essay about life in university

Essay on University Life (200 & 500 Words)

University life is an exciting and challenging experience that prepares students for the real world. It is a time when students embark on a journey of self-discovery and academic growth. The university environment is characterized by academic rigor, diversity, and a vibrant social scene.

Essay on University Life – 200 Words

At university, students have the opportunity to pursue their academic interests and gain knowledge and skills that will help them achieve their goals. The academic environment is challenging, with professors who demand excellence and expect students to think critically and creatively. However, with hard work and dedication, students can achieve academic success and excel in their chosen fields.

University life is also about making new friends and building social networks. Students come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and interacting with them helps to broaden one’s horizons and develop intercultural competencies. There are also various student organizations and clubs that students can join to pursue their interests and meet like-minded individuals.

Moreover, university life comes with its fair share of challenges, such as financial pressures, academic stress, and time management issues. However, with the right mindset and support, students can overcome these challenges and thrive in their university experience.

In conclusion, university life is an exciting and challenging experience that offers students a unique opportunity to grow academically, socially, and personally. It is a time to embrace new experiences, make lifelong friendships, and prepare for the future.

Essay on University Life – 500 Words

University life is an exciting and challenging experience for many students. It is a time when individuals are given the opportunity to further their education and develop their knowledge and skills in a particular field of study. University life can be divided into two main aspects: academic and social.

You learn about teamwork and organize your working responsibilities at the university. It instills good time management skills and independence, which is essential for everyone.

In university life, you learn the value of teamwork which helps you work with others to accomplish a common goal. You realize that nothing is impossible and that if you work hard, you can achieve whatever you set your mind st something.

Students at university learn essential values, including responsibility and time management which are necessary for practical life. 

The new atmosphere and environment and the less restricted area bring happiness to those who enter the university by teaching those to learn how to get control and maintenance.

There are numerous opportunities for those who wish to showcase their skills and talents. Students at a university have a tremendous amount of freedom than students in high school.

Despite living in a community where everyone watches out for each other, they learn to be independent and care for themselves. It provides a platform where people with a particular skill set can show it to everyone. It provides a platform for everyone to showcase the abilities that they have gained so far.

It is a period of transition from a student’s life to a working adult. It is a period of exploration where students learn the art of socializing, making friends, and forging long-lasting relationships.

Hanging out with friends at university is one of the most memorable experiences. You have more freedom to join clubs, sports teams, and other student groups. These experiences will inspire you to grow as an individual and build lifelong friendships .

It is a memorable experience for any student because of the opportunities to develop your personality positively. It’s good for knowing the difference between the right and wrong people for yourselves.

As a student, you are given a chance to further your education at one of the best universities out there. Make sure to take advantage of that chance as much as possible. 

In conclusion, if you’re considering attending university for the first time or in your last year of school, this blog post can prove very useful. It’s important to know that there will be some moments when life at the university can be difficult, and it feels like everything is falling apart.

Don’t be afraid of these types of experiences because these experiences help us grow as individuals, learn how to make better decisions, and ultimately become more confident people. Be sure to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Overall enjoy the time & memories that you spend at your university.

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Sana Mursleen is a student studying English Literature at Lahore Garrison University (LGU). With her love for writing and humor, she writes essays for Top Study World. Sana is an avid reader and has a passion for history, politics, and social issues.

Essays About University: Top 6 Examples and 6 Prompts

Our time in university is often one of the most critical points in our lives;  if you are writing essays about university, read our guide. 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a university as “ an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees .” Otherwise known as colleges, universities are the institutions in which students obtain their tertiary education, helping them pursue the careers they want. 

Regardless of your university’s prestige, taking your college education seriously is crucial. University prepares you to go into the field you want to work in, and it is regarded as essential for success and prosperity in life. The choices you make in and for university will affect your path forever.

6 Examples of Essays About University

1. compare and contrast between state university and private university by naomi moody, 2. a reflection on my college experience by tori harwell, 3. you don’t need college anymore, says google by david leibowitz, 4. on graduating in a pandemic by audrey huang.

• 5. ​My University Experience by Jenny

6. From Living for the Later to Living for the Now: A Reflection of My College Career by Trisha Kangas

1. is university really as daunting as it seems, 2. what lessons did your college experience teach you, 3. how did you grow throughout university, 4. the skills you need for university, 5. how can you best prepare for university, 6. is it necessary to attend university.

“Many people assume a public college is cheaper than a private college because of tuition fees are reduced for state residents. But the posted “sticker price” of a private college is rarely the real price. If a private college strongly appeals to you, consider waiting for its financial aid offer before making a final decision. More often than not, private colleges offer the scholarships and grants that significantly cut your actual cost, even bringing it close to the cost of a public college.”

Moody discusses the differences between public and private universities. A state university is more accessible and has various course options, while private university courses often specialize in specific fields and are more challenging to receive an entry. The price difference between public and private universities is more manageable if given financial aid, Moody writes. She believes that although both set students up for success, she is partial to private universities and would instead study in one. 

“I used to laugh at the people who told me college would go by in the blink of an eye. And then it did. Soak in every single second of these crazy, chaotic, stressful four years. Spend as much time with your friends as you can. The days go by faster and faster the closer you get to leaving. Take advantage of the time you do have.”

In her essay, Harwell gives tips on how to enjoy their years in university, based on her personal experiences. She encourages readers to take reasonable risks, say “yes,” find the right balance between academics and social life, and get involved to make friends. Most importantly, she wants readers to make the most of their college years and enjoy every moment, just as she did. You might also be interested in these essays about assessment .

“In Google’s report of their IT certification course, 61% did not have a four-year degree, typically complete the program in under six months, and earn a median annual wage of $54,760. To be blunt, university degrees are only as valuable as the weight applied by company hiring managers, and Google has just signaled that a $300 certificate has parity with a diploma.”

Leibowitz describes how university has become obsolete to some. Companies such as Google are allowing job applicants to work without a diploma, instead making them take an IT certification program. Other companies such as Levi’s and Gap have followed suit, allowing employees to complete a program in place of a degree. Leibowitz poses the idea of eliminating degree requirements to make work more accessible.

“Graduation has historically been all about projecting into the future — anticipating what’s to come, cherishing the bright spots within these precious college years, formation and self-discovery in an ever-accelerating landscape. Pandemic graduation seems to be about having the brakes thrown into our plans, and being forced to sit still and alone for a very long time.”

Huang reflects on her university experience in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and imagines the future that her suitemates might live out, and how they have pursued their dreams or changed. Huang is mostly distraught at having to stop her education and an “inferior” graduation experience; however, she is relieved that she can reflect on her time in university, an experience she will treasure for a lifetime. 

5. ​ My University Experience by Jenny

“I would like to tell you that coming to Leeds Beckett on the Speech and Language Therapy course has been the best decision for my career, and I’ve had so much fun living here and making new friends. Making the most of my course’s opportunities, as well as all the opportunities Leeds Beckett gives you like volunteering aboard, joining sports teams and everything else is a really valuable experience which you won’t regret. Put in the work and you’ll get loads out of it!”

Jenny, a student at Leeds Beckett University, writes about how she returned to college after graduating in 2014. However, she wanted to pursue a different career, so she attended university again. She writes about her course requirements, job placements, and overall university experience, and she encourages people to try her course or attend her university if they are interested.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about online learning .

“Although it was maybe difficult for me to slow down and give myself a pat on the back for getting on the dean’s list, writing a 15 page short story I was really proud of, or being nominated for the Student Employee of the Year Award, I still did all of those things and that in itself is something to be proud of. And I think that’s where my focus should ultimately end up.”

Kangas reflects on her time in college, writing that she feels accomplished yet anxious simultaneously. She worked hard but remembered not to be too hard on herself, something she encouraged all students to practice. It is important to find a balance between academic achievement and mental health. She also reminds students not to be afraid of change but to have a positive outlook.

6 Helpful Writing  Prompts on Essays About University

Many say university entails the toughest years of your life, making children dread going to college. Based on your experiences, write about your experience in university and determine whether this claim is factual or not. 

In university, we learn a lot about ourselves and our world. Write about lessons or life skills you may have learned in college and how they have helped you today. Such as becoming more confident, learning to love yourself, connecting with people, or even pursuing new passions in life. Be sure to link your main idea back to how college can help you do better in the future.

For your essay, reflect on your college experience. Answer the question, “how did you grow as a person?” Write about your feelings throughout your university years, particularly how they changed, and describe any skills you may have learned. Be sure to use personal anecdotes for a more heartfelt perspective. 

Before attending university, you must equip yourself with specific skills to help you succeed. You must often obtain certain grades in specific classes to enter university. However, you also need personal skills such as communication, time management, and discipline to complete assignments. Write about some of these skills and explain why they are important. You can also explain how to hone these skills to improve your experience at university.

University can be daunting, especially for people leaving high school and moving city or state to attend university. In your essay, discuss how you can prepare yourself, physically and mentally, to attend university. What should college students know before they start the year? Be sure to use your personal experiences as a basis. You can also give examples of books or articles readers can look at for further knowledge. 

Many argue that university education has become unnecessary in the 21st century. Many famous entrepreneurs and business owners, such as Elon Musk , speak out against university education, saying that life experience and learning on the job are more valuable. Detail your stance on this issue and explain your reasoning. Be sure to support your argument with details and credible sources. 

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

If you still need help, our guide to grammar and punctuation explains more.

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Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

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University Life and Campus: Expectations vs Reality

University Life

25 June, 2023

6 mins read

By Allaa Ashraf

Entering university is an exciting milestone in one's life, filled with anticipation, new experiences, and personal growth. As you prepare to embark on this journey, you often develop certain expectations about the university and campus life. However, things may not always be as you’d imagined them. University isn’t always fun and games; sometimes you have to write essays and present to people . Worry not, though, not every student has the same university experience, that’s for sure. So, just before you get too carried away, we will help you get back to earth!  

In this article, we will explore the expectations and realities of university life and campus life, providing a detailed perspective to help future university students better understand what to anticipate.

1. Independence and Freedom

Expectation : Free at last! The idea of campus life is the ultimate dream for people who have been waiting to move out. University is often seen as a gateway to newfound independence, freedom from parental supervision, and the ability to make decisions without constant guidance. You think you will only go home on holidays—Christmas, Thanksgiving, and maybe just a couple of days during the summer. 

Reality : With freedom comes responsibility. Students discover that managing their time, prioritising tasks, and staying organised are crucial for success. Balancing coursework, part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments can be overwhelming. The reality is that university life demands self-discipline and effective time management skills to navigate through the various responsibilities and opportunities available. 

Also, here is the deal: you’re going to miss home more than you think. You will find yourself missing the fresh, hot homemade meals, the daily talks with your parents, and even your siblings and their fights.

2. Seamless Transition and Instant Success

Expectation : Some students expect a seamless transition from high school to university, assuming that their previous successes will effortlessly translate into immediate triumphs in higher education.

Reality : The reality is that the university experience often presents new challenges and demands a growth mindset. Just because you are studying something you love doesn’t mean you will get your degree easily. There’s so much more to getting a degree than just studying what you love. 

Adapting to higher academic rigour, developing critical thinking skills, and adjusting to new teaching styles can be initially daunting. It's important to remember that personal growth and success are often the results of perseverance, resilience, and a willingness to learn from both successes and setbacks.

You will be excited about what you’re learning at university, but you might also find yourself overwhelmed with the workload. Sometimes you will focus so much time and energy on a specific subject, especially during the first semester or the first year. This can be draining and cause you to lose your passion.

3. Financial Freedom and Stability

Expectation : Many students imagine newfound financial freedom in university, with disposable income for leisure activities and personal expenses.

