essay on improvement

• Self-improvement
• Personal Development
• Mindfulness

Top Self Improvement Essay Topics for Personal Growth

• October 7, 2023 October 8, 2023

Self-improvement is a lifelong journey that allows individuals to evolve, grow, and become the best version of themselves. It involves actively working on personal development and striving for continuous progress in various aspects of life. One way to explore and delve deeper into the realm of self-improvement is through self-improvement essay topics. These topics serve as a platform for introspection, reflection, and exploration of personal growth. Choosing the right self improvement essay topics is crucial as it sets the foundation for the entire writing process. It provides a direction and focus, allowing individuals to express their thoughts and insights on specific areas of self-improvement. Whether it is overcoming fears, developing effective communication skills, or embracing mindfulness, the chosen topic should resonate with the writer’s personal experiences and aspirations. By selecting a topic that sparks curiosity and passion, individuals are more likely to engage with the writing process and present their ideas in a compelling manner.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Self-Improvement

Self-improvement is a concept that holds immense value in our lives. It is an ongoing process of enhancing oneself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The importance of self-improvement lies in its ability to help us become the best version of ourselves, unlocking our true potential and achieving personal growth. Engaging in self-improvement activities allows us to identify our weaknesses and work towards overcoming them. By undertaking self-reflection and actively seeking ways to enhance our skills, knowledge, and mindset, we can strive for self-improvement. This journey enables us to become more resilient, adaptable, and capable individuals, equipped to face the challenges that life presents. With self-improvement, we can continuously learn, develop new skills, and evolve into better versions of ourselves, leading to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

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Choosing the Right Self Improvement Essay Topics

Choosing the right self-improvement essay topic is crucial in ensuring that you are able to effectively convey your thoughts and ideas. With a vast array of self-improvement topics to choose from, it can sometimes be overwhelming to narrow down your options. However, by considering your personal interests, areas of growth, and current challenges, you can select a topic that resonates with you and allows for meaningful reflection and exploration. When selecting a self-improvement essay topic, it is important to choose something that genuinely interests you. This will help you stay motivated and engaged throughout the writing process. Think about the aspects of your life that you are most passionate about and consider how you can incorporate them into your essay. Whether it’s personal relationships, health, and wellness, career advancement, or personal finance, choosing a self-improvement topic that aligns with your interests will make the writing process more enjoyable and authentic.

Personal Development and Growth in Essays

In the realm of personal development and growth, essays serve as powerful tools for self-reflection and exploration. These written pieces provide individuals with an opportunity to delve into their own experiences, beliefs, and values, fostering personal growth and transformation. By putting pen to paper and examining their thoughts and feelings, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world. Through the process of crafting an essay, individuals engage in a form of self-discovery. They are encouraged to examine their thoughts and emotions, explore their strengths and weaknesses, and reflect on their personal experiences. This introspective journey leads to personal development, as individuals gain a clearer sense of their values, goals, and aspirations. By articulating their thoughts and feelings through the written word, individuals are able to make sense of their experiences and make meaning out of their lives.

Self-Reflection and Self-Improvement Essays

Self-reflection and Self-Improvement Essays allow individuals to delve deep into their thoughts and experiences, providing an opportunity for personal growth and development. Through introspection and self-analysis, these essays encourage individuals to examine their beliefs, values, and behaviors, ultimately leading to self-awareness and improvement. In Self-Reflection and Self-Improvement Essays, individuals have the chance to explore their strengths and weaknesses and gain a better understanding of themselves. By reflecting on past experiences and analyzing their impact, individuals can identify areas where they have excelled and areas where they have room for growth. This self-reflection allows individuals to set realistic goals and develop strategies to enhance their personal development and overall well-being. Whether it’s examining their interpersonal skills, exploring their emotional intelligence, or evaluating their decision-making abilities, self-reflection serves as a catalyst for self-improvement. Writing a Self-Reflection and Self-Improvement Essay also enables individuals to assess their progress and track their growth over time. The process of documenting personal experiences and lessons learned enhances self-awareness and provides a roadmap for future development. By articulating their thoughts and feelings in written form, individuals can gain clarity and perspective, allowing them to make intentional choices and take deliberate actions toward their self-improvement journey.

