How to Start an Essay About Yourself
Writing about oneself is probably one of the most embarrassing and difficult tasks. If you do not know how to start an essay about yourself, there are tips that go a long way to ease things and make the entire process easier. The first thing you need to understand is that the primary function of an essay is expressing your point of view.
There are a couple of things you need to bear in mind while writing an essay and they include:
- You should only give pointers of yourself which includes personal observations, views and experiences.
- You need to have a precise purpose in mind
- Do not throw a ton of details but instead select what you intend to share carefully.
There are different circumstances that might call for the writing of a personal essay. For instance, you could be asked to write one as part of your college application or the assignment would be for a writing test or course. Regardless of the case, learning how to start an essay about yourself is essential in ensuring you get it right.
Identify the purpose of the essay
Personal essays have 3 major types identified by the purpose they serve. There are those that are supposed to entertain, others to inform while others are meant to oppose or support a given position. As such, when thinking of starting a personal essay, identify your major purpose first.
For instance, you could be working on a narrative essay which is part of your application hence it aims to inform the reader about significant about yourself. Make sure you clearly identify the details that need to be fleshed out in your story. Pick details that have the ability to capture your message. The trick is to ensure you remain on track and you do not start rambling.
If the personal essay you are working on aims to inform a reader of specific aspects of your life, such as the fact you do volunteer work, it is a great idea to pick a couple of anecdotes that can illustrate the commitment you have towards the same. The anecdotes should be described briefly.
Alternatively, you could be asked to write an essay that requires you oppose or support a given position. In such instances, you are supposed to support your reasoning with observations or experiences from your life. This personal statement is a good example of how to write your own essay.
Essential tips on how to start an essay about yourself
Writing basics
Knowing how to start an essay about yourself requires that you perfect your skills in writing an introduction. Simply, you need to introduce yourself and this includes your talents, skills and experiences. These can be fitted into one, two or more paragraphs. Some of the questions you need to answer in this case include:
- Who you are
- What interests you have
- What talents you posses
- What achievements you have made
- What challenges you have faced
Provide a short list of your interests and talents
If you are still uncertain of how to start an essay about yourself, start by listing all possible brainstorming good ideas that can help you make a decision. Ask questions stated in the first section, then come up with solid answers.
Narrow the topic down
Writing a personal essay is a demanding task. Rather than working blindly, you should pick specific topics, describe them in details and use them as your introduction. Avoid providing general topics list as this veers you off the essay. Also, consider what seems most unique or interesting to you as well as aspects that best describe you.
Use a couple of good details
Once you identify a specific topic, you need to narrow down on it by specifically describing it and giving your readers something they can hold on to. Bear in mind you are telling the reader about you hence the more details you provide, the better.
- Awful: I love sports
- Okay: I am a fan of soccer, basketball, tennis and football
- Better: Football is my favorite sport not only to watch but play
- Good: While growing up, I used to watch Big 10 football with my brothers and father each Saturday then we would go out and toss the ball around. Ever since, I have loved it.
Give your readers details so they can learn more about you and what makes you the person that you are. At wheaton.edu you will find a good example of such an essay.
Show humility
Though you might be accomplished, cool or talented, your aim should be to portray yourself as an individual that is simple and down to earth. While writing your personal essay, avoid bragging. Simply list your success and accomplishments by tempering them with humble language.
- Bragging: I am the most dynamic and best workers currently at my company hence, you want to hire me because of my talents.
- Humble: I was quite lucky to receive the award for employee of the month three times at my current job, more than other employees.
Readers are able to identify better with you if you come off as an individual that is down-to earth, yet humble rather than the opposite. Therefore, always keep this in mind as you write your essay.
Develop the style and voice
Knowing how to start an essay about yourself, also calls for development of your individual ‘voice’. You have to pay close attention to your word choice, tone and structure. You should know your background as well as personality while writing a personal essay.
Additionally tips on how to start an essay about yourself
Jotting down general ideas about yourself will propel you in the right direction on how to start an essay about yourself. Some of these ideas include the following:
- Your interests and hobbies
- School activities
- Family life
- Favorite vacation
- Dream job
It is ideal to pick broad topics you have experience and interest in. After this, write one or several thoughts next to each point. From there, it will be easier for you to work on the body of the essay and not leave anything that is important out.
The assignment might also require you direct your focus to one area of your life or it might ask you relate personal characteristics to specific problem solving situations. Whatever it is you are asked to do, it is crucial for you to learn the ropes of writing the perfect essay.
Treat the essay as you would a story
Personal essays are non-fiction accounts of events. While this is the case, the last thing you want to do as a writer is turn it into some kind of research paper. Unlike in cases of formal writing like narrative essays that have the advantage of creative freedom, the essay should be more like a short story. Use literary techniques while writing the essay which includes use of metaphors, personification and imagery together with repetition.
Re-read and Edit the essay
Once done with writing your personal essay, it is time to step back and review what you have done so far. It is advisable to take a break from the essay first and come back to it with new eyes. This will make it easy for you to identify mistakes and errors you might have missed out. Also, it will give you an idea on what needs to be edited out or added in order to make the essay comprehensive. Always use your own voice and make sure that it is accompanied by correct mechanics and grammar.
You can find another great example of a personal essay at this wikihow.com page. Reading samples written by others you get to know how to start an essay about yourself with great ease. On top of this, it increases your chances of delivering premium quality work. Remember that you are also supposed to keep your essay simple and straightforward.
This means you must express yourself in a manner that is clear and concise. Do not use terms that your readers cannot identify with. Always present your points in a straightforward manner and explain points that might appear vague to the reader.
It’s our hope that the above guidelines have helped you know how to start an essay about yourself with ease. However if you have difficulties in writing an essay of your choice, get in touch with us for assistance. Visit our homepage for more information about our academic writing services. You can also continue reading more academic paper writing guidelines and sample papers on this blog.
Online Resources
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-About-Yourself
http://www.ehow.com/how_5124319_write-essay-yourself.html
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/writing/how-do-you-write-a-paper-when-the-topic-is-yourself-how-do-you-research-that-kind-of-thing