Reality : Now, hold on a minute! Don’t spend that money now! The reality is that university often comes with financial responsibilities. Tuition fees, accommodation costs, textbooks, and daily expenses can quickly add up. Students may need to balance part-time jobs or seek scholarships and financial aid to cover their expenses. Learning effective budgeting skills and practising financial responsibility become essential aspects of university life.

4. Hassle-Free Accommodation Life

Expectation : You won’t have any responsibilities regarding your accommodation life except paying the rent on a monthly basis, and if you choose private accommodation, it’ll all be fun and games.

Reality : As a student, you can choose between a PBSA and on-campus accommodation. Both require a different budget and a different lifestyle. Lower your expectations ; regardless of what you choose, life in a private student accommodation won’t be all fun and parties. 

Your room will need cleaning, you will have laundry, and you will have to organise a schedule for using the shared area with your flatmate. Sounds like a lot, right? We know that’s why we are telling you to think thoroughly about your choice of accommodation.

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5. easy peasy, lemon squeezy studying and assignments.

Expectation : As we all know, you always promise yourself that this year will be different and that you’ll study hard and not waste a minute. You promise yourself that you will keep up with all the workload you have and that you’ll never leave any assignment to the last minute. We’ve all been there.

Reality : It is not impossible, but remember to give yourself room for mistakes. If, after the first week, your assignments start to pile up, it is ok. You can simply manage your time better in order not to feel overwhelmed. In addition, you can think about studying and doing assignments as an exam prep strategy to motivate you.

6. Being in the Pink of Health

Expectation : You go to university telling yourself that you’re going to eat healthily and cook for yourself. Maybe you can pull this off for the first week of your university life, or even the first month.

Reality : You find yourself so swamped with assignments and projects that you might occasionally eat junk food for a meal or two. Don’t be harsh on yourself, and maybe exercise afterwards. That’s how you stay healthy .

7. A Continuous Social Extravaganza

Expectation: Many students envision university as a constant whirlwind of parties, social gatherings, and non-stop excitement. They imagine themselves surrounded by friends, attending events, and forming lifelong connections.

Reality: We’re sorry to break it to you; we really are. While universities provide ample opportunities for socialising, the reality is that balancing social life and academics can be challenging. Students quickly realise that attending lectures, studying, completing assignments, and preparing for exams require significant time and effort. It becomes essential to strike a healthy balance between socialising and academics to make the most of the university experience.

8. Vibrant Campus Life

Expectation : Campus life is often portrayed as a vibrant community teeming with clubs, organisations, sports teams, and cultural events. Students expect a wide array of options to get involved and find their niche.

Reality : While universities offer a diverse range of extracurricular activities, the reality is that finding your niche might take time and exploration. Joining clubs, attending events, and actively engaging with the campus community can help students discover their interests and build lasting connections. It's important to remember that the university experience is not solely confined to the campus, as many students find fulfilment through off-campus activities and local communities.

9. Time for Personal Exploration and Self-Discovery

Expectation : University is often seen as a transformative period for self-discovery, where students have the time and freedom to explore their identities, values, and interests.

Reality : While university provides opportunities for personal exploration, the reality is that self-discovery is an ongoing process that extends beyond the university years. Students may find themselves questioning their beliefs, values, and goals and may encounter diverse perspectives that challenge their preconceived notions. Embracing these experiences as opportunities for growth and self-reflection can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself.

10. Always Feeling Motivated and Inspired

Expectation : Students often anticipate a constant state of motivation and inspiration, assuming that their passion for their chosen field of study will propel them effortlessly through their academic journey.

Reality : The reality is that motivation can fluctuate, and students may face periods of academic pressure, stress, or burnout. Challenging coursework, multiple deadlines, and high expectations can sometimes dampen enthusiasm. Developing resilience, seeking support from peers or academic advisors, and practising self-care strategies can help students navigate these challenges and rediscover their motivation.

And there you have it, folks! University life and campus life bring with them a mix of expectations and realities. While some expectations align with reality, others may require adjustments and a shift in perspective. 

Recognising that university life is a unique journey that varies for each individual can help students navigate the challenges and maximise the opportunities available. Embracing the realities of university life, including the need for balance, responsibility, and personal growth, can lead to a fulfilling and transformative experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. will university life be exactly like what i've seen in movies and tv shows.

While movies and TV shows often portray an exaggerated version of university life, it's important to remember that reality may differ. University life is a unique experience for each individual, and while there may be some elements of excitement and social events, it also involves academic responsibilities and personal growth.

2. How can I balance my social life with academics?

Balancing social life and academics requires effective time management and prioritisation. It's important to set realistic goals, create a study schedule, and allocate time for social activities. Additionally, engaging in extracurricular activities and joining clubs can help combine socialising with personal development.

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3. what should i do if i'm struggling academically.

If you're facing academic challenges, don't hesitate to seek help. Most universities offer support services such as tutoring, study groups, or academic advisors who can assist you in improving your academic performance. It's important to communicate with your professors, ask questions, and utilise available resources to overcome any difficulties.

4. How can I make the most of my university experience beyond classes?

Getting involved in campus activities is a great way to enhance your university experience. Join clubs or organisations that align with your interests, participate in community service initiatives, attend campus events, and explore opportunities for internships or research projects. Engaging in these activities will allow you to build a network, develop new skills, and make lifelong memories.

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How to Write a College Essay | A Complete Guide & Examples

The college essay can make or break your application. It’s your chance to provide personal context, communicate your values and qualities, and set yourself apart from other students.

A standout essay has a few key ingredients:

• A unique, personal topic
• A compelling, well-structured narrative
• A clear, creative writing style
• Evidence of self-reflection and insight

To achieve this, it’s crucial to give yourself enough time for brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

In this comprehensive guide, we walk you through every step in the process of writing a college admissions essay.

Table of contents

Why do you need a standout essay, start organizing early, choose a unique topic, outline your essay, start with a memorable introduction, write like an artist, craft a strong conclusion, revise and receive feedback, frequently asked questions.

While most of your application lists your academic achievements, your college admissions essay is your opportunity to share who you are and why you’d be a good addition to the university.

Your college admissions essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s total weight一and may account for even more with some colleges making the SAT and ACT tests optional. The college admissions essay may be the deciding factor in your application, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

What do colleges look for in an essay?

Admissions officers want to understand your background, personality, and values to get a fuller picture of you beyond your test scores and grades. Here’s what colleges look for in an essay :

• Demonstrated values and qualities
• Vulnerability and authenticity
• Self-reflection and insight
• Creative, clear, and concise writing skills

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

It’s a good idea to start organizing your college application timeline in the summer of your junior year to make your application process easier. This will give you ample time for essay brainstorming, writing, revision, and feedback.

While timelines will vary for each student, aim to spend at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing your first draft and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Remember to leave enough time for breaks in between each writing and editing stage.

Create an essay tracker sheet

If you’re applying to multiple schools, you will have to juggle writing several essays for each one. We recommend using an essay tracker spreadsheet to help you visualize and organize the following:

• Deadlines and number of essays needed
• Prompt overlap, allowing you to write one essay for similar prompts

You can build your own essay tracker using our free Google Sheets template.

College essay tracker template

Ideally, you should start brainstorming college essay topics the summer before your senior year. Keep in mind that it’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic.

If you want to write about a common essay topic, such as a sports injury or volunteer work overseas, think carefully about how you can make it unique and personal. You’ll need to demonstrate deep insight and write your story in an original way to differentiate it from similar essays.

What makes a good topic?

• Meaningful and personal to you
• Uncommon or has an unusual angle
• Reveals something different from the rest of your application

Brainstorming questions

You should do a comprehensive brainstorm before choosing your topic. Here are a few questions to get started:

• What are your top five values? What lived experiences demonstrate these values?
• What adjectives would your friends and family use to describe you?
• What challenges or failures have you faced and overcome? What lessons did you learn from them?
• What makes you different from your classmates?
• What are some objects that represent your identity, your community, your relationships, your passions, or your goals?
• Whom do you admire most? Why?
• What three people have significantly impacted your life? How did they influence you?

How to identify your topic

Here are two strategies for identifying a topic that demonstrates your values:

• Start with your qualities : First, identify positive qualities about yourself; then, brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities.
• Start with a story : Brainstorm a list of memorable life moments; then, identify a value shown in each story.

After choosing your topic, organize your ideas in an essay outline , which will help keep you focused while writing. Unlike a five-paragraph academic essay, there’s no set structure for a college admissions essay. You can take a more creative approach, using storytelling techniques to shape your essay.

Two common approaches are to structure your essay as a series of vignettes or as a single narrative.

Vignettes structure

The vignette, or montage, structure weaves together several stories united by a common theme. Each story should demonstrate one of your values or qualities and conclude with an insight or future outlook.

This structure gives the admissions officer glimpses into your personality, background, and identity, and shows how your qualities appear in different areas of your life.

Topic: Museum with a “five senses” exhibit of my experiences

• Introduction: Tour guide introduces my museum and my “Making Sense of My Heritage” exhibit
• Story: Racial discrimination with my eyes
• Lesson: Using my writing to document truth
• Story: Broadway musical interests
• Lesson: Finding my voice
• Story: Smells from family dinner table
• Lesson: Appreciating home and family
• Story: Washing dishes
• Lesson: Finding moments of peace in busy schedule
• Story: Biking with Ava
• Lesson: Finding pleasure in job well done
• Conclusion: Tour guide concludes tour, invites guest to come back for “fall College Collection,” featuring my search for identity and learning.

Single story structure

The single story, or narrative, structure uses a chronological narrative to show a student’s character development over time. Some narrative essays detail moments in a relatively brief event, while others narrate a longer journey spanning months or years.

Single story essays are effective if you have overcome a significant challenge or want to demonstrate personal development.

Topic: Sports injury helps me learn to be a better student and person

• Situation: Football injury
• Challenge: Friends distant, teachers don’t know how to help, football is gone for me
• Turning point: Starting to like learning in Ms. Brady’s history class; meeting Christina and her friends
• My reactions: Reading poetry; finding shared interest in poetry with Christina; spending more time studying and with people different from me
• Insight: They taught me compassion and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle; even though I still can’t play football, I’m starting a new game

Brainstorm creative insights or story arcs

Regardless of your essay’s structure, try to craft a surprising story arc or original insights, especially if you’re writing about a common topic.

Never exaggerate or fabricate facts about yourself to seem interesting. However, try finding connections in your life that deviate from cliché storylines and lessons.

Admissions officers read thousands of essays each year, and they typically spend only a few minutes reading each one. To get your message across, your introduction , or hook, needs to grab the reader’s attention and compel them to read more..

Avoid starting your introduction with a famous quote, cliché, or reference to the essay itself (“While I sat down to write this essay…”).

While you can sometimes use dialogue or a meaningful quotation from a close family member or friend, make sure it encapsulates your essay’s overall theme.

Find an original, creative way of starting your essay using the following two methods.

Option 1: Start with an intriguing hook

Begin your essay with an unexpected statement to pique the reader’s curiosity and compel them to carefully read your essay. A mysterious introduction disarms the reader’s expectations and introduces questions that can only be answered by reading more.

Option 2: Start with vivid imagery

Illustrate a clear, detailed image to immediately transport your reader into your memory. You can start in the middle of an important scene or describe an object that conveys your essay’s theme.

A college application essay allows you to be creative in your style and tone. As you draft your essay, try to use interesting language to enliven your story and stand out .

Show, don’t tell

“Tell” in writing means to simply state a fact: “I am a basketball player.” “ Show ” in writing means to use details, examples, and vivid imagery to help the reader easily visualize your memory: “My heart races as I set up to shoot一two seconds, one second一and score a three-pointer!”

First, reflect on every detail of a specific image or scene to recall the most memorable aspects.

