How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School

How to Write a Personal Statement for Medical School The following piece was written by Dr. Michelle Finkel. Michelle has been featured in our Admissions Expert series and is a former HarvardMedical School faculty member. She is the founder of Insider Medical Admissions. At first glance, medical school admissions might seem a far cry from the subjects of reality television confessionals. The players are stalwart, steady characters who live restrained lives and channel their passions with extreme discipline. Yet the admissions game is arguably one where the drama is real, the intensity is palpable, and the stakes are high. There are winners and losers, with thin margins separating one group from the other. In that spirit, I submit to you these true confessions from my time as an admissions decision-maker to help you understand the gritty underbelly of the process that sifts through hordes of aspiring candidates and determines who makes the cut. For the faint of heart, be warned: It is never pretty to see how the sausage gets made. Several years after writing my personal statements for medical school and emergency medicine residency, I found myself reading essays and making admissions decisions as a Harvard Medical School faculty member. In assessing application essays, first at Harvard and now as a professional medical admissions advisor for over six years, I have learned firsthand that certain personal statement techniques fly and others do not. A candidates approach can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection at his/her dream institution. So, in keeping with the realty show theme, Ill start this first entry in my series of personal statement blogs with a revelation: If a personal statement is filled with flowery, empty language, and platitudes about wanting to help humanity, I imagine the applicant wearing a Miss America Pageant tiara. The rule I want you to remember here is this: All stuff, no fluff. (No Miss America clichs!) The medical personal statement should be a persuasive document that convinces medical schools that you are worthy of spot at their institutions, which means it should include facts about what makes you special your achievements. Just like a lawyer does when s/he is trying a case in front of a judge, you must persuade with evidence. Saying you are a caring person or want to make the world a better place is not compelling, and those claims do not distinguish you from the scores of other applicants competing with you. You need to prove your value and your distinctiveness with your academic, clinical, research, community service, leadership, international, and teaching achievements.To the admissions reader, you are what you do not what you say. Every part of your essay should be distinctive, highlighting your unique qualities through your accomplishments. If there is even a phrase in your personal statement that could have been written by someone else, omit. My next revelation: Occasionally, I feel an applicant has mistaken me for his/her mother, wasting precious space expounding on his/her childhood dream of becoming a doctor. Rest assured that unlike Mom, your essay reader doesnt plan to show his/her friends the photo of you in scrubs from Halloween those many years ago, and you can't make any assumptions about your readers unconditional support of your endeavors. Crafting a paragraph (or two) about your childhood doctor Halloween costume has several fatal flaws: First, despite the fact that applicants should know better, the tactic is (sadly) overused. Also, these stories do not engage your reader nor further your candidacy because they are not built on evidence of your distinctive accomplishments. So, youve wanted to study hepatology since you were a baby? How does that support your being a great future physician or leader in medicine? It doesnt, which is why admissions readers will fall asleep when reading about it. Remember: if you spend too much space talking about your dreams, there's a good chance it will leave your reader snoozing. My next confession: I do not do independent research or go back and forth checking an applicants supporting documents if s/he writes something that isnt clear. I remember learning an interesting fact several years ago: When small children do not understand something, they simply tune it out and start to engage in another activity. Children and adults - do not like being confused, and you cant blame them. In some medical school applicants personal statements, candidates make the mistake of obscurely referring to a crowning, distinguishing accomplishment without explaining it. I remember a talented applicant I advised a few years ago who showcased an award she had won. She listed the name, but didnt explain what it was. When I asked her, she told me the award was an academic honor given to only the top 1% of students out of several thousand. Had she not taken my advice and rewritten the section, her admissions readers wouldnt have given her an ounce of credit for that extraordinary accomplishment. What you fail to adequately explain counts against you. On a related topic, dont expect a reader to understand something in your essay because its explained in our AMCAS activities. Different faculty members will approach the application in different ways, so to get full credit for your accomplishments - you need to assume that your reader is seeing your essay first, independent of your AMCAS activities. Bottom line: ensure your personal statement can stand alone and doesn't rely on your AMCAS activities' section for clarification. You've heard it here first: Your med school admissions essay reader is a sleep-deprived skeptic with the attention span of a toddler and very basic cognitive abilities. Visit Insider Medical Admissions for more information, or check out Dr. Finkel on Facebook and Twitter. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How To Find A Biology Tutor To Help With Biology Revision

