essay about student struggles

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.

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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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Struggles in the Life of a Senior High School Student

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College Essay Tips for First-Gen Students

tl;dr: Writing a first-gen student essay can be a daunting task, but it's an amazing opportunity to showcase your personality and be the host of your own immersive world. Start by choosing a challenge you have faced as a first-gen student and then outline why it was significant, what you learned, and how others can learn from it. Make sure to captivate your audience with a strong introduction, add immersive descriptions, and talk about your future in the conclusion. Don't forget to ask for help from teachers and peers to edit your essay for grammar and feedback!

What is a First-Generation Student?

A first-generation student is someone who is the first generation in their family to attend a 4-year college or university. This can encompass many different types of students from diverse backgrounds. While some of these students' families may have been living in the United States for a long time, others may have been born in the U.S. to immigrant parents 👪 or a naturalized American citizen.

For more information about first-gen students, check out this article from CollegeVine !

What is a First-Gen Student Essay?

A first-generation student essay is different from a regular college essay because the reader wants to hear about the struggles you experience as a first-gen student. First-gen essays are mostly found in scholarship prompts but can be used as your personal essay on the Common or Coalition Application. Being that these prompts are found in scholarships, not all first-gens are required to write them! The prompts tend to follow the guideline of “describe a challenge you have faced as a result of being a first-gen student.” First-gen essays allow you to describe the aspects of your life that have been challenged due to being a first-gen and how those obstacles strengthened 💪 your spirit; in this essay, you have the chance to highlight your culture first hand.

Although these are not first-gen student essays, reading these sample essays can help you understand essay structure and brainstorm essay topics !

How to Structure Your First-Gen Student Essay

Most of the time, first-gen essays are found in scholarship prompts, meaning that other students might face the same struggles as you. What’s important to remember 💭is how you flourished despite those struggles or moments, how the lessons learned have altered your future, and how you can use your growth to benefit others. This essay is more than an “essay”; it's an opportunity to exhibit your personality and be the host of your own immersive world the reader will want to come back to. It’s your moment to pull a Gatsby, throw an elaborate party to win the heart of Daisy–even if you die at the end 👀, at least the party holds your memory.

The first step in developing your essay is choosing your tribulation or a moment of struggle in your life that has stayed with you. In an outline 📝, describe why this event was significant, what you learned, how others can learn from this, and how you might have approached the situation differently. These questions will get you thinking, and hopefully, you can produce at least five solid ideas. From those thoughts, you can cross some moments out.

During this process, it is essential to remember 🧠 that every moment you experienced has value. Crossing out a moment on a list doesn’t mean it’s being crossed out of your life; these moments have made you strong and better prepared for your future. You know you have chosen the right moment when you can write a “novel long” 📖 description of it; however, if the key lesson you learned is omitted from your “novel,” try again.

Now that you have a topic, it is time to captivate the reader. Just like in every English class, you need a strong opening statement! Your essay can be well written but a waste if there’s no eye-catching, breath-holding, heart-racing 😯 intro. This is probably the most important and equally tricky aspect of your essay, so you should designate a decent amount of time and attention to your introduction. You might not get it on the first try, but it’s ok! That is why the delete ❎ key exists.

Once you have your intro, it's time for your essay’s body, meat, and party. Your reader is your guest and if you don’t have the “perfect” theme, guests, food, music, party favors, they’re going to leave unsatisfied eventually. Although you might have all these party 🎉 plans in your head, they aren’t executed in the “real world” until you make it real! In this step, you describe your story, add immersive descriptions, make the reader feel as though they are living your struggles–the highs and the lows included. Don’t leave them wanting a cake slice 🍰. Although this is your opportunity to write a “sob story,” remember that what will make you stand out is the growth you have learned, achieved, and will continue to follow. How did your growth benefit you, your community, your future? Although you are creating a “perfect” party, you still want the reader to come back to celebrate 🙌 with you again.

As with all parties, your essay must come to an end, so make sure the guests are leaving satisfied! To close off your essay, talk about your future. Don’t stray from the lessons and personal growth 🌱 you have achieved. Talk about how you will follow through and use what you learned to uplift and inspire others. You’re the host of the party, and you always want your guests to leave on a positive note.

Tips to Remember

Continuing with the party analogy, although other people might host the same party, it’s imperative to put your own 💃 spin on it. You and another host might have the same theme, but what do you have that they don’t? These essays allow you to show off your personality and your challenges in a manner of different ways.

Being a first-gen student myself, I understand the difficulty in opening up and revealing your tribulations, pain, and vulnerability. However, readers are eager to read about your life–writing a first-gen essay allows you to present a personal glimpse of who you are 🤩.

It’s important to understand that good writing is not only about grammar; many first-gen students learned English as their second language. What's important is the effectiveness in delivering your ideas clearly and being able to communicate 🗣 effectively. After you write your essay, ask a teacher or a peer to edit your essay in order to better your grammar or receive comments that better strengthen your essay.

During this entire writing process, don't listen to the pessimistic voice 🙊 in your head, no matter how persistent it may be. That voice inside you roots from the unnecessary burden of centuries before you. This process might make you question your life, value, or identity, but what matters is that after every struggle you've marched on with your pride intact and spirits high, shaping who you are today. This may be a stressful moment, but you owe it to yourself to step back and relax 🧘. After all, the best parties always have a host that is enjoying themselves as well. Happy writing!

For more tips about college essay writing, watch this video !

Next, check out these great TikToks and tweets for advice about the college application process!

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Related content, first-gen: preparing for the college application, what extracurriculars should high school sophomores do, college checklist: what to accomplish in your junior year, 5 goals for your freshman year of high school, 10 goals for your freshman year of high school.

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‘Embrace the struggle’: Stanford education professor challenges common beliefs about teaching and learning

In a new book, Jo Boaler talks about the importance of struggles and mistakes in the learning process and suggests how parents and teachers can help children become more receptive to learning.

If you think you just don’t have the brain for certain skills, you’re not only deceiving yourself, you’re undermining your ability to learn – whether it’s math, basketball or playing the clarinet, says Professor Jo Boaler at Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE).

Jo Boaler (Image credit: Robert Houser Photography)

In her new book, Limitless Mind , Boaler challenges common beliefs about how individuals learn and suggests how parents can best foster their child’s learning.

Boaler, whose research focuses on mathematics education, is the co-founder and faculty director of youcubed.org , an organization providing resources for math learning that has reached more than 230 million students in over 140 countries.

We spoke with Boaler, who is the Nomellini and Olivier Professor of Education, about what holds people back from learning, why praising kids for being “smart” is problematic and how to embrace moments of struggle.

You’ve written a lot about teaching and learning mathematics. What made you go beyond that subject for this book?

I’ve met so many people – children and adults – who are convinced they’re not a “math person.” But I also meet a lot of people who say they’re not an “English person” or they’re not an “artist.” The barriers are often the same.

Every year students start school excited about what they’re going to learn, but when they see somebody who seems to be quicker or better at learning, they start doubting themselves. Adults have told me that they haven’t gone into pathways they wanted to pursue because they thought they weren’t good enough. And every day, employees go into meetings in the workplace afraid they’re going to be exposed for not knowing enough. I decided it was time to write a book dispelling some of the myths that were holding them back.

People often struggle when they’re learning a new skill, which can feel excruciating. But you say it’s something to celebrate. Why?

If you aren’t struggling, you aren’t really learning. When we’re struggling and making mistakes, those are the very best times for our brains. Elizabeth and Robert Bjork , two scientists at UCLA who’ve been studying learning for decades, talk about the importance of “desirable difficulties,” suggesting the brain needs to be pushed to do things that are difficult.

If I’m teaching students and they say, “This is so hard,” I say to them, “That’s fantastic!” Teachers don’t think it’s their job to have kids be in a place of struggle, but it turns out to be an important place for learning.

When we embrace struggle, it’s freeing. It changes how we go about our work. We’re more persistent. We interact with each other differently. If you live just a single day with this perspective, you’ll feel it – particularly if things go wrong. It changes those moments pretty significantly.

You make the point that praising children for being “smart” can actually be damaging. Why?

If we tell kids that they’re smart – which most parents do – at first kids think, “Oh, good. I’m smart.” But later, when they make a mistake on something, they think, “Hmm, I’m not so smart.” It’s very important to give up these labels. They lead to the belief that abilities are fixed and can’t be changed, what my colleague Carol Dweck calls fixed mindsets.

In the book I share ways of praising kids that don’t include fixed words. Instead of “You’re so smart,” we can say, “I love your creative solution. I really like the way you have solved that.” Why do we need this dichotomous thinking about people being smart or not? Everyone’s on a growth journey. There is no cutoff where one person becomes “gifted” or “smart” and another is not.

Where do strengths and aptitude fit into this, if everyone has the capacity to learn anything?

I’m not saying everyone is the same. Kids can be at different places. But I think we have to let go of the idea that kids at a certain place are just where they’re going to be. I would also challenge the idea that success is about working with your strengths and giving up on your weaknesses. Is something really your strength, or have you not developed a skill because you got the idea somehow that you couldn’t?

How can parents and teachers help kids become more receptive to learning?

My first advice would be to use words that promote a growth mindset, the understanding that intelligence can be developed. When kids tell you they can’t do something, rephrase it: Say, “You mean you haven’t learned it yet.” It seems like a simple change, but it’s quite powerful.

I also think it’s important to model a mindset of curiosity and discovery. You don’t have to be the expert in the room. You don’t have to pretend to know things you don’t.

There’s a whole host of studies showing that small changes and interventions can change the way we think. One of my favorites in education is a study from one of my colleagues, Geoff Cohen , where researchers divided high school English students into two groups. All wrote an essay and got diagnostic feedback from their teachers. But for half the students, the teachers added a sentence to the end of their feedback. The kids who got that sentence achieved at significantly higher levels a year later, particularly students of color.

What was that sentence half of the students read at the end of their feedback? “I am giving you this feedback because I believe in you.” It shows how important it is for teachers to believe in students and for students to know their teachers believe in them.

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A Student’s Struggle to Speak English Leads to a Career as a Communicator

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Fiorella Riccobono first contributed to Knowledge@Wharton High School back in 2015, when she was interviewed for her high school social entrepreneurship project helping coffee bean farmers in Northwest Haiti. She has stayed in touch ever since, sharing insights from her college and social-awareness experiences at Florida State University. You can check out Riccobono’s KWHS contributions in the Related KWHS Stories tab accompanying this article.

As always, we appreciated hearing from Riccobono this week, when she reached out to tell us about her new job (she graduated in December) and share her perspective on a very personal topic: how her journey learning to speak English has influenced her life and career decisions.

In this personal essay, she expresses why she hopes that “more people in our society, especially in today’s political climate, analyze their perceptions of disadvantage and accept that qualities like language “barriers” can in fact be personal strengths.”

I vividly remember the moment when I became a shy girl and developed a profound fear of public speaking. I was in my pre-k classroom sitting in a big circle of 4-year-olds, when our teacher asked us to share what we had eaten for breakfast. My parents had immigrated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. from Venezuela shortly before my brother and I were born, and we only spoke Spanish at home. However, this was my second year enrolled in school in Davie, Florida, so I had picked up enough English to understand the question. But I was still learning. I raised my hand and responded “cereal con leche.” My visibly angry teacher asked me again and again to repeat my answer, and I couldn’t understand why.

Falling Silent

Eighteen years later, I still recall the shame of being scolded for my inability to communicate in the appropriate way – in this case, fully in English. Luckily, my teacher’s aide spoke Spanish and translated that I was saying “cereal with milk.” But at that point, the damage had been done. I was wounded and crying. I remember thinking to myself that I wouldn’t speak in class unless I absolutely had to. It was an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy; something a four-year-old girl should never experience.

That feeling stayed with me. In high school, I would choose to be absent on days when I knew I had to present projects to the class. My eyes would water when I had to speak in front of my classmates, my voice would shake, and so would my legs.

This story marks the start of my improbable triumph.

My favorite author, Malcom Gladwell, poses an interesting question: “Why do we automatically assume that someone who is smaller or poorer or less skilled is necessarily at a disadvantage?” I believe that we have a very limited definition of what constitutes an advantage.

Now, at the age of 22, a recent graduate of Florida State University and a new employee of the Florida Senate, I am very clear on my own advantages. Being the daughter of two Venezuelan immigrants made me the professional woman I am today, and that identity has been a driving factor in my success.

Much of the credit goes to my so-called language “barrier” and struggle with “broken” English. During my years of learning English, my mom and I would sit down together to do my homework. When I was tired of studying, and I didn’t want to practice spelling out any more words, my mom would softly and persuasively say, “Dale Fiore, otro treinta minutos, porque cuando tu aprendes, yo aprendo tambien,” which translates to: “Let’s study another half hour, Fiore, because when you learn, I learn too.”

