying

organization by @noteology

how to become organized by @chemistri

tips for organization by @thechemistrynerd

the little study/organization guide for lazy students by @smartspo

🌙

The Basics

- The Common App: What it is & How to Make Yours Amazing

- The Common Application

- Common App FAQs

- Five Things Applicants Need to Know About the 2016-2017 Common App

- Complete Guide: Which Schools Use the Common Application?

- Virtual Counselor

- How to Apply

The Essay

- 5 Common App Essay Tips That Will Actually Help You

- The Common App Essay: What Matters and What Doesn’t

- The 2016-17 Common Application Essay Prompts

Examples of the Essay

- Background and Identity

- Failure and Success

- Challenging Beliefs

- Accomplishment or Event

College applications can be seriously stressful and overwhelming. After going through the process a few months ago and getting into both schools I applied to, I thought I’d share a few tips and a general timeline to shoot for! 

as soon as possible

Begin making a list of colleges you’re interested in and researching them.

Start thinking about what extracurriculars you want to list; drop the ones you don’t care about to give you more time for the ones you enjoy most. 

Think about the teachers that know you the best and ask if they would be willing to write a letter of recommendation. 

six months before applications are due

Narrow down your list to your top choices only.

There’s no point in wasting money applying to colleges you don’t want to go to!

Look at the Common App essay prompts and start brainstorming topics.

as soon as applications open

Fill out the easy parts of the application – your name, address, etc.

Make a list of any fields that you will need help filling out (like if you’re not sure what your advisor’s phone number is).

Start rough drafts of your essays, even if you aren’t sure of the topics.

three months before applications are due

Nail down essay topics and begin serious revisions.

Ask people if they would be willing to proofread your essays.

Visit campuses if possible, or speak to an admissions counselor to better tailor your applications to each school.

one month before the due date

Send essays to the people that have agreed to go over them.

Finish up the questions portion of the application.

Enter in actives and have someone proof them.

Begin final edits of essays.

Contact the teachers that are writing your letters and add them as recommenders on Common App (if that’s what you’re applying through). 

one week before the due date

Finalize your essays.

Have a parent review your application make sure all the information is accurate. 

Make sure all test scores, transcripts, and any other supplemental materials are in order and will be sent on time.

Submit your applications as soon as possible so you’re not stressing about getting it in on time!

a few things to keep in mind

There’s no right number of schools to apply to.

I applied to two, my sister applied to one, and I have friends that applied to ten. Do your research and narrow it down as much as possible to save time and money, but above all make sure that you’re happy with the schools you choose. 

Schools want to see applicants that are unique and passionate about something. It’s not so much about finding a student that’s done a million different things and is a member of every club, but finding one that shows dedication and individuality through their application.

They can tell the difference between an essay written by a high school senior or college transfer and an adult pretending to be one – don’t ever ever ever hire someone out to write yours for you. 

Be creative with extracurriculars if you think you don’t have enough! Everything from babysitting your siblings to coding themes counts.

Seriously never underestimate the importance of having other people proofread. You’ve been looking at your essays for so long that you would never catch that one bit of an old sentence sandwiched in between a new one, but someone else will. 

hey!! as a high school senior in the middle of college apps, i figured i could give some tips on the process for my fellow classmates & any underclassmen trying to start early (pro tip: start as early as you can!) so yeah, here are my tips for teacher recs, the first post in my college apps guide series!

choosing your teachers:

choosing who should write your recommendation can be a stressful process, but it’s the first step! whoever you choose depends on a lot of factors, including: how well they know you personally, how well they know you academically, and how well they know what you’ve done & what you do. also, oftentimes colleges require teachers of specific subjects depending on your major, so keep that in mind too. it can be very beneficial to have a teacher who teaches in the field of your chosen major so they can give a perspective on your academic success in that subject.

generally colleges take two recommendations, so it’s important to make sure that your rec letters are a good blend of perspectives and that they are not going to be the same letter. two similar recs are not effective, and you may as well send in one. so when choosing your teachers, make sure that they can bring varying points of view to your letter of rec.