How To Find A Biology Tutor To Help With Biology Revision Learning Biology At School: How To Find A Biology Tutor ChaptersWhen Might You Need To Consider Extra Tuition?Who Is Not A Good Example Of A Tutor?Who Make The Best Biology Tutors?Where To Find A Biology Tutor?A Recap Of The Best Tips For Finding A Biology Tutor: The 5 Big Dos And Don’tsBiology is a truly fascinating subject which offers some mind-blowing content to learn and explore. What's more, it can provide you with the skills to progress into a variety of equally interesting professions.Referred to as the 'science of life', Biology is a science that explores all living things, including humans, animals and plants.Biology involves the study of humans, animals and plants. Photo credit: andybadger via Visual huntIn order to study Biology to a high level, you must first of all get your GCSE exams out of the way first, gaining a good grade in the Sciences. Find out how biology tutors can benefit you here.Following this pivotal two-year programme, you can enrol on a Biology course at college as part of your A Level studies (or Internati onal Baccalaureate, if that is the course you decide to embark on), followed by the completion of a scientific degree. You don't have to end there, of course, as you can continue to refine your skillset with further education courses.Tutors can be male or female, young or old, experienced or newly-qualified, but the main characteristic to be on the lookout for is someone that you can see yourself working well with. Instead of being put off somebody because of their appearance, ask yourself what you could learn from this person and if they are the right fit for your tutoring needs.That said, remember that they are your tutor and not your friend! You don’t have to get on like a house on fire, but having a good rapport will certainly make lessons after school all the more bearable.This is why it is a good idea to interview your preferred candidates, along with a parent or guardian, to see if they are a suitable match.Where To Find A Biology Tutor?Consult your Science teacher to see i f they know of any Biology tutors who could help you during your course, or ask around among your peers and their parents, as a recommendation is always a great place to begin.Asking somebody you know to be your tutor is not necessarily a bad thing, however you should be certain they are suitably qualified. Not only can an uninspiring or under-qualified individual cost you your good grade, they could wind up costing you lots of money that would be better spent elsewhere!Tutors are often trained teachers with experience teaching inspiring lessons to students. Photo via Visual HuntIf you have no recommendations and decide to turn to the Internet in search for your Biology tutor, then make sure that you only browse genuine websites of candidates with the necessary skills.Our site, Superprof, features a long list of educated tutors covering a wide range of subjects, including of course Biology and its different subcategories (Marine Biology, Zoology, Ecology, are just some examples).A R ecap Of The Best Tips For Finding A Biology Tutor: The 5 Big Dos And Don’ts1. Do remember that you don’t need to be failing in Biology to benefit from a tutor. Tutors are trained to both be able to teach the basic principles of Biology as well as explore the more difficult concepts. A Biology tutor can therefore prevent you from failing in the subject or help you to achieve a higher grade.Biology tutors are particularly useful if you are studying the science at A Level and want to make sure that you secure your first choice of university by means of an excellent grade.2. Don’t pay a sibling, classmate or friend to tutor you, unless they are a fully-licensed teacher. Tutors are, by nature, are chosen to help with one or two subjects so ensure that your chosen candidate is suitably qualified in these fields.3. Do consider those who have been personally recommended, as if they’ve done a great job with somebody you know then the chances are they will once again succeed with you. 4. Don’t judge a tutor by their appearance â€" remember that they are meant to be your teacher and not your best buddy! Find out as much as you can about the individual, including their qualifications, interests and background, to see if they would be a suitable match for you. Interviews are a great way of doing this and most professional tutors will be used to attending meetings like these.5. Do go through an agency when hiring your tutor. This reassures you that the teacher is suitably qualified and has undergone checks to ensure they can work with pupils of your age.