That phrase kept me going. We would sit there at the table laughing hysterically as we butchered the words we were spelling aloud to each other. When test day came, I would remember the mistakes we made, because they were so funny to me, and that helped me memorize the correct spelling. The way we had to study turned spelling and vocabulary tests into a fun game. I began to appreciate a certain joy and fulfillment of studying for the sake of knowledge, not to overcome an inadequacy, and I also had the deep satisfaction of watching my mom learn English.

Conventional thought suggests that if you live in the U.S. you should learn English, and we eventually did. But the truth of the matter is that not knowing English made me a better student. It meant that I had to work harder and couldn’t lose focus in class. I paid close attention to how people spoke and pronounced words. When I was tired and wanted to stop, I had to keep studying. Many would argue that my inability to fluently speak English in my childhood was a weakness, when in fact it turned out to be one of my greatest strengths.

While I still hold onto some of the feelings I had all those years ago in my pre-k classroom, I have grown to embrace my Venezuelan heritage and language as motivations for my achievements in the U.S. The fact that I am not a native English speaker has made me more empathetic. It has helped me truly understand why diversity of thought is such a strength in the workplace, and, ironically, has made me a far more effective communicator.

I majored in finance, economics , and social entrepreneurship at Florida State, and graduated a semester early in December 2018. I am now the reading clerk for the 2019 session of the Florida Senate. Our state constitution requires senators to read bills three times before voting on them. I stand at the podium and read these documents aloud for the 60 days that the Senate is in session, navigating the language that could ultimately become Florida law. That one-time shy, silent little girl actually pursued and landed a job that now requires me to regularly stand in front of 40 state senators and read proposed legislation – in English.

I also speak Spanish every day, with family and friends. My college roommate and best friend is from Mexico, so we speak to each other in Spanish. I am bilingual in my professional life, as well. Just this week, the Florida Senate phones were blowing up with citizens supporting or condoning a controversial bill that entered committee. This specific bill prompted lots of calls from Spanish speakers and I was the only person on staff who could speak Spanish. So I answered the phones and spoke with the Spanish citizens, communicating about their opinions on this piece of legislation. I helped the voices of non-English-speaking citizens be heard.

Shifting Perceptions

I see how speaking English as a second language actually adds to the richness of this country. As a Venezuelan immigrant, I grew up forcing myself into situations where I had no choice but to confront my fears, and I would do it again and again until that specific situation no longer made me uncomfortable. I have contributed deeply to my school and now my work communities because my “otherness” sparked my intellectual curiosity and my desire to work that much harder to achieve my personal goals.

My hope is that more people in our society, especially in today’s political climate, analyze their perceptions of disadvantage and accept that qualities like language “barriers” can in fact be personal strengths that open up entire worlds of opportunity and accomplishment.

To the students who relate to my experiences and who may be struggling with their inability or even lack of desire to learn English, I ask you to shift your perception and embrace the opportunity in your challenge. I ask you to consider how you can spin this perceived weakness and draw energy from it to become a stronger student, friend, and contributing member to society. Don’t accept the notion that you are disadvantaged. Learning English and being able to effectively communicate with your peers is rewarding. More importantly, how you speak, complete with your thick, beautiful accent, is an advantage and an asset, not an inadequacy you must overcome.

Conversation Starters

Fiorella Riccobono says, “My hope is that more people in our society, especially in today’s political climate, analyze their perceptions of disadvantage.” What does she mean by this?

How would you describe Fiorella’s “improbable triumph?”

Does Fiorella’s story resonate with you? Can you relate to some of her struggles learning the English language and how that has helped to define her course? Why or why not?

9 comments on “ A Student’s Struggle to Speak English Leads to a Career as a Communicator ”

While scrolling through the articles listed on the webpage, this unique one caught my eye immediately. What it described is a complete mirror of my experience, my pain and my struggle. More importantly, when looking through it, I realized the way I should face myself, both strengths and weaknesses. Fiorella’s “improbable triumph” is truly “improbable”, at least that’s what I believed before finishing this article. She did undergo many challenging situations, difficulties that her first language Spanish but not English. And for me, a second language learner becomes a Florida Senate sounds totally incredible. Since my first language is also not English, I know how much struggles and courage it needs to be able to speak out in front of people, let alone standing in front of 40 state senators and read proposed legislation. But I believe that’s one of the main reason why she made to her position, it is because she already has a strong heart, enough self-confidence and a constant thirst for knowledge. These were all honed from her school years. I was always the top students back in my home country and English was one of my strongest subject. However, it was opposite when I came to Canada. The “barrier” of language discourages me from participating in school activities, being actively during class. During my first year, Every time I was in class, I was worried whether the teacher would ask me to answer questions or not. I always remember my first speech. I practiced it over and over again, but some students still didn’t understand what I was talking about and I couldn’t answer their questions. Same as Fiorella, my mom also played an important role. She practice my presentation’s script with me and she told me that there is no way to be ashamed by my accent or the fact that I am a second language learner. She told me that’s exactly the point I should be proud of myself because I am able to speak both two languages. I have always been grateful for my parents, without them I couldn’t be where I am today. I enrolled my school’s principle list every semester and honor roll on the Waterloo Math Contest. Now, I am preparing for my debate club as a leader with my friends. I always believe man grows in adversity, I don’t regret any of the attempts I’ve made, even if I fail and fall. Isn’t the realization of my shortcomings also a progress? Tribulation is accompanied by harvest. Just as Fiorella Riccobono says to “analyze perceptions of disadvantage.” I was contradict to communicate because my accent, lack of vocabulary, different culture, when I read the last paragraph of this article, I just found that all my worries and evasions were ridiculous and untenable. This article once again strengthens my heart and guides my future efforts, to become a stronger student, friend, and contributing member to society. Everything I have and experienced has made me who I am now, and it takes that to make me whole.

Hi Jasmine,

Thank you for your fantastic comment!

Also as an immigrant to Canada at an older age (14), I find your experience much more relatable than Fiorella’s. I believe that one of the reasons why I agreed to my parents’ idea of immigrating, is that I was confident in my “English” language, and that was partly because I was performing well during English class in my home country. However, it was really different being in an environment where you are forced to speak the language. My problem wasn’t during class and academics but in my social life. What a teenage girl needs the most perhaps is a social life, friends. At least for me. But it was extremely hard to make friends if I wasn’t willing to make a step out, to talk to people. Fortunately, with my mother’s little push, I was able to do so. Even though I stumbled through the beginning, attending lots of social events and making awkward conversations, I eventually made a couple of great friends and got to know many other people. Joining the debate club and filing applications to other councils was difficult because I wasn’t confident in my speaking and was afraid that I would make fun of myself. Which I did, modelling the motion “THW lift patents” supporting patents. But I gained a lot of valuable experience in the process, found my passion in debating, and ultimately improved my English speaking and confidence. However, I do believe that this struggle is just a part of the journey of fitting in the new language environment.

This unique title also did catch my eyes, but I wasn’t feeling related while reading the article. I thought that at the age of four, it would be really easy to learn English and be amalgamated into the American society. It was hard to believe that a four-year-old memory could be carved so deeply in her mind, also how does over ten years of living in an English environment she is still not confident of her language? With doubt and suspicion, I finished the article.

I agree with you and Fiorella that by analyzing and reconsidering our “perception of disadvantages”, we could learn how to embrace and turn our so-called disadvantages into motivation and strength. However, I do not believe that her “triumph” is “improbable”. In my opinion, her “triumph” is being confident of speaking English and eventually becoming an employee of the Florida state senate. Admittedly, she is quite successful in her confidence and career. But again, as a person living in the states, speaking English for so many years since childhood, her English will come as she grows. I believe that her “solving all the obstacles” is just a process of fitting into the new environment, what actually brought out her “triumph”, is her action of acknowledging and recognizing her former disadvantages, then turning it into her interest and continued pursuing it.  The society is biased, being a good English speaker is important for our success in the future or just to be more like a part of the society, but the process of learning is crucial as well, it teaches us life-long skills — persistence and motivation for learning.

Jasmine, your story of progress and growth in language learning is truly inspiring. Your journey, from feeling apprehensive about participating in class due to language barriers to becoming a leader in the debate club in your second language, showcases a remarkable testament to your determination and perseverance. Reading about your experiences motivates me to push myself further in my own language studies. In a few years, I’ll be taking my AP Spanish exam, and your story constantly reminds me that with determination and continuous effort, I can overcome the challenges I currently face in learning Spanish and achieve my goals. Your narrative has given me valuable insights into the complexities of language acquisition, which directly resonates with the struggles my parents faced when learning English as a second language. I used to find humor in their pronunciation struggles, not fully comprehending the difficulties they were encountering. However, my own language-learning experiences have humbled me, and now I hold a profound respect for their determination in learning a second language. My language teacher once said, “Once you dream in a language, you know you’re fluent,” and this notion fascinates me as I strive to achieve a similar level of language mastery in Spanish. Your narrative also got me thinking about the remarkable ability of some individuals, including yourself, to learn languages quickly. This phenomenon is not limited to children but also extends to certain adults. I decided to conduct some of my own research on the topic to gain a better understanding. In my investigation, I found that certain cognitive factors and personality traits can contribute to accelerated language learning. For example, individuals with strong working memory and high levels of empathy tend to grasp language nuances more quickly. Moreover, the motivation to learn a new language, much like your own drive, can significantly impact the speed of acquisition. Additionally, exposure to immersive language environments and consistent practice plays a crucial role in fostering rapid language development. This would also explain why children have a unique advantage in language learning, primarily due to their lack of prior knowledge in the target language. Their immersion in an environment where the target language is consistently spoken enables them to develop an intuitive grasp of grammar, pronunciation, and cultural nuances. Imagine a child stepping into a world where everything they hear and see is in a new language. They don’t have preconceived notions or linguistic habits to overcome. It’s a blank canvas waiting to be filled with the colors of this unfamiliar language. As they interact with native speakers and engage in daily activities, they naturally absorb the language without conscious effort. This lack of pre-existing linguistic baggage allows them to embrace the new language wholeheartedly, much like effortlessly stepping into a racecar and taking the wheel without any previous experience in driving. Your efforts to learn a language is truly commendable, Jasmine, and it serves as an inspiration for others to follow. Your dedication and enthusiasm for language learning are evident throughout your essay, and I want to express my appreciation for sharing your journey with us. Your story has not only motivated me personally but also broadened my understanding of the multifaceted aspects of language acquisition. Keep up the incredible work!🚀

I think that perspective is one of the greatest traits that a person can have. It has the ability to bridge almost any gap of all sorts of disparity; economic, cultural, political, the list goes on and on. It’s this trait that is not found often enough in society that is key to understanding why others around you say what they say, do what they do, and believe what they believe. In the instance of Fiorella Riccobono, this was in regards to the perspective of a four year-old girl who had immigrated to the United States with her parents in search of a better life. Now 22, Fiorella boldly states “My hope is that more people in our society, especially in today’s political climate, analyze their perceptions of disadvantage”. Her saying is meant to imply that those of us who are at what we perceive as an adversity to our aspirations ought to gain more perspective to realize that it is often the greatest challenges that create the best people.

My view on Fiorella’s “improbable triumph” revolves around the idea that her success was reliant on her individual positive mindset. She disregarded society’s notion that her not knowing English was an inherent disadvantage that she would be restrained by, and rather turns it into an opportunity to show growth and determination. She says herself that “Many would argue that my inability to fluently speak English in my childhood was a weakness, when in fact it turned out to be one of my greatest strengths”. This ideal mindset is exactly what in my opinion needs to be emphasized in society; the concept that people’s ability to move up the ladder is mostly in their own hands, and even if there are inevitable obstacles, it is the individual’s responsibility to face them head on. This is why stories such as Fiorella’s must be celebrated and showcased more often, to teach communities and especially youth to not accept that they are disadvantaged and that there is nothing that they can do about it. Mindsets that accept there is nothing left to change the status quo are the most dangerous; they not only remove any potential to make change, but pass down ideology to younger generations, creating a cycle of lost opportunity. That’s why Fiorella’s “improbable triumph” and stories like it must be highlighted in communities all across the world.

