• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

turning point essay (long) - YAGT/YART/...?

thirtythree

Diamond Member
I had to write this for school. it's supposed to be easily adapted for college application essays but I'm not certain how good it would be for that. I'm interested to see what others think of it though. any and all criticism is welcome. suggestions on ways to improve it would also be appreciated. have fun.

---

I?ve always had trouble deciding on what to write about for these sorts of essays. I haven?t had to deal with a deadly disease or overcome some great adversity. Really, I?ve had a relatively easy life but somehow I think I turned out all right. For me, it wasn?t a major event that made me who I am today but a lot of little things.

I was raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which I believe instilled a lot of good principles in me, though I have since left the church for personal reasons. My parents respect my beliefs and I respect theirs. I don?t worry about what's a sin so much as I worry about whether I, or anyone around me, will be hurt by my actions. I?ll admit it can be hard to keep what will be best in the long run in mind without someone telling you what and what not to do but I seem to be doing all right. Some people worry about religion, some worry about money, and some worry about fame but what really matters to me is people, and if I?m going to hell for that, then I?ll just have to deal with it then. One person in particular has helped me to reach this conclusion. Coincidentally, she is religious and hopes to be a famous writer when she?s older. I?m not saying there is anything wrong with goals like these. I?m simply saying that they aren?t for me. On to my story though.

The night I met this particular girl, we talked for hours, and talked almost every night after that for a good amount of time. She got to know me well. She helped me to become aware of my weaknesses and, more importantly, my strengths. I began to see some good in myself, which is something that is often difficult for me. She became very important to me, my reason for living perhaps. If she wasn?t happy then there was no way I could be happy. Perhaps it was my first taste of love, or the closest thing to love a seventeen year old is capable of experiencing. Of course, this isn?t the movies so she didn?t feel the same way about me. I?m a good friend and that?s all. It was hard for me to accept this and it was hard on me when I finally did but I'm getting by.

Of course, I know you aren?t terribly interested in my personal life but like I said, people, and our relations with one another, are what really matters. I?m that it isn?t healthy to be so dependent upon someone though so I was searching everywhere for something else to believe in. One day I went to the store and I found my answer. The store is a strange place to find answers to such deep questions, I know, but it wasn?t really the store that gave me my answer so much as it was the cashier. First of all, I would imagine working in retail is a nightmare. I worked fast food when I was fourteen and will never forget that experience. Did the cashier want to be there? Probably not. She was really nice though and, unlike many people I come in contact with, I could tell that she wasn?t doing it just for show. I was feeling down and it cheered me up. I decided then that as long as there were people worth knowing in the world, I could get by. I have faith in the human race. It?s a bit of a gamble I know but I?m convinced that there are some good people out there. This is a strange thing to hear, I?m sure, coming from someone who is just about as anti-social as they come. I?ve moved around a good deal and instead of learning to cope, I went in the opposite direction and, for the most part, lost interest in making friends. However, this girl, Allison, renewed my faith in the human race.

On a slightly different, but definitely related subject, Allison is also the reason for my interest in psychology. She went through some hard times and I wanted nothing more than to be able to help her through them but there was really nothing I could do. I?m not saying that I could?ve necessarily done more if I had a Ph.D. in psychology but I figure if I can make one person's life easier, my own life won?t have been wasted. There will always be people who are going through hard times. There will always be people like me who, if given the choice, would choose to have never existed without thinking twice. That?s a selfish attitude I know but I never did say I was the epitome of selflessness.

How about one last twist though? Despite my interest in psychology, even I refuse to go to a psychologist or therapist. I would rather deal with life on my own, in my own way, and will continue to do so. I?m hoping to meet some people along the way who will make it worth the effort.
 
Some people say that the key to good writing is to write about what you know and what you are interested in. In that department you seem to have done a good job. What was the criteria for the assignment? It seems very personal, and personal stuff can be very powerful and really connect to your audience sometimes. I never had to write anything to get accepted into college, so I really don't know what is expected. Is this going into a college application or is it for high school or what? Who is your audience?
 
Originally posted by: Willoughbyva
Some people say that the key to good writing is to write about what you know and what you are interested in. In that department you seem to have done a good job. What was the criteria for the assignment? It seems very personal, and personal stuff can be very powerful and really connect to your audience sometimes. I never had to write anything to get accepted into college, so I really don't know what is expected. Is this going into a college application or is it for high school or what? Who is your audience?
it's an assignment for ap english (summer homework) but it's supposed to be something that can be easily adapted to a college application essay. the question was really vague. "write a personal essay discussing a turning point in your life." there were more instructions but they really aren't important. my grade isn't on the line or anything I just wanted to get some feedback.

EDIT: I'm bored 😛
 
The only real criticism that I have is that you tend to ramble away from the point of the essay a bit too often, so I feel it is somewhat unfocused.
 
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
The only real criticism that I have is that you tend to ramble away from the point of the essay a bit too often, so I feel it is somewhat unfocused.
yeah I always ramble. the problem is I'm not quite certain what the point of the essay is.
 
While you did tend to ramble and seemed to lose focus *somewhat*. I would say if you really reread it there is a theme that is present. You did kind of try to cover to many bases at one time though. Decide what you want the focus of the text to be and refreash the article. Might want to start by listing what you really want the article to say and then go into details. In most every upper level english class I have taken it was imphasized to start out freewriting and then work on the material.
 
Originally posted by: Deslocke
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
The only real criticism that I have is that you tend to ramble away from the point of the essay a bit too often, so I feel it is somewhat unfocused.
yeah I always ramble. the problem is I'm not quite certain what the point of the essay is.

You might want to fix that before you turn it in as a school assignment, or worse, a college entrance essay. You need a good thesis to start out with, and then you need to focus the essay on supporting and filling out that thesis. Now go rewrite it and repost it here for more criticism... :beer:😀
 
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
Originally posted by: Deslocke
Originally posted by: Astaroth33
The only real criticism that I have is that you tend to ramble away from the point of the essay a bit too often, so I feel it is somewhat unfocused.
yeah I always ramble. the problem is I'm not quite certain what the point of the essay is.

You might want to fix that before you turn it in as a school assignment, or worse, a college entrance essay. You need a good thesis to start out with, and then you need to focus the essay on supporting and filling out that thesis. Now go rewrite it and repost it here for more criticism... :beer:😀
aww. maybe tomorrow 🙂

EDIT: and thanks for the advice, willoughbyva.
 
ehh .. any suggestions as to what needs to be changed? should I introduce my will-be thesis in the intro paragraph? what parts of the essay seem to be off topic, astaroth33?
 
Yes, introduce the thesis in the first paragraph. It could be some variation of "for me, it wasn?t a major event that made me who I am today but a lot of little things", and then you can list the little things that were turning points in your life. If you do it this way, you should have all the things you list be related to each other in some fashion, perhaps to illustrate some manner in which you had grown/matured/changed; this will effectively tie a rambling essay together with some common theme. The ending should sum up the point of the essay and reinforce the theme, and make the reader feel that he or she got something out of the effort of reading it.
 
okay thanks. I'm working on it.

sheesh. you guys didn't even point out my typo.
I?m that it isn?t healthy to be so dependent upon someone though so I was searching everywhere for something else to believe in.
I'm sure*
 
Back
Top