Getting Help with Academic Support

Getting Help with Academic Support Improving Your Grades with Academic Support ChaptersWhy Get Academic Support Tutorials to Avoid Falling Behind?How Can Struggling Students Get Academic Support Tutorials?How Much Do Private Academic Support Tutorials Cost?How Often Should You Get Academic Support Tutorials?“A good teacher must be able to put himself in the place of those who find learning hard.” - Eliphas LeviIn the UK, 100,000 students per year are leaving school “without basic qualifications”. This is a 28% increase since 2015.  Of course, students can struggle at any time during their schooling, not just when they leave. From reception to sixth form, students can start to struggle with any subject and once they do, it can be a slippery slope if they don’t get the right help.So how can academic support tutorials help with this? CalumDrama School Entrance Teacher 5.00 (15) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ToriSpanish Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors OliviaSchool support Teacher 5.00 (2) £21/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkESOL (English) Teacher 4.76 (17) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors YuweiChinese Teacher 4.33 (6) £19/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JenniferMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors LouiseAutoCAD Teacher 5.00 (3) £60/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RickyPercussion Teacher 5.00 (7) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NicolasGuitar Teacher 5.00 (2) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MyriamOrganic chemistry Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors JonathanEconomics Teacher 5.00 (9) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Oluwakemi imoleMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AlexPhysics Teacher 5.00 (1) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AdamSinging Teacher 5.00 (14) £48/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ValentiniMusic reading Teacher 5.00 (2) £50/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MilenaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £25/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RashmiEconomics Teacher 5.00 (1) £35/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsWhy Get Academic Support Tutorials to Avoid Falling Behind?Falling behind or struggling in a class can occur when a student loses interest in their classes or schooling in general. This lack of interest can come about for several reasons: struggling to understand certain concepts or topics, struggling in the classroom environment, economic or social factors, boredom, the relationship with the teacher, health problems, etc. Try to work out why your child is struggling at school. (Source: coyot)A child doesn’t need to go to school if they are homeschooled, but the child must get a full-time education. The school leaving age in the UK is 18, but once a child reaches 16, they can either stay in full-time education, start an apprenticeship or traineeship, or spend 20 hours a week working or volunteering while in part-time education or training.While the government is tasked with ensuring that students don’t fall behind or struggle during their schooling, it still happens quite regularly, which is where academic support comes in.So why choose tutoring services for a struggling child?Home tutoring and online tutoring can help students to:Improve their academic performanceCatch up in classes they’re falling behind inGain confidenceStart enjoying schooling againConsolidate their knowledgeExam and test prep: GCSEs, A Levels, etc.Start enjoying a certain subjectOrganise themselves betterWork regularlyDevelo p their critical thinking and study skillsStimulate their curiosityAsk questions they wouldn’t ask in classGet personalised help according to their strengths and weaknessesFind the necessary motivation to keep studyingGain new perspectives on their futureA private tutor can make a student feel more comfortable in their studies and allow them to develop their skills in a way they otherwise can’t in class.Find out more about the benefits of private tutorials.How Can Struggling Students Get Academic Support Tutorials?Before you start looking for academic tutoring, you need to take a step back and think about the student’s needs. Ask yourself some important questions to help you find the private tutors for your child:Their age and level: primary school, secondary school, college, sixth form, etc.Their difficulties: methodology, comprehension, speaking, writing, etc.Availability: evenings, weekends, lunchtimes, etc.Online tutorials or face-to-face tutorials?One-on-one tutoring or g roup tutoring?BudgetShort-term or long-term academic support? Put together a list of your criteria before you start looking for a tutor. (Source: FirmBee)Once you’ve got your answers, you can start looking for your private tutor. We recommend you filter your responses in terms of where you live and budget so that you can find effective private tutoring.Here’s an example request for a private academic support tutor:“Hello, I’m looking for a private tutor to help my son Paul with maths. He’s in primary school and needs help revising throughout the whole year. He struggles with geometry and remembering certain aspects of the course. He worries about maths regularly. He needs to develop a learning methodology that will help him learn effectively.We’re available one night a week after 17:00. I would prefer it that you come directly to our home. Could we organise a meeting to work out hour many hours he’d need and how long the tutorials would last?You can also get in touch with tutors on sites like Superprof. Have a look at the classifi ed ads and don’t hesitate to get in touch with various tutors.  