I need help developing my ideas because personally, I feel like I have a pretty standard life, nothing extraordinary or traumatic (thank goodness) has happened to me. So I need to find a way to make my essays stand out.
Topic A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.
- I’ve read that for college essays, focusing on a specific event/period is best. So I was thinking of writing about when my mom taught me how to do chores when I was about 12 years old such as washing dishes, doing laundry etc. and how that gave me a feeling of responsibility and maturity since I was the only one out of my siblings that did it even though I’m the 3rd child.
- Is that a bad idea? I’m not sure if it’s a generic idea, but I know this idea is way better than my original idea.
Topic B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.
- Personally, I feel like I’m a jack of all trades, but master of none, but should I include that in my essay? So, I was going to talk about how I define myself based on my dedication to my friends. My anecdote would be my internet friend who had depression and was going to commit suicide, but I stayed up all night comforting her.
- Would this be too heavy of a topic to talk about? I don’t want to make the reader uncomfortable or triggered.
Topic C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand - Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?
- For this topic, I want to talk about how I’ve always felt a disconnect from my native culture and people since I was born in the US and my family is pretty Americanized. So, I would visit my native country and roam the streets my parents grew up in, expand my appreciation for my people.
Given my ideas, should I choose topic B or C? (Topic A is required for UT) Or should I start over completely?