In regards to Fiorella’s story, it resonates quite deep personally with my family and I. As the son of immigrants, it was easy to relate to the struggles she describes of getting past the initial language/cultural barrier that occurs when getting used to living in a new country. My parents came to the United States 17 years ago, knowing a few sentences they had learned from a Hindi-to-English pocketbook dictionary, a couple hundred dollars, and a 3 year old son, my older brother. I was born a year later, and then we eventually moved to Tampa, Florida as my dad had received a job offer. As I was born in the US and naturally learned the language, culture, and customs, I became more and more observant of the divide between what I saw as “normal” at school and what my parents did. They had been in the country for a number of years, but still were speaking that “broken English” that Fiorella references. Naturally as a kid, I met and hung out with my friends outside of school, often encountering their parents who had often either lived their whole life in America or had been living here for decades. They spoke perfect English, much better than that of a eight-year-old, and certainly better than that of a husband and wife that had only been in the country for a few years. As I came home from playing with my friends, I became frustrated at communicating in English with my parents as they were not as good as the moms and dads I met at my friends’ houses. Being naive, I did not understand why they were unable to speak that fluent English that I always listened to outside my home. I actually became embarrassed when friends came over to my home to hang out, only to be confused by how my parents tried to greet them using English that was often grammatically wrong and covered with a thick accent. I was ashamed of it for a long time, and looking back I even admit it made me angry that my family was different than others. I just wanted to be the acclaimed “normal” that every kid always desired. However, as I began to grow up, I had an experience that completely changed the lense that I was looking at my parents through. That year I had begun staying up later at night to complete homework and other commitments that started as high school began becoming more demanding. On a particular night that year, when I had finally finished my homework and whatever else I had to do that late night, I decided to get some water downstairs before I went to bed. When I came down, I saw that my father had left his computer on; so naturally, I went over to turn it off. When I was about to press the power button, the screen caught my eye: “Online Tutoring for English”. It had never occurred to me that my dad was taking lessons to improve his English – to say I was surprised would be quite the understatement. The realization had dawned upon me that specific moment how difficult life truly was for an immigrant – and in this case – my parents. Any notions to myself thinking that I had a lot of work and stress to deal with in high school quickly evaporated, as I really took a moment to reflect on my father’s journey all these years later. To leave his family and friends behind in India, travel thousands of miles to a foreign country, not knowing the language or anybody to help him, and having no other option than making it knowing he had a wife and young son counting on him finally hit me. I was humbled. I was washed over with a sense of regret and shame for always being mad all those years at my parents for not being fluent English speakers. That night was years ago. Today, as I write this, I have the upmost pride in knowing that those two immigrants who came to this country not knowing the language, are MY parents. I feel that this story is not exclusively mine, but rather one that millions of other immigrants who have come to this country have experienced as well, and it’s comforting know that all of us have made it against all odds. Just like Fiorella, I want to take this moment that showed a disadvantage that my family had gotten past and transform it into a showcase of how rewarding resilience can truly be. While I was privileged to learn the language as I grew up, I appreciate the perspective of someone who only had a pocketbook dictionary and a strong will to make it in a foreign country for their family, and that is something I will cherish for a lifetime.

The ability to turn a disadvantage into an advantage is what paves the way for “improbable triumph”.

In the words of Fiorella: “I believe that we have a very limited definition of what constitutes an advantage.” She could not be more correct.

As the son of immigrants, this is an article that resonated with me. Like Fiorella, English was not the primary language spoken within our house. Like Fiorella, I struggled with feelings of inadequacy for not being able to speak English as well as my peers. Like Fiorella, these feelings created shyness and timidity that affected my participation in class. But most importantly, like Fiorella, this ‘disadvantage’ of mine turned out to be the driving cause of one of my greatest accomplishments.

Fiorella says that not knowing English made her a better student. She cites the extra effort she had to put in to understand concepts as the root of her strong work ethic. My own childhood was characterized less by a struggle to learn English, but more by a persistent feeling of insecurity about cultural norms. In other words, while I was able to overcome the language barrier, the cultural barrier that existed created a constant pressure of inadequacy; it felt like everyone was part of an inside joke that I wasn’t allowed to know. But in the same way Fiorella responded to adversity by bouncing back with fervor, I responded to my perceived disadvantage by turning it into an advantage. I developed a passion for public speaking in middle school, determined to change my impression of “the quiet kid” into someone who was outspoken and confident. When I think back to what ignited that sudden change, I honestly think it was simply to spite those who underestimated me. It was a way for me to put myself out there and feel included despite the nagging feeling of cultural difference that made me feel separated.

This passion for public speaking developed into a passion for argumentation. I joined the debate team in high school and won many awards. More importantly, I made friends and broadened my perspective. Last year I was even fortunate enough to be selected for the USA development debate team, representing the nation while competing against international teams across the globe. The experiences I had as a part of this team are what makes Fiorella’s statement ring so true for me. Meeting debaters from all over the world changed my perspective – what society considers an advantage is extremely limited in its scope.

In the world of international debate, English is the lingua franca. You would think that the Western countries would then be at an advantage, being more comfortable with English and thus being better speakers. Yet, some of the best communicators I’ve met speak English as a second language. When we versed the national Bangladesh team, we were amazed by how skillfully they debated. Yes, they had an accent, and yes their grammar and word choice were awkward at times, but the meaning they conveyed was poignant. If the round felt difficult, the conversation I had with them in Bengali afterwards felt like they were running circles around me. I realized that they focused on meaning of the words not how they sound. They may not have been familiar with English, but their ideas were strong and they conveyed them directly and powerfully. Their articulation wasted no time, unlike them teams from Western countries, who used extravagant vocabulary and complicated metaphors. Team Bangladesh went on to do extremely well in the tournament despite their unfamiliarity with English, truly encapsulating the essence of “improbable triumph”.

From the shy, timid student, to the debater representing the USA, I had an improbable triumph of my own. As I found my voice and people listened, I realized that the cultural barrier I thought was inhibiting me was empowering me. At first it was simply by giving myself an obstacle to overcome, but then I realized how my own cultural experiences gave me a diverse worldview that enhanced everything I did. It propelled me to my position on the national debate team which served to further my diverse worldview. Aaditya mentioned his personal story about his parents in an earlier comment, Jasmine and Eileen discussed their hardships in immigrating to Canada, and Fiorella mentions her own struggles in the article above. However, in the end, the disadvantages we all faced made us stronger and gave us character. In a way, I am grateful for the disadvantages I had to deal with.

Throughout the article, and above in my own comment, the term improbable triumph has been used to describe success in the face of disadvantages. Yet, it seems that triumph becomes more probable in the face of disadvantages that must be overcome and learned from. We really should change our conception of advantage then, because disadvantages can be advantages in disguise and make improbable triumphs less improbable.

Diana wrote about her story as an immigrant who was having a hard time breaking the language barriers in the United States. I felt camaraderie with her story as a foreigner who has gone through a similar experience in adapting to a culture and language that I have never been exposed to ever since I was born. She said she was having a hard time breaking the implicit barrier between her and people in the States, and so did I. It took me so long to get used to just speaking and writing my thoughts in English to share with my friends, and many people are struggling with that too. I was admitted to my current school in the first year of the Pandemic, and trying to make friends when everyone had to stay inside their homes was a horrible experience. I took all of my classes virtually, without a single experience of speaking English. My school initially did not even provide an ESL program to help foreign students like me. Also, I was not able to socialize with other kids in the school because there were no chances. I finished my first year with a lot of struggles, and I moved into the school for the second year. I tried to make lots of friends because I realized that if I didn’t get used to this environment, I thought I would never be able to get friends in school. So, I decided to play some sports, join clubs, and be active in class.

During those times, I’ve seen many students who are also having a hard time like me. I’ve seen a lot of smart Asian students talented in many different fields, but are unable to express their creative ideas as they were not able to speak English fluently. I remember the time when, I was in my math class, and we were solving a hard calculus problem that required us to see it with a creative perspective that people normally cannot even imagine. However, Chan, my Chinese friend, raised his hand and tried to explain his thoughts on the problem in front of the whole class. It took a while for many students in my class to understand his words because of his accent and his fluency in English. Later, he had to just write down equations and variables on the board to enable others to understand what he was trying to understand. Though some people might think that it is Chan’s fault for not being able to fluently speak English while going to a public school in the United States. However, for those people, I want to ask, ‘since when did English become the Nation’s official language?’ I, knowing how talented Chan is in transforming hard math problems into simple solutions during when we worked on a math project together, felt sorry for his embarrassment. At that moment, I realized that the existing educational system does not support many talented students to overcome their language barrier to reach their full potential. As a person who also went through a similar experience of having a hard time, I wanted to make a change in the current form of education for future generations of students in the overlooked population. I did not want any more students to not reach their 100% potential just because of the language barrier. From my experience, I learned that the school’s ESL classes do not practically help foreign students to learn English in a short period of time. Even more, I realize that there is no support system in our education that could help foreign students who are struggling with their school work just because they cannot speak English fluently. Realizing that there has to be an end to this continuing educational disparity, I decided to run a student club “Near2Perfection” that can help talented students who are suffering because of language or cultural barriers. Currently, in the United States, the majority of people expect immigrants to speak English fluently, even when 14.4% of its total population consists of immigrants whose mother tongue is not English. Empathizing with these often overlooked populations in our society, I and Near2Perfection aim to support them to socialize with other students and break the language barrier to spread their innovative dreams that could change the world. For instance, one of my friends from Taiwan, Tiger Ding, was struggling in his language & literature class, and especially with speaking and writing an essay in English. Like me, he never left his home country before coming to Salisbury school, and it was the first time he came to an English-only learning environment. Our club helped him to get familiar with the different cultures and languages by introducing our club members and giving him a tour of our school. Throughout the semester, we helped him with writing essays, providing him notes on how to write a persuasive essay, while doing daily assignments together, and having lunch with other classmates to make them feel inclusive in the school community.

After reading this article and reading through the comment section, I’m so glad that there are others who also recognize that all people, regardless of race, gender, age, and fluency in speaking English, have remarkable talents, energy, knowledge, and creativity to innovate the world. Being motivated, In the near future, I want to build a non-profit organization that promotes collaborations among lots of companies in the private industry in different countries. The goal of this organization is to play a significant role in “breaking the barrier” to help companies in different nations to introduce their innovative business ideas more easily. With my unending passion to promote equity, I am eager to collaborate with many other innovative peers in different nations to put our heads together and make the world a better place.

“I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.” is a monumental quote stated by Kurt Cobain. This quote not only illustrates the social concern of insecurities but also reflected an image of my life in general. The article, “A Student’s Struggle to Speak English Leads to a Career as a Communicator”, was especially intriguing to me because it shows how one’s aversion towards a certain area may also make them emotionally stronger by forcing them to step outside of their comfort zone. As Fiorella Riccobono stated, “My hope is that more people in our society, especially in today’s political climate, analyze their perceptions of disadvantage.” This suggests that rather than viewing stereotypically bad behavior as something we should avoid, we should also consider the delight it has brought to us and the positive adjustments it has made to our lives as a whole. For example, Fiorella Riccobono’s inability to communicate in English when she was younger forced her to go through an ordeal that has damaged her internally, but ultimately acknowledged the idea that having communication problems is not necessarily a drawback. The student underwent the hardship of learning a foreign language and overcame her insecurities on self-consciousness which is ultimately, her “improbable triumph”. As a ten-year-old little boy stepped into a foreign country where the environment was completely new to him, it was inevitable for him to face issues like language barriers, culture shock and discrimination. When I immigrated to Singapore from my homeland China, where I had spent the previous ten years, I attended an international school and did not speak a single word of English. I used to be in the English as a Second Language(EAL) course for three years hoping that one day I could be moved to English as a First Language(EFL) class. Throughout these years, I have seen many of my fellow classmates get transferred to EFL after only a few months of learning English, but I still had not yet met the requirements for EFL. I often asked myself, “Am I dumb?”, “Why am I always different from others?” and “Why can’t I just be like them?” Every time I speak in front of the class, I feel that I am stuttering and making simple grammar mistakes in my speech. I used to always be afraid to look others in the eye because I knew they might be making fun of my accent and giving me judgemental looks. Later in life, I was inspired by an artist that promotes the concept of ‘self-love’. The artist has numerous songs implying that we should not try to pretend to be someone that we are not in order to fit into a specific type of community and we should always love ourselves and embrace who we are individually. That was the moment when I realized that my insecurities are confining my individuality and it is perfectly fine to be different. I joined a local service called “Her Journey” that advocates Migrant Domestic Workers’ Rights and some people questioned why I am involved in a ‘Her’ related activity. I simply replied, “I am just doing what I love”, that is empowering the women in my society and beyond. The younger me tried really hard to be a ‘normal’ student but soon acknowledged that there is no category of ‘normal’ in our modern society. I started not caring about my accent and whether I can speak ‘perfect’ English or not because as Fiorella Riccobono stated, “This story marks the start of my improbable triumph.”

Fiorella’s story as the child of Venezuelan immigrants inversely mirrors my own experience as the child of two Korean immigrants. Her story starts with the shame and insecurity of not knowing English in her pre-K classroom, leading her to the realization that this “barrier” bolstered her work ethic and beliefs on diversity. My own story is similar: my struggle to resonate with my Korean identity as a Korean-American made me curious and led me to building my own community.