How to Write an Effective Self-Improvement Essay

Writing an effective self-improvement essay can be a rewarding experience that allows you to reflect on your personal growth and inspire others to embark on their own journeys of self-improvement. However, it requires careful planning and execution to effectively convey your message and engage your readers. Firstly, it is important to choose a relevant and compelling topic for your self-improvement essay. Consider areas of your life where you have experienced significant growth or where you have overcome challenges. This will not only make your essay more relatable but also allow you to share valuable insights that can inspire and resonate with your readers. To make your self-improvement essay more impactful, incorporate personal anecdotes and real-life examples. By sharing your own experiences, you can create a connection with your audience and make your essay more relatable. Additionally, including specific details and examples will make your essay more interesting and persuasive, as it will demonstrate the practical application of your self-improvement journey.

Real-Life Examples of Self-Improvement Essays

When it comes to writing self-improvement essays, real-life examples can serve as powerful tools to inspire and guide readers on their own personal growth journeys. These examples can come from various areas of life, such as relationships, careers, health, and even spirituality. For instance, one could write an essay about their journey towards improving their communication skills, sharing specific experiences where they faced challenges in expressing themselves effectively and how they overcame those obstacles. 

By showcasing tangible examples, readers can relate to the writer’s struggles and successes, drawing valuable insights and motivation for their own self-improvement endeavors. Another example could be an essay on health and fitness, where the writer shares their personal transformation journey. They could reflect on their initial struggles with unhealthy habits, the turning point that prompted them to prioritize their well-being, and the steps they took to adopt a healthier lifestyle. By narrating their experiences in a relatable manner, the writer can inspire readers who may be facing similar struggles to take action and make positive changes in their own lives. 

Real-life examples not only make self-improvement essays more engaging and authentic but also highlight that personal growth is a continuous process that everyone can embark on.

Self-Improvement Essay Topics for Different Areas of Life

Self-improvement is a lifelong journey that encompasses various aspects of our lives. Whether it’s in our personal relationships, career, physical health, or emotional well-being, there are numerous essay topics that can help us delve into the different areas of life and explore ways to enhance and grow.

Self-Improvement Through Personal Relationships

One of the most common areas for self-improvement is personal relationships. Topics revolving around communication skills, conflict resolution, and building trust can be great starting points. For instance, you could write an essay exploring effective communication techniques for couples, discussing strategies to improve listening skills or empathetic responses. Another topic could focus on enhancing empathy in friendships and the impact it can have on our overall well-being.

Self-Improvement Through Careers

Another key area for self-improvement is our careers. Here, essay topics can revolve around professional development, goal setting, and strategies for success. For example, you could write an essay on setting achievable career goals, outlining steps to create a clear roadmap for professional growth. Alternatively, you could explore strategies for work-life balance and the importance of avoiding burnout in the workplace.

Maintaining Physical Health

Physical health is also a crucial aspect of self-improvement. Topics related to exercise, nutrition, and mental well-being can provide valuable insights and guidance. You could write an essay discussing the benefits of regular physical activity on mental health or explore the relationship between nutrition and energy levels. Additionally, topics such as mindfulness and stress management techniques can help readers find effective ways to improve their overall well-being.

Tips for Crafting a Compelling Self-Improvement Essay

Crafting a compelling self-improvement essay can be a challenging task, but with the right tips and techniques, you can create a piece that captivates readers and inspires personal growth. Here are some valuable insights to consider when writing your essay. 1. Start with a captivating introduction: Begin your essay with a compelling hook that grabs the reader’s attention. This could be a personal anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a striking statistic related to self-improvement. By starting on an engaging note, you set the tone for the rest of your essay, making readers eager to explore your ideas further. 2. Reflect on personal experiences: A self-improvement essay is most effective when it discusses genuine personal experiences and the lessons learned from them. Share stories of challenges you faced and how you overcame them, providing insights into the growth and development you experienced. This adds authenticity to your essay and allows readers to connect with your journey. Remember to weave your experiences throughout the essay, relating them to the broader theme of self-improvement.

What is self-improvement?

Self-improvement refers to the process of making positive changes in oneself, both mentally and physically, to achieve personal growth and development.

How can I choose the right self-improvement essay topic?

To choose the right self-improvement essay topic, consider your personal interests, goals, and areas of improvement. Think about what aspects of your life you want to focus on and what message you want to convey through your essay.

How can personal development and growth be reflected in essays?