There are academic support organisations that you can get in touch with to find help for your child. Usually, you’ll need to get in touch, usually through a contact form, or by getting in touch directly with them.There are also free solutions, too. Have a look around for free academic support offered by charitable organisations, workshops, etc.You can also find plenty of academic support services online. There are plenty of academic support services and resources you can get online. If you have the time, you can also use the resources to help your child.How Much Do Private Academic Support Tutorials Cost?Generally, academic support tutorials cost around £20 an hour. However, this average isn’t representative as the cost can vary wildly according to the service you’re getting.The student’s level: primary school students tend to pay less than secondary school students or sixth formers. Generally, the more a stu dent knows, the more the tutor will have to teach them.The tutor’s qualifications and level: the more qualifications a tutor has, the more they’ll charge for their experience. A student working as a tutor won’t charge as much as a professor with a doctorate, or example.The tutor’s experience: a tutor just starting in teaching will charge less than a tutor with years of experience.The subject: maths, physics, chemistry, and biology tend to cost more than the humanities.Location: rates are higher in big cities than in the country.Competition: if there’s a lot of competition, the rates tend to be lower as the tutors compete for students.The number of tutorials: if you’re hiring a tutor for a long time, there’s more chance that they’ll offer you better rates.Travel: some tutors will factor their travel costs into their rates if they have to travel a long way to provide the lessons. Private tutorials are often tailored to the student. (Source: rawpixel)It’s difficult to work out the average rate for tutorials with so many factors to consider. You can find tutors for as little as £10 and others for upwards of £60 per hour. You need to find a tutor that meets your requirements in terms of service and budget.Find out more about the cost of academic support.How Often Should You Get Academic Support Tutorials?It’s easy to think that academic support means plenty of tutorials. However, this isn’t always the case. You also don’t want to inundate a struggling student with work as it can demotivate them. One-on-one tutorials are a great way for students to regain confidence. (Source: Wokandapix)Similarly, a student’s attention span will vary according to their age. Primary school students can only really concentrate for around 30 minutes, twice a week. Any more than that and the tutorials won’t be as effective.By secondary school, students can spend an hour either once or twice a week depending on their needs. Of course, you don’t want to increase the student’s work too much and stress them out.By the sixth form, when they’re more used to studying regularly, you can have 2 to 3 hours of academic support per week according to the student’s needs.During the holidays and summer, they can always get intensive academic support tutorials for 2 hours a day throughout the week. In this case, it’s a good idea to have them in the morning when you’re more motivated.Find out more about how often you should schedule private tutorials.Now you should have a better idea of what priva te tutoring and online tutoring is all about.No matter what subject you need help with or which skills you want to learn, you can find experienced and talented private tutors on Superprof. Regardless of the subject, there are three main types of private tutorial available: one-on-one tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials. Each has its pros and cons and some types work better for certain subjects than others.One-on-one private tutorials are between you and your tutor. The lessons will be tailored to you, your goals, and your learning style. Since this entails a lot of work outside of class from the tutor, you'll probably pay a premium for them. However, with every minute in class spent teaching you, these are also the most cost-effective type of tutorials available.Online tutorials are similar to private tutorials since they are between a single student and tutor but the tutor isn't physically in the room with you and is instead teaching you remotely via a webcam. With few er expenses and the ability to schedule more tutorials each week, the tutor can charge less per hour and they often do.Finally, group tutorials are when several students are taught in a single class by a private tutor. These students may already know each other or be strangers. You won't have the tutor's undivided attention like in the other types of private tutorials but the cost of the tutorial will be divided amongst all of the students in attendance, making it cheaper per student per hour.Many of the tutors offer free tutoring for the first hour so try a few out and see which type of tutorial and which tutor is best for you.