a teacher may know you well academically and personally, or know what you’ve done and who you are, so if possible, you want to get all three perspectives within your two recs, and it’s ok if one of them is repeated. however, the one thing you don’t want is a teacher whose class you didn’t do to great in, even if they know you well. i would personally say to completely rule out that kind of teacher, but if they know you 100% and have seen you grow and change, then i suppose that rec may be viable- but it’s still not the best idea.

requesting your recs:

this is a pretty formal process, so you don’t want to mess up too terribly. you’re essentially asking your teachers to tell a college why it should accept you, so you want to approach them very tactically.

unless you’re asking them over the summer, approach them in person. this establishes that you care enough about their rec that you can meet with them & reminds them of who you actually are so you’re more than just a name asking for a recommendation.

be nice & throw in the compliments (but not too many). you want to sound as genuine as possible, so lay it thick but not too thick. tell them you loved their class & why you loved their class.

and then mention that you’re applying to colleges this fall and would be honored if they could write a rec for you.

those are the basics. a lot of people also give gifts to their teachers, either when asking for a rec or sometimes after. this isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s a nice gesture and makes them happy!

what to provide:

even if a teacher knows you well, it makes things a lot easier for the both of you if you put a majority of your info on paper. many teachers or schools provide forms for you to fill out, but if they don’t, here’s what you could give them:

a resume, with enough descriptions of positions you’ve held & things you’ve done for them to get the whole picture

a brag sheet, covering your activities, grades, plans for the future, obstacles you’ve overcome, what you’d like them to highlight, etc… basically put everything you want them to know about you.

whatever you provide them with, make sure it also has: some of your grades or gpa on it, the colleges you’re applying to, and your intended major (if you’re undecided then just let them know you’re undecided)

time!! time is so important. teachers have lives and other things to do, and you’re asking a huge favor when requesting a recommendation, so please keep time in mind, especially if you’re applying early somewhere! they should at least have 2-3 weeks to write your rec (at least!)

also remember an envelope with postage stamp and all that jazz if they’re mailing the rec letter in. and if you’re requesting a rec online, make sure you actually send in that request. even if you’ve asked them for a rec, that request is your responsibility.

other things to do:

check in with your teachers some time after you’ve asked them for a rec, especially if you’ve electronically requested one, to make sure everything’s reached them.

stay friendly with them, try to smile if you see them in the halls, just be a nice person in general. once again, they’re telling a college why it should take you. you want to make a continuously good impression!

++ a lot of these tips apply for counselor recs too! your counselor pretty much knows they’re writing a rec for you, but you definitely want to make that request (online or in person if that’s how it’s done) and check up with them + make sure you’re nice to them and they know you. they should be able to recognize your face & know some of what you’ve done around the school.

more masterposts!!

5 top math tips

stem studying

study methods

precalculus

algebra (I + II)

geometry

(ap) chemistry

ap world history

studyblr-ing

the everything book

the pomodoro method

how to use flashcards

how to use sticky notes

welcome to high school

tiny study spaces

what’s in a pencil case

i think there’s an important process to know for teacher recs & i hope i covered everything in enough detail! recs are a very important part of your application, so please don’t push them to the side! anyway, i hope this helps!! keep shining like the star you are and remember to be awesome today!!

PART ONE - IPHONE

part two here

So this is my first post that isn’t a stupid text post or overly bright photo of my stationary, so I hope you’ll like it! It will consist of two parts, one for the ios apps and one for google chrome extensions. Feel free to send me recommendations!

bolded = favourite, cursive = apps I use every day

Note taking and co

Pocket - very useful app to save websites, articles, posts etc and read them offline.           

Keynote, Pages, Numbers - basics if you have an apple device. I actually like keynote better than powerpoint c:

Notability - Very popular app and it really is worth its money. Great for note taking, especially in class!

Evernote - On my phone for over 4 years now. The group feature is so great and I use it for preparing posts

Werdsmith - very clean and minimalistic app for writing, I use it mainly for creative writing.

Microsoft One Note - Simple app for note taking and making online notebooks.

Languages

Leo - a great dictionary in 8 languages. If you log in you can save problem words and make vocabulary lists.