Personal development and growth can be reflected in essays by sharing personal experiences, discussing lessons learned, and showcasing the progress made toward self-improvement goals.

How can self-reflection be incorporated into self-improvement essays?

Self-reflection can be incorporated into self-improvement essays by analyzing your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Reflect on past experiences, evaluate your progress, and consider future goals.

Can you provide some real-life examples of self-improvement essays?

Real-life examples of self-improvement essays may include stories of overcoming personal challenges, learning new skills, improving relationships, achieving career success, or adopting healthier habits.

What are some self-improvement essay topics for different areas of life?

Self-improvement essay topics for different areas of life may include personal growth, career development, relationships, health and wellness, time management, mindfulness, financial management, and goal setting.

In the pursuit of self-improvement, individuals embark on a transformative journey filled with self-discovery, growth, and empowerment. This journey is not bound by age, circumstance, or limitations; it is a lifelong expedition where each step brings us closer to becoming the best version of ourselves.

Self-improvement essay topics serve as the compass guiding us through the vast landscape of personal development. They encourage introspection, self-reflection, and the sharing of invaluable insights gained along the way. As we navigate the realm of self-improvement, it becomes evident that the importance of this journey lies not only in the destination but in the continuous process of self-discovery and growth.

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Essays About Personal Growth: Top 5 Examples and 8 Prompts

If you’re writing essays about personal growth, our guide’s article examples and prompts will help stimulate your creative thinking.

Personal growth is looking at ways to improve yourself mentally, socially, spiritually, emotionally or physically. It is a process where we envision a better version of ourselves and strive to realize that ideal self. Personal growth demands the setting of personal goals and ensuring routine progress. The work toward personal development involves a great deal of hard work and discipline as we push our existing skills and strengths to a higher boundary while reducing our underlying weaknesses.  

Read our essay examples and prompts below to help you produce a rich and creative essay about personal growth.

5 Essay Examples About Personal Growth

1. is it really too late to learn new skills by margaret talbot, 2. i’ve completed hundreds of 30-day challenges. here’s what i’ve learned by tara nicholle-nelson, 3. i was a self-help guru. here’s why you shouldn’t listen to people like me by michelle goodman, 4. how to craft a personal development plan that inspires meaningful results by scott jeffrey, 5. personal development and the power of feedback by emily marsh, 10 prompts on essays about personal growth, 1. why is personal growth important, 2. take up a personal growth challenge, 3. your personal growth journey, 4. personal growth among successful people, 5. personal growth for leaders , 6. personal growth at work, 7. best personal growth books, 8. strong motivation for achieving personal growth.

“… [H]e decides to throw himself into acquiring five new skills. (That’s his term, though I started to think of these skills as “accomplishments” in the way that marriageable Jane Austen heroines have them, talents that make a long evening pass more agreeably, that can turn a person into more engaging company, for herself as much as for others.)

Learning new things may not be a cup of tea for those in their middle ages. To get out of established expertise, be looked down on as a novice, and push the brain to work double time may even be a dreary and intimidating process. , But Journalist Tom Vanderbilt, award-winning writers, and Nobel Prize recipients prove that satisfaction is worth it for personal growth and fulfillment. 

“I think of Challenges as self-directed projects to change my behavior or spark some personal growth or development I’m clear that I’d like to have. Sometimes I want a mindset shift or want to make (or break) a habit, or I just have a sort of big project I want to sprint to finish…”

Why are we so drawn to self-imposed challenges? For one, it’s a competition only between you and yourself, giving room for flexibility in the rules you set. It provides structure to your goals, chunks your bigger long-term self-growth goals into gradual and doable daily tasks, provokes a sense of self-accountability, and helps you focus your energy on what matters most. 

“Apparently, I learned, gurus are people too, even gurus lining the self-help shelves of friendly neighborhood bookstores. They aren’t infallible, all-knowing oracles above worrying about their generous muffin top or widening backside. They are businesspeople — businesspeople with books, keynotes, and openings in their consulting practice to peddle”

From abhorring gurus to becoming one and then hating the industry much more — this is the story of a self-help book author who realizes it was herself who needed the most advice for personal growth. But, as she creates a facade of a well-balanced life to establish her credibility, things turn dark, almost costing her life. 

“When entertainment, distraction, and workaholism consume our attention, something doesn’t feel right within us… To have a full and meaningful life requires us to open to more dimensions of ourselves. And a Personal Development Plan can help us do just that.”