• What are the most prominent images?
• Are there any particular sounds, smells, or tastes associated with this memory?
• What emotion or physical feeling did you have at that time?

Be vulnerable to create an emotional response

You don’t have to share a huge secret or traumatic story, but you should dig deep to express your honest feelings, thoughts, and experiences to evoke an emotional response. Showing vulnerability demonstrates humility and maturity. However, don’t exaggerate to gain sympathy.

Use appropriate style and tone

Make sure your essay has the right style and tone by following these guidelines:

• Use a conversational yet respectful tone: less formal than academic writing, but more formal than texting your friends.
• Prioritize using “I” statements to highlight your perspective.
• Write within your vocabulary range to maintain an authentic voice.
• Write concisely, and use the active voice to keep a fast pace.
• Follow grammar rules (unless you have valid stylistic reasons for breaking them).

You should end your college essay with a deep insight or creative ending to leave the reader with a strong final impression. Your college admissions essay should avoid the following:

• Summarizing what you already wrote
• Stating your hope of being accepted to the school
• Mentioning character traits that should have been illustrated in the essay, such as “I’m a hard worker”

Here are two strategies to craft a strong conclusion.

Option 1: Full circle, sandwich structure

The full circle, or sandwich, structure concludes the essay with an image, idea, or story mentioned in the introduction. This strategy gives the reader a strong sense of closure.

In the example below, the essay concludes by returning to the “museum” metaphor that the writer opened with.

Option 2: Revealing your insight

You can use the conclusion to show the insight you gained as a result of the experiences you’ve described. Revealing your main message at the end creates suspense and keeps the takeaway at the forefront of your reader’s mind.

Revise your essay before submitting it to check its content, style, and grammar. Get feedback from no more than two or three people.

It’s normal to go through several rounds of revision, but take breaks between each editing stage.

Also check out our college essay examples to see what does and doesn’t work in an essay and the kinds of changes you can make to improve yours.

Respect the word count

Most schools specify a word count for each essay , and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit.

Remain under the specified word count limit to show you can write concisely and follow directions. However, don’t write too little, which may imply that you are unwilling or unable to write a thoughtful and developed essay.

Check your content, style, and grammar

• First, check big-picture issues of message, flow, and clarity.
• Then, check for style and tone issues.
• Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Get feedback

Get feedback from 2–3 people who know you well, have good writing skills, and are familiar with college essays.

• Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your content, language, and tone.
• Friends and family can check for authenticity.
• An essay coach or editor has specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and can give objective expert feedback.

The checklist below helps you make sure your essay ticks all the boxes.

College admissions essay checklist

I’ve organized my essay prompts and created an essay writing schedule.

I’ve done a comprehensive brainstorm for essay topics.

I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me and reveals something different from the rest of my application.

I’ve created an outline to guide my structure.

I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of telling.

I’ve shown positive traits and values in my essay.

I’ve demonstrated self-reflection and insight in my essay.

I’ve used appropriate style and tone .

I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

I’ve revised my essay , checking my overall message, flow, clarity, and grammar.

I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Congratulations!

It looks like your essay ticks all the boxes. A second pair of eyes can help you take it to the next level – Scribbr's essay coaches can help.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

Is this article helpful?

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My University Paragraph Writing Example In English

Here is an example Paragraph on the topic of My University. This paragraph was written by one of the best essay writers. I hope you will find this sample the best one.

Table of Contents

Example Paragraph On My University

For hundreds of years, the university has been a place of learning, producing greats such as Socrates and Plato. The key to understanding the world is having the right education that comes from universities. Unfortunately, there are students at my university who don’t seem to care about their education at all, specially in math and calculation .

I go to school in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. We have 29,000 inhabitants in the city area and a further 125,000 in the city area. Wheaton College is located here. According to its website, “Wheaton College is a highly selective undergraduate liberal arts college that emphasizes Christian faith and practice.” However, many students do not come to Wheaten with a Christian background.

Some students are still going to college and treating it like high school. The party, drink alcohol and take drugs. On certain evenings you can often see groups of people smoking outside of the dormitories when they couldn’t smoke inside anyway (because they are not allowed to). They also don’t take their learning seriously, depending on cheating to get through high school. Some students aren’t even smart enough to do that, but still think they can pass tests with luck.

my university life, Sometimes I feel like there are too many distractions in our university, but the ability to focus is something everyone should be working on. A good education is important to get a job, but a lot of students at my university don’t care. They will be happy when they graduate with no debt and when the jobs they get are low-skilled jobs that anyone with a high school degree could get.

My University Campus Paragraph

Brimming with a lively student body and vibrant atmosphere, my university campus feels like a small city within a city. Architecturally impressive, the buildings exhibit a blend of classic and modern design. The library, our intellectual hub, is an architectural masterpiece, containing an extensive collection of books and digital resources that fuel our academic journeys.

Lush green spaces interspersed around the campus serve as perfect spots to unwind between classes or engage in impromptu study sessions under the shade of towering trees. The campus is dotted with various facilities, including state-of-the-art laboratories, modern lecture halls, a well-equipped gym, and even a small-scale cinema for those much-needed breaks. Our student union building, the heartbeat of the campus, hosts diverse events, fostering a sense of camaraderie and inclusivity.

Every corner of the campus teems with life. The echo of laughter emanating from the bustling cafeteria, the intellectual debates sparking up in quiet corners, and the sound of keyboard clicks from the computer lab, all contribute to the symphony of campus life. Each department has its distinct identity, yet they harmoniously blend together, creating a dynamic learning environment.

The campus is not just an academic sanctuary but also a cultural melting pot. Students from all walks of life converge here, bringing a richness of perspectives to every interaction. Walking through the campus, one can hear snippets of conversations in a multitude of languages – a testament to the diversity that our university prides itself on.

Above all, the campus embodies the spirit of innovation and aspiration. Every day, you can see students working on groundbreaking research, participating in clubs and societies that mirror their passions, or simply engaging in meaningful conversations that push the boundaries of their thought. This sense of shared ambition, the will to learn and grow, to make a difference, is what truly characterizes my university campus.

As a student, the campus is my second home, a place I’ve grown to love and cherish. It’s where I’ve made lifelong friendships, expanded my horizons, and truly discovered myself. My university campus is more than just a place; it’s an experience, a journey I’ll always hold dear.

My University Life Paragraph

My university life in South Africa can only be described as a vibrant fusion of cultures, knowledge, and experiences that shaped me into a global citizen. An average day starts with a brisk walk across the sprawling campus, flanked by both neoclassical architecture and modern facilities. My course load is demanding yet rewarding, filled with thought-provoking lectures and spirited debates. I’m currently majoring in Computer Science, a field that challenges and intrigues me on a daily basis.

The diversity of the student body is truly remarkable, with individuals hailing from different continents, cultures, and backgrounds. This multicultural milieu encourages open-mindedness and fosters deep insights into global perspectives, helping me to grow not just as a student but as a person.

The importance of extracurriculars is not lost on us. Our student-run clubs and societies span a vast range of interests, from robotics and coding to art and music. I am an active member of the University’s Coding Club, where we work on real-world problems and develop innovative solutions.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my university life is the opportunity to give back to the community. Through various university-led initiatives, I have been able to volunteer at local schools, contributing to their academic and personal development.

However, university life isn’t without its challenges. Balancing academics, extracurriculars, and personal life can be overwhelming. And yet, facing these challenges head-on has taught me valuable lessons about resilience, time management, and the importance of mental health.

Despite the long, grueling study hours, the occasional bouts of homesickness, and the pressure of looming deadlines, my university life holds an unrivaled charm. The friendships I’ve forged, the mentorship I’ve received, the knowledge I’ve gained, and the memories I’ve created make this journey truly worthwhile. University isn’t just a phase of academic advancement—it’s a transformative chapter of life that shapes my identity, molds my character, and prepares me for the world beyond.

In conclusion, my university life is the crucible where I am constantly learning, growing, and evolving. The interplay of academics, extracurricular engagements, and personal relationships provide a rich tapestry of experiences that have been instrumental in my personal and professional development. These years have been challenging, illuminating, and ultimately rewarding, shaping me into a confident, globally aware, and well-rounded individual. My university life is more than just an educational journey; it’s a journey of self-discovery and personal growth that will leave an indelible imprint on my identity.

Essay On My University

Introduction.

As I reflect on my time at university, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude for the wealth of experiences and knowledge I’ve gathered. To say that my university life has been transformative would be an understatement. It has been a journey of self-discovery, filled with unique opportunities, inspiring mentors, and friendships that will last a lifetime. This essay will give you a glimpse into my unforgettable journey, the lessons learned, the challenges faced, and my personal growth during the adventurous voyage of my university life.

The Academic Rigor

My university experience has been an academic whirlwind. From the challenging coursework in the sciences to the engaging lectures in the humanities, the intellectual rigor of my university has both stretched and stimulated my mind. I’ve been fortunate to learn from professors who are not only experts in their fields but also passionate educators.

Embracing the Culture

One of the things I love most about my university is its rich cultural diversity. As a Nigerian university, we have students from across the country and around the world. This melting pot of cultures has broadened my worldview and enhanced my understanding of different perspectives.

The Power of Community

The university experience is about more than academics; it’s about being part of a community. Through various clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities, I’ve made lifelong friends and developed a strong bond with my university. This sense of community has been an invaluable part of my university life.

Looking Towards the Future

As I look toward the future, I’m grateful for the foundation my university has provided. Beyond the knowledge and skills I’ve gained, my university has taught me resilience, critical thinking, and the importance of community. I’m excited to carry these lessons with me as I move forward in my journey.

Reflecting on my university life, it’s clear that this journey has been transformative, filled with rich learning experiences, diverse cultural exposure, and a strong sense of community. The university has not only equipped me with academic knowledge, but also with essential life skills and lifelong bonds. As I step into the next phase of my life, I carry with me the confidence that my university has instilled in me, ready to face the world and make a difference. The memories I’ve made, the friends I’ve gained, and the lessons I’ve learned will forever remain an integral part of me. Indeed, my university life has been an unforgettable chapter in my life’s book.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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University Life Essay In English

University Life Essay In English is written here. In student life no doubt the University life is the most memorable and charming time. At university life, the students are able to be a responsible and sensible person. This is the main stage of your personal grooming as compared to school and college life. There is also a freedom of action for a student from families comparatively school and college. This is because, after the successful completion of university life mostly students know that they will further go to the professional life so, the sensible university life leads to the best professional life for them. University life is the main foundation of building a professional attitude. (Also check My First Day at University Essay )

Entering into a university, the new atmosphere and environment feel your pleasure to live freely. The freedom of environment and less restricted area teaches you how to bring a control and maintenance. This is one of the best learning of your life. There is a huge number of opportunities in order to exhibit your skills and talent in front of others. In this stage, you are really appreciated and motivated under the instructions of the professional and experienced trainer, professors and instructors.

University life is the longest time period of student life are compared to school and college period so the university friends and long lasting and called the ever true friends. Because university life makes you mature and sensible in making decision whereas you didn’t have any serious knowledge regarding the true friends and doesn’t know about the weak and strong points of a friend.

The most painful thing of the university is obviously the burden of studies. There is huge competition in university life to beat one another with respect to skills and knowledge. In university life, there is no concept of books students have to maintain their assignments and projects with the help of internet rather than from teacher’s lectures. This may lead someone to frustrations and tiredness due to wakening late at night in order to prepare assignments and projects.

At university life, you learn the team working, mutual understanding power and leadership qualities. Team working makes you build challenging guts to beat the future challenges. No doubt university life builds strong qualities in your personality in positive ways. In university life, students are very conscious of their time and responsibilities and spent their time in productive activities as compared to school and college life.

