For most students in 12th grade, their college essay is one of the most things they dread. Not to mention that most don’t know what topic to write or where to begin writing it. It just becomes frustrating, especially on top of the college application deadlines and school activities they have to do.
It just becomes stressful that most of them run into writer’s block or, in worse cases, procrastinate, resulting in less time writing than you think you do. Don’t worry though, this is normal. This article will help you avoid that writer’s block and progress on to create a fantastic essay.
1. Make a list of things you’re proud of
It’s normal to feel anxious and stressed when writing an essay. You have to write about topics, the time limit you have, and the score you need to get to pass are some of the things you’d worry about as you begin. Don’t let these things stop you from making a winning essay. Instead, turn these into fuel to write your paper.
So, first thing firsts. An essay’s purpose is to help college admissions learn more about you through your writing. It allows them to know how talented, engaging, and how capable you are when it comes to learning and understanding the topic will be given to you.
If you need an ASVAB tutor for preparing for the military entrance test, click the link.
To make it easier for you to write one, think of what you want them to learn about you.
Don’t look at the topic you need to write in your essay. Start by making a list of skills or interests you want to showcase. It doesn’t have to be an accomplishment or award, just the things you’d like them to know about you. By doing this, you’ll be able to find some things worth writing about in your paper.
2. Do a brainstorming session.
When it comes to writing, it’s normal to feel like you’re all burnt out of things to write. Most authors or scriptwriters have been in that situation. Always remember that it doesn’t have to start ideally. You don’t need to write out perfect sentences and paragraphs. By doing this, you’re just adding more tension and anxiety to yourself.
The best way to start an essay is by sketching out ideas about the piece. Do a brainstorming on a sheet of paper and just write out what comes to your mind. That flow of thoughts will help you find the right topic that matches yourself.
It will also be a lot easier to write as you can add and remove the things you don’t like. Once you finished brainstorming, you can then organize and start writing the perfect essay you want.
3. Write something to react to for your college essay.
Having writer’s block can be a real pain as everything you want to write about will come to a halt. The next would be procrastination which is a lethal combination as there will not be a good result. Avoid this pitfall by just writing something or anything about the topic. Just continue to write even if you know it doesn’t seem good enough.
You’d probably be asking what’s the reason for this. Well, first and foremost, it allows you to progress in writing even if it seems there’s no direction to it. It forces you to start, leading you to finish it. Once you’re finished with it, you’ll be able to read it back and check what you think needs to be changed.
You can also ask someone to it out for you. You can then figure out what to keep and remove after it.
4. Start a conversation regarding the topic.
The best way to overcome a writer’s block is by moving away from the keyboard or paper and pen. It doesn’t mean to stop what you’re doing. You just need to start a conversation with someone and talk about it.
It will let all that frustration out and give you an idea of how someone thinks regarding what you want to write. It will help you have a new insight, resulting in a new idea you can use.
Talking about it also lets you tell your story more clearly and organize your thoughts. It will create much better results compared to where you started.
5. Perfection is not the key.
Remember that every student, not only you, is just as nervous when writing their essay. You don’t have to create a perfect paper as there is no such thing. Everybody has their opinion of the topic they’ll write. Thinking about perfecting will only lead to stress or, worse, an unfinished result.
Stop stressing yourself out and just write what you think is suitable. Writing something good enough will come a long way. It will allow you to finish efficiently and lessen the stress you may have.