Memrise - My favourite app to learn languages for free. I’m learning Japanese with it!                                                              

Duolingo learning languages for free is always fun and duolingo is so easy to use, it’s even more fun! I use it to practice my Spanish.

Studying

Forest - Who doesn’t know and love forest yet? It’s such a cute application and I use it when I have a long study day/night ahead.

Brainscape - My to go app for flashcards. It has a giant library and it’s easy to make your own. Honestly, I’ve been using it for 3 years now and I still love it.

Mindly - A very beautiful app to make mind maps. I use it for story ideas and school work.

MindNode - also an easy way to make mind maps.

Uberchord - learn how to play the guitar for free c: 

TheSimpleClub - videos, and tutorials of all important school subjects, mainly in German, I think

Notenapp - keep track of your grades - German 

Khan Academy - like the simple club but with a broader spectrum and in English.

Tide - promodoro app with nice background sounds & inspirational quotes 

Swifty - learn how to code in a very fun and simple way! 

Flow timer - another great promodoro timer (they are everywhere). I like the minimalistic look and nice colours.

Inspiration & Motivation

Vantage - Simple but beautiful designed calendar

Calm - Helps me calm down with breathing exercises backgrounds and sounds.

Elevate - games and exercises that help to keep your mind fit 

Pacifica - an app that helps with anxiety and mental disorders with a very kind community

TED Inspiring, interesting and motivating videos on a wide variety of topics.

Others

Textgrabber & Scanner Pro -  Essentials. Scans photos and grabs texts of pdf and other documents and converts them into word/text documents.

Sleeptown - From the makers of forest a very cute app that helps you keep a healthy sleep schedule. I try to use it but I forget it often, sadly. 

Tydlig - not free but honestly the best calculator you can have on your phone! Beautiful and simple it makes math so much more fun!

Spark - organizes your emails (even from multiple accounts) and notifies you if something important comes in. Very neat design.

Moon - cute app that shows the phases of the moon depending on the date.

#jasminestudyblrchallenge @justjasminestudying

day 18- make an advice post

I completed 24 college applications, submitted 17 (to Princeton, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Rice, Amherst, Georgetown, Emory, UCLA, UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, UNC-Chapel Hill, UVA, University of Pittsburgh, Williams, Washington University in St. Louis, Harvard and Yale) and received admission to all except the last four.

N.B. Some of this info may be dated/inaccurate and 100% of it is tinged w/ my own bias.

Things To Think About

Why do you want to apply to so many colleges? 

If it’s hubris (i.e. “I want to collect admissions offers like trophies”) or fear (i.e. “If I submit more applications, I’m less likely to be shut out from every school I apply to"), stop and reevaluate. I applied to Vanderbilt even though I knew I’d never want to head south. The reason? It traditionally takes a lot of kids from my HS. Yeah, don’t be like me.

Do you really want to spend all that money? 

I ended up wasting $2500 (and that’s a conservative estimate) on 17 schools. I’ll only be attending one college in the fall.

That said…it can be done.

General Tips

The “Why Us” essay isn’t asking “why would you choose our college?” so much as “why should our college choose you?” Emphasize how you’ll contribute to the college—inside the classroom and out—by referencing specific programs, classes, and extracurriculars.

Creating a template is a major time-saver. Once you have an effective “skeleton,” all you have to do is insert school-specific details. 

 Stay organized.

Create a spreadsheet. These were my columns: College Name, Application Type, Application & Aid Deadline, Standardized Test Report, Transcript & SS Form, Recommendation Letter Deadline, Creative Writing Supplement (Y/N), Interview (Y/N), Merit Scholarship (Y/N), CSS Profile, FAFSA, Sticker Price, Response Date.

If you use Google Drive, create a folder for each college.

Consider making a CV/resume. Keep it short (~1 page). Possible uses: upload as a part of your application; hand it to alumni interviewer.

Miscellaneous

Don’t apply to Georgetown unless you really really like it. There’s a separate application (not Common App) that’s cumbersome to fill out, and you can’t access it until you pay the application fee (which also happens to be p expensive)

Optional essays are NEVER optional. Hopefully, this is obvious.