Everyone strives for personal growth. But once we jump at it, some wrong ingredients may spoil the sense of fulfillment we expect. The right process involves navigating your potential, creating a larger vision, selecting areas to focus on, setting your schedule, and monitoring your progress. You might also be interested in these essays about motivation .

“Without feedback, we would learn very little about ourselves, in or out of work. The feedback process is like holding a mirror up to yourself; that’s why it can be uncomfortable at times. You have to be prepared to listen to and acknowledge whatever reveals itself.”

Hearing feedback is critical to personal growth. Negative feedback is constructive in losing our bad habits. However, purely positive feedback is non-progressive and dangerous if we only seek to affirm how we regard ourselves.

We can never be perfect. But we can always progress. In your essay, explain why nurturing a growth mindset in life is essential. What long-term benefits can you reap daily from wanting to be a better person? How does it affect the mind, body, and overall wellness? Answer these while citing studies that outline the essence of personal growth.

Take up any challenge you find exciting and feel up to. Then, write about your experience. If successful, offer tips to your readers on how one can prepare their body, mind, and discipline to stick to the goals. If you did not complete the challenge, don’t worry! Your failure can still be a learning experience that contributes to personal growth and is worth writing about. In addition, you can add what areas of yourself you would like to improve on if you ever take up the challenge again. 

Talk about your goals and your daily efforts to reach this goal. It could relate to acing a test, your sports team winning or professional success. Of course, there will be a handful of challenges in any journey toward a goal. What were the obstacles and distractions that tried to keep you off track? Share these with your readers and how you strived or are striving to conquer them.

When you see people already at the height of their careers, you’ll find some continuing to walk out of their comfort zones and reach for the next higher mountain. For this essay, explain the connection between striving for personal growth and success. Then, provide a list of everyday habits among successful people that others could consider adopting.

Leaders must adapt and address problems efficiently and decisively as they move through a fast-changing landscape. Elaborate on how the pursuit of personal growth helps leaders deliver in their enormous role in organizations, companies, and communities.

If you firmly believe that growth at work translates to personal growth, it would be less hard for you to get by at work. But this gets a bit more complex if your feel that your work is no longer satisfying your self-actualization needs and even limiting you. For this prompt, help your readers determine if it’s time to quit their job and continue their journey for personal growth elsewhere. If you want to address companies, offer recommendations enabling their employees to grow and have a vision for themselves. You may also suggest how managers can keep an open line of communication so that personnel can relay their self-development needs.

We all have that book that has given us a new kind of energy that made us feel and believe we can do anything if we put our heart into it. We keep these books close to our hearts, serving as a reminder of other bigger goals ahead of us when the going gets tough. Create a numbered list of the books that have captivated you and helped you realize your potential. Talk about the best quotes that struck the chord and the thought racing in your mind while reading them.

When you tap onto your inherent and external motivation for a much-needed push, it may be easier to turn bad moments into something that helps advance personal development plans. For your essay, explain how motivation can be a bridge to get you to your growth goals.

If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining what is persuasive writing ?

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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Essay on Self Improvement

Students are often asked to write an essay on Self Improvement in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Self Improvement

What is self improvement.

Self-improvement is when you make yourself better. You can do this in many different ways. It could be learning a new thing, changing a bad habit, or becoming kinder. It’s about making positive changes to yourself.

Why is Self Improvement Important?

Self-improvement is important because it helps us grow. It helps us become better people. When we improve ourselves, we feel happier and more confident. We can do more things and achieve our goals.

How to Start Self Improvement?

To start self-improvement, you need to think about what you want to change. You might want to learn a new skill or stop a bad habit. Then, you make a plan and start working on it.

Tips for Self Improvement

Here are some tips for self-improvement: set clear goals, be patient, and keep going even when it’s hard. Also, remember to reward yourself when you achieve your goals. This will keep you motivated.

In conclusion, self-improvement is a journey. It takes time and effort. But it’s worth it because you become a better person. So, start your self-improvement journey today!

Also check:

• Speech on Self Improvement

250 Words Essay on Self Improvement

Self Improvement is the act of making yourself better. It’s about learning new things and getting rid of bad habits. It’s like planting a seed and taking care of it until it grows into a big, strong tree.