“Conventional thought suggests that if you live in the U.S. you should learn English,” Fiorella writes, and while this is true, I present another version of this line in a way applicable to my life: Conventional thought suggests that if you have family from outside of the U.S., you should be able to speak their language. When I was in first grade, I traded my once-fluent Korean for perfect English. This sacrifice gave way to the insecurity and shame that Fiorella alludes to in her article. Whenever I went back to Korea to visit family, I felt a sense of isolation as the only one who wasn’t fluent in Korean. I felt like a particularly grotesque piece of artwork, while my family looked at me as if they couldn’t quite figure me out. “Can you try to speak Korean around us?” they would ask, but the moment I spoke, they would chastise my poor grammar and even poorer pronunciation. They would comment on my colored hair and clothes, blaming it on the “American influence.” Language was not the only barrier that separated me from my Korean family. Korean mannerisms and culture that my family had practiced all their lives were unfamiliar to me, only feeding my insecurity. As the shame grew, I marginalized myself from my Korean identity and pushed myself to become more American. I stopped speaking Korean altogether, because every time I did, I was reminded that I didn’t quite belong.

Self-acceptance took a lot of work over the years, and admittedly, I still harbor some of those feelings from when I was younger. But like Fiorella’s connection to her identity, mine blossomed into a unique strength. Being Korean-American caused me to ask questions about who I really was, leading me to discover a community where my hyphenated identity has evolved into something entirely its own. Discovering the Korean-American community in my town let me uphold a blend of what both cultures have to offer; for example, many Korean-Americans bond over our experiences in Korea, the struggle of learning a language, and aspects of Korean culture that we can only confide in each other in America, such as Korean music and fashion. The Korean diaspora in the United States is comprised of nearly 2 million individuals, and after connecting with those like myself, I realized that I had spent my entire life trying to conform to one group or another when really, all I had to do was recognize that I had been part of one all along.

At the end of her article, Fiorella writes, “To the students who relate to my experiences and who may be struggling with their inability or even lack of desire to learn English, I ask you to shift your perception and embrace the opportunity in your challenge. I ask you to consider how you can spin this perceived weakness and draw energy from it to become a stronger student, friend, and contributing member to society.” This is exactly what I aspire to do. Already, I have contributed to my school and community through the thing that made me different and made me doubt myself all my life – in this case, my Korean-American identity – because it ultimately sparked my intellectual curiosity and allowed me to cross barriers to reach people like myself. Our identities are not deficits, barriers, or obstacles, as Fiorella has found out for herself. No matter our challenges, our ethnic origins, beliefs, gender, religion, and nationalities make us who we are, and being Korean-American has allowed me to find a community between lands, oceans, and cultures that feels like home.

I deeply resonate with your experiences as an Asian-American navigating the waters of having many different cultural identities. As an immigrant who has lived in four countries, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and the US, I can empathize with the challenges you faced in connecting with your Korean roots while adapting to American culture.

Although I have not experienced living in India and spent most of my formative years in Japan, my Indian heritage has always been an essential part of who I am. I always found it difficult to answer the seemingly simple question, “where are you from?” Whenever it comes up, I am faced with a dilemma: Should I say that I am Indian, even though I never lived in India, but my parents were born and raised there? Should I say that I am American, despite the fact that I have lived here for only 3 years? Or should I say I am Japanese, since I have spent many years immersed in their culture, but was always seen as a foreigner? These moments make me feel isolated from those around me, like I don’t entirely fit into one particular mold.

However, I have learned to make light out of my situation. Akin to Fiorella’s realization of the “barrier” being a catalyst for growth, my journey has allowed me to experience the world through differing and often contrasting perspectives, providing a greater sense of depth in my life. As you put it, “Our identities are not deficits, barriers, or obstacles… our ethnic origins, beliefs, gender, religion, and nationalities make us who we are.”

Reflecting on your story, I’m reminded of a quote from an Indian hero, Mahatma Gandhi: “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” Similar to how you’ve discovered a unique strength in your assorted identity, I have learned to embrace my diversity, allowing me to better understand myself and those around me.

Just like you, I agree that our identities are not limited to the place we currently live in, where we were born, or where we grew up; they are a culmination of our experiences and family heritage and are a part of what makes us unique. Learning about Indian values and traditions is a beautiful journey of self-discovery, and I find comfort in knowing that there are others, like you and Fiorella, who share similar experiences.

Today, when asked the question “Where are you from?” Instead of attempting to provide a simple one-word answer, I take the opportunity to share my journey through different cultures and the countries that have been an integral part of my life. I proudly acknowledge my Indian heritage while also showing gratitude for the Japanese customs and American values that have shaped my present day self. I have come to realize that my story cannot be explained by a single place; rather, it is a beautiful mosaic of influences from the various cultures that have touched my life.

Thank you for sharing your story and reminding us that our identities are all unique, and our ability to embrace diversity can lead to a richer, more connected world.

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How to Write an Inspiring First Generation College Student Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Discover how to write an inspiring first-generation college student essay with this comprehensive guide. Follow our step-by-step instructions to create a powerful essay highlighting your unique experiences, showcasing your resilience, and leaving a lasting impression on college admissions committees.

By: William Davis

Introduction

The first-generation college student essay plays a significant role in college applications, allowing admissions officers to understand better the applicant's background, values, and aspirations (Engle & Tinto, 2008). This essay helps to showcase the applicant's unique perspective and qualities, making them stand out among other candidates. Furthermore, colleges and universities often value diversity and strive to support first-generation students. A compelling essay on this topic can increase applicants' chances of acceptance into their desired institution.

This step-by-step guide will walk you through writing an inspiring first-generation college student essay . We will cover essential aspects such as:

What is a First Generation College Student Essay?
Understanding the Prompt and Requirements
Brainstorming Your Story
Creating an Engaging Narrative
Organizing Your Essay
Writing Tips for an Inspiring First Generation College Student Essay
Submitting Your Essay

1. What is a First Generation College Student Essay?

A first-generation college student essay is a personal statement that focuses on the unique experiences and challenges faced by students who are the first in their families to attend college. These essays often highlight the individual's resilience, determination, personal growth, and the impact of their family background on their educational journey. The phrases "first-generation college student struggles essay," "first generation essay", and "first-generation immigrant college essay" can also be used to describe similar essays that emphasize the student's background and experiences as a first-generation college student or immigrant.

2. Understanding the Prompt and Requirements

What is the college looking for in a first-generation college student essay.

In a first-generation college student essay , colleges are looking for an authentic representation of your background, experiences, and the challenges you have faced as a first-generation college student (Collier & Morgan, 2008). They want to learn about your personal growth, resilience, and determination to overcome obstacles. Additionally, they seek to understand your unique perspective, values, and aspirations. By sharing a compelling and well-written story, you can demonstrate these qualities and help the admissions committee see the value you would bring to their institution.

How can you make sure you address all the requirements?

To address all the requirements for a first-generation college student essay, start by carefully reading the essay prompt and guidelines provided by the college (Pascarella et al., 2004). Take note of any specific questions or topics they ask you to cover, such as your family background, educational experiences, or personal challenges. Be sure to adhere to word limits and formatting requirements. Additionally, consider seeking feedback from teachers, counselors, or peers to ensure you are addressing the prompt effectively.

3. Brainstorming Your Story

How can you identify your unique experiences as a first-generation student.

Reflect on your educational journey to identify your unique experiences as a first-generation student (Engle & Tinto, 2008). Consider how your family background has influenced your academic experiences, your challenges, and the resources or support systems you've utilized. Consider your achievements and how your first-generation status has shaped your personal growth. By exploring these aspects, you can identify the key experiences that will form the basis of your first-generation college student essay.

What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

In your first-generation college student struggles essay, it is important to share your challenges and how you have overcome them (Inman & Mayes, 1999). Reflect on the obstacles you have encountered, such as financial constraints, cultural differences, or lack of access to resources. Describe the strategies you used to overcome these challenges, such as seeking help from mentors, developing time-management skills, or engaging in extracurricular activities. By sharing these experiences, you can demonstrate your resilience and adaptability to the admissions committee.

How can you highlight your resilience and determination?

Focus on specific examples demonstrating your ability to overcome adversity and pursue your academic goals (York-Anderson & Bowman, 1991).
Describe the personal qualities and skills you have developed through your experiences, such as problem-solving, perseverance, or leadership.
Emphasize these qualities' impact on your personal growth and future aspirations. You can create a compelling and inspiring first-generation immigrant college essay by showcasing your resilience and determination.

4. Creating an Engaging Narrative

How do you start your first generation college student essay with a strong hook.

To start your first-generation college student essay with a strong hook, begin with an attention-grabbing sentence or a thought-provoking question related to your experiences (Graff & Birkenstein, 2014). This opening statement should pique the reader's interest and entice them to continue reading. Use vivid language and powerful imagery to create a compelling introduction that sets the tone for the rest of your essay.

What are the key elements of an inspiring and engaging story?

Key elements of an inspiring and engaging story include a clear focus, a strong narrative arc, and compelling characters (Zinsser, 2006). A first-generation essay should focus on your unique experiences and challenges as a first-generation student. Develop a narrative arc that takes the reader through your journey, showcasing your growth, resilience, and determination. Create compelling characters, such as yourself, your family, or your mentors, to bring your story to life and make it relatable to the reader.

How can you use anecdotes and vivid descriptions to make your first-generation immigrant college essay stand out?

To make your essay stand out:.

Use anecdotes and vivid descriptions that showcase your experiences and emotions (Hacker & Sommers, 2011).
Use specific, concrete details to paint a picture of the events, people, and settings that have shaped your first-generation journey.
Show rather than tell by using sensory language and strong verbs to evoke emotions in the reader.

You can create an engaging and memorable first-generation immigrant college essay by incorporating anecdotes and vivid descriptions.

5. Organizing Your Essay

How do you create a clear and logical structure for your essay.

To create a clear and logical structure for your first-generation college student essay, start by outlining your main ideas and supporting points (Hacker & Sommers, 2011). Arrange these points in a logical order that follows a clear progression, such as chronological, thematic, or cause-and-effect. This organization will guide your reader through your story and make your essay easier to follow and understand.

What should you include in the introduction, body, and conclusion?

In the introduction, provide a brief overview of your essay's topic, a hook to capture the reader's attention, and a thesis statement that outlines the main points you will cover (Graff & Birkenstein, 2014). In the body, develop your main ideas and supporting points in separate paragraphs, using evidence and examples to illustrate your points. The conclusion should summarize your main ideas, restate your thesis statement, and leave a good impression on the reader, emphasizing the importance of your experiences as a first-generation college student (Zinsser, 2006).

How can you ensure smooth transitions between paragraphs?

To ensure smooth transitions between paragraphs, use transition words and phrases, for example, "however," "in addition," "on the other hand," or "as a result" (Hacker & Sommers, 2011). These words help guide the reader from one point to the next and show the relationship between your ideas. Additionally, ensure each paragraph begins with a clear topic sentence that connects to your thesis and the previous paragraph. This cohesion will help your essay flow smoothly and be more engaging for the reader.

6. Writing Tips for an Inspiring First Generation College Student Essay

How can you maintain a personal and authentic voice throughout your essay.

To maintain a personal and authentic voice in your first-generation college student essay, write conversationally, using natural language and first-person pronouns (I, me, my) (Zinsser, 2006). Share your unique experiences and thoughts, and avoid using generic phrases or trying to sound overly academic. You'll create a relatable and engaging essay that resonates with your reader (Graff & Birkenstein, 2014).

What are the best ways to maintain simplicity and clarity in your writing?

Maintaining simplicity and clarity in your writing involves using clear, concise language and short sentences (Zinsser, 2006). Avoid jargon, complex words, or lengthy sentences that may confuse your reader. Instead, choose simple words and phrases that accurately convey your ideas and break down complex thoughts into smaller, more manageable parts (Hacker & Sommers, 2011). This approach will ensure that your essay is easily understood by readers of all backgrounds, including those from ESL countries.

How do you avoid common writing pitfalls, like clichés and overgeneralizations?

To avoid clichés and overgeneralizations in your first-generation college student essay, focus on providing specific, concrete details and examples from your experiences (Zinsser, 2006). Instead of relying on stock phrases or general statements, use vivid descriptions and anecdotes that illustrate your points and showcase your unique perspective. By grounding your essay in specific details, you'll create a more engaging and memorable narrative that stands out among first-generation college students' personal statement examples (Graff & Birkenstein, 2014).

7. Submitting Your Essay

what should you double-check before submitting your first generation college student essay.

Before submitting your first-generation college student essay, it's essential to double-check a few key elements to ensure your essay is polished and error-free. First, proofread your essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors (Hacker & Sommers, 2011). Second, verify that your essay meets the required word count and formatting guidelines specified by the college or university. Finally, ensure that your essay addresses the prompt, demonstrates your unique perspective as a first-generation student and has a coherent structure with smooth transitions between paragraphs (Graff & Birkenstein, 2014).

How can you ensure your essay makes a lasting impression on the admissions committee?