The more selective publics (UC Berkeley, UCLA, UVA, UNC, UMich) are more holistic than you think. They reject high stats kids on the reg (anecdote: a dude from my school who got into Caltech didn’t get into Berkeley; another who got into Cornell didn’t get into UMich) so PAY ATTENTION to the essays.

Alumni interviews don’t matter AT ALL unless you make a terrible impression—or possibly if you’re a borderline applicant.

N.B. Applying to colleges based on the perceived difficulty of the application isn’t the greatest idea. That said, for your reference:

Easy College Applications

Vanderbilt University

Very easy. Only a 100-word extracurricular essay, I believe. Unless you want to fill out a scholarship application.

Washington University in St. Louis

Also very easy. No supplement unless you fill out scholarship app.

Amherst College

Zero work if you have a graded school essay you’re proud of (can upload in lieu of a college supplement)

Harvard University

I think there’s just one supplement and you can write about whatever you want.

Cornell University

Just one “Why Us” essay

University of Pennsylvania

One “Why Us” Essay, unless you’re applying to Engineering or a special program like Wharton, M&T, etc.

Moderate College Applications

Duke University

Three supplements, I think. All fairly straightforward. There’s a diversity essay that’s optional (refer to the Miscellaneous section)

Princeton University

A lot of short, lighthearted questions (favorite keepsake, favorite movie, etc.) and an essay (they give you three prompts to choose between)

Stanford University

Three fairly straightforward, 150-word essays. There’s a letter to your roommate, an intellectual interest essay, and something else.

Emory University

Easy, short supplements, but there are three of them.

All the UCs

There’s one UC application for all the UC schools (Berkeley, LA, Irvine, etc.) so same essays and everything, but you have to pay an application fee for each school you apply to. There are a lot of questions (called Personal Insight Questions) so it’s not quick, but once you’re done you’ve covered multiple schools. Also, if you are applying, ask your counselor about the UC GPA.

UMich

Three short essays, one of which is “Why Major.” Another is an extracurricular essay. Don’t remember the third.

UNC

I don’t really remember the supplements, but they weren’t that bad.  

Difficult/Thought-Provoking College Applications

Yale University

This is hard because there are a ton of questions with 35, 100, and 150- word limits. “Why Yale” essay. Hard to come up with insightful answers/make an impression with so little space.

UChicago

I personally wasn’t a fan of the cutesy/philosophical prompts, and the essays that I wrote (but ultimately never submitted) reflected my utter lack of interest. If you enjoy them, UChicago may just be the school for you :P

Dartmouth College

Only three short i.e. 150 word essays, but one of them referenced Sesame Street. Something along the lines of ‘It’s not easy being green. Discuss.” There was another one on describing a time when you said YES to something. Anyway, I disliked them and never completed my application.

UVA

I think there are three short essays, but they require a decent amount of thought. Although UVA is a public school, craft your essays well. The admission officers care a lot about them.

Williams College

There’s only one short supplement, but it’s a real pain. Hard not to veer into cliche territory.

Tedious College Applications

Columbia University

So many (five?) supplements. Some are generic though. “Why Columbia,” a list of books you’ve read/media you’ve consumed.  

Rice University

Writing is a skill that many people struggle with, and when it comes to academic essays, many people are so anxious about writing that they don’t even know where to start. Many find it easier to begin when they have a clear idea of what they should and should not be doing, so I’ve compiled some tips to hopefully alleviate your essay-induced anxieties.

1. Hooks—you don’t need one. In fact, I would argue that you shouldn’t have one. They’re a juvenile method of starting a paper and, in many cases, they involve broad generalizations that aren’t even true. “Since the beginning of literature, people have been interested in how evil characters are portrayed in novels.” Have they, really? When exactly is the so-called “beginning” of literature? What is your proof that a largely illiterate society cared about the way in which characters were depicted when people like Defoe and Behn were penning some of the first English-language novels? One could argue that most people now don’t even care about how characters are depicted in novels. Get my point? It’s juvenile, sounds lazy, and you can skip all of this by just getting to the damn point by opting to begin your essay rather than constructing a flowery hook.