University life is rightly said that the amazing and memorable time of every student’s life. There is a huge number of opportunities to groom your personality in a positive way. This life also makes you able to judge between good or bad people for yourselves as a friend. I am still missing my university life and those moments with friend and teachers who make me an intellectual, sensible person and those learning point of life which are never forgettable ever. Those students who didn’t pass through the university life surely miss the most charming time of their student life. So check University Life Essay In English from this page.

I am professional education consultant and Teacher, my primary goal is to support students in accessing educational services through Pakistan's rapidly expanding educational website. I strive to provide valuable guidance and assistance to help students make informed decisions about their academic paths and future careers.

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A day in the life of a university student

(Last updated: 10 May 2021)

Since 2006, Oxbridge Essays has been the UK’s leading paid essay-writing and dissertation service

We have helped 10,000s of undergraduate, Masters and PhD students to maximise their grades in essays, dissertations, model-exam answers, applications and other materials. If you would like a free chat about your project with one of our UK staff, then please just reach out on one of the methods below.

Following a comment from ‘Girlinthehaze’ on our recent ‘Top 10 UK Universities’ article, we have delved into the experiences of university students across the country to bring you this report from the academic frontline!

Of course every university students experience is different and varies according to the subject you are studying and the specific institution you attend, but we hope our ‘day in the life’ will give a helpful idea of the sort of day-to-day experience you can expect from a UK university. Hopefully, this will be helpful to all our readers who are contemplating the next step to higher education and finding it difficult to imagine just exactly what it might entail.

8.30am (or later if you are an arts student!!) Breakfast in the cafeteria.

The rising times of university students are notoriously erratic and varied! From those crazy rowers who are up before dawn breaking the ice on the river ready to practise before breakfast, to the medics who are up every day in time for their lecture to the English students who have nothing they need to get up for until the afternoon.

The thing this really shows you is how much independence and control over your own schedule you will have at university. Unlike school where lessons are scheduled throughout the day, at uni you are more likely to have a few lectures, supervisions and tutorial sessions scattered through the week. What you do with the time in between is up to you.

However don’t let this fool you into thinking it’s all fun and games – you need to manage your time and use those extra hours for the much greater amount of personal study that will, of you at university. (This includes reading, research and essay writing, all of which you will have to find the time for in between lectures).

9-12 Lectures in the lecture hall

Lectures can be quite a novel experience when you first arrive at university – usually faculty-organised and attended by the whole year group of students in any given subject, are often held in old-fashioned amphitheatre-like halls. You will often find yourself sitting on a wooden bench peering down at a professor standing behind a lectern, and frantically scribbling in the notepad on your knee.

Some students report that every lecture was essential to their course (if you’re a medic, you can’t exactly skip over the day they talk about the knee), others that they were more optional and worth attending only when relevant to your current area of study. Here are our top lecture tips:

• If choosing which lectures to attend, make sure you ask advice from students in the year above you – lecture series are often repeated annually and they will have the best info on who are the most exciting and interesting speakers and which lectures are most helpful for your course.
• Take notes! It can be very easy to daydream your way through your first few lectures, but you will find yourself stuck at exam time when you realise you can’t remember a thing! It is important not only to take notes, but also to keep a well organised filing system to keep them sorted by topic – trust me, you’ll be glad you did when it comes to revision!
• Team up. If there are two useful lectures on at the same time (which seems to happen fairly often) then get together with a friend and decide to go to one lecture each, then meet up to swap notes and ideas.

1-2 Lunch in the cafeteria or back at student accommodation

University food can be notoriously hit-and-miss, with some students giving rave reviews of their café or formal hall fare and others reporting inedible and unidentifiable gloop! One big piece of advice seems to be that vegetarians are often better off going for the self-catering option, as almost all reports suggest a distinct lack of variety and quality to university-provided veggie options.

If you do decide to self-cater, you might find yourself sharing a kitchen with others on your corridor or staircase: if so, you might find it helpful to glance at these ideas:

• Buy a padlock! It sounds anti-social and dramatic, but after the third or fourth time your food cupboard is cleaned out by drunken third years on their way back from a night on the town you’ll wish you’d secured your supplies.
• Start a kitty. Grouping together with a bunch of friends in a shared kitchen and all chipping in for basics like milk and bread means it turns out much cheaper in the long run.
• Make a washing up rota. Mouldy fridges, scummy sinks, piles of encrusted dishes…it simply isn’t worth the hassle of trusting everyone to do their own washing up (especially if you’re sharing your kitchen with boys).

2-6 Seminars, supervisions and labs

There are different levels and sizes of group-organised academic sessions at university and you will be likely to experience a variety of them. Seminars are like a stepping-stone between lectures and tutorials – they typically involve around 30-50 students and are professor-led, but can also include some rich and diverse student involvement and debate. Speaking up in a seminar can be good practice for your supervision sessions, where the spotlight will be much more on you. They are also a great place to pick up on the wide range of possible ideas and theories around an academic subject, as you get the chance to discuss with so many other students.

Labs are a different type of seminar experienced by medics and science students, often focussing on a particular experiment or (gulp) dissection. We are told it is not unusual at all to feel a little queasy on your first dissection experience, and not at all frowned upon to take a break and get some fresh air, so don’t be embarrassed – that formaldehyde smell takes a little getting used to!

Supervisions or tutorials typically involve between one and five students with a single supervisor and are more like a classroom setting, though much more student involvement is typical than you will have been used to at school. Often students are required to prepare an essay in advance of the supervision, which is then read aloud and discussed in the session. Here are our top tutorial tips:

• Always be prepared. In a supervision or tutorial there is nowhere to hide if you don’t know the answer to the question – unlike in a lecture or seminar where you can keep your hand down and just listen, you will be required to speak up and you will be expected to have prepared. If there is a set text, make sure you have read it; if there is an essay required, make sure you have written it. Otherwise you risk not only wasting your own time but also that of your supervisors and fellow students.
• Be brave. A supervisor might sound like they are criticising your work quite fiercely, but this is often simply a tactic on their part to force you to defend your ideas and really back them up with evidence and collaboration. They aren’t trying to make you look stupid, they are trying to widen your academic thought and bring out your capacity for intelligent debate, so don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and fight your corner (politely, of course!)
• Listen. Some students aren’t used to this form of teaching and find it difficult at first not to stick to their own ideas alone. The richest and most exciting teaching sessions happen when you share ideas with your peers and allow their theories to shape and inform your own.

6-9 Sports, clubs, rehearsals, debates, hobbies…

The sheer spectrum of extra-curricular activities available at university can seem completely overwhelming when you first arrive. From teams for every sport under the sun to language clubs, debating, music and drama and pretty much anything else you can think of, if you are interested in it, there will be a society for it.

Make sure you spend time at the freshers’ fair in your first week where every society will have a stand explaining what they’re about and what they offer. There are usually friendly reps on hand to offer advice and information so don’t be afraid to ask all the questions you need to work out what really takes your fancy. You can usually sign up to as many mailing lists as you like to keep you in the loop about events, meetings auditions and try-outs.

It is quite normal to try a whole raft of hobbies in your first few weeks before narrowing it down to the ones you really want to pursue (and can manage to fit in to your schedule!) It is generally very acceptable to try a few sessions of anything before deciding whether or not to commit to it. Just remember that as time goes on your academic commitments are likely to become more time-consuming, so make sure you leave yourself enough time to get all your work done!

10 Staying in, going out

Most university towns are packed with nightspots and the clubs and bars will usually have various university student nights on offer. Make sure you take full advantage of the special offers you can usually get with your various student cards. Freshers’ week tends to be a whirl of bar crawls, theme nights and ‘bops’ or ‘ents’, but don’t feel under pressure to go to them all – everyone needs the odd night in to actually get some reading done!

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — High School — Contrasting High School Life vs University Life

Contrasting High School Life Vs University Life

• Categories: High School University

About this sample

Words: 619 |

Published: Sep 1, 2023

Words: 619 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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Structured routines vs. autonomous decision-making, academic demands and intellectual exploration, personal growth and social exploration, embracing responsibility and independence, conclusion: a journey of transformation.

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Community Essay Examples

When crafting your college applications, writing strong essays is essential. Through your essays, you demonstrate who you are–from your values and passions to your lived experiences. Indeed the personal statement is the most common college essay. However, you will also likely have to write some supplemental essays as part of your college application requirements. One of the most common supplemental essay types is the community essay. This essay type is also known as a describe the community you live in essay, cultural diversity essay, or community service essay.

In this article, we will introduce several community essay examples. Most importantly, we’ll describe why they are considered college essays that worked. Specifically, we will share community essay examples from the two schools:

• Princeton University
• Columbia University

By studying these admissions essay samples, you can see what makes these college community essay examples strong and apply those same principles to your writing.

Reviewing Types of College Essays

Each school has different supplemental essay prompts for their college application requirements. However, there are a few types of essays that are most common. By becoming familiar with these essay types, you can begin to brainstorm and strategize what you will write about early on. You might start as early as sophomore or junior year in high school. 

Now, let’s take a look at the most common supplementary essay questions.

Common Supplementary Essay Questions

1. why school.

A Why School essay is, as it sounds, about why you wish to attend a specific institution. The key to answering this prompt well is to be specific. You should identify examples of what you like about a school. Avoid general comments such as “it is a top school” or “it is diverse.” Share specific programs, professors, teaching approaches, cultural elements, or unique opportunities such as research or study abroad.

2. Why Major

The Why Major essay asks you to share specific reasons behind your choice of major and how it relates to your future goals. A strong response to a Why Major essay will highlight your specific motivations. But it will also connect those motivations to a school’s unique opportunities. For example, perhaps you wish to be a pre-law history major, and the school you are applying to offers law-related internships. By highlighting these specific connections, you draw a compelling connection between yourself and the school.

3. Extracurricular Activity

Many schools ask you to describe an extracurricular activity that is particularly meaningful for you. When responding to this question, do not feel limited to only talk about the most popular extracurricular activities for college applications, like clubs or sports. Consider all of the activities you do outside of school. Then choose the one that is most meaningful to you. Also, give specific examples of how you grew or made an impact within your extracurricular activities for college.

4. Community Essay

The Community Essay can have slightly different angles to it. But, the uniting factor is that the school wants to know how you engage with others around you. Some types of community essays are a describe the community you live in essay or a cultural diversity essay. In recent years, the cultural diversity essay has been a more common college application requirement.

Coming up, we will share a bit more about how to break down community essay prompts. We’ll also take a look at college essays that worked. By reading these examples, you’ll know how to approach these common prompts.

How to identify a community essay?

While community essays can have slightly different focuses, they all share the goal of learning about where you come from. A supplemental essay prompt might ask you to share more about your background via a group you are part of. This is likely a community essay. Indeed, a community essay can also be called a describe the community you live in essay, or a cultural diversity essay. Other college community essay examples focus on how you will contribute to a college campus. Finally, in a describe a community you belong to essay example, you will see that students highlight any community that is meaningful to them.

You may be wondering why so many colleges have community essays as a college application requirement. For one, many colleges use a holistic admissions process. This means they care about all aspects of who you are, not simply your grades and test scores. How you engage with your communities shows them your character and values. For example, a describe the community you live in essay example about visiting church every Sunday demonstrates your commitment to religion. Similarly, a cultural diversity essay helps colleges learn more about your cultural background. 

Additionally, colleges want to learn more about how you will engage with their on-campus community. You’ll notice this important factor in the college community essay examples we will share. To some degree, how you have engaged with previous communities can be an indicator of how you will show up on their campus.

How is a community essay different?

As we mentioned, community essays can have slightly different focuses. Some prompts ask you to write a describe the community you live in essay. These types of community essays are more like cultural diversity essays. 

