<p>This thread was inspired by a question posed on a different thread. I thought it deserved its own thread.</p>
<p>How do/did you get your creative juices flowing when it's time to write the admissions essay? Please be as specific as possible.</p>
<p>I'm also having trouble with this. I've written two essays so far, but I"ve ruled them both out because they're not about ME.</p>
<p>I just sat down and wrote both of them. I was 'in the mood'. Caffine helps me a LOT.</p>
<p>Im having trouble with this too. Wrotw two essays which i'm not happy with at all! :(</p>
<p>I'm saving time by not writing any essays at all. They are in my head, waiting for inspriation.</p>
<p>For me, the English teacher was just like take the next three days to write your essay, she gave us some suggestions and we were off. Though I really didn't start doing it till the third day, but the previous days I just sat there and thought about it, and then I listened to my ipod and heard Bizet and I knew what to write my essay on.</p>
<p>I'd suggest purchasing some illegal substances and then writing your essays.</p>
<p>But don't send them off until you've come down and edited.</p>
<p>Seriously, caffeine helps SO MUCH! Ok so caffeine gives you some chemical (forgot), epinephrine? which I've learned in bio class, increases your self-confidence and decreases your apetite. Also, I find writing in the whee hours of the night with really good music on helps a lot. You feel really confident and creative and not at all sleepy.
More times
Start journaling every day. I have an online journal, so I write in it constantly-just my rants, thoughts, cute quotes I like, etc. And then eventually you'll just hit a topic that you're writing that you'll feel so passionate about and write pages upon pages on that topic. That should be the start of your essay...
Remember, if you're not passionate about whatever it is, don't write it.
And of course, don't write the "One thing that has shaped my life is the death of my cat... and then the ending sentence... and that is why the death of my cat shaped the person I am today". Come on, you can do better than that.
<a href="http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmission/writingtheessay.html</a>
^^great web site!</p>
<p>I second the journaling comment. I've written 5 of my essays so far, and usually I spend a few days thinking about the prompt, just while I'm doing other things, and I write down little notes I want to include in the essay. Then I sit down and write it. It takes me about 3-4 hours to totally finish an essay, but I write it all in one sitting. I also write more effectively late at night. And good music is a must :)</p>
<p>SWEET I had a thread started based on a question I asked...</p>
<p>I should write my essay about this. :)</p>
<p>I really agree with me.duh's statement.</p>
<p>Classical music helps me to write essays of all kinds.</p>
<p>Music helps me write anything in the beginning, but as soon as I really start going, I have to turn it off/down. I also spend a lot of time just considering the prompt, reading it over and over, to make sure I don't write something off topic. And sometimes I just aimlessly think about it, forget it, and then think about it again.</p>
<p>isnt it obvious? ....rip a few bowlssssss</p>
<p>fart?? I'm sorry I guess I may have misunderstood. I don't see how "releasing the demons" could help me write an essay...</p>
<p>often you have more material in your head than you think but it's blocked off because of your reluctance to write it and form it into perfect, flowing english sentences. </p>
<p>to solve this, put some sigur ros on, and think for 10 minutes about who you are, what you're passionate about, what meaningful experiences you've had, and what you would like college adcoms to know about you. then, start NONSTOP writing NOT CARING at all about how it sounds or anything just keep writing down everything you thought about or you can think about that you might want to include in your essay. now, take a look at what you've written, and start piecing some related things together, create an outline, and pretty soon you have an awesome essay in which your personal voice really stands out.</p>
<p>so i guess no one finds my post funny...i laughed just as hard the second time i read it...at least i entertain myself lol</p>
<p>I just brainstormed for a while. basically listing any ideas that came to mind. It helps to think of hypothetical questions, like the "If you could meet any three people living or dead"-kinda ones. The point is to pinpoint things that are important to you.</p>
<p>Then I'm going to take the best ideas and write out some sample lines. Then I'm going to keep the best ones of those and develop outlines and essays, etc.</p>