Getting Personal with the Personal Statement

While most people are suffering from the flu, I am suffering from a lesser known super bug: the personal statement. Whether it is for graduate school, internships or a job, personal statements tend to become the bane of many people’s existence. As a writing tutor, I am very comfortable with taking on a ten page, APA style paper, but make me write a five-hundred word essay about my life and I’ll be suffering from writer’s block within five minutes. In fact, I should actually be writing a personal statement right now!

A depiction of my dorm when writing a personal statement.
Source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxsa87a5Nm1qd9a66o1_500.jpg

Not all is lost in this uphill battle with the personal statement, there are many resources around. Obviously, the Writing Center offers help on all sorts of papers, including entrance essays and statements. Additionally, Cedar Crest College’s Academic Services and Career Planning Services provide step-by-step guides on how to create a five-hundred word essay about you. Still stumped? Try SmartThinking, Academic Services new 24/7 online tutoring service. Writing tutors are standing by to help review your papers and give timely feedback. I even tried it once and got fantastic results.

So when it comes to writing personal statements, don’t resort to this:    

                                                                                                                                                                 

Use the resources around you and just keep writing!

-Lindsay