Advanced Essay Writing Tips and Examples: Who Am I?
Students are usually asked to write autobiographical essays within the first days of their academic years. These types of papers help teachers get to know more about their disciples. Although such essays have one common topic, “Who Am I,” they turn out to be completely different because life experiences and surroundings are different for everybody. All of them have deep personalities with miscellaneous characters and ideas. Writing about yourself is not as easy as it seems at first. To succeed, you should narrow down your topic, keep to the standard structure, and include all the features that are peculiar to a proper narrative/descriptive academic paper. Make use of the following tips and examples to create an advanced “Who Am I” essay:
- Brainstorm and write down all the ideas you would like to reveal in your essay. These may be some interesting details about your:
- Character and personal features;
- Family;
- Interests;
- Life goals and values;
- Achievements;
- Experiences that shook your life, etc.
- Give answers to the following questions: How would I describe myself in one word or phrase? Who or what influenced my development into what I am today?
- Choose the most engaging thoughts to talk about, because you won’t manage to narrate all the ideas that come to mind in one short essay. For example, you may describe some event from your childhood that turned your life upside down, completely changed your values, and made your character stronger. Or, share your secret hobby; explain why you do it, and how it influences your personality. Your essay will only benefit if you choose to write about things that are really important to you. Include some true events and facts from your life to support your key idea.
- Create a strong introduction. It should be catchy enough to make the reader follow your story. You may approach your introductory paragraph from different angles. As an example, start by saying “I’m not really sure who I am, but this is what my life looks like…” Or, “Who I am is what I do every day and what I’ll do with my life tomorrow…” Or, simply open with an answer: “I am …” That would be a bold alternative to all the philosophic reflections of other students.
- Use a thesaurus to make your essay really vivid. It should be written in first person and reflect your “self.” Be sure to use sensory details to draw a true and bright picture of your life, or your real portrait.