2. Your thesis. In most cases, your thesis should make an argument of your own, and it should be an argument that you can prove with evidence. You could have a spectacular sounding thesis that is saturated with sophisticated claims and language, but it doesn’t matter how good your thesis sounds if you don’t have textual evidence to back it up. Further, you need to make sure that your thesis answers the question the prompt is asking—if the prompt asks you to use Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality to access the actions of Frankenstein’s creature, you better make sure that you directly and clearly relate those two texts in your thesis statement. When constructing your thesis statement, make sure that you are addressing the prompt fully, and ensure that you have adequate evidence to back up your claims. You don’t want to get too far into an essay only to realize that you don’t have enough evidence for your argument.

3. Creating a voice in your writing. Have a strong, confident voice. Sound sure of yourself. Don’t say things such as, “This might prove why this character does this.” Make a confident argument—explain in a clear and confident manner the way in which your evidence supports your thesis argument. This is easy to do once you learn how to integrate appropriate quotes into your essays.

4. Using quotes. Quotes are necessary for most forms of essay writing; without them, your argument is weak. Provide context when introducing a quote—don’t simply throw a quote at your reader with no context or explanation. Use shorter quotes when possible, and integrate them into your sentences. Try not to let a quote stand alone as its own sentence. Here’s an example of successfully integrating appropriate quotes into your writing:

“However, Caliban openly attempted to rape Miranda, and when Prospero mentions this, Caliban enthusiastically states that if Prospero hadn’t stopped him, he would have “peopled else this isle with Calibans” (1.2.420-421). Prior to this attempted rape, Prospero and Caliban apparently shared a reciprocal relationship, wherein Prospero taught Caliban English and, in return, Caliban “showed [him] all the qualities o’ th’ isle” (1.2.403).”

As you can see above, quotes are used to provide succinct evidence for what you’re talking about. They show that you have read and possess a clear understanding of the text, and they provide textual evidence that strengthens your argument.

5. The structure of your essay. Your essay does not need to be a cookie-cutter five paragraph monstrosity that has been drilled into your brain since 8th grade; you can switch it up as you see necessary. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to have paragraphs of varying lengths, multiple paragraphs discussing the same argument, or even to bring up previously stated topics and arguments in order to further explore what you’re talking about. Don’t feel obligated to constrain yourself to formulaic writing when frankly, it often isn’t the best way to write a paper. Make your argument in the most natural way possible, and if that required seven body paragraphs, then so be it. 

6. Editing your essays. I advise reading your essay out loud when editing. In your initial read-through, check for grammatical mistakes and typos. These mistakes will be obvious if you read your paper aloud. After ensuring that your paper is free from technical errors, reread it again to check how one idea transitions to the next. Does your essay have clear and natural transitions from topic to topic, or are there abrupt shifts that need to be worked out? Finally, make sure your paper adequately proves the overall argument you’re attempting to make. Is your argument the driving force in your paper, or do you make unnecessary digressions? These are all important things to consider before turning in your final essay. 

18th May 2017 — i’ve been really into doodling lately ohmy 🙈🌻and guysss please recommend me an anime to watch i just finished anohana and i cried so much currently listening to — first love // bts

S T U D Y  P A C K  # 1

B Y  E I N T S E I N

Hey guys, my week has been pretty hectic but I made time to create a few printables that will hopefully help you with your school life. Click on the titles (links to the file on my Study Drive) to download them!

T A S K  T R A C K E R

To help you keep track of all your assignments, homework, projects, etc. Includes a progress bar that you can shade in according to how much of the assignment you’ve completed. You can also set a goal or expected score and compare it to your final score. I included fields for “date given” and “date due” so that you can prioritize and plan your tasks accordingly. I wanted to include a box to check when you’ve submitted the assignment because sometimes I complete the assignment but forget to submit it, or I’ve already submitted the assignment but panic because I thought I hadn’t done it yet. I couldn’t squeeze this into the sheet, but I think you could just put a tick beside the due date or something.

F O R M U L A  L I S T

For subjects that require you to memorize formulas, like physics, economics, math, etc. The left column is for the formula, while the right is for variables and their units, e.g. “v = u + at” would go on the left, while the right column would have something like “v: final velocity/ms-1; u: initial velocity/ms-1; a: acceleration/ms-2; t: time/s”.