Keep in mind that the word “community” can have many different meanings. A community can be your school, church, or neighborhood. It could also stem from your interests. For example, your dance or robotics team can form your community.

Some community essay prompts want to know specifically how you help strengthen your communities. These types of essays are considered a community service essay. Another term for community service is “civic engagement.” An example of civic engagement might be getting people in your cultural community to sign up to vote. Or, another could be helping with church fundraisers to ensure that your local community has the resources it needs to thrive. 

In sum, the keywords you might see in a community essay prompt are “civic engagement,” “community service,” “serve your community,” “contribute to your community,” or “diversity.” No matter how it’s phrased, your essay should demonstrate the impact you’ve had on your community–whichever one you choose to highlight. 

What are some examples of community essays?

In this article, we will share several community essay examples. Specifically, we will highlight Princeton essay examples and Columbia essays examples. Let’s look at these two colleges’ essay prompts. 

The first Princeton supplemental essay prompt is a part of our college community essay examples and our cultural diversity essay examples. Here is the prompt:

Princeton Community Essay Prompt #1: Cultural Diversity Essay and College Community Essay Examples

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. as a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. what lessons have you learned in life thus far what will your classmates learn from you in short, how has your lived experience shaped you  (please respond in 500 words or fewer.).

In this cultural diversity essay prompt, Princeton wants to know about your lived experiences. By this, they refer to any experiences that have shaped you profoundly. A lived experience can be a specific event, such as experiencing a car crash or winning an award. Or, it could be a set of experiences that resulted from life circumstances, such as being a first-generation college student or having taken a gap year .

This essay prompt will also lead to college community essay examples. Indeed Princeton wants to read about your lived experiences and how they impacted you. But, they also want to know how you will bring those lessons to the Princeton community, should you enroll . Also, note that this prompt mentions challenging ideas and beliefs via conversation. As you respond, look for ways to highlight how you have engaged in fruitful dialogue and how you would do so at Princeton.

To answer this prompt effectively, share specific examples. Additionally, be sure to answer all parts of the prompt. 

Princeton has a second supplemental essay prompt that focuses on how you engage with your community outside of the classroom. The prompt is as follows: 

Princeton Community Essay Prompt #2: Civic Engagement

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. how does your own story intersect with these ideals (250 words or fewer) .

To answer this prompt well, you must highlight specific examples of how you have positively impacted your community. As a starting point, consider which of your communities you have most engaged with. How have you done so and what results did you have?

The Columbia Community Essay Prompt is another of our college community essay examples. It is a cultural diversity essay, as well. Here is the prompt: 

Columbia Community Essay Prompt: A Cultural Diversity Essay

A hallmark of the columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (150 words or fewer).

While this prompt is similar to Princeton’s, it also references perspectives and viewpoints. In doing so, the prompt opens you up to share opinions or values that are important to you. You might consider highlighting values in your family or community that you either hold close or disagree with. 

Note that Columbia also highlights the word “collaborative” in this prompt. This indicates that your cultural diversity essay should also show how you collaborate with others.

Which schools require a community essay?

In addition to Princeton and Columbia, many other schools have community essays as part of their college application requirements. Here are some other examples of community essay prompts:

In this UNC-Chapel Hill prompt , you must describe a specific example of how you made an impact on a community. The prompt reads:

The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill: A Community Service Essay Prompt

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. this could be your current community or another community you have engaged. (250-word limit).

In responding, be sure to highlight what community you are referencing, the specific impact you made, and what personal quality helped you do so.

This prompt from UMichigan is a describe a community you belong to essay example, as well as a cultural diversity essay:

The University of Michigan: Describe a Community You Belong to Essay Example

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (required for all applicants. 1,500 character limit.).

In addition to describing the community, make sure to share how you engage with it and what it has taught you. Remember that community is a broad term. So, for this prompt you can respond with any type of community in mind, whether physical or cultural. In contrast to the describe the community you live in essay, you do not have to be geographically close to the community you describe here.

Duke University: Cultural Diversity Essay Prompts

Duke offers students five supplemental prompts to choose from, of which they can reply to two. Of these supplemental prompts, four are examples of cultural diversity essays:

1. We believe a wide range of viewpoints, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to maintaining Duke as a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.

2. we believe there is benefit in sharing or questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with what are you agreeing or disagreeing about, 3. duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community., 4. we recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity..

Each of these prompts is a slightly different type of cultural diversity essay, from sharing a range of opinions to not fitting in within a community. Choose the essay prompts that most resonate with you. And share specific examples that bring your cultural diversity essay to life.

In this Yale University supplemental prompt , you must choose a community that you feel connected to and describe why it is meaningful. Here’s the prompt:

Yale University: Describe a Community You Belong to Essay Example

Reflect on your membership in a community to which you feel connected. why is this community meaningful to you you may define community however you like. (400-word limit).

When responding, be sure to highlight what you have learned or how you have grown from this community. In contrast to a describe the community you live in essay, this essay can be about any community, near or far, that resonates with you. Indeed, the prompt gives you plenty of leeway in what you consider community. 

When responding to the UC system prompts , you must choose four of the eight available personal insight questions. One of the PIQs is a community service essay prompt:

The University of California Personal Insight Question: A Community Service Prompt

What have you done to make your school or your community a better place, things to consider: think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team or a place like your high school, hometown or home. you can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community, why were you inspired to act what did you learn from your effort how did your actions benefit others, the wider community or both did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community.

Similar to many of the other prompts, when answering this question, be sure to identify the specific impact you made on your community.

Now that we have looked at various examples of community essay prompts, we can explore community essay examples. Reading essay examples is a great way to get inspired to write your own college essays. 

In each of the highlighted college essays that worked, note what the author did expertly. Rather than trying to copy their responses, topics, or ideas, consider how you can apply those same skills to your writing. 

Princeton Community Essay Examples

In this section, we will highlight Princeton essay examples that respond to their two community essay prompts: a cultural diversity essay and a community service essay. 

The first of our Princeton essay examples responds to the following Princeton prompt: 

Princeton Essay Examples #1: Cultural Diversity Essay

Now, let’s take a look at a student’s response to this prompt focusing on lived experiences. 

Princeton Essay Examples #1 Student Response

I have spent most of my life living in a 41% minority town of 1.8 square miles called Highland Park, NJ. This typically overlooked town has introduced me to a diverse array of people, and it has been the main influence on my life experiences and core values.

In the face of distinct cultures and customs, we forge a single identity as Highland Parkers and come together to organize large community events. The most prevalent example is our highly touted annual Memorial Day parade, where we join together with neighboring New Brunswick to invite military service members, family members of our fallen war heroes, our legislative and congressional representatives, and our townspeople. Moreover, as our high school band’s vice president, I help organize and lead our ensemble into these performances with a positive and uplifting spirit. We communicate with the town government and arrange the performances every year to perform at the parade. The parade is an example of many of our large community events that serve as a unifying force for our diverse community, reminding us that we are fundamentally connected as one cohesive group, despite our differences. 

As someone deeply interested in historical and political matters, I am well aware of the consequences that arise from dictatorial protocols that limit the freedom of speech and diversity of voices. From my experiences debating in Model UN conferences, I have grown accustomed to being able to present viewpoints from both sides of the argument, and I have learned to incorporate and respect the viewpoints of all sides of an issue before making up my own mind. For example, in a Model Congress debate, I found myself advocating for the interests of a state heavily reliant on traditional fossil fuels. While researching and articulating that perspective, I gained insights into the economic challenges faced by the states that are reliant on these resources. This experience not only broadened my understanding of the complexities surrounding environmental policies but also highlighted the necessity of considering diverse viewpoints for comprehensive decision-making. 

My background and experiences have fostered in me a profound appreciation for the value of diversity, inclusivity, and the pursuit of knowledge. At Princeton University, I will seek to contribute as an active participant in the community, actively provide unique perspectives and insights, and respect and learn from others’ perspectives even if there are disagreements. I wish to partake in student government, which has like-minded peers who want to make a substantive impact, and also participate in service programs like the Civic Leadership Council. Also, I hope to increase my impact from the leadership positions I currently hold on the Red Cross club and teen mayoral advisory council using the platforms in Princeton. I look forward to making a positive impact on both the campus and the broader community. 

Why This Cultural Diversity Essay Worked

In the first of our Princeton essay examples, the student successfully responds to all parts of the Princeton prompt. They begin by describing their community and sharing some details about its makeup. Indeed, the first sentence hooks the reader–it is unique and compelling. 

Then, the student illustrates how they specifically contribute to their community each year by leading the high school band in the Memorial Day parade. They also highlight how their experience in Model UN shaped their appreciation for diverse perspectives. In sharing these two examples, the student demonstrates their leadership and open-minded thinking. Finally, the student ends by highlighting how they would use these values to contribute to Princeton’s community– by partaking in student government and Civic Leadership Council, among other activities.

In the second of our Princeton essay examples, the student responds to the second Princeton prompt which is: 

Princeton Essay Examples #2: A Community Service Essay

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. how does your own story intersect with these ideals (250 words or fewer).

And, here is a student’s response:

Princeton Essay Examples #2 Student Response

My first experience with the Red Cross was when my older sister was desperately trying to recruit people to join the club during the harsh COVID year. Things were so bad for the club that I, as a freshman, ran for the position of treasurer unopposed. My first blood drive experience was marked by masks, social distancing, and low turnout among blood donors. Even many donors who showed up ended up being turned away due to health-related issues. Needless to say, it was not the greatest first high school service experience, and I admittedly started to doubt if the time I spent on this front was worth it. 

However, as we returned in person, things quickly turned around. As the vice president of the club, I helped recruit more than twice the club membership compared to the previous year, and our blood drives started to regain momentum; our blood targets have been exceeded every time since. Organizing and participating in blood drives has become a passion. It’s fulfilling, especially when I personally donate, to know that I’m actively serving the community and saving lives. I have realized that, despite my relatively young age, I am capable of making an impact through public service. I plan to continue my commitment to the Red Cross’s adult program and participate in service programs like Community Action at Princeton to serve the Princeton community and abroad.

Why This Essay Worked

In this admissions essay sample, we learn about a student’s volunteerism with the Red Cross as an example of civic engagement. This essay works for several reasons. First, it provides a specific example of the student’s civic engagement and demonstrates their impact by becoming vice president and increasing membership. Secondly, the essay provides an honest take on the struggles of this service experience, which lends credibility and authenticity to the story. 

The student also demonstrates an important lesson learned. This aligns with Princeton’s values– that students can have a positive impact on society. 

Columbia University Essay Examples

In this section, we will highlight Columbia essays examples that landed students admission to the prestigious Ivy League university. The first of our Columbia essays examples is written by the same student who responded to the first Princeton prompt above. Here’s a reminder of the Columbia prompt: 

As you read the example below, notice how the student edited their Princeton cultural diversity essay to meet the prompt and lower word count for Columbia:

I have spent most of my life living in a 41% minority town called Highland Park, NJ. This typically overlooked town has introduced me to a diverse array of people, and it has been the main influence on my life experiences and core values. 

HP has convinced me that we can build institutions that are strong and united while embracing a wide variety of voices and perspectives. It has shaped my core values of diversity and inclusion. An English teacher used to encourage me to talk in front of the class by saying even if I believed my thoughts were “dumb,” I could only enrich the conversation.

At Columbia University, I will seek to continue my contributions as an active participant in the community and look to actively provide unique perspectives and insights. Actively engaging in student groups such as ColumbiaVotes will be a big part of my experience. 

The Columbia essay prompt only allows for a 150-word response. This could pose a challenge for many students. What makes this essay among the Columbia essays examples that worked is how succinctly it completely answers the prompt. 