Self Improvement is important because it helps us grow and become better people. It’s like climbing a ladder. Each step we take brings us closer to the top. We learn new things, become better at what we do, and feel happier. It’s a journey that never ends.

Starting Self Improvement is easy. First, think about what you want to improve. It could be anything. Maybe you want to read more books, or learn a new skill, or be kinder to people. Then, make a plan. Write down what you want to do and how you will do it. And then, start doing it. It’s as simple as that.

Challenges in Self Improvement

Self Improvement can be hard. Sometimes, we might feel like giving up. But remember, every step counts. Even small changes can make a big difference. And if you keep going, you will get better. It’s like a journey. There might be bumps along the way, but in the end, you will reach your destination.

Self Improvement is a journey of learning and growing. It’s about becoming the best version of ourselves. It might be hard, but it’s worth it. So, let’s start our journey of Self Improvement today. Let’s plant our seeds and watch them grow into strong, beautiful trees.

500 Words Essay on Self Improvement

Understanding self-improvement.

Self-improvement is the process of making yourself a better person. It is about learning new things, developing new skills, and becoming a better version of yourself. It can include many things like learning a new language, improving your physical health, or becoming a better listener.

The Importance of Self-Improvement

Self-improvement is important for many reasons. It can help you achieve your goals, make you feel good about yourself, and improve your life in general. For example, if you want to become a better student, you might focus on improving your study habits. This could include things like setting aside more time for studying, learning new study techniques, or finding a study group to join.

Ways to Improve Yourself

There are many ways you can work on self-improvement. One way is to set goals for yourself. These goals should be things that you want to achieve or improve about yourself. They could be big goals like getting into a good college, or smaller goals like reading a new book every month.

Another way to improve yourself is to learn new skills. This could be anything from learning how to cook a new recipe, to learning how to play a musical instrument, to learning how to code. Learning new skills can be fun and rewarding, and it can also help you become a more well-rounded person.

Challenges in Self-Improvement

While self-improvement can be rewarding, it can also be challenging. Sometimes, it can be hard to stick to your goals, especially if they are big and take a long time to achieve. It can also be hard to find the time to work on self-improvement, especially if you have a busy schedule.

Despite these challenges, it’s important to remember that self-improvement is a journey, not a destination. It’s about making progress, not about being perfect. Even small steps towards your goals can make a big difference.

The Role of Patience in Self-Improvement

Patience plays a key role in self-improvement. It’s important to remember that change takes time. You won’t become a better person overnight. It takes time, effort, and patience. But with persistence, you can make progress and see improvements in yourself.

In conclusion, self-improvement is a lifelong journey. It’s about setting goals, learning new skills, and overcoming challenges. It’s about becoming a better version of yourself, one step at a time. So, keep moving forward, keep learning, and keep improving. The journey of self-improvement is a rewarding one, and it’s a journey that’s worth taking.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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30 Mini Essays on Self-Improvement and Happiness in The Modern World

An exploration of productivity, technology, and personal thriving.

View these essays as notes to self.

I don't perfectly implement any of these ideas. They are aspirations; my advice to me.

Hopefully you find them useful!

Over the course of the month, I changed my views on a few topics, so please excuse any blatant contradictions in the essays.

The Reverse Wish List - February 10th, 2021

I'm assuming you know what a wish list is.

Either in our heads or in a notebook, most of us have a loosely organized idea of the stuff we want to have but don't immediately need or can't afford. 

Over time, some stuff moves off the list. Amazon runs a special and you full send the AirPod Pros. Your old coffee setup 'breaks' and you justify the upgrade. 

New stuff comes out, new stuff goes on the list. 

This isn't necessarily a problem. While I'm drawn to minimalist ideals, I don't want to close the door to potential life-improving purchases. So what do I do?

Enter the reverse wish list. 

The reverse wish list is as simple as the wish list. In your head or on paper, list the stuff you absolutely had to have that you now actually have. 

This exercise has two benefits. The obvious first is gratitude. The reverse wish list will provide humbling perspective and remind you to appreciate the nice things you already have.

Second, it creates an opportunity to learn from your own consumption patterns. A running list of the desires that actually were gratified leads to interesting insights.  

Using patterns from my own reverse wish list, I derived a questionnaire to help me understand what purchases were most rewarding long after the initial purchase. 

