Personal Essay
Definition
A personal
essay is an exploration of a topic about which you have strong feelings or
opinions; it can be an area about which you have become an expert or for which
you have a unique set of skills or experiences.
The personal essay can be about some aspect of your life or about an
individual or group you have known. Your
goal is to develop an essay that informs and/or entertains your readers and
that makes them think about their own lives.
Thesis Statements
The thesis
statement of your essay presents the subject and the significance of this
subject to you. Your essay should reveal
your attitude or opinion about the event.
It should also express the possible significance of the subject matter
to your readers. Your essay can also
tell a message or lesson related to the event.
Organization of the
essay
If the
essay is a narrative explaining events, you will want to present it in a
chronological order. If it is a current
event, you may need to give background information. In discussing life skills or activities, you
can divide the topic into components. A
common rule of thumb regarding order is to 1) write about the area about which
you have the least information first; and 2) save the most important aspects or
points of discussion for last.
Tips on Planning
– Focus
your efforts. A topic that is too broad
will be hard to cover in a short essay.
Also, too many details confuse the reader.
– Present
your experience or information in an engaging way so that your readers can appreciate
its importance.
– Present
your ideas in an organized way.
Essay Guidelines
– Due
dates: Rough Draft due September 5;
Final Draft due September 19
– Essay
length: 200 – 300 words (about 1 page)
– Rough
drafts can be typed or hand-written, but must be double-spaced.
– Final
draft format:
– Typed
(if this is not possible, please let me know)
– 1
inch margins
– Name
and date on the upper right hand corner
– Number
the pages on the lower right hand corner
– Title
centered above the text of the essay
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