Algebra Homework HelpThe ultimate solution to Algebra Homework Help

Algebra Homework HelpThe ultimate solution to Algebra Homework Help 0SHARESShare If you haven’t been successful in getting an amazing algebra homework help till now, you can hold the helping hand of Tutor Pace. You will get a full-fledged homework help from us; something that  youve  always dreamed of. Incredible algebra homework help We offer a complete homework help online that caters to the needs and requirements of students completely. Students can ask any problems and can bring any doubts from/to our great algebra tutors. Our tutors are dexterous enough to answer any question. In addition to doing homework, students get to learn different algebra shortcuts that help them in their tests and exams. Regular feedback from highly-qualified tutors let the students improve their grades and scores by a huge margin. Students get all algebra homework answers in quickly and smoothly. So, forget about submitting incomplete and low-quality assignments. Enjoy our homework help online Tutor Pace gives you a grand liberty because you can learn 247 anytime at your pace and from your place. It’s exactly when you require, we appear for your assistance. Whether it’s morning or it’s night, we promise to make your career bright! Get Algebra Homework Help Online Now [starbox id=admin]

How to Survive Your First Italian Conversation

How to Survive Your First Italian Conversation Suzy S. Are you nervous about speaking  Italian for the first time? Below, Italian teacher Nadia B. shares some tips on how to survive your first Italian conversation Youve memorized a long list of  Italian vocabulary words, and youve practiced repeating them out loud with your Italian teacher. But, are you confident enough in your skills to  have an Italian conversation with someone other than your Italian instructor? The following tips and tricks will teach you how to navigate through your first Italian conversation. These tidbits will help you communicate with and comprehend your conversation partner, as well as avoid  some of the most common challenges facing Italian language learners in conversation. Lets get started! 1. Ask Your Partner  to Speak Slowly If your Italian conversation partner is a native Italian, you might find that  he or she will  become animated and start to speak rapidly. Dont worry, this is very common among native Italian speakers. If youre having trouble understanding your partner, you can try the following phrase: Parla/parli più lentamente, per favore, which means Please speak more slowly.  In this phrase, parla is informal and parli is formal. 2. Take Note of Hand Gestures Another thing that happens as Italian speakers become more animated is their use of hand gestures. Take note of these hand gestures, as they  can help you gain comprehension. Check out this link to  see the many hand gestures that Italians often use. Familiarize yourself with some of the gestures, and see if you can catch them in use in actual conversation. 3. Phrases to Use When You Dont Understand If asking your partner to speak slowly doesnt work, here are some phrases you can use if theres something you dont understand: Potresti/Potrebbe ripetere la parola/la frase, per favore? (Could you please repeat the word/the last few words?) In this phrase, potresti is informal and potrebble is formal. Cosa vuol dire ____?  (What does ___ mean?) If youre really not able to understand what your conversation partner has said, you can resort to: Non capisco. (I dont understand.) Non ho capito. (I didnt understand [a specific thing].) 4. Substitute Words You Dont Know If youre  following what your partner is saying,  but youre having trouble expressing a particular idea or thought, try to work around it. If you cant think of a particular word, or dont know the word, you can try to describe it using words you do know. For example, if you didnt know the word for bookstore in Italian (la libreria), you could say, E dove si compra un libro. (Its where you buy books.) If youre really stuck, and the person youre conversing with speaks some English, try the following phrase:  Come se dice ____ in italiano? (How do you say ____ in Italian?) 5. Keep it Simple Lastly, remember to keep it simple. Using simple sentence structures and basic vocabulary words can go a long way. Remember these common building blocks of sentences: The verbs to be: essere and stare Subject pronouns: io (I), lui (he), noi (us), etc. Common verbs:  mangiare (to eat),  parlare (to speak),  andare (to go) Helpful  prepositions:  di (of),  da (from),  accanto (beside),  davanti (in front),  indietro (behind),  giù (below) Useful adjectives: interessante (interesting),  bello (beautiful),  amabile (friendly), difficile (hard), facile (easy) 6. Ask Your Partner Questions In addition to using the above structures to create varied conversation, dont forget that another way to increase the richness and depth of your conversation is to ask the person youre conversing with questions about themselves, or ask for more information about what he or she has  said. Use the following question words to gain more information: perché (why) come (how) quando (when) dove (where) che cosa (what) chi (who) Use these tips and consult your  Italian teacher to help prepare for your first Italian conversation. Most of all, enjoy yourself! Its sure to be full of fun  and learning, and its only the beginning of many adventures in Italian to come! Post Author: Nadia B. Nadia B. teaches Italian in New York, NY. She graduated summa cum laude from New York University, with a double degree in Italian Language and Literature and Classical Music Performance.  Learn more about Nadia here! Photo by  Giulia Mulè Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

LOI English Book Club

LOI English Book Club LOI English is introducing a new kind of course for upper-intermediate to advanced English speakers, the English Book Club. In this class, you will read some of the best novels in the English language, then discuss them in a weekly group class led by a native teacher.We love reading, and know that a lot of our students do to. We think this will be a fun new way for English students to maintain their English with reading and weekly conversation. The teacher will help with vocabulary lists and reading questions given out before each class, and can explain difficult parts of the novel during the weekly class.Classes will be $40 per month, which includes 4 classes of 1 hour 15 minutes each. There will be 5 students in each class. We will need a minimum of 5 students for a class, so make sure to share this with your friends via Facebook and Twitter! Groups will meet live via WebEx, a high-quality online video conferencing platform.To register for a class, click here and fill out the form, or email us.

