It’s finally summer, and presumably the last thing you want to do before you start your senior year of high school in the fall is extra work. But while you should definitely make sure that you get in some well-deserved rest and relaxation, you should also remember that this summer is a perfect time to get a head start on your college essays. Starting early means you’ll be under less pressure in the fall, once school starts and application deadlines get closer. And writing tends to be much easier (you might even find it enjoyable!) when you’re less stressed. So, to that end, here are a few things you can do to make the most of your free time during the summer.
1. Practice personal writing!
College essays are all about you—your life experiences, what you care about, what you believe in, etc. But in school, you’re probably not asked to write about yourself very often, if at all. That means it might take some practice doing the kind of personal, reflective work that you’re going to be asked to do on most of your college essays. One great way to practice: keep a journal—even if it’s just in the Notes app on your iPhone. Write down your thoughts, feelings, ideas, observations, and impressions of things happening around you (or really anything else that you feel like writing down). Did you recently watch a YouTube video or an episode of a TV show that you particularly enjoyed? Is there something happening in your local community that you’re concerned or excited about? Write it down!
Another way to practice writing is to use a list of writing prompts; there are lots that you can find online. One of the ones I like best is this list of 445 (!) prompts for narrative and personal writing from The New York Times; another good one can be found here. Start by simply checking one of the lists out, reading some of the questions, and finding some that pique your interest. If you’d like, you can write an essay in response, but you don’t have to; you can simply write down some bullet points, map out what an actual essay would look like, and think about what you’d include in it. All of this can help get you into that mindset of writing about yourself. And if it inspires an actual essay, even better!
2. Be ready for inspiration!
Yet another good tip is to be open to inspiration whenever it strikes (which might be when you’re doing something completely different and unrelated to college admissions). Be ready to make notes of your writing ideas and thoughts when you have them, so that you can return to them later and potentially turn them into full-fledged essays. Again, carry a notebook around with you, or just use the Notes app on your phone; find whatever works for you so that you can go back to the idea later.
3. Read!
Finally, do some extra summer reading—more specifically, read as much personal, narrative writing as you can find. Obviously, it goes without saying that your writing needs to be your own, so clearly you shouldn’t look to copy anyone else’s work! But reading pieces from experienced writers—people who do this kind of narrative, reflective writing on a regular basis—can really help you get into the right frame of mind to do that kind of writing on your own. Look at the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Medium, the New Yorker, etc. (to name just a few); there are lots of places where you can find great essays. Good luck, and happy writing!
In search of some extra essay-writing support or inspiration? Get in touch with me!