Questionnaire -- ("yes" answers indicate a good purchase)

• Will this solve a well-defined pain point? 
• Will this save me time from how I used to do things on an ongoing basis?
• How often will I use this, at least 1x a week?
• Will this facilitate learning a new skill?
• Can this be seen as a business investment? 
• Will this improve my health and energy levels? 

Countless proverbs tell the same story: human desire is infinite. 

In the face of that idea, the reverse wish list creates a decent filter for tempering an inevitable craving for more stuff.

Try the reverse wish list yourself! Let me know what insights you make.

Fully Minimizing Regret - February 9th, 2021

In 10 years, Tal Gur completed 100 insane life goals. 

The impressive list includes running an Ironman triathlon, achieving financial independence, experiencing long-term romance, learning English, becoming a proficient surfer, and traversing the outback. 

Tal did it all. His book, The Art of Fully Livin g tells the story in full detail. 

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to interview Tal and discuss the biggest lessons from this wild journey. In our chat, Tal recommended an especially useful thought experiment worth sharing.

His tip? Regret minimization thinking across multiple timelines. 

We've all been told to think back from our hypothetical deathbed and ask what we will regret having not done in our short time on Earth. While this is useful, Tal argues it is an incomplete thought exercise. 

Instead of just popping the question from a (hopefully) remote and distant deathbed, Tal suggests working through the question across multiple intervals.

Five years from now, what would you regret not having tried? What about ten years from now? What about just three months from now?

What opportunities are completely unique to your current situation? 

Each variant of the question will prompt different ideas. Each tweak brings your attention to a new area to find ways to live more fully. 

While I sincerely hope that our generation is the one that manages to cheat death through technology, I can't count on it. 

I'm still playing the game as if life is finite, so I want to live it fully. 

If you found value in this idea, you'll really enjoy the full chat with Tal! Search for The Louis and Kyle Show on Apple or Spotify to listen now. 

Watch Your Own Podcast - February 8th, 2021

Last fall, I asked 30 podcasters why they started their shows. 

A common answer went something like this, "I was having awesome conversations and thought to myself damn I should be recording this." 

I started my show for the exact same reason. The people I was talking to were blowing my mind, and I desperately wanted the ability to pause, rewind, and replay the very best moments. 

11 months and 53 episodes later, I asked the questions, "How many times have I actually done that? How often do I watch my own show?"

Outside of audio editing, not often. I'm now realizing that's a mistake.

If the goal of starting was to learn from conversations, repeat listening is an essential part of the equation. In hindsight, this is obvious. We respect repetition in the gym, but ignore it for self-education. 

The truth is muscles, skills, and knowledge all atrophy if neglected.

While we may be able to grasp an idea the first time, very rarely can we retain it after only one exposure. Relistening to your own content will surprise you with how often you repeat your 'aha moments'.

Beyond learning, the best reason to listen to your own show is to be able to improve it. 

This is a big mistake a lot of beginner creators make. When your show is new and your audience is small, you lack a critical ingredient for improvement: feedback. 

Until your audience grows, it's on you to find room for improvement. It's on you to notice and correct annoying speech patterns. It's on you to listen to your own voice and realize what you could do better. 

If you are making content, remember why you started. Take some time to consume your own content. Relearn the lessons. Make it better.

A War Against Being Tired - February 7th, 2021

Being tired sucks. 

When I'm tired, everything is harder. Everything that should be easy becomes an act of willpower. Getting out of bed at the first alarm is unlikely. Cooking breakfast is a chore. Brushing my teeth for 2-minutes becomes as challenging as a 2 minute plank. 

An hour into the day, 90% of my willpower is sapped. 

How then am I'm supposed to sit down, study and do work? 

It's not going to happen. Deadlines pile up. Progress isn't made. It's a disaster. 

Living that way sucks. 

Because of how deeply I can't stand days that follow that trajectory, I've invested a lot of time and effort into preventing that from happening. I've tweaked every area of my life searching for an answer. More sleep. Better diet. Different habits. More exercise.

While these all helped marginally, I still felt tired far too often. What the heck was going on?

It was during a study abroad that I finally cracked the code. 

This might be hard to believe, but I found a 100% correlation between lower energy levels and alcohol consumption. After finally making this (extremely obvious) connection, I decided to see how not drinking would impact my energy.

I tested it for a year. From November 2019 to December 2020, I didn't drink, and it worked wonders for my energy. For most of the year, I woke up and flew through my morning routine. I was energized by it. I enjoyed cleaning my teeth. I tasted my food. I treated making coffee liking making art. Things were clearly better. 