30 Kickass Ways to Start an Essay

30 Kickass Ways to Start an Essay Because well-begun is half done. 30-sentences-to-start-an-essayDownload The purpose of the first sentence in your essay is to make your reader want to read your next sentence. In truth, every sentence you write has the same purpose: tokeep them reading to the end. So, you have to start off strong. Your first sentence has to have some impact on the reader or you risk your essay being tossed aside never to be picked up again. Try to feel my pain. As your reader, the last thing I want to read is some dry announcement about your plan for your essay, In my essay, I will blah blah blah. Yuck! I would rather read a grocery list! And you can do better than that. A martial artist once told me, If you want to win a fight, hit first and hit hard. With that in mind,here are 30 sentence types that will hit your reader hard at the beginning of your fight for his or her attention. My advice to you is to take 30 minutes to compose 30 of your own sentences using each structure and example to guide you. Dont labour over each one. Some will be easy. Some not so much. Once you have your list of 30 kickass sentences, copy and paste your own sentences into the Virtual Writing Tutor grammar checker to check for errors. Of course, you should become a memberof the Virtual Writing Tutor firstif you arent one alreadybecause then the system will save your sentences to your profile for you to review later. (Yes, membership is 100% free, and no, we dont send spam.) 1. Not this, but that. Example: A moral code is not a hindrance to true successits a necessity. Structure:____is not a ______ its a _______. Comment: Say what something is not (or should not be) so that you can say what it is (or should be). Notice the dash. It joins two short sentences, one negative and one affirmative. You can join your sentences with a semicolon or a comma* if you prefer. *Strictly speaking, using a comma to join two sentences is usually called a comma splice error, but because the sentences are short, your reader will will interpret the sentence as a stylistic sentence rather than a comma splice error. 2. Use better off than to highlight an advantage. Example: A society with minimal restrictions on the expression of ideas and opinions is better off than a society with a propensity to censor. Example: A person with talent is better off than a person with training. Structure:________is better off than __________. Comment: The phrase better than compares two things directly, whereas the phrase better off than compares starting points. It tells the reader that one has an advantage the other doesnt have. 3. Compare adjectives with being ___ is better than being ___ Example: Being realistic is better than being heedlessly optimistic. Structure: Being _______ is better than being ________. Comment: Nouns are easy to compare, but when we compare adjectives we need the word being in front of them. This structure makes short, punchy claims easy to write, which make it easy for your reader to keep reading. 4. Show equality with just as. Example: Apathy is just as harmful to humans as a physical disease. Structure: ____ is just as _______ as _______. Comment: If you are asked to discuss to two things and give your opinion, it can be a good idea to show how two things are equal in way before getting into their differences. 5. Introduce alternatives with between ___ and ___. Example: Between the nation state and the individual, the nation state is more important by far. Structure: Between X and Y, X is best. Comment: By offering two alternatives and then naming the first alternative again with a claim to its superiority, you create a sentence with a repeated element. The repetition creates an impact by making the repeated element more memorable. Poetry and song lyrics use repetition with this same intention. 6. Announce your plan to categorize with fit into a range of . Example: Courageous deeds fit into a range of categories. Structure: Xs fit into a range of categories. Comment: After an opening sentence like this, you must keep your promise to categorize examples of courageous deeds into multiple types. 7. Say how something resists categorization with go beyond. Example: Dreams go beyond career choices and material desires. Structure: Xs go beyond Ys and Zs. Comment:Notice how the three items in the example are all plurals. Keep your items parallel when using this sentence structure. Also, notice how saying dreams go beyondmake dreams bigger and more important than the other items mentioned. Readers will be curious how. Dont disappoint. 8. Say where concepts originate. Example: Established values in a society originate in culture, religion, and the hopes and dreams that a country was founded upon. Plural Structure: Xs originate in Y and Z. Singular Structure: X originates in Y and Z. Comment: Saying where something originates opens the door to illustrations from the past. An essay with a first sentence like this will practically write itself. 