The response begins by hooking the reader with a relevant detail of the student’s community. Then, the student shares how this community shaped them by influencing their values of diversity and inclusion. Finally, the student shares how they would engage with a Columbia organization that also supports diverse viewpoints. Though short and sweet, this response clearly answers all parts of the Columbia prompt. 

More Community Essay Examples

The final of our community essay examples is a community service essay. Let’s look at how student framed their service experience:

“I don’t believe that’s the best way to do this.” 

The moment I thought this the first time I volunteered at my local soup kitchen was one that resulted in a drastic change. When I was informed of the way the food was being served to the public, the initial excitement that I had felt diminished. We were told that the plates would be served before anyone arrived and would remain in an area where people could pick it up and seat themselves. I felt that this method was impersonal and inconsiderate, and disappointment washed over me. 

I turned to the people that were around me and discovered that they shared the same disapproval I felt. When we agreed that a change must be made, we exchanged ideas on how to present this to the woman in charge of the program. I suggested that we should serve each person one-by-one, and only give them the food if they wanted to/could eat it. They suggested multiple ideas, including that we should offer to seat them, hold their plates for them, continue to check in on them, and dispose of their plates once they finish their meal. We believed that this way would genuinely make them feel better and would allow us to get to know some of them personally. A simple smile and conversation could be enough to improve their day. 

From this day on, the way in which the local soup kitchen serves our community has changed dramatically. This experience taught me the importance of speaking up for what you believe in. In a group setting, it is likely that there will be others who share the same end goal and are willing to contribute different ideas to achieve the goal. These different perspectives can allow you to see situations in ways that you previously hadn’t, and can result in better outcomes. It also showed me the importance of leadership.

If I had never spoken up about the way the food was being served, a change might have never happened. When you work in the group, the end goal may not be for the benefit of anyone in the group, but for others who are in need. This experience also showed me the beauty in doing good for others and making others happy, even through small things such as serving them food to their liking.

In this community service essay, the student shares their experience volunteering at a soup kitchen. Volunteering at a soup kitchen is not necessarily unique in the list of extracurricular activities for college applications. However, the student highlights several aspects of the experience that make it meaningful to them. 

To start, the student shares their experience challenging the way that food was served. The student suggested that food be served directly to attendees in order to better connect with community members. Through this experience, the student learns about leadership and working with others to achieve a common goal. This specific example demonstrates the student’s collaborative values and compassionate way of thinking, both of which are great attributes to highlight in college applications.

How To Write A Community Essay

As we saw in the community essay examples, there are several hallmarks of college essays that worked. To write a good community essay, whether it be a community service essay, a cultural diversity essay, or a describe the community you live in essay, you must start by understanding the prompt. Once you have carefully read through the prompt, brainstorm examples from your own life that relate to it. Sharing specific details and examples will make your response stronger and more unique. 

Additionally, showcase how you grew throughout your response. In each of the community essay examples we shared, the student discussed a skill or perspective they developed through their experiences. Finally, connect your response to the school you are applying to. If you are writing a cultural diversity essay, for example, demonstrate how you would contribute to the cultural diversity at that school, both inside the classroom and in your extracurricular activities for college.  

Topics To Avoid In Your Community Essay

When writing community essays, there is technically no topic that you cannot discuss. However, how you discuss certain topics is important. 

For example, in a community service essay, it is important to not come off as a savior of a community with less privilege than yourself. Similarly, if you are writing a describe the community you live in essay or a cultural diversity essay, you will want to avoid stereotyping any community. Speaking from your own personal experience as a member of a community is fine. However, generalizing your experience to the community at large can come across as insensitive to that community’s diversity. To avoid these pitfalls, have a variety of people read your community essay examples and look for these dynamics.

Additional Tips for Community Essays

We’ve highlighted the strengths in the community essay examples above. Now we will now share some more tips for making your community essays a strong part of your college applications:

Tips for Writing Community Essays

1. research the college.

When reviewing our college community essay examples, you will notice that students highlight specific clubs, programs, or groups on campus to which they will contribute. If you are specific, you demonstrate real interest in the school which adds strength to your college applications.

2. Tell a story

In each of the college essays that worked, students gave details that told a full story . This story incorporated where they come from and what they learned through their experiences. Rather than telling us who they were, the students used this particular story to show us.

As the college admissions landscape gets ever more competitive, students are sometimes tempted to read other students’ essays and copy ideas. Or, more recently, they may even want to use artificial intelligence to write their essays. However, AI and other students’ experiences won’t show admissions who you really are. Don’t worry about whether you have the best extracurricular activities for college or the most unique cultural diversity essay. Instead, talk about the experiences that truly matter to you. By being honest, you are more likely to come across as convincing and interesting. In each of our college community essay examples, students presented a true and well-thought-out response to the prompts.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore 

As you work on your college applications, you might be in search of additional resources. CollegeAdvisor has a wealth of webinars and articles that can help you navigate writing your essays. Here are a few:

More CollegeAdvisor Resources for Essays

1. short essay examples.

Some of the cultural diversity essays you may write will be short, meaning that they are 150 words or less. This article with short essay examples can help you understand how to write short and sweet cultural diversity essays.

2. Cultural Diversity Essay Examples

In this article , you will find additional examples of cultural diversity essays. Many community essays are also cultural diversity essays. As such, becoming familiar with how students write about their cultures is useful.

3. The Ultimate Guide to Supplemental Essays

In this webinar , CollegeAdvisor experts provide a rundown of how to write strong supplemental essays for your college applications. In particular, this webinar will help you decode essay prompts and make sure you answer each prompt fully.

4. Editing Your Supplemental Essays

Once you have read up on college community essay examples and written your cultural diversity essays, you might need help editing them. This webinar will provide tips for how to edit your supplemental essays effectively.

Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Completing your college applications can be a daunting task, especially when you must write multiple essays. For some students, writing cultural diversity essays is challenging. These prompts ask you to dig deep and reflect upon your life influences.

In this guide to community essays, we provided an overview of what a community essay is and how to respond to the different types of community essay prompts. We shared cultural diversity essay examples and describe the community you live in essay examples. We also described what makes these essays strong and how they meet college application requirements. 

In short, the key to writing stand-out essays is to be authentic and thorough in your responses. If you need additional help writing your cultural diversity essay, seek out the support of a trusted resource like CollegeAdvisor. We are here to help you craft the best college applications that could gain you admissions to the school of your dreams!

This article was written by Courtney Ng. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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12 Tips for Answer Georgia College and State University Personal Essay Questions

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Writing a strong personal essay is an essential component of the application process when you apply to Georgia College and State University (GCSU).  In the personal essay questions , the  themes of career goals, personal growth, and community service are often emphasised. The university asks the students to elaborate on why they are interested in a particular field of study or recount a challenging situation they went through and how they managed to resolve it. 

Students can demonstrate their skills, achievements, and values by using real-life experiences as examples. In addition, the university’s personal essay questions require students to strike a balance between self-reflection and storytelling. Students must also present clear knowledge of how their experiences and prospective goals relate to the institution’s values. 

However, some students do not have enough skills to effectively answer such questions while  applying to university. So, this guide is for such students. Here,  we will provide tips on  writing a personal statement and answering such essay questions in your university application. 

How to Answer Georgia College and State University Personal Essay Questions?

Georgia College aims to extend education outside of the classroom to support students' critical thinking abilities. Thus, they have incorporated such questions into the enrolment applications. Below are the 12 tips that will provide  assistance with your essay  questions and improve your chances of having your application accepted.

1. Know the Best Ideas for Your Essay

The personal essay questions Georgia College and State University are meant to add more insight into your application. In addition, the response to such personal essay topics helps the admission committee to know more about you. To write a strong essay, make sure that your thoughts are coherent and reflect your own experiences. 

Here, we are providing you with some tricks to come up with amazing ideas:

• Understand the prompt.
• Read the question carefully.
• Get the core ideas.

Ideas Brainstorming

• Recall life events that have shaped who you are today.
• Think about how your social, academic or cultural backgrounds have influenced you.
• Remember times when you overcame challenges or achieved milestones in life.
• Focus on strengths or areas of passion for you.

Your ideas must:

• Be relevant to the prompt.
• Be realistic.
• In line with what the university stands for.

2. Reflect on Your Experiences

As you prepare to apply to university, remember the experiences that have contributed to shaping you the way you are now. Your essay should show how these developments, interests, and objectives align with the university's mission and values.

Think about the following points while you reflect on your experiences:

Obstacles and Challenges

What barriers or hurdles have hindered your progress in the past, and what methods did you capitalise on to go beyond them? Which abilities were sharpened from these experiences? How did these experiences affect your outlook towards life and your goals?

Positions and Duties in Leadership

Retrace your steps and recount what you acquired. Restate lessons you learned from playing a leading role.

Academic Accomplishments and Interests

Reverse the positions, think about yourself, and concentrate on your various achievements in class. How did you develop an interest in these areas, and what have they done to help you reach your goals?

Development of the Self and Self-Awareness

Apart from considering one’s personal developments, consider the times when challenges or disappointments were faced and dealt with. When and how did you confront these challenges? What did you learn about yourself while doing so?

As you think about these events, think about the following questions:

• What skills did this encounter assist me in developing or improving?
• What changes has this encounter brought to my ambitions and goals?
• In what way does this experience relate to my aspirations and objectives?
• What values or principles did this experience instil or reinforce in me?
• What precise moments or stories can I draw on?

3. Don't Tell them a Story They Want; Tell them What You Want

When crafting your essays for applications, it is easy to get into the comfort zone of writing in a way that seems pleasant to the members of the admissions committee. This approach, however, often fails to showcase your point. Instead, it is advisable to be unapologetically bold and tell the story you want to tell, regardless of who it will appeal to. Understand that it is very important to be real in your essay.

When writing your personal statement, consider these points:

• Focus on how the engagement aspects of your essay have been drawn from your unique experiences. 
• Explain how being unique comes from expressing yourself on your own rather than what you believe the college would prefer to hear.
• Explain why authentic stories are more interesting as they are true and emotional.
• Argue that for your essay to capture attention, it is important to be free, vulnerable, and take risks in your narrative.
• Expressing your wishes reveals more about your true self, and that is what the college is looking for.

4. Be Authentic

Finding one’s values, beliefs, and passions is the heart of authenticity. This starts in the inner space where you try so hard to know yourself and decide which of your values are the most important. There is authenticity in overcoming the temptation to conform to other people’s expectations or remain true to one’s core beliefs. This offered a foundation of integrity and formed the basis of all other forms of honest living.

Here are some remarkable aspects of authenticity:

5. Keep it Concise

A well-developed statement is probably an important component of your university application. Therefore, this comprehensive guide is an opportunity to demonstrate your unique features, life history and aspirations to the admission committee.

Moreover, when it comes to providing an essay that stands out, there is a need to ensure that it is written interestingly and coherently and let it remain on topic. Here are some of the suggestions that can help you achieve this:

• Ensure that there is no room for ambiguity.
• Provide your readers with relevant examples.
• Avoid needless information.
• Choose simple and straight-to-the-point words.

6. Think Outside the Box!

Do not restrict yourself with commonly known details about yourself but be brave and include little more creativity in your paper.

Here are a few helpful hints that will assist you in doing so:

• Refusal may be miserable, but reluctantly tell the admissions committee your fabulous and unique achievements.
• In ways that are explosive to emotions or stretch one's imagination, draw a picture on the spare part of the essay and tell a story instead of better structuring it.

Most people approach the task of doing something different as a way of trying to succeed personally and professionally.

7. Use Proper Grammar and Spelling

In a personal statement, an applicant must pay attention to the structure of the essay, including spelling and grammatical conventions. To eliminate such mistakes, it is recommended to:

• Carry out a basic form to improve the writing of the essay.
• Utilise online resources for grammar and spell check.
• Seek feedback.