To ensure your first-generation college student essay leaves a lasting impression on the admissions committee, create a compelling narrative showcasing your resilience, determination, and unique perspective (Zinsser, 2006). Use vivid descriptions and anecdotes to engage your reader and maintain a personal and authentic voice throughout the essay (Graff & Birkenstein, 2014). Moreover, make sure your essay is well-organized and error-free, as a polished and professional essay demonstrates your commitment to your education and your ability to succeed in college (Hacker & Sommers, 2011).

In conclusion, writing an inspiring first-generation college student essay is crucial for showcasing your unique experiences and resilience to the admissions committee (Graff & Birkenstein, 2014). By creating a compelling narrative and addressing the essay prompt, you can demonstrate your potential to succeed in college and overcome the challenges that first-generation students often face (Zinsser, 2006). By observing the step-by-step process outlined in this guide, you can craft a powerful and engaging essay to help you stand out among other counterparts and increase your likelihood of admission to your dream college.

As a first-generation college student, you should be proud of your accomplishments and embrace the unique experiences that have shaped your educational journey (Hacker & Sommers, 2011). Your resilience, determination, and perspective are invaluable assets that can contribute to your success in college and beyond. Use your first-generation college student essay as an opportunity to celebrate your achievements, share your story, and inspire others who might be facing similar challenges. Remember, your unique background and experiences can be a source of strength and inspiration for yourself and those who read your essay.

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Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives

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Do I Belong Here?: The Struggles of our First Generation Students

Why didn’t anyone tell me that college would change me, and my family might not recognize me the same, and that I would identify myself differently?

“Maybe you think you’re better than us because you went to college.” These twelve words will always stick with me. Although they were said out of emotion and never meant to hurt me, they cut deep and made me question my identity.

As far back as I can remember my parents have taught me that I can achieve any goal as long as I dedicate myself 100%. It is because of my parents that I have reached the success that I have as a student, a teacher, and an adult. My mother and I have a close relationship. She is my best friend, my confidant, my shoulder to cry on, and my hand to hold. She’s the person I call when I need to make an important decision, or when I have exciting news. She raised me to know my worth, but also to remain humble and gracious.

In high school, going to college was the expectation and the culture of my school and our community reflected this. I am the first person in my family to go to college, and my parents were supportive and proud of my self-advocacy. However, being a first generation college student did not mean much to me at the time. Everyone around me was going through the same motions and obstacles on the path to college and I did not feel any different.

I pursued a degree in mathematics at California State University, Long Beach and graduated with university honors. The process completely transformed for my identity and the way I evaluated my own intelligence. I had always identified myself as capable and felt confident in things like my likability or my ability to connect with people, but after becoming successful with mathematics, I felt confident in my mind, and this was incredibly empowering. This newfound confidence in my intellectual ability (and my dad’s “just try it!” encouragement) led me to apply to the Stanford Teacher Education Program. The day that I was accepted is one of my proudest moments.

At first, I felt like an imposter at Stanford. I was one of only a few first generation college students. I could not identify with the narrative of most of my peers coming with bachelor’s degrees from highly esteemed universities and families where multiple generations had attended college. I remember thinking, “Did they mean to pick me? Am I really as qualified as everyone else here?” It was difficult to believe that I actually belonged there. Thankfully, as classes got started, I felt valued and respected by the program and my peers. My identity as an educator for social justice was forming, and my intellectual confidence was growing rapidly once again. I had opinions about education, equity, and social justice, and I knew how to talk about them.

Coming home to visit my family started to feel different. Being fully immersed in an academic environment where I regularly engaged in class discussions around important topics in education made me aware and alert about being careful and precise with my words. I had developed a watchful eye and critical ear for underlying sexism, racism, homophobia, and/or classism in people’s statements or humor, and I felt that it was my duty to challenge these things. This was a stark difference from my unassertive, pre-grad school self, who shied away from any form of confrontation.

For my mother, these changes became apparent right away, and she was watching me change in ways she did not expect. I would challenge the things that my family said or the jokes that they made by pointing out how they were unintentionally hurtful to some group of people. To her, everyone was joking around and interacting with me in the way that we always had. To me, I was realizing how many parts of my life and culture that I had never taken a critical eye to. So, as I continued through my program the tension grew and I continued to feel distanced from my family. It seemed like I did not fit in like I used to.

The tension peaked in the first semester of my first year of teaching. My mother and I were on the phone and disagreeing over something. Although my mom and I have both tried to recall, neither of us can remember what we were arguing about. I was pushing back on something she said, and I felt strongly about it, but all I can remember are those twelve powerful words. She said, “Maybe you think you’re better than us because you went to college.” I stopped. The conversation fell silent, and I said, “Okay.” The conversation ended shortly after, and as soon as I hung up I cried. My education that seemed like the ultimate achievement for myself had put a wedge between my family and myself. I knew she did not mean it—not in the way I interpreted it—but it still hurt just as bad.

Every time I revisit the story in my mind, I get emotional. I had worked so hard to make my family proud and to do the right thing. I went to college— check. I went to grad school—check. I started a career—check. I was supporting myself—check. Certainly these are the stepping-stones to a happy and successful adulthood. My upbringing, my school, my social group, television shows and movies all told me these were the steps I needed to take to achieve this ideal status as an educated and successful adult. But why didn’t anyone tell me about the fact that I would change, and my family might not recognize me the same, and that I would identify myself differently?

Fortunately, being a part of the KSTF community provided me a with a space to begin to process these emotions. Reading Why School ? by Mike Rose (2014) and discussing the book’s themes and my own experience with other Fellows helped me feel like I belong in this community. Going to school was my choice, and I am thankful that I had so much love and support to get me there. Because of who I am and where I came from, my path to college was not full of too many obstacles. Despite being a first generation college student, I am still a white female from a middle-class family. The demographic that I fall under still aligns closely with what our society portrays as a college attendee.

However, this brings me to my biggest concern and the conversation I want to start. What about our first generation students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds? If I struggled and continue to struggle with issues of identity and belonging in the academic world while coming from a culture where college was the norm, how deep are these struggles for our students who do not come from this same supportive culture? I have a student who comes from a family where every member works to help run their family store, and the expectation is that she will continue this tradition when she graduates. I have another student (and several like him) with a father in jail and family members in gangs. Each of my students is living in a community with poverty, gang violence, prostitution, and drug abuse. How can they possibly feel as though they belong in the academic world when they and the people they love live in a starkly different world?

As teachers, it is almost second nature for us to encourage our students to go to college—to chase the American Dream. But, do we take the time to at least acknowledge that this achievement comes with other transformations—that for some students we are encouraging them to depart from the world that they know and feel they belong in? Is there a place for this conversation in high school? Are our students already thinking about it?

I decided to ask my students. For context, I teach at a public school in the area my students refer to as South Central Los Angeles. Our population is 85% Latino and 15% African American, with 77% of our students eligible for free and reduced lunch. I provided my senior students with a survey about their families’ and friends’ reactions to their plans for after high school. Almost every student reported that their family and friends were both excited and supportive with the exception of one student whose parents were disappointed that he had chosen community college over the California State Universities he had been accepted to.

The most interesting responses were to the question: “What (if any) were some of the concerns that you considered when deciding to go to college?” I provided a list of things for students to select and directed students to choose all of them that applied. I found that at least one fifth of my students considered how college might cause their friends and family to see them differently. Although these numbers are small, they do show that these concerns are present for some students, which leads me to believe that this is a conversation worth having as educators.

Within the high school setting there are some ways that we can support students in defining their identity and cultivating a sense of belonging in the academic world. At my school, we have implemented an advisory program where each teacher has a grade level advisory of approximately 25 students. Students have the same advisory group and teacher for all four years of their high school career. In this space, we focus on community building and college and career support. As students progress through high school, advisors support students with things like writing their personal statements, filling out college applications, and completing FAFSA (Federal Student Aid Application) and scholarship applications. Additionally, advisors make connections with students’ families to involve them as much as possible in the student’s education and choices for after high school. With this advisory program, we can ensure that every senior has at least one adult in their life who they can reach out to for support in navigating the post high school world.

Another option to support our first generation college students could be to start a mentoring program between recent first generation college graduates and high school students coming from the same community. Within a program like this, students could connect with a college graduate who may not be much older than them and discuss some of the challenges of transitioning to college. Perhaps a program like this could begin to help students feel as though they belong. Additionally, it could be helpful to have a community of people sharing the same experience to help one another process the many emotions that occur during such a life changing journey.

Becoming educated is empowering and one of the most beautiful processes a person can delve into. Becoming the first person in your family to graduate from college is a major accomplishment and can boost your self confidence in unexpected ways. However, becoming educated means changing and it can mean changing one’s identity–not changing, to become a different person, but changing in the way that growth changes a person. Additionally, it can be difficult at times to believe that one belongs in academia. My experience has taught me that these transformations are impactful and emotional. As my identity has changed, I have experienced a feeling of distance from who I once was and the categories I used to fall under. After speaking with my students, I can see that many of them may experience the same struggles that I have and could benefit from having support in this area. I hope that we, as educators, can work together to support our students as they process the development of their identities and embark upon the path to college. We are the ones who have the ability to teach first generation college students that they do belong in the academic world and I believe it is our duty to do.

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Tanya La Mar is a 2012 Knowles Teaching Fellow who teaches math at the Augustus Hawkins School in Los Angeles, California. In college, she came across a mathematics course that focused on critical thinking and reasoning through arguments. Once she overcame the challenge of thinking differently, a new world opened up to her. As a teacher, Tanya hopes to make mathematics more accessible to her students so that they too can experience success in the subject and gain confidence in their own intellect. Tanya holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from California State University, Long Beach. Tanya can be reached at [email protected] .

teacher reflection
Academic Identity

Reference and Citation

Rose, M. Why school? Reclaiming education for all of us . New York, NY: The New Press.

LaMar, T. (2015). Do I belong here?: The struggles of our first generation students. Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives , 2 (1), pp 11–14.

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In This Issue

The Hidden Struggles of Students: Understanding and Addressing Learning Difficulties

Learning difficulties are a common issue among students, affecting their academic performance and overall well-being. These struggles can manifest in various forms, such as difficulty with reading, writing, math, or communication. Although these struggles can be challenging to identify and address, understanding the underlying causes and providing appropriate support can make a significant difference in students’ lives. This article aims to provide an overview of learning difficulties, their impact on students, and strategies for identifying and addressing them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Types of Learning Difficulties

Learning difficulties are broadly defined as difficulties that affect a student’s ability to learn and process information effectively. These difficulties can be caused by various factors, such as neurological differences, developmental delays, or environmental factors.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects a student’s ability to read accurately and fluently. It is estimated that 10-15% of the population has dyslexia, making it one of the most common learning difficulties. Dyslexia is not related to intelligence, and many individuals with dyslexia have above-average intelligence. Dyslexia can also affect a student’s ability to write, spell, and organize thoughts.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty that affects a student’s ability to understand and manipulate numbers. Students with dyscalculia may have difficulty performing basic mathematical operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They may also struggle with concepts such as time, measurement, and money.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a neurological condition that affects a student’s ability to pay attention, control impulses, and regulate behavior. Students with ADHD may have difficulty focusing on tasks, staying organized, and completing assignments. They may also struggle with social interactions and emotional regulation.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

ASD is a developmental disorder that affects a student’s ability to communicate, socialize, and interact with others. Students with ASD may have difficulty understanding nonverbal cues, expressing themselves, and building relationships with peers. They may also exhibit repetitive behaviors and restricted interests.

Other Learning Difficulties

Other learning difficulties include auditory processing disorder, visual processing disorder, and language disorders. These difficulties can affect a student’s ability to process and understand information from their environment, including spoken language, written text, and visual stimuli.

Impact of Learning Difficulties on Students

Learning difficulties can have a significant impact on a student’s academic performance, social-emotional well-being, and future prospects. Students with learning difficulties may struggle to keep up with their peers academically, leading to frustration, low self-esteem, and a lack of confidence in their abilities. They may also experience bullying or social isolation due to their differences.

Furthermore, if learning difficulties go unidentified and untreated, they can have long-term consequences for students. For example, students with dyslexia are at a higher risk of dropping out of school and experiencing unemployment as adults. Similarly, students with ADHD may struggle with completing higher education or securing and maintaining employment.

Identifying Learning Difficulties

Identifying learning difficulties can be challenging, as students may exhibit different symptoms or struggle in various areas. However, early identification and intervention are crucial for supporting students with learning difficulties effectively. Here are some strategies for identifying learning difficulties:

Screening and Assessment

Schools and healthcare professionals can use screening and assessment tools to identify students with learning difficulties. These tools can help identify areas of difficulty and inform appropriate interventions. For example, the Dyslexia Screener is a tool that can identify students at risk for dyslexia by assessing their phonological processing skills.

Observation and Monitoring

Teachers and parents can observe and monitor students’ behavior and performance to identify potential learning difficulties. They can look for signs such as difficulty with reading, writing, or math, trouble paying attention, poor memory, or emotional outbursts. Teachers can also monitor students’ progress and note any significant discrepancies in their academic performance.