H A B I T  T R A C K E R

31 columns and 16 rows to help you maintain your habits, e.g. drinking 8 glasses of water a day, exercising, journaling, etc.

 T E S T  T R A C K E R

Similar to what I have in my bullet journal in this post. I use it mainly to see the relationship between how much I study and how high I score on tests, but you can also use it to maintain your grades.

See me letter the headers in this video! 

You can change the color of the banners in Photoshop - these are editable PDFs. 

Calligraphy Practice Printables

12·06·18 // wish u the best ~ blackbear

Hello! I’m about to start uni in a few weeks so I thought now would be a good time to share my top tips for writing a good personal statement. There is no ‘special formula’ for writing a good one but these are some tips I picked up from family, friends, online articles, teachers and universities themselves:

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?

you need to say why you want to study that course - how your interest developed, how you’ve pursued it (e.g. extracurricular activities), how you’ve drawn inspiration - basically demonstrate a lot of enthusiasm but be specific

give evidence that you’re right for the course - demonstrate with examples that you have researched it, understand what it entails and have the correct skills

say what you’ve done outside of the classroom - further reading and opinions (but try to be original - don’t talk about books that are really well-known in your subject)

explain why your experiences are relevant to the course and to a future career - reflect on experiences, don’t describe them!

give examples of transferable skills - teamwork, time management, problem solving, etc. and then expand on the most relevant skills - success in projects, how you grew from particular experiences, biggest challenges you’ve faced, etc.

also show you’re a critical thinker and mention long term plans

AN EXAMPLE:

as an example, here’s what I wrote about in my personal statement:

a public lecture I’d been to at a local university and how this inspired me (you could watch a TED talk online and discuss it)

how I was interested by the lab equipment and research I’d seen at a university when I went on a taster day

hobbies I have and how I was interested in my subject outside of school (books, magazines, podcasts I like and why)

a line about my EPQ and how this follows on from a podcast I listened to

how I’m finding my A level subjects (e.g. I enjoy science practicals)

how my AS levels helped me (e.g. AS history really helped me with essay writing)

what I learned from tutoring some GCSE students and volunteering at a charity shop

how I found shadowing a PhD student at a local university - how this inspired me and motivated me in my chosen subject

TRY TO INCLUDE:

paragraphs and GOOD GRAMMAR!!!!!

balance of academic and extra-curricular 

evidence you’ve done research

show genuine engagement 

lateral thinking - link to a more obscure theme that you find interesting 

honesty and a desire to study 

what you want from course 

positivity

CURIOSITY! 

make it interesting, thoughtful and personal - say what inspires you

DON’T INCLUDE:

academic achievements - unis know what qualifications you have and which grades you’re predicted so don’t waste your characters! 

quotes - this is YOUR personal statement, not Winston Churchill’s!! 

lists - you need detail and explanations 

clichés - you have not wanted to be a doctor for as long as you can remember! 

sweeping statements 

‘passion’ and other commonly-used words 

stilted vocabulary - use language that you actually use (but not slang)

exaggeration 

humour - it’s a dangerous move to use humour 

negativity 

irrelevant facts - it’s not a school essay!

OVERALL:

show not tell - “I’ve been able to develop my communication skills by tutoring three GCSE science students” is better than saying “I’m a good communicator” 

DRAFT!!!! you will not be able to write a good personal statement in one go - it took me months of regular drafting and re-writing to get mine even close to being finished! 

get help! ask friends, family, teachers, etc. to read it and give feedback

don’t be too precious about it - you will have to cut bits out, shorten sentences, lengthen sentences, delete words, re-arrange the structure, etc. so try to stay open minded!

one uni I visited on an open day suggested using the ABC formula: A is for Activity (say what you did), B is for Benefit (say the skills you gained from the activity) and then C is for Course (relate it to the course and say how it prepares you) - I didn’t use this myself but I have friends who found it useful!

be specific! don’t say “I love French” - say “I love how learning new languages helps me to understand the world around me….”