With these guidelines, students make sure that there will be no errors in answers to personal essay questions about grammar. It is also necessary to organise the document properly to be favourable to the admission board. In addition, you can also get samples from  legit essay writing firms in the UK   to understand the structure of personal essays for university applications. 

8. Revise Often and Edit

Here, we are going to look into the need to edit and revise the answers we have written for the personal essay questions. By following these strategies, you can make your essay stand out.

• Remove unnecessary elements and improve the organisation of your work.
• Make your arguments and their supporting evidence stronger.
• Improve grammatical errors and sentence fluency.
• Express more of who you are through words and speech.
• Rectify gaps and inconsistencies in your narratives.

Editing your essay requires you to also look at the spelling, grammar or punctuation of the essay. When doing so, particularly pay attention to grammar, punctuation, length of sentences, word choice, and consistency. 

How to start Editing your Essay?

Essay revision is checking the content, structure, and flow of the essay. While undertaking this process, take into consideration the following:

• Am I clear and focused in my thesis statement?
• Does the flow of my answers make sense?
• Do my anecdotes and examples of work support my points?
• Am I able to use the same voice/tone throughout the essay?
• Is there anything else that I could include to give more details?

9. Highlight Your Strengths

To stand out from other applicants, highlight your strengths in the essay. Before you put your pen on paper, spare a minute or two and try to recall particular events, achievements, and traits. To focus on your academic achievements, ask yourself:

• What are the specific achievements I have attained and the strong skills I possess in university?
• What are the objectives and aspirations I have about my career?
• What factors make me different from other people?

To highlight the strong points in your answer to personal essay questions, you can use examples and narratives. In addition, it is also advisable to highlight your soft skills and let your readers feel your passion and excitement.

10. Demonstrate Your Fit

A powerful piece detailing your personal experiences only works when you show how you fit into Georgia College and State University, its beliefs, and its aim. In addition, add the following salient features to your response to personal essay questions:

Background in Academia 

Talk about your academic history first, highlighting any academic projects that show your readiness for the school you are applying to. Give details of any awards, competitions, or activities that underscore your achievements in your area of study.

Experience That Matters

Mention any planned internships or previous work experience which is relevant to the degree or course you are looking for. Explain how these experiences shaped your career goals.

Link to the University

Why do you want to study at Georgia College and State University? Justify why you believe this particular university is the most suitable for you. Explain how you will be useful to the school community considering the faculty members, research facilities and university culture. 

Long-term Vision

Explain what the future is going to hold for you, particularly how you see the contribution you will make to the field of your choice after you finish the degree. Mention how your university education and experiences will create opportunities for you to achieve these goals and promote positive change as well. You may make arguments that positively reinforce yourself in terms of why you are a strong prospect for the program you are applying to. 

11. Get Started Early

It is very important to start dealing with the Georgia College and State University personal essay questions as soon as possible. If you plan early, you will have sufficient time to arrange and write the essay content and predictably proofread it. This is why it is necessary to commence at the earliest point.

Why, then, should you get started early? Here are some of the reasons:

• Stress is decreased when you start early!
• You'll generate more ideas if you give yourself more time to brainstorm!
• You may demonstrate to the admissions committee that you are serious about attending the university.  
• You are prepared to put in the time and effort to learn more about it by researching it and its core values.
• You'll have more time to proofread, edit, and refine your responses.

12. Seek Help When Needed

Assistance seeking is very important, particularly when responding to a personal essay question. One can feel immense pressure to perform well, and this is understandable. Furthermore, it’s important to recognise when you are stuck and need help. 

A teacher, mentor, or guidance counsellor offers support to craft a good paper. You can also  purchase your essay  from online resources that will lead to successful admission to your desired university. 

How to answer Georgia College and State University Personal Essay Questions?

Here are the tips for answering these question types;

• Do not be afraid of making your voice heard. 
• Structure a clear and interesting essay.
• Make use of the words and writing skills that you already have.
• Write about yourself. But don't try to encapsulate your whole life!
• Answer the question that has been asked.
• Read it over again!
• Write on the internet in a networked word processor.

What should be included in College and State University Personal Essay Questions?

It is best to talk about both positive and negative matters, a humiliating experience, or a quality or interest that exemplifies your values. If you are honest about the issue, character flaws, or sad childhood events, the reader will find it far more credible. 

In addition, it will exhibit your personal life experiences that the admission panel wants to know. So, by including all the information, you can fulfil the true objective of such essay types in application forms. 

The importance of the personal essay questions in the Georgia College and State University application process enables candidates to make the best impression and talk more about themselves. An effective essay can provide a student’s perspective to the admission committees, which are usually standardised, and help to distinguish them from everyone else. 

Moreover, students can show in their essays how well they will integrate themselves into the programs by spinning a good and well-organised narrative. Finally, submitting an excellent personal essay shows that the candidate is open and honest. In addition, the applicant understands what the university is all about and its values. 

Students who follow such practice can write a good manuscript, which allows them to develop their competencies and increase their chances of being accepted into university. Thus, they can begin their developmental, educational, and achievement-oriented journey and fulfil all their academic and career ambitions.

Chris Bates

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A storied life

Henry Quinlan | Omni Publishing Company

When Boston College graduate Henry Quinlan turned 80, he and his granddaughter decided to mark the occasion by jumping out of a plane. Skydiving is just one of the adventures Quinlan has embraced during his storied life, which includes helping to oversee the installation of the Make Way for Ducklings statues in Moscow and publishing a biography of Boston Celtics great K.C. Jones.

Quinlan, who grew up in Brighton, graduated from BC in 1961 with a degree in economics. After graduating law school, he joined his family’s publishing business, which was initially focused on legal newsletters. He went on to found Quinlan Press and have a 40+ year career as a publisher.

He published biographies on Jones, NASA astronaut Wally Schirra, and Babe Ruth’s daughter, Dorothy, among others.

Henry Quinlan, BC Class of 1961

“[K.C.] Jones was a wonderful man and told me some great stories," said Quinlan. "One of the stories he told me that was never public was about the biggest compliment he ever received. It was about his singing prowess from Frank Sinatra. When Jones would go on the road, he would go into piano bars and sing. And one night unbeknownst to him, someone brought Frank Sinatra to hear him. Afterwards, Frank Sinatra called him over to his table and he said, ‘K.C., you've got great pipes.’ Jones told me, ‘That was the best compliment I ever received.’ And this from a guy who won 12 NBA championships!”

In the 1980s, Quinlan was part of a publishing venture that included publishing the first telephone book in Moscow since 1936. He befriended Soviet diplomat Vitaly Churkin who was going to collaborate with him on a book about Washington and Moscow. The book never happened, but the friendship with Churkin—who served as Russian Ambassador to the United Nations prior to his death in 2017—endured for more than three decades. Due to his Moscow connections, Quinlan was asked by President George H.W. Bush to organize the publishing of the children's book, Make Way for Ducklings in Russia in 1991 and the erection of the Make Way for Ducklings statues in Moscow. The book and the statues were gifts to the people of Moscow from President Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush as part of the 1991 meeting between Bush and then Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev.

“It was really an extraordinary experience,” recalled Quinlan, who visited the White House for dinners and receptions about a half dozen times. “President Bush was very nice. He was a very generous man with his time and thoughts.”

Quinlan and his granddaughters collaborated on several books.

More recently, Quinlan has collaborated with his granddaughters on books about places in Massachusetts. After relocating from New York City back to his home state, Quinlan wrote So, You Think You Know the South Coast? His granddaughter and skydiving partner Caroline Murphy provided the photographs. Quinlan and another granddaughter, Emily Murphy, have written Secret, Hidden & Forgotten Cape Cod . Emily Murphy also provided photos for their other joint book, So You Think You Know Cape Cod ? Books on Boston and the South Shore are forthcoming from Quinlan this fall.

Since he’s been retired, Quinlan has worked with seniors to help them write and publish their memoirs.

He worked on a book with John Cullinane, who founded one of the first successful software companies in the United States. “It was wonderful to work with him,” said Quinlan. “He had great stories, one of which was that he and Steve Jobs did a joint venture that failed utterly. It goes to show that not everyone has great success all the time.”

Quinlan is quick to point out that biographies and memoirs are not only for public figures. “All lives are really pretty interesting.” His rule of thumb is to be positive and do not use a memoir “to settle scores.”

In addition to helping seniors write their memoirs, Quinlan gives talks at senior centers on various topics. He estimates he has given more than 300 talks. His most popular one is called “Happiness for Seniors.”

“When you retire, you have to leave behind what you were, that's ‘used to be,’” he said. “You've got to forge your new life. And some men in particular have a very difficult time in changing their identity.

“I try to teach seniors that you have to find something to that engages you and find a purpose for your life that's outside of yourself. If you're only seeking happiness, you're on a never-ending treadmill for what is a temporary emotion. But when it is coupled with an objective outside of yourself, that will bring meaning and purpose to your life and a certain contentment. It is best to do something that is good for you, but also benefits others.”

Student Life Essay

500 words essay on student life.

Student life is one of the most memorable phases of a person’s life. The phase of student life builds the foundation of our life. In student life, we do not just learn from books. We learn to grow emotionally, physically, philosophically as well as socially. Thus, in this student life essay, we will learn its essence and importance.

The Essence of Student Life Essay

Student life is meant to help us learn discipline and study. Despite that, life is quite enjoyable. The struggle is low in student life. One must get up early in the morning to get ready for school or college.

Similarly, rushing to the bus stop is very exciting during student life. The mothers constantly remind us to hurry up and not be late. It is no less than a mantra for all mothers.

In addition, there are other exciting moments in student life. We sometimes forget to complete our homework and then pretend to find the notebook when the teacher asks for it.

With the examination time around the corner, the fun stops for a while but not long. One of the most exciting things about student life is getting to go on picnics and trips with your friends.

You get to enjoy yourself and have a  lot of fun. Even waiting for the exam result with friends becomes fun. The essence of student life lies in the little things like getting curious about your friend’s marks, getting jealous if they score more, and so on.

The excitement for games period or learning about a new teacher. While student life teaches us discipline, it also gives us a lot of fun. It is a memorable time in everyone’s life.

Importance of Student Life

Student life is a vital part of everyone’s life. The future of the students and the country depends on how we are as students. Thus, getting the right guidance is essential. Student life builds the foundation for our life.

Thus, if your foundation is strong, the building will be a strong one too. However, a weak foundation cannot make a building stand. In other words, student life helps us embrace human qualities.

People don’t realize how lucky and privileged one is to even get a student life. Many children dream of having it but never get one. Thus, if one gets to attain education, one must make the most of it.

Student life won’t always be filled with happiness but it will be worthwhile. It helps us grow in the path of life and acquire qualities such as honesty, patience, perseverance, and more.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of Student Life Essay

All in all, student life is no less than perfect. Even though it has many ups and downs, it is all worth it in the end. Our student life determines a lot of things in our lives later on. Therefore, we must strive to be good students not just academically but also in other aspects. It is like a backbone to have a successful life later on.

FAQ of Student Life Essay

Question 1: What is the essence of student life?

Answer 1: Student life’s essence lies in the little things such as getting ready for school early in the morning or running late. It also lies in the positive attitude that we develop due to good discipline.

Question 2: Why is student life important?

Answer 2: We call the student life ‘golden life’ as students learn many essential things. The period of student life brings joy and happiness to our lives and builds a strong foundation. It also determines our successful life.

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Photo essay: a new histology lab.

A new Histology Lab will open this fall semester, providing cutting-edge educational and hands-on research opportunities for students and faculty in UW-Stout’s  applied biochemistry and molecular biology ;  applied science ; and  biology programs. 