Communication with Parents

Parents can play a critical role in identifying their child’s learning difficulties. They may notice their child struggling with homework, displaying frustration or anxiety about school, or avoiding certain subjects. Teachers can communicate with parents to share their observations and work together to identify potential learning difficulties.

Addressing Learning Difficulties

Addressing learning difficulties requires a multifaceted approach that includes targeted interventions, accommodations, and support for students and families. Here are some strategies for addressing learning difficulties:

Special Education Services

Students with identified learning difficulties may qualify for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These services can include individualized education plans (IEPs), accommodations, and specialized instruction.

Accommodations

Accommodations are changes to a student’s environment, curriculum, or assessment that can help them access and participate in learning. Accommodations can include extra time on tests, audiobooks, modified assignments, or preferential seating.

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology can help students with learning difficulties access and participate in learning. For example, text-to-speech software can help students with dyslexia read the written text more easily, while calculators or apps can assist with math computations.

Social-Emotional Support

Students with learning difficulties may benefit from social-emotional support to address issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, or frustration. This support can include counseling, mindfulness practices, or social skills training.

Future Directions

While much progress has been made in understanding and addressing learning difficulties, there is still much work to be done. Here are some potential areas for future research and innovation:

Early Intervention

Early identification and intervention are crucial for supporting students with learning difficulties effectively. More research is needed to identify effective screening and assessment tools that can be implemented in schools and healthcare settings. Additionally, more resources and funding are needed to ensure that all students have access to early intervention services.

Personalized Learning

Personalized learning approaches, such as differentiated instruction or personalized learning plans, can help address the unique needs of students with learning difficulties. More research is needed to identify effective personalized learning approaches and to develop tools and resources to support their implementation.

Technology-Based Interventions

Technology-based interventions, such as gamification or virtual reality, have the potential to engage and motivate students with learning difficulties. More research is needed to identify effective technology-based interventions and to ensure that they are accessible and equitable for all students.

Teacher Training

Teachers play a critical role in identifying and addressing learning difficulties. More training and professional development opportunities are needed to ensure that all teachers have the knowledge and skills to support students with learning difficulties effectively.

Learning difficulties can be a hidden struggle for students, affecting their academic performance, social-emotional well-being, and future prospects. However, by understanding the underlying causes, identifying and addressing these difficulties, and providing appropriate support and accommodations, we can help ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. With continued research and innovation, we can continue to improve our understanding and support of students with learning difficulties.

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Addressing Common Challenges with Student Writing

Why aren’t students successful writers and what can teachers do to help?

Running is hard.

Like many teachers, I prioritized grading papers, designing lessons, and returning parent phone calls before my health. My weight climbed to 240 pounds, and life-threatening ailments like hypertension and diabetes became looming possibilities. I decided to address my health and find a way to get my physical condition under control in June 2017. I knew I had to start somewhere so I started running.

Running is hard. When I decided to take up running, I had no idea where to start: Did I have the right shoes? Was I supposed to feel this out of breath? Could all my fellow runners tell I was new at this? I wanted to be successful with running—I needed to be for my health—but I needed a lot of guidance. Learning to write well is the same way .

I will never forget my first high-stakes writing assessment: it was the Mississippi Graduation Writing Test in March 1996. Although I was an A student at the top of my class, I was still afraid of this assessment because it required me to write, on demand, in order to obtain my high school diploma. The blue book was sealed by a round, white sticker. With a fresh No. 2 pencil in hand, I broke the seal, opened the book, and read the first page. Like an underprepared runner at the start line of a race, I wished I’d had more training.

With writing, the struggle to complete begins with the struggle to get started . For many students, the struggle to start writing exists because they haven’t been taught an explicit process to start writing. Here are some strategies I’ve found helpful for supporting students.

The Struggle to Get Ready

The first step in drafting any composition is pre-writing.

A blank page can be extremely daunting for a writer. Without the proper tools to begin, a struggling writer often gives up. Some of our students have no idea where to begin when given a task that requires writing. This underscores why the pre-writing process is so important.

Pre-writing is the methodical process that a skilled writer follows before composing. Students must be explicitly taught this process before they can be expected to do it proficiently. Components of this process include:

Clustering —Selecting a word central to the text or writing prompt, then brainstorming related words or ideas, can help writers who have no clue where to start to identify a direction for their writing. Here’s an example .
Brainstorming —Setting aside time to explicitly think about what evidence, plot points, or even vocabulary might be included in a writing assignment can help do away with intimidation of the blank page. This can be done together as a class, in small groups (particularly helpful for English Language Learners), or even independently.
Freewriting —A form of brainstorming, freewriting allows students to write freely, anything that occurs to them about the writing topic (even writing some words in their native language if they are English Language Learners). This helps get the ideas flowing. Unlike a traditional brainstorm, this type of continuous writing is done in complete sentences and paragraphs.
Outlining techniques —Allowing students to develop a routine of organizing their thoughts into an outline can help them feel confident when they begin to write. Here’s an example of the Painted Essay outlining model from the Vermont Writing Collaborative.

While there is no one pre-writing strategy I prefer, to set students up for writing success, I do endorse explicitly teaching the pre-writing strategies through the Gradual Release of the Responsibility Model .

The Struggle to Get Set

Teachers must model each part of the writing process, including pre-writing. There is power in explicitly modeling the think aloud, read aloud, and write aloud—students see how it’s done— practice together—before being expected to do it successfully themselves. This practice builds students’ confidence. Teachers must literally show students how to work through outlining a composition before writing it if they expect students to feel comfortable doing this themselves.

After pre-writing, I would teach my students about clustering, webs, thinking maps, and sentence outlining, focusing on determining the question being asked by the prompt. Answering this question would later become the thesis statement supported by topic sentences. Throughout this process, I would think aloud, writing and revising in real time to demonstrate the writer’s cognitive process.

Using a new prompt, I would guide the students, as a class, through the process, clarifying any misconceptions and checking for the students’ comprehension along the way.

After guided practice, the students would be given a new prompt to practice using the process in groups of two. Ideally, I would pair a student proficient in sentence outlining with a student who struggled with the process. And while the students were working in pairs, I would circulate the room, utilizing student discussions to guide my awareness of who was getting it and who needed more support.

Finally, after three direct experiences with pre-writing, students would engage in pre-writing independently using a fourth and final prompt.

The Struggle to Go

In addition to explicitly modeling pre-writing, I recommend that teachers employ customized graphic organizers to support struggling writers.

Graphic organizers illustrate the structure, organization, and relationship between ideas. A well-developed graphic organizer helps focus the cognitive demands of writing for students who struggle. The skills inherent in completing a graphic organizer include skills that target both processing and analyzing.

As a teacher, I customized graphic organizers to target my students’ pre-writing deficits. For example, if a student still struggled with outlining a good conclusion – one of the largest struggle areas – I would find a specific frame for concluding and embed it into that student’s graphic organizer.

Explicitly teaching the pre-writing process and customizing graphic organizers provide a starting point for our student writers. Both of these recommendations take time and planning. I would usually spend two weeks teaching this process for each text type and purpose.

Writing is hard, but so is running. Both are doable. Both are incredibly rewarding.

After running for over a year, completing more than 40 5k races, and clocking more than 400 miles, I still find running hard. But knowing what to do, how to do it, and having clear goals for improvement have made all the difference in my ability to be a successful runner.

After writing for a lifetime, earning a terminal degree, publishing a book, and teaching thousands of students, I still find writing hard. But just as with running, knowing what to do, how to do it, and having clear goals for improvement have made all the difference.

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7 thoughts on “ Addressing Common Challenges with Student Writing ”

Thank you very much for outlining a model we teachers can use for better preparing our students for the often times difficult yet rewarding task of writing. It makes perfect sense. I hope to help my students make better sense of the writing process as well.

Zack, super read! Thank you for sharing . . .writing is hard.

Thanks for sharing. I find comfort and validation in your testimony. Blessings to you.

This is spot on, Zack! We teachers need to get over the fear of writing and then show students how to do the same. Our job is to help students get over the fear of a blank sheet of paper! I have a theory. Unwittingly, we have made writing punitive for secondary students; we have managed to suck the fun and creativity out of writing. Teachers know how to assign and grade writing, and we have exhausted a world’s supply of red ink to let students know how poorly they have mastered the art…. But therein lies the problem; writing is an art, and it should be a fascinating exploration of our own minds: what we think, why we think this way, how to explain our thinking, and where we got the fuel to fire our thoughts. Educators need to rethink our grading practices, but “Ahh, that’s where angels fear to tread!”

I feel badly for our teachers, for they are in the crosshairs of administrators, parents, and politicians. They know all about “formative” assessments, but they are expected/required to put a grade in the gradebook five minutes after an assignment is turned in…. The result? We are paying lip-service to what we know is good pedagogy while bowing to the pressure of “traditional grading practices.” Teachers are in a no-win situation. My heart goes out to our educators….

I love your running analogy; we must all put on a new pair of running shoes and get in shape!

This is a great description of effective, simple to implement strategies that are easy to implement. I would add one other strategy – writing fluency practice. When students become more fluent at writing 40-50 words in one minute on their “level”, that blank page becomes much less intimidating. You can find more information here with the ideas from Doug Fisher… https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/03/31/writing-fluency .

True, writing fluency is critical.

This article is a great resource to use with students and my grandson! I look forward to using the strategy list to help guide me with guiding him to become a stronger writer!

Designing High-Quality Writing Tasks

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Teacher Voices

Struggling with your college essay? Beware of these common pitfalls

Meredith Joelle Charlson

November 19, 2020.

With college essay season upon us, it’s once again evident that most students have never been taught how to meaningfully revise their writing. For most of these students, working on application essays is the first time someone has required them to write multiple drafts in order to clarify their thinking and views.

If you’re an educator who already requires students to substantially revise their writing, thank you for your work. However, you are the exceptions, and we, as educators, need to make thoughtful revision the rule.

Substantial revision needs to be required throughout a student’s education, not just for college admissions essays. Many students struggling to craft their essays also would say that it’s the first time they felt as if their voices were important.

This significance comes not only from the high stakes of the college applications, but because for many it’s the first time someone — a teacher, parent or counselor — is paying attention to what they write. The clarity of their thinking, or lack thereof, is finally being evaluated by mentors. Twelfth grade, however, is way too late.

Substantial revision means revising beyond grammar edits or awkward phrasing. Editing for content means engaging students in verbal or written dialogue and asking strategic questions that help them understand what, exactly, they’re trying to say.

In the process, whether for an application essay (which is more important than ever as colleges drop requirements for SAT/ACT scores) or for a report on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” students learn to communicate with accuracy and maturity. Editing doesn’t take away their voice; it gives them one.

Importantly, gaining a clear understanding of one’s own values — stemming from a consideration for nuance — is preparation for engaged citizenship. Learning to write clear and thoughtful essays helps students articulate their views and instills pride regarding their own words, ideas, values and opinions.

I’ve found the following are the most common pitfalls:

Using empty language, or language with essentially no meaning. Empty words/phrases include “good,” “bad,” “thing,” or “a long time.” I suggest students use more specific language.
Employing extreme language, or language that removes the possibility of nuance such as the words “always,” “never,” “only,” “all” and “completely.” If a student writes “I was the only dancer in the group who was skilled and motivated,” then I might ask, “How do you know that?”
Including misunderstandings about general facts, historical events and/or literary interpretation. For example, a high school student claimed that the concept of feminism didn’t begin until 1920, the year American women won the right to vote. This stark misunderstanding undermined the student’s overall argument but provided me a channel to help the student better understand the context. I sent the student some historical references and asked: “What work do you think went into getting women the right to vote?”

True, editing and substantial revision takes time for both students and educators. I appreciate that when teachers are dealing with up to 35 students per class, preparing them for standardized testing and now adapting curriculum to a virtual format, requiring more drafts may feel like adding unnecessary weight.

Precisely because this school year isn’t like any other — because homecoming games, fall balls and rallies are canceled, and distance learning has turned lessons, lectures and grading topsy-turvy — we have time to help our students think about the meaning of their words.

We, as educators, need to use this time to pay closer attention to our students’ writing. As an application essay clearly demonstrates, knowing how to write effectively is a necessary skill for a student’s success. It also means the student is learning the need and appreciation for nuanced, accurate and thoughtful communication.

Let’s model that value by paying closer attention to our students’ writings and by asking them to carefully consider their written words. By holding students to higher standards of clear and considered communication, we can inspire our students to have confidence in the power of their own words and in the importance of their voices.

Meredith Joelle Charlson is an instructor for UC Berkeley Extension’s College Admissions and Career Planning Certificate Program . Over the last eight years, she has mentored more than 200 students applying to middle school, high school, undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as law and medical school.

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Creative Ways to Jumpstart Student Writing

Helping students develop a better understanding of what they should do before, during, and after writing can make the actual process less intimidating.