9. Show surprising resilience with even with. Example: Even with the divorce rate of 50% Americans remain dedicated to the idea of family and community. Example: Despite a string of serious allegations, voters continue to support their president. Structure: Even with / Despite _______, Xs remain _________. Comment: Sentences that show us the surprising resilience of a state of affairs despite a factor that works against it make readers curious about why it is so. Make no mistake. Notice even with introduces past and present situations, while even if tells the reader about the future. 10. Virtually disappeared. Example: Good manners have virtually disappeared from our self-centered world. Structure: ___ has virtually disappeared. Comment: Virtually means nearly or almost. If you say that good manners have disappeared, your reader may say to him or herself, Nonsense! I have good manners. If this happens, you will have an uphill battle on your hands. Your reader will resist you. But if you say that good manners have virtually disappeared, that is much harder to contradict and should arouse curiosity instead. 11. Imagine a world without something. Example: Imagine a world without the light bulb, without civil rights, or without the personal computer. Structure: Imagine a world without ___, without ___, or without ___. Comment: Imagining a different world arouses the readers imagination and curiosity. All you have to do after a sentence like this is to offer illustrations how life would be different. Easy. 12. Say what is important to do before taking action. Example: It is very important to attempt to understand people’s motivations and circumstances before judging their actions. Structure:It is very important to ____ before _____. Comment: This is a way of telling your reader what to do without directly telling your reader what to do. You merely point out what to do first. 13. Say what someone did and how he or she did it with through. Example: Lincoln, through the force of his character and his knack for politics, kept the United States united and ended 250 years of slavery. Structure: X, through the ______ of his/her character, ________. Comment: This sentence is very useful for making claims about people who have shown leadership or talent in the past. By painting a portrait of a great person, you will activate your readers memory and imagination. 14. Say how most people agree that Example: Most people agree that the amount of preparation is proportional to the degree of success for any endeavor. Structure:Most people agree that ____. Comment: If you say, all people agree that or all people know that, your reader will resist you because it will sound like an exaggeration. Using the words most people still sounds bold, but it makes your claim sound less extreme. 15. Say how an idea manifests itself. Example: Nowadays, creativity manifests itself endlessly, in all fields of study. Structure: Nowadays, _________ manifests itself, in _______. Comment: Manifests itself is just another way of saying appears, but it sounds more active and impressive. The adverb endlessly isnt an essential part of this structure. It is not an exaggeration in the example sentence. I think it is true. We live in a very creative age. 16. Say what experts have observedor noticed. Example: Philosophers and scientists have observed that perspective colors perception. Structure: ______ have observed _____. Comment: This is a useful alternative to the word said. When you say that experts have observed something, they have seen it and talked about it. Notice how to observe is a little ambiguous. It can mean strictly to watch and see, but it is often used to mean said. The ambiguity prevents the reader from thinking, Oh, yeah? Really? Where have they said that? Cite your sources! Ambiguity at the beginning of your essay reduces resistance to your initial claim and keeps your reader reading. 17. Say how reflecting on something often leads to something else. Example: Reflecting on the condition of modern society often leads to the question, have we become overly cynical and desensitized? Structure: Reflecting on _____ often leads to the question ______? Comment: When you tell your reader reflection leads to curiosity about something, your reader will reflect and become curious. Kickass! 18. Claim that a virtue leads to harm. Example: Sometimes the realization of ones personal goals can cost another theirs. Structure: Sometimes _______ leads to ________. Comment: The irony that a good thing leads to a bad thing for others will arouse your readers sympathy and moral indignation. This sentence structure is a powerful first sentence in an essay. 19. Say that the world once believed something. Example: The world once believed in things that we now find either horrifying or ridiculous. Structure:The world once believed ______. Comment: This sentence flatters your reader that he or she is not so stupid as the stupid people in the past, with their ridiculous ideas. Your readers will like the way you make them feel good about themselves. 20. Say how the greater part of something depends upon something. Example: The greater part of our happiness or misery depends more upon disposition than circumstances. Structure:The greater part of _____ depends more upon _____ than _____. Comment:This is a very versatile structure that immediately spurs thought-provoking reflection. You could start an essay about success by saying, The greater part of success depends more upon luck than skill. AN essay about happiness could begin, The greater part of happiness depends more upon a hopeful sense of progress than upon the satisfaction of past achievement. 