College Essay Reflection
When beginning this college essay process, my mindset was completely different from what a fantastic college essay should be. I thought that I needed to describe myself, my achievements, and why I would be a good asset to the certain school. I had no idea that there were a variety of prompts colleges give out and that none of them involve a list of myself and achievements. When I learned that I could write almost a story about an experience or topic pertaining to my life, I was thrilled! I had no idea that a paper with imagery and feeling cold be submitted and I was eager to begin. My first draft was about the first mission trip I attended. I described the experience in detail, in an almost two page draft. I was proud of this draft...until I actually read it again. It was basically a list of the trip. Not mych imagery was used, and my own personality wasn't even exposed! I was still tentative on the topic as a whole so I decided to scratch it and start anew. My second draft was about the second mission trip I experienced. I was very poud of this piece because I was able to describe myself through the town I described in the paper. After going through the six beginnings process, I chose to use two of them in my essay as an introduction and conclusion. Then my revision partner read over it and gave me new ways to improve it. I had many instances where I had used passive voice and my meaning was unclear. Also, I had choppy transitions and confusing sentences; randomly placed in the paper. My draft three was almost identical to draft two except for the few grammer and sentence structure changes. I was finally starting to grasp the concept of a good college essay, and I embraced it. I truly let myself go and wrote what I felt. After it was revised by Ms. Self, I notice again, more changes I need to act upon. These consisted of more flowed transistion from my first paragraph to my second. Also, I need to express my revelation mor indepth as it was unclear to the reader. I had many cliche sentences that took away from the serious tone I was trying to place in that particular spot of the paper. When I went back to revise for the final time, I thought long and hard about how I was going to make it better. I added in a new paragraph to help show my revelation and the change in my life. I also cleaned up unnecessary adjectives that took away from the paper.
When completing my final draft, I was proud to say that I had accomplished my writing goals. I wanted to improve on my depth and grammatical structure the most, and I did. However in doing so, I kept the paper entertaining and lively.
In completing this process, I learned many valuable things. Primarily, I learned how to take a simple sentence, rearrange the wording, and make it sound even better without changing the meaning of the phrase. I also learned how to grasp my reader and keep them hooked throughout the entire paper. My favorite workshop was the six beginnings exercise. This exercise allowed me to write whatever I wanted (as long as it could pertain to my story), and in whatever way I wanted. I allowed my creative writing side to come alive and replace my usual serious toned writing style. This enabled me to express myself in ways I had never done before and when my peers read and commented on each one, it gave me the confidence to proceed with my paper. This exercise was what gave me the drive to create a fantastic college essay and feel confident in it.
In conclusion, I am exceptionally proud of myself and my growth throughout this process. My entire mindset and writing style was altered for the best in writing this an I am so grateful to have undergone this task. I also realized how important and effective it is to have someone else revise your paper because they catch things I never would have, and it only improves the paper even more. I cannot wait to submit my essay to my selected colleges, and hopefully be accepted with it as a focal point in the acceptance process.
When completing my final draft, I was proud to say that I had accomplished my writing goals. I wanted to improve on my depth and grammatical structure the most, and I did. However in doing so, I kept the paper entertaining and lively.
In completing this process, I learned many valuable things. Primarily, I learned how to take a simple sentence, rearrange the wording, and make it sound even better without changing the meaning of the phrase. I also learned how to grasp my reader and keep them hooked throughout the entire paper. My favorite workshop was the six beginnings exercise. This exercise allowed me to write whatever I wanted (as long as it could pertain to my story), and in whatever way I wanted. I allowed my creative writing side to come alive and replace my usual serious toned writing style. This enabled me to express myself in ways I had never done before and when my peers read and commented on each one, it gave me the confidence to proceed with my paper. This exercise was what gave me the drive to create a fantastic college essay and feel confident in it.
In conclusion, I am exceptionally proud of myself and my growth throughout this process. My entire mindset and writing style was altered for the best in writing this an I am so grateful to have undergone this task. I also realized how important and effective it is to have someone else revise your paper because they catch things I never would have, and it only improves the paper even more. I cannot wait to submit my essay to my selected colleges, and hopefully be accepted with it as a focal point in the acceptance process.