Before pens and pencils even hit paper, students in Jamie Sears’ class would moan and groan with reluctance. “Ugh,” they’d mutter, “do we have to do writing today?”

Some simply don’t like to write “because their previous writing experiences haven’t been enjoyable,” the former elementary school teacher explains . Whether it’s lack of interest in the assigned topic, fear of being judged for their mistakes, or good old fashioned writer’s block, the act of putting your thoughts down on (virtual) paper can be daunting. By the time students reach middle and high school, the pressure has peaked, and the prospect of writing a flawless research paper or the perfect essay is enough to send shivers down their spines.

But writing can be made easier for those who are reluctant or anxious, and “how we mediate student perception of writing is as important as teaching the skills” of writing, explains education consultant Jonathan McCarthy . Getting kids to write more often across a range of styles—supported by an equally rich range of strategies—ensures “that when a student struggles to write, a different approach is readily available.”

From film scripts and short stories to poetry, book reviews, and travel journals, providing myriad low-stakes opportunities to explore what writing looks like in all of its different forms can help put students on a path toward “refining one’s voice, organizing and reorganizing one’s thoughts, and learning how words spill out of one’s head and onto the page,” says English teacher Matthew M. Johnson .

For some students, getting started is often the hardest part, especially if they think of writing as purely “fixed and formal,” writes assistant headteacher Clare Jarmy recently for TES Magazine . She, like McCarthy, recommends demystifying the process with lots of “specific activities for students to do before and after writing,” which help them to “trial ideas, structures and arguments—while not losing their own views along the way.”

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

Students can often be their own worst critics, tearing their work to shreds to get ahead of the negative critique they fear they’ll receive, writes eighth-grade English teacher Christina Torres Cawdery . Allotting time for students to “break through their own judgments” and practice low-stakes writing can help them move away from a “mindset of defeat” when it’s time to be graded.

Build the Habit: According to writing researchers and teachers, students should spend “between 30 and 60 minutes every day” writing, Johnson says, but it’s fine to start a bit smaller. English teacher Meghan Rosa uses daily seven-minute writes while in Cawdery’s classroom, for the first five minutes of each period, students engage in daily journaling—responding to a range of prompts like “Tell me about your favorite place,” discussing assigned reading, or reflecting on a piece of media. But if they’d like, students can write about anything.

When time is up, they record their word count with an aim of reaching 200 words daily. Every two weeks, journals are submitted and Cawdery reads them. “I will also occasionally make casual comments on what they write, like sharing that I also love watching reruns of The Office,” she says. “It’s a great way to get them writing and also build connections with them.”

Bolster Their Authority: Who am I to say what the author meant, a student might wonder. That’s a common problem, Jarmy says. “Students often feel they lack the authority to make their own contribution to the subject and question their ability to write something well-informed.”

To help them understand that their theories and analysis are important, Jarmy has classes evaluate and critique essays produced by generative AI like ChatGPT. Using assessment criteria discussed in advance, students study ChatGPT’s outputs and find places where they can strengthen or improve the work they’re reading. “They might find an essay that ChatGPT produces on Plato and Aristotle’s views on mind and body is largely accurate, but that it lacks judgment or evaluation,” she writes.

Motivate With Mentor Texts: One of the best ways to inspire kids to write well is to get them reading great writing, Sears suggests. Provide examples of what success looks like across a variety of genres, and as different skills present themselves—from realistic dialogue and descriptive details to a strongly communicated argument—students can mark them, saving each passage as a resource for when they need to do the same themselves.

“Pick fun, engaging stories that students will relate to,” she says. “When they see examples of good writing, they’ll be motivated to write better themselves.”

OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF GETTING STARTED

Filling a blank page can be intimidating, but much less so with a plan of action. Pre-planning activities allow students to carve a path forward for themselves in a “safe and well-resourced environment,” Jarmy writes. “It helps to build their confidence and allows them to break up the task of essay writing into manageable chunks.”

Share a Snowball: Writing can be a lonely pursuit, so allowing students to put their heads together and swap ideas can de-escalate any negative feelings. Try a snowball task, where each student begins an outline for what they’re writing—an essay, blog, or the beginnings of a debate argument—then passes it to a classmate, who builds on the ideas of their peers. The process continues, Jarmy says, until a fully fleshed out plan has been created.

An alternative she uses is the three-minute planner, where students map out the main features of what they’re about to write: for example, “three key argumentative points they’d make, plus a conclusion,” in three minutes' time.

Writing Your “Worst Draft” First: Students often misconstrue the writing process as linear and squeaky clean, but the etymology of the word “essay,“ Jarmy writes, stems from the French word essayer, meaning “to try.” Sharing this with students leads them to see writing as something malleable “they can play with, rethink and redraft.”

But trying is much more difficult when you’re aiming for perfection, so Cawdery likes to encourage students to embrace the rough and even bad writing they may initially produce. In fact, she often tells them when they receive an initial assignment to “write the very worst version” of the paper or poem they can imagine. Everything from poor grammar and informal phrasing are fair game, because it can all be refined later. It’s even possible that in their pursuit of the worst first draft that a few pearls of wisdom rise to the surface.

Sketch to Start: When writer’s block inevitably comes knocking on students’ doors, assistant professor of secondary education Jonathan T Bartels briefly takes writing off the table and replaces it with drawing . "If I asked you to draw a picture of your topic, do you think you could?,” he asks. It’s helpful to model for students what this looks like with an example—“when writing about a sequence of things, I have often had students draw it out as a comic strip,” Bartels says.

While the act of drawing itself can help students better visualize the topic they want to write about, it's the discussion afterwards that’s most important, Bartels says. Try asking questions like:

Why did you decide to draw it this way?
What's happening here?
Why is this here? (in regards to spatial organization)
How are these specific items related?
What did you purposefully leave out?

“Discussing the students' drawing in this way gives me a very clear idea of what the student understands and thinks about the given topic,” he says. “For the student, it is an opportunity to articulate his or her thoughts about the topic in a non-threatening way.”

Talk First, Then Write: Similar to Bartels, educational consultant and former educator Alexandra Parrish Cheshire has also found taking writing out of the equation to be the best accelerant. When she observed that some of her students were able to speak at length about a topic but froze up when asked to translate their thoughts to paper, she had an idea.

“Identify a way your students can record themselves speaking their essay rather than writing it,” she says. Students can “step out in the hall and recite their essay,” for example, then return and write down what they recorded. Anything from a computer with a microphone to an audio recording app on a phone will do.

Alternatively, consider setting up one-on-one sitdown meetings to talk through a topic with students who are particularly struggling. Cheshire writes down students’ bright ideas while they’re talking, providing them not only with a starting point to work from but allowing them to “express their thoughts without the hesitation that makes some students’ minds go blank as they pick up that pen or pencil.”

GETTING THEM TO REFLECT AND REVISE

Revising is one of the “meatiest components of the writing process,” says educator Joanna Marsh . Her students often “resisted editing because they didn’t know how to make their work better.” Providing models of how to engage with critique, what revision looks like, and making the process collaborative can lower the stakes while laying out a clear road map for students.

Feedback Foresight: Before students receive any sort of feedback on their work, high school English teacher Marcus Luther has his students try to forecast what critique they may have received . This not only “increases engagement in feedback conversation/reflections,” but infuses the revision and reflection process with purpose, he says.

Luther creates a slide that he displays for the class to see, outlining six pieces of feedback he most widely identified as areas for growth. “Which do you think will be on your essay?,” he asks. Students can review their work through this lens, looking for places where “textual evidence is mishandled,” evaluating their “rushed finish,” or looking at paragraphs that need to “move beyond summary to analysis.”

Read-Aloud to Revise: Many don’t like to read their work aloud, McCarthy explains, but it’s a beneficial post-writing practice that “helps them catch problems in mechanics, word choice, and sentence fluency.”

First, students read their work aloud at low volume—just loud enough that only they can hear it. As they navigate their text, McCarthy suggests having students mark it up based on the focus problems suggested by the teacher like action verbs or passive voice. Lastly, writers circle back to the regions of the work they’ve indicated as areas for change, reflecting on what needs to be done to improve.

Peer-Powered Review: Feedback doesn’t always need to come from you, explains high school English teacher Jamie Kobs. “Besides relieving me of some of the pressure,” she says , “creating a classroom culture where students give each other feedback has helped me increase engagement and build community.”

In Mark Gardner’s high school English class, students edit each other often, though he admits few ninth graders have “mastered the conventions of writing well enough to function as reliable editors.” So he provides a bit of structure; students' feedback on each other’s work is always reflective, not corrective .

“My students focus on idea development, clarity, and arrangement to make sense of the writer’s text,” he explains. Emphasize providing feedback that is targeted, actionable, respectful, and inspires growth. For example: “I am confused about who ‘they’ are in this sentence” or “I like how you repeated keywords from your hook here in your conclusion.”

Summarize and Strengthen: Having students write an abstract for their essay “helps them to hone their line of argument, while also developing a sense of focus and precision,” Jarmy writes. She asks the class to create 200-word abstracts summarizing the main idea of the stance they took and its supporting points. “If they don’t understand their essay, or they have forgotten what they wrote,” Jarmy says, “this is a great way to get them to invest in their work and take ownership of it - all of which will help them to improve next time.

Dr. Louis Mensch

Assistant Professor in Political Science • University of Arkansas

Struggles of Writing an Essay Every Student Experience and How To Overcome It

Essays that your professor requires you to submit but haven’t started writing yet is like your worst nightmare that creepily crawls to your walls and follows you wherever you go to say it’s due. Even though you still got time to write them, you chose not to because you’re not in the mood. I understand. It’s one of the most identified struggles in writing an essay. No matter how much you wanted to write it now because you hate procrastinating and there will be a house party in your friend’s house, not writing the essay stops you. What to do?

Essay writers are not keyboarding heroes at all times. There will be a time that they don’t even want to touch the keyboard or see their laptop. It’s like love and hate, where one day they love essay writing, the next day they’re cursing writing an essay because they can’t get a love life, make sense? So, if you are experiencing any struggles in writing, here’s how to overcome them.

Struggle #1: When time is as fast as The Flash, but nothing is done

It happens when there’s a lot of distractions around you. It’s hard to focus and understand what you are doing if you study or write in a quiet place. If this is the reason why you can’t start writing, the best thing to do is to look for a more peaceful place. Turning your phone to vibrate mode for emergency calls and text and log out from all your social media accounts. In this way, you can focus on what you are doing.

Struggle #2: You’re halfway through your paper when you suddenly feel that you want to write on another topic

It happens when you don’t have enough knowledge about the topic you are writing. To overcome this, you can look for the subject that REALLY interests you and list down the ideas you can incorporate with your topic. Writing an outline can also help and will guide you with what you are writing.

Struggle #3: Procrastination is your flatmate

Getting rid of the habit of procrastinating is one of the hardest things to do. But if you are pretty determined to get this habit out of your flat, there’s this 5-minute rule that you can practice. The gist of this rule is to set 5 minutes to whatever you are doing and finish it within the time limit with no stopping. Afterward, you can do another thing. In manifesting the minute rule, you can extend the time limit until you had destroyed procrastination.

These are some of the struggles every student experiences when they write an essay that is due soon. If you feel like you don’t want to write at the moment, take a break and do something else. Walking around or listening to music can help get your mood back to writing.

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How to Reduce Student Absenteeism

Readers discuss the reasons for the spike since the pandemic and how to lure students back.

Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere

The pandemic changed families’ lives and the culture of education: “Our relationship with school became optional.”

To the Editor:

“ Pandemic Effect: Absence From Schools Is Soaring ” (front page, March 30) highlights the persistent challenge of chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools. If pandemic-related “cultural shifts” are among the factors keeping students away from school, bringing them back may require us to rethink the culture of education itself.

Despite the efforts of many visionary educators, too many schools still offer a deskbound, test- and compliance-driven experience that leaves students passive, uninspired and flat-out bored.

Over the last two years, a pilot program in Salem, Mass. , has succeeded in cutting chronic absenteeism among middle schoolers in half by listening to students and designing learning with their interests in mind, including regular field trips, hands-on projects and mentoring with college students. Today, the chronic absenteeism rate among the pilot cohort of seventh and eighth graders hovers at 8 percent, in no small part because students don’t want to miss what’s on offer at school.

Educators can reset school culture by being adaptive, believing in teacher leadership and recognizing that powerful learning can happen outside classroom walls. Unlike the use of Band-Aids and gimmickry that do not result in long-term change, valuing a philosophy of “education everywhere,” as Salem has embraced, will result in improved attendance and academic growth.

Stephen Hinds Laura Tavares Stephen Zrike Chelsea Banks Mr. Hinds is president and Ms. Tavares is executive director of the WPS Institute, an education nonprofit. Dr. Zrike is superintendent and Ms. Banks is dean of innovation for Salem Public Schools.

