Three lies about your college essay you best not believe, starting now: My story doesn't matter. Nothing has ever happened to me. I don't know how to impress the admissions officer. Some help debunking these lies: All stories matter equally, like all people (should!) matter equally. If you got born, which I assume you did, something huge has already happened to you. From there, a million little and big happenings got you to the present. It doesn't really matter what you pick to talk about, so long as you can say something that is important to you. Then you connect that thing to a broader message or point. Finally, "impress"? You've picked the wrong verb. Try "how to move" the admissions officer. Continue Reading …
freewriting
Prompts for Your Snow Day
Dear Snow Day, and Your Pile of Prompts! Hey, Snow Day, let's tell it like it is before we start with the prompts: Everybody loves you, I think. Especially the mayor-- you make him popular. Which makes you more popular than basically anyone ever. You make school children freak out with joy and relief. Most of us stress-balls appreciate when Mother Nature throws us a bone, and gives us a free pass to play hooky, and play-- and in this case, respond to a prompt. By choice-- can you believe it?-- some of us weirdos use the extra time you give us to write. BECAUSE WE LIKE IT, AND IT MAKES US FEEL ALIVE. It makes us feel as powerful as a blizzard, as impactful as bad weather, as connected to everything. In case you were wondering. So for those folks "stuck" at home, who are not "busy" binging on video games, pretending to clean, or youtube-ing until their eyes cross, here are some personal essay writing prompts. Courtesy of Essay Intensive and our partner, Snow Day, who really looks out for our creative well-being. These five writing prompts were all derived from an article on how to escape an avalanche (literally, but consider the metaphorical implications). Please check out the details of avalanche-escapsim here. Then, get to pleasurable work. The Writing Prompts Write about a time you got snowed under.-- literally or metaphorically. Write about a time you had to thrash to save your life. If spitting helps us know which way is down, write about not knowing which way is up and what to do about it. Write about something you witnessed in extreme weather-- say, your neighbor's skirt blowing over her head, or someone on a sled being towed by a car. Beacon, Probe, Flotation--respond to these words any way you like. OR Write a short essay in three parts, each part themed around one of these words. How to Deal with Snow Day Prompts: Freewrite-- set your timer: 5-20 minutes per prompt. And just keep going if you hear the beep but you're on Continue Reading …
Your college essay and more in 10 minutes
Is this yet another "improve my life in 10-minutes" BS pitch? No. We don't play with your minutes here. But we want you to get the most out of your time. So-- do you have 10 minutes to spare? (If you're reading this, you probably have 10 minutes. Admit it. Stop checking your Facebook Feed.) (Everyone has 10 minutes.) But the problem is: what's the most important thing to do-- right now? How should you spend those precious minutes? Here's our recommendations. Determine what you need, first. Need to open up and calm down? Check out this guided meditation from Tara Brach. (It's 10 minutes-ish. Thanks for your generous meditations, Tara Brach!) Need to work out on the sly? Check out this "Quiet Workout." (It's 10 minutes-ish. Modify as needed. Thanks for these original quickies, pop sugar!) Need to say something about something? We recommend-- assess your energy level, consider options 1 and 2 above, hydrate, and then... Freewrite Get your writing instrument/implement of choice: Sit your butt down or stand your butt up. (Don't have a standing desk? DIY with a crate placed on top of a table, or by working on a kitchen counter). Set a timer for 10 minutes. (See? We're precise!) And write about what makes you mad. Without stopping. (Thank you, writing guru Don Murray). Or try this writing prompt, from Ted Ed: A genie grants you three tiny wishes. What are they? (Thank you, TED. You are so full of useful randomness. Want more prompts?) Help, I really don't have 10-minutes! The multi-taskers version. Even though multi-tasking has been proven as neurological BS (You're uni-tasking, in quick succession, and with crappy outcomes), sometimes we need to layer up. Especially if we really only have 10 minutes. In that case we suggest: Do the Tara Brach meditation while you are on the toilet or taking a shower. Do the workout while returning a phone call to someone who will understand if you are out of Continue Reading …
Procrastination got your college essay? Try this!
Is your college essay due this weekend, or next week, and you've been procrastinating epically? Here's how to beat the procrastination paralysis and crank out a college essay by deadline. Note & Plug! The photo featured above shows gung-ho participants in a customized Essay Intensive college essay writing workshop, Just Write, at The TEAK Fellowship. They beat procrastination, just like you will, and punched out some quality personal essays! So, speaking of-- back to you. The moment is Now It's beyond crunch-time. You're panicking that you don't have time (because you screwed yourself) to be all that you need to be in your college admissions essay: insightful, creative, authentic, reflective, and thoughtful. (You're wrong-- keep reading). You're seriously considering writing your college essay on your dog's midlife crisis as you watch him limp after spastic squirrels. And ending it with a line about the pointlessness of striving in this world. Think again. Let your dog have his own crisis. Seize your loaded moment for what it's worth, and use our tips to write. Continue Reading …