“The Histology Lab enables hands-on learning in tissue preparation and analysis and provides new opportunities for biological and biomedical research. By studying the microscopic structure of tissues, we can gain valuable insights into their function and pathology,” said  Lecturer Tiffany Hoage . 

“Furthermore, it complements the  Cadaver Lab , as students are now able to observe both microscopic (cell/tissue-level) anatomy and gross (organ-level) anatomy.”

Last spring semester, Hoage worked with seniors Ethan Kalin and Natalie Mercill to establish the space within Jarvis Hall Science Wing’s larger biotechnology labs.

Histology is the study of the microscopic structures of biological tissues and is important for medical diagnosis, forensic investigation and scientific study. 

While UW-Stout’s Histology Lab is not intended to diagnose patients, it will help students prepare for their future careers in biological and biomedical research and health care fields.

As they were establishing the Histology Lab, Kalin and Mercill learned how to operate the equipment, which includes a Leica EG1160 paraffin embedding center, a Leica RM2255 rotary microtome, a Fisher Scientific warm water bath and staining equipment.

They used such equipment only once before during a tour of Mayo Clinic’s histology department with the university’s Prehealth Society.

“The tour definitely got us interested in histology,” Mercill said.

In May, Kalin, of Maplewood, Minn., graduated from UW-Stout in applied science, with a  concentration in biology  and minors in cognitive neuroscience and chemistry. Mercill, of Woodbury, Minn., graduated in biology from UW-Eau Claire. 

They now work at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Kalin is a clinical lab technologist in a genomics lab, extracting DNA for cancer and hereditary disease diagnosis. Mercill does phlebotomy as a lab services technician and is starting the cardiovascular invasive specialist program at the Mayo School of Health Science, where she will learn the skills to assist with diagnostic and therapeutic invasive cardiology procedures.

“Getting to work in the Histology Lab made me much more confident in my ability to pick up new techniques and put them into practice. I believe this has helped me work through training I have undergone at my new position in Rochester. I hope to see the lab we created allow for other students to grow in the same ways I have and discover new passions that will help expand their horizons,” Kalin said.

Revisiting the lab before it opens for the semester, Kalin and Mercill practice what their peers will soon be experiencing in class.

They extract the brain from a zebrafish and  use the microwave method to dehydrate the tissue to prepare it for paraffin embedding. Zebrafish are a model organism for research, as the fish shares more than  80% of genes known to trigger diseases in humans, such as cancer types and heart disease.

“The brain of an adult zebrafish is about four millimeters in length, or the width of a sunflower seed. Even with that small of a tissue sample, you can create hundreds of microscope slides,” Mercill said.

At the paraffin embedding center, Kalin places the silver mold under the paraffin wax dispenser and partially fills it. He uses a forceps to place the tissue into the molten wax. 

He places an embedding cassette, a blue plastic slotted tray about one-inch square, into the silver mold. Additional molten paraffin wax is added, and he places mold on a cooling platform to solidify the wax and form the tissue block.

Mercill readies the rotary microtome to slice the tissue block into sections around five microns thick. By comparison, an average human hair has a diameter of 100 microns.

She clamps the tissue block into the microtome and installs a blade into the holder below. Turning the operating handle, she moves the block up and down to slice it, creating a length of perforated squares for microscope slides.

Mercill uses a pair of tweezers to lift a perforated section from the tray and hands it to Kalin, who lays it in the warm water bath, heated to 37 degrees Celsius, or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 

As it floats on top, the warm water flattens and smooths the section, and it is adhered to a slide and dried.

The sections are then stained to observe the tissue’s components. Specific stains are used to better visualize cells and structures of interest, Hoage explained, noting thioflavin-S highlights the amyloid beta, a protein that accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, while H&E – hematoxylin and eosin – is used to stain DNA purplish blue and the rest of the cell pink.

Under the microscope, Kalin and Mercill observe zebrafish tissue stained with H&E.

The initiative to establish the lab stemmed from an Honors College project in fall 2023 that involved Kalin and Mercill dissecting a brain from a cadaver with Alzheimer’s disease. They wanted to further their educational experience and see the microscopic pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, so their mentor  Dr. Alex Hall  connected them with Hoage. 

With a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from Mayo Clinic Graduate School and histology experience from her thesis research, Hoage was thrilled at the opportunity to help establish the Histology Lab.

“With Ethan and Natalie helping to set up the lab and now working at Mayo, it feels like they’re completing the cycle,” Hoage said.

The lab allowed them to continue their project at the microscopic level when they successfully sectioned and stained the cadaver brain to see amyloid beta plaques. 

In another project, Kalin and Mercill compared the conventional method of tissue processing with the microwave method for processing zebrafish tissues.

“Their preliminary findings show both tissue processing methods are equivalent with respect to tissue integrity and staining quality,” Hoage said. “Their findings are important, as the microwave method takes less than one hour versus the conventional method, which takes about six hours. The shorter processing time will allow the microwave method to be integrated within a regular lab period.”

Kalin and Mercill were among nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate students who presented at UW-Stout’s  Research Day  in April. Kalin also presented his temporal analysis at  Research in the Rotunda  in March at the state Capitol.

During their undergrad, Kalin and Mercill volunteered in the Cadaver Lab with Hall, giving tours to visiting high school students. Nearly 300 students from 15 high schools visited last semester to examine human organ systems on the 75-minute tour.

UW-Stout’s  Pre-Health Pathways  prepares students to enter medical school and other health care fields, including chiropractic, dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, occupational therapy, veterinary medicine and more.

Pre-health degrees include  applied biochemistry and molecular biology ;  biology ; health, wellness and fitness ;  rehabilitation services  ;  applied science, with an interdisciplinary science concentration ;   dietetics ;  environmental science with an environmental health concentration ; human development and family studies ; and  psychology .

The biology ,  chemistry and  physics majors have branched out of the applied science program, giving students the option to focus their degree on their science of choice.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and the  Stout University Foundation  support student research and dissemination projects through internal and external grant programs.

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Computer, electrical engineering students help nVent with product development, testing

PHOTO ESSAY: A Fish Tale

St. John’s University celebrates 25 years of residence life during move-in weekend

As a new school year begins, St. John’s University is celebrating 25 years of residence life. Over Labor Day weekend, incoming freshmen, returning students and their families gathered on the campus for the university’s annual Move-In Weekend, marking its milestone. 

The Fall 2024 entering class includes residential students from 44 U.S. states and 43 countries around the world. These students moved into the Residence Village at 8000 Utopia Pkwy. in Jamaica as they prepared for the start of the university’s 155th academic year, which officially began on Wednesday, Sept. 4.

The Fall 2024 incoming class includes St. John’s University’s third cohort of nursing students, who will attend classes in the new $106 million, 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art St. Vincent Health Sciences Center . On Sept. 18, the facility will be formally dedicated and will become the permanent home of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences .

“Move-In Weekend at St. John’s is always a busy and exciting time when the entire University community comes out in force to welcome new and returning students to campus and start this chapter of their St. John’s story,” Bartlett said. 

This year’s fall 2024 incoming class student profile includes 2,588 new, first-time first-year students and 926 first-year resident students. 68% of the incoming class are either Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, Alaska Native, or two or more races. 18 students were ranked No.1 in their graduating class at the time of admission, and 13 students were ranked No.2. 

The top areas of study for the Fall 2024 incoming class include students who are Undecided on their major, as well as those pursuing degrees in Liberal Studies and Pharmacy, with many enrolled in the university’s six-year doctoral Pharmacy program.

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Study combines data, molecular simulations to accelerate drug discovery

New research involving the uc college of medicine may lead to finding effective therapies faster.

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital have found a new method to increase both speed and success rates in drug discovery.

The study, published Aug. 30 in the journal Science Advances, offers renewed promise when it comes to discovering new drugs.

“The hope is we can speed up the timeline of drug discovery from years to months,” said Alex Thorman, PhD, co-first author and a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences in the College of Medicine. 

Researchers combined two approaches for screening potential new drugs. First, they used a database from the Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) to screen tens of thousands of small molecules with potential therapeutic effects simultaneously. Then they combined the search with targeted docking simulations used to model the interaction between small molecules and their protein targets to find compounds of interest. That sped up the timing of the work from months to minutes — taking weeks of work required for initial screening down to an afternoon.

“Accuracy will only improve, hopefully offering new hope to many people who have diseases with no known cure, including those with cancer."

Alex Thorman, PhD Co-first author and postdoctoral fellow

Thorman said this faster screening method for compounds that could become drugs accelerates the drug research process. But it’s not only speed that is crucial. 

He added that this newer approach is more efficient at identifying potentially effective compounds.

“And the accuracy will only improve, hopefully offering new hope to many people who have diseases with no known cure, including those with cancer,” Thorman said.

It can also create more targeted treatment options in precision medicine, an innovative approach to tailoring disease prevention and treatment that takes into account differences in people's genes, environments and lifestyles. 

“An accelerated drug discovery process also could be a game changer in the ability to respond to public health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Thorman. “The timeline for developing effective drugs could be expedited.” 

Feature image at top: Collection of prescription drug bottles and pills. Photo/Provided.

Innovation Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction.  Next Lives Here.

Other co-first authors included Jim Reigle, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and Somchai Chutipongtanate, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences in the College of Medicine.

The corresponding authors of the study were Jarek Meller, PhD, a professor of biostatistics, health informatics and data sciences in the College of Medicine, and Andrew Herr, PhD, a professor of immunobiology in the Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine. 

Other co-investigators included Mario Medvedovic, PhD, professor and director of the Center for Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Services in the College of Medicine, and David Hildeman, PhD, professor of immunobiology in the College of Medicine. Both Herr and Hildeman have faculty research labs at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. 

This research was funded in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, a Department of Veterans Affairs merit award, a UC Cancer Center Pilot Project Award and a Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Innovation Fund award.

Those involved in the research are also co-inventors on three U.S. patents that are related to their work and have been filed by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. 

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U.S. News & World Report: Metformin may help young patients with bipolar disorder avoid weight gain

October 31, 2023

U.S. News & World Report highlighted recent research led by the University of Cincinnati and Northwell Health that found the drug metformin can help prevent or reduce weight gain in youth taking medication to treat bipolar disorder.

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Fall 2024 New Library Personnel!

Learn more about our new librarians and Associate Dean!

We're excited to welcome Kyra Folk-Farber as our new Associate Dean ! Kyra comes to us with extensive experience, having served as Acting Library Dean at CSU Channel Islands and as Associate Dean for Library and Learning Resources and Scholarly Communications. She holds an MLIS from the University of Toronto and a doctorate from the Université de Montréal. Kyra is also the Co-Lead Editor for the CAML Review/Revue de l'ACBM. We look forward to her leadership and expertise at the Library!

Say hello to Jessica McBride, our new Assistant Librarian ! Jessica says: "You can find me at the reference desk weekday evenings from 4-7pm! I recently graduated from UCLA with my MLIS, specializing in rare books, visual and print culture. I have a background in classical piano which was helpful in researching the evolution of early Italian printed music notation. As a lifelong bookworm and history nerd, I was drawn to working in libraries because they connect people's interests across time." Welcome to the team, Jessica! 

Join us in welcoming Kari Darby, our new Student Engagement and Success Librarian ! Before pursuing her MSLIS, Kari Darby received her MA in Music Composition from Eastern Illinois University and worked as a flutist, composer, and teacher for several years. Motivated by her own background in music, Kari's goal has been to promote the diversity of research in the arts and humanities. In her previous position as Coordinator of Research Programs at University of Illinois, Kari has built programming to expand outreach, demystify the research process, and increase access to research opportunities. She looks forward to expanding this work to increase equity in higher education. Outside of work, you can often find her sharing photos of her cat, playing board games, or trying out new crafts. Welcome to the team, Kari!