21. Introduce a criticism by saying X is often accused of something. Example: The media is often accused of sensationalism and outright bias. Structure: _______ is often accused of ________. Comment:This sentence makes the accusation sound unfair. It will arouse sympathy and moral indignation in your reader. 22. State a universal need. Example: The need to belong is universal. Structure: _______ is universal. Comment: There are many things that are universal. Use this structure to tell your reader. 23. Claim that something seems straightforward. Example: The purpose of education these days seems to be a straightforward one. Structure: _____seems straightforward. Comment:These are two useful words that when placed side-by-side become even more useful. Seem suggests that things could be different than they appear. This arouses curiosity. Straightforward suggests simplicity. We all want to be rescued from confusion and excessive complexity. 24. Declare that something has been debated for ages. Example: The role of government has been debated for ages without any concrete answer being offered. Structure:_____has been debated for ages. Comment: When you start an essay like that, Im expecting that you will settle the debate. Keep your promise. 25. Reflect on an inherent part of the human psyche. Example: The search for answers to all of lifes mysteries is an inherent part of the human psyche. Structure: _____an inherent part of the human psyche. Comment: There are lots of things that are inherent to the human psyche. Memorise this structure. It could be useful to you. 26. Claim that there is little or no correlation to something. Example: The truth and facts have little or no correlation to what is popular or mainstream. Structure: _____ have little or no correlation to ______. Comment: Oh, really? Not connected? Do tell. This sentence is bold and arouses my curiosity. It will arouse your readers curiosity also. 27. There can be no doubt. Example: There can be no doubt that problems will continue to plague humanity far into the future, problems as diverse as the people they afflict. Structure: There can be no doubt that ______. Comment: People are attracted to certainty. Offer some to your reader. 28. Tell us that nobody is free from something. Example: Today, nobody is free from the demands or expectations of others, whether one is a toddler and expected to walk by certain age or a father expected to provide a comfortable life for his family. Structure: Nobody is free from _______. Comment:Everybody wants to be free. It is unfair that people should be unfree. Every reader will want to keep reading after the first four words. 29. What forever remains? Tell us. Example: Two opposing ideals remain forever in competition. Structure: _____ remain forever _____. Comment: Putting the word forever after the word remain seems a little old-fashioned and formal. It will make you sound like an authority on the subject. 30. What might never have come to fruition? Example: Without passion optimism and the willingness to believe in the past, many accomplishments in this world might never have come to fruition. Structure:Without _____, _____ might never have come to fruition. Comment: This blog post might never have come to fruition if I hadnt bought 30 Model Essays and been impressed with the first lines of each essay. I hope you found it useful. Please follow and like us:

How to Be Creative

How to Be Creative Creativity is a natural talent. And, the good news is you dont have to be born a creative person. Creativity can be taught and nurtured. Here are some tips for those of you who want to know how to be creative. First of all stop suffering from being dull and unimaginative. Creativity doesnt have to hit you like a bolt of lightning. So, remove the phrase “I am not creative” from your vocabulary and start developing your creativity. Here is how. Travel to interesting places and meet new people. Don’t get stuck in everyday routine! Find a couple of hours for yourself and forget about all your troubles. Learn to play a musical instrument. Playing a musical instrument fosters creativity. Surround yourself with good company. Share ideas with  your like minded friends. Learn something new every day. Remain a lifelong student, take online courses or get an Art tutor for stuff like animation, sketching, drawings etc. Ignore the skeptics. You know that new ideas are always resisted, even if they’re great. Do a lots of experiments. Find out when your brain functions better, in the morning or in the evening. Where you prefer to work independently in a quiet studio space or in a team. There are many variables when it comes to creative work. Give yourself the opportunity to be creative. Forget about “productive” use of time.  Make time to do what you crave. Because doing what you love is the most productive thing ever. To conclude, don’t be influenced by what most people think you should be doing. You have right to express yourself regardless of what anyone else might thinks of you or your work. Be creative, be happy and always be yourself!