This article brings light to an issue plaguing school districts across the country. As a former classroom teacher, I remember talking with students who returned to school after being absent. They would ask for the work they missed. While I could share the assignment, I could not possibly share the rest of what they missed, including the social and academic interaction with their peers, the instruction provided, the opportunity to ask questions while working through material and being part of a community.

When done right, school is more than a collection of assignments. It is a vibrant social fabric that provides a culture of belonging, and opportunities to grow and explore with trusted adults guiding the way.

The solution to the absenteeism problem is not easy. As the chief education officer at Mikva Challenge, a group that works to engage young people in the civic process and have their voices part of critical decision making affecting their lives, I know that for any solution to be successful, it must involve youth in the process.

Our default as adults is to make decisions in the best interest of children, without asking them what they think and whether an idea will work. Young people are not apathetic; they are uninvited. They care deeply about the issues that affect them. And when they are engaged in decision making, policy is better.

Jill Bass Chicago

We had mixed feelings when reading “Pandemic Effect: Absence From Schools Is Soaring.” On the one hand, it’s important for the public to understand that chronic absenteeism in America is no small problem. On the other hand, the article unwittingly minimized the deep struggle so many families experience, particularly those from underresourced backgrounds.

You quote a researcher who stated, “The problem got worse for everybody in the same proportional way,” but we question whether this accurately reflects the reality in America today. Based on our own and others’ research, we believe that families who struggled before the pandemic were much more vulnerable to its effects.

We cannot ignore just how much deeper Covid affected communities of color, communities with risk factors, communities in poverty and communities in rural areas. This does not negate anyone’s struggles; yet the struggle has been disproportionate. This cannot be ignored.

Zahava L. Friedman Keri Giordano Hillside, N.J. Dr. Friedman is an assistant professor and Dr. Giordano is an associate professor at the College of Health Professions and Human Services, Kean University.

My 12-year-old son has been absent from school most of this year and is a part of the chronic absenteeism statistics cited in the article. His attendance was excellent until he caught Covid twice in one year from school. He was 9 years old and has been chronically ill ever since.

It is shocking to me that the article never suggests that some absenteeism might be due to chronic illness from Covid.

One recent study suggested that as many as 5.8 million kids in the United States have had their health affected by long Covid. These statistics are highly contested, but given how reluctant our doctors have been to diagnose or treat our child for something that they cannot measure with any blood test, it is not surprising that we do not really know the full extent of this disease.

My child, and many other children like him, cannot go to school because they are struggling with the persistent life-altering symptoms of chronic illness. These children want to go back to school. Don’t leave them out of the story.

Sarah Mathis Pleasanton, Calif.

The root causes of chronic absenteeism in American public schools are as varied as the solutions needed to combat it. One often overlooked and underfunded strategy with the potential to re-engage students in learning is arts education.

A 2021 study on the benefits of arts instruction in the Boston Public Schools showed that increased access to arts education reduced student absenteeism, with a greater impact on students who had been chronically absent.

BPS Arts Expansion is a public-private partnership that has dramatically expanded access to quality arts education throughout the school district and enabled longitudinal research on its impact.

No one strategy will be the panacea for chronic absenteeism. But as districts across the country grapple with this issue, expanding access to in-school arts instruction warrants attention.

Marinell Rousmaniere Boston The writer is the president and C.E.O. of EdVestors, a nonprofit school improvement organization.

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Help Students Who Struggle with Essay Writing

Close-up of exercise book, pencil, hand writing on paper.

In a world of snaps, tweets, and texts, it’s no wonder many students struggle with writing. In an academic environment, this is particularly frustrating for students and teachers alike. Students often struggle to express themselves in the long-form fashion expected in school, while teachers lament the difficulties involved when helping students who struggle with writing essays but eagerly indulge in social media posting. In fact, according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, cited in a recent New York Times article , three-quarters of both 12th and 8th graders lack proficiency in writing. That’s not a small number.

So how do teachers create an environment where students are able to master long-form writing? The essay isn’t going away, and long-form communication will always be an important method of analysis, argument, and expression. It’s a crucial skill in today’s society, where reports, speeches, and articles make up much of our communication.

While more students are struggling with long-form communication than ever, teaching them to write isn’t impossible. Here are a few strategies for parents and educators who want to help students become better writers.

Slow down and ensure mastery before moving on.

These days, long-form writing is not unlike learning a foreign language for many students. The method in which they are accustomed to communicating — via short text messages, quick social media posts, and non-written media — follows its own set of rules. And while these rules are valid for short-form, social communication, they won’t get students far when sitting down to write an essay.

Because long-form writing is so different from the way students are used to communicating, it’s important to approach the topic with patience. The successful creation of a long-form essay begins with the successful creation of a single sentence. These are the building blocks of writing well, and it’s important to put a strong foundation in place.

If a student is struggling to write an entire essay, it may be a sign for you to back up and slow down. Look at individual sentences as an initial method of instruction, and worry about stringing them into longer essays once this is mastered. Yes, even if they are older students who “should” have mastered sentences years ago. If they haven’t, it needs to be revisited.

Pay attention to the method of delivery.

Writing on a phone is inherently different from writing on a laptop, which is different from writing by hand. Each method of communication follows its own conventions. Students tend to be most used to writing through their small mobile devices, not by hand or even on their computer. This isn’t a failure on the part of educators, but rather a natural progression of society. Mobile phones are ubiquitous. They are a means of fast, constant communication, and following the rules of grammar and sentence structure often impede with the speed and ease of conversation.

While each method of communication has its place, students may need more practice writing a long-form essay on their computer or by hand. Take time to offer different methods of writing, so students can be accustomed to the different conventions and understand their purpose.

Offer a combination of both structured and flexible writing opportunities.

Few people enjoy grammar drills or sentence diagrams. And research has shown that sitting through a series of dull-drum diagramming exercises can do more harm than good. That doesn’t mean, however, that providing structure will not help students.

An understanding of convention is needed to understand why writing a certain way is preferable in long-form. Providing a basic structure is important. Rather than having students memorize a litany of rules, dive into the meaning behind the rules. Why is it important to include both a subject and a predicate? Why must verb tenses remain consistent? Why do abbreviations so common in mobile messages (LOL, JK, SMH, etc.) fall short when applied to long-form essays?

By encouraging discussion around these conventions, students are more likely to grasp the differences (even if they don’t always agree with them), and then remember them when writing for themselves.

On the other hand, allowing students the freedom to free-write, without regard for the convention is also important. Students need an opportunity to get their thoughts out without being hampered by the rules. In this case, providing brainstorming opportunities that are then revised to follow proper convention can be effective.

At the end of the day, it’s a combination of these two things that will lead to the greatest results.

As an instructor or parent, it’s important to remember that the world of writing is always changing. It isn’t a bad thing or a good thing. It’s simply the evolution of society as technology becomes more entrenched in our everyday lives.

These tips will help you establish the differences between writing casually and writing a long-form essay that meets academic expectations.

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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. ...
Struggles in the Life of a Senior High School Student
Hence, we are forced to study hard for us to meet the expectations by the people around us. So as a senior high school student, I can't deny the fact that our life in school is not that easy. There are struggles and obstacles that we are able to overcome. Every sleepless nights that we had due to the requirements, assignments, and projects ...
Why Many College Students Are Struggling
To the Editor: Re " College Students Are Not OK ," by Jonathan Malesic (Opinion guest essay, Sunday Review, May 15): As a former attorney in the areas of education and disability rights, and a ...
College Essay Tips for First-Gen Students
A first-generation student essay is different from a regular college essay because the reader wants to hear about the struggles you experience as a first-gen student. First-gen essays are mostly found in scholarship prompts but can be used as your personal essay on the Common or Coalition Application.
'Embrace the struggle,' says Stanford education professor
When we embrace struggle, it's freeing. It changes how we go about our work. We're more persistent. We interact with each other differently. If you live just a single day with this perspective ...
A Student's Struggle to Speak English Leads to a Career as a
In this personal essay, she expresses why she hopes that "more people in our society, especially in today's political climate, analyze their perceptions of disadvantage and accept that qualities like language "barriers" can in fact be personal strengths." ... The article, "A Student's Struggle to Speak English Leads to a Career as ...
Student Struggles Essay Examples
Student Struggles Essays. Motivating and Encouraging Academically Challenged Students. Introduction Many students struggle academically and see education negatively. Jacob, a middle school kid who is willing to drop out of school and is failing most of his classes, is one student who sticks out to me (Cho & Kim, 2019). ...
College Essay Examples
Table of contents. Essay 1: Sharing an identity or background through a montage. Essay 2: Overcoming a challenge, a sports injury narrative. Essay 3: Showing the influence of an important person or thing. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about college application essays.
First Generation College Student Essay: Step-by-Step Guide
The phrases "first-generation college student struggles essay," "first generation essay", and "first-generation immigrant college essay" can also be used to describe similar essays that emphasize the student's background and experiences as a first-generation college student or immigrant. 2. Understanding the Prompt and Requirements
Do I Belong Here?: The Struggles of our First Generation Students
This newfound confidence in my intellectual ability (and my dad's "just try it!" encouragement) led me to apply to the Stanford Teacher Education Program. The day that I was accepted is one of my proudest moments. At first, I felt like an imposter at Stanford. I was one of only a few first generation college students.
The Hidden Struggles of Students: Understanding and Addressing Learning
Students with ADHD may have difficulty focusing on tasks, staying organized, and completing assignments. They may also struggle with social interactions and emotional regulation. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) ASD is a developmental disorder that affects a student's ability to communicate, socialize, and interact with others.
Addressing Common Challenges with Student Writing
Running is hard. Like many teachers, I prioritized grading papers, designing lessons, and returning parent phone calls before my health. My weight climbed to 240 pounds, and life-threatening ailments like hypertension and diabetes became looming possibilities. I decided to address my health and find a way to get my physical condition under control in June […]
Struggling with your college essay? Beware of these common ...
I've found the following are the most common pitfalls: Using empty language, or language with essentially no meaning. Empty words/phrases include "good," "bad," "thing," or "a long time.". I suggest students use more specific language. Employing extreme language, or language that removes the possibility of nuance such as the ...
A Trend Analysis of the Challenges of International Students Over 21
According to Fakunle (2021), international students' motivations for studying abroad are from educational, aspirational, experiential, and economic dimensions.Many international students' motivation to study abroad stems from personal ambitions and the desire for better prospects. For others, it is because of their country's low education quality (Bhandari et al., 2018).
12 Ways to Help Students Who Struggle with Writing
Your students may struggle for any number of reasons, but above all, the "one weird trick" to improve at writing is to simply write more. 1. Make a Plan ... As a capstone for a themed learning week or a complex lesson in social studies, geography or science, have your students write explanation papers covering the main parts of the topic ...
Essay on Personal Challenges in Life as a Student
Words: 1061. Pages: 2. This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Papers provided by EduBirdie writers usually outdo students' samples. Cite this essay. Download. This module has helped me gain both academic and personal skills that would prepare me to undertake real business scenarios I may face in my career.
Creative Ways to Jumpstart Student Writing
Writing Your "Worst Draft" First: Students often misconstrue the writing process as linear and squeaky clean, but the etymology of the word "essay," Jarmy writes, stems from the French word essayer, meaning "to try.". Sharing this with students leads them to see writing as something malleable "they can play with, rethink and ...
Struggles of Writing an Essay Every Student Experience and How To
Struggle #1: When time is as fast as The Flash, but nothing is done. It happens when there's a lot of distractions around you. It's hard to focus and understand what you are doing if you study or write in a quiet place. If this is the reason why you can't start writing, the best thing to do is to look for a more peaceful place.
Opinion
To the Editor: " Pandemic Effect: Absence From Schools Is Soaring " (front page, March 30) highlights the persistent challenge of chronic absenteeism in U.S. schools. If pandemic-related ...
My Struggles in College Essay
My Struggles This course of English has been one of the most challenging courses that I have taken. There is a significant difference between the high school essays, and the college essays written by me. Since my placement into this class, there has been many new issues and problems facing me. New stress has been introduced to me as my time is ...
A Narrative Essay About a Student's Struggles with a Difficult Home
A Narrative Essay About a Student's Struggles with a Difficult Home Life. In this narrative essay, the student reflects on a friend she met in school. She recounts how the friend seemed to struggle with her home life and stood out from her peers due to the added burdens placed on her. PAGES. 2.
My Struggles in Writing Research Papers as a Student
Struggles of Writing a Research Paper In, "Why are students coming into college poorly prepared to write?" (2015), sources claimed that 61% of high school teachers said their students have never written a paper that was more than five pages. Thus, about 20% of incoming college students are...
Help Students Who Struggle with Essay Writing
Students often struggle to express themselves in the long-form fashion expected in school, while teachers lament the difficulties involved when helping students who struggle with writing essays but eagerly indulge in social media posting. In fact, according to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, cited in a recent New York ...