My most difficult assignment

The most difficult assignment I have ever done would definitely be my personal statement for my college applications last year. I spent months procrastinating, but I told myself that I was really just "brainstorming". What really set me off about it was that I dreaded trying to put down on paper something that was important to me. I was very unsure of how to make my personal thoughts sound elegant and appealing to an anonymous person at every college I applied to. Part of me was just plain nervous because I knew how important it was to have a top-notch essay. Another part of me just really hated writing. The two combined together resulted in very little motivation. Although it took me an extremely long time to get started, I finally did.

Once I sat down and actually began to type, it became easier and easier. The first paragraph or so is always rocky for me because I always feel as though the "foundation" of the paper sets the precedent for everything to come. Little by little, sentence by sentence, my personal statement started to take shape. After I finished my first draft, I brought it to my English teacher to edit. She gave me several helpful tips and I used them to improve my piece. Editing my papers always feel like a chore to me because as hard as I try, I can never get it exactly the way I want it. Sometimes the rewriting portion of the process is worse than the first go-around. Eventually, I polished up my essay and submitted it along with the rest of my application. That final step was nerve-wracking but I felt so relieved and at peace that I was finally done.

From this writing experience, I have learned that the best strategy for me is to throw all my thoughts down on paper, and to resist the urge to edit my thoughts as I go. It definitely works a lot better for me if I say what I need to say first and then go back and fix little nuances. The college application process taught me that writing is honestly not the worst thing in the world. A little effort to get going goes a long way and it usually brings me pretty close to the end. I just have to stop myself from getting lazy and push myself to finish strong.