When the year of sobriety concluded, I decided to "go have fun again" and let alcohol back into the picture. Within a few weeks, I'm right back where I started. 

Sunday morning. No energy. Everything is unnecessarily hard again. 

The only difference this time, however, is that I know the cause. I haven't successfully found a way to drink that doesn't terrorize my energy and alertness. Even practicing moderation, I end up having a bad day every day that follows a day of drinking. 

After a year, I had taken high energy for granted. I got used to feeling alert throughout the day and forgot what it took to achieve that. It's okay to relearn lessons.

I had to revisit the low to remember the high. Now it's time to climb back up.

Finding a Mentor In 5 Steps - February 5th, 2021

In Episode 30 of Danny Miranda's Podcast, Nicolas Cole explained the process of finding a mentor in a dead simple formula.

How to find a mentor in five steps:

• Find someone further along than you are in what you are learning.
• Ask them a specific question about how to improve and progress.
• Follow their recommendation. Do the work.
• Report back with your results. Ask them another specific question. 
• Repeat steps 2-4.

Eventually, a mentor-mentee relationship will form organically. 

Don't overcomplicate this process.

Don't send DMs asking for ongoing mentorship. 

Don't go looking for mentors for its own sake.

Ask for specific advice, follow it, repeat. 

Summarized Echo Chambers - February 4th, 2021

Like it or not, we exist in personalized digital echo chambers. 

Internet companies are too good at knowing what we want, so we are constantly bombarded with the same types of information. 

Based on my past browsing decisions, my personal echo chamber is dominated by success content. 

Every suggested book on Amazon, search on Google, video on YouTube, or account on Twitter is about success. 

Even on brand new platforms, my patterns re-emerge. Within 3 days of using Clubhouse, I'm right back where I started: success content. But my digital world is the not same as everyone else's. 

My idea of a household name is not the same as my real world community's. The biggest names in the success space, Grant Cardone, for example, are complete unknowns to my parents or roommates.

Despite this new disconnect about who is and isn't a celebrity, there are some benefits to being confined to a narrow echo-chamber. The strongest of which is constant repetition. Because of this, observing and internalizing patterns and principles is an inevitability.

So for those of you existing in different digital realities, Here's a broad summary of the constantly repeated lessons and advice I've observed from being trapped in the eye of the internet-success hurricane.

• Write your goals down daily. It's not a goal unless you write it down. 
• Solve the problem in front of you. Focus on winning the day. 
• Find a mentor and hire coaches. Learn from the best in the world.
• You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.  
• Follow proven recipes. Don't reinvent unnecessarily.  
• Develop a passion for the process. Don't fixate on outcomes.
• Build good habits. Break bad habits.
• Be consistent. 

What echo-chamber are you in? What have you learned from it?

Ship30for30 ish? - February 3rd, 2021

Today marks the final day of January's Ship30for30 challenge. For the unfamiliar, the goal of the challenge is to publish 30 of these "screenshot" sized essays in 30 days. 

As expected for the final day, celebratory 'Ten Lessons from Ship30' threads dominated my Twitter feed this morning. Rightfully so, challenge finishers spent the day sharing their achievements across the internet. 

So where's my victory post? Why isn't this essay about that? Where's my hard-earned reflection?

It's coming, but it won't be here for another week or two. Why?

I failed Ship30 on day 10. I had a cross country flight. I needed to buy groceries. I was tired. I was hungry enough to eat an encyclopedia but too drained to write a 200-word essay.

100$ spent. 10 days later. 9 essays shipped. Game over, right?

Not at all. I took some time to refuel and rest, but got back to work within a few days. Sure, I might miss the deadline, but I'm still going to finish Ship30. 

With the ubiquity of the internet challenge, I've come to an important realization. Too often, we start to care more about completing an arbitrary challenge than we do about achieving the result that motivated us to take on the challenge in the first place. We fix our egos on badges and completely lose sight of the bigger picture. 

Why did I start the challenge? Why did I treat a well-intentioned internet stranger to his next 10 chipotle visits? Because I wanted to grow as a writer. 

I wanted a motivating reason to be 30 essays further ahead in my writing career than where I started on January first. 

Two weeks late or not, that's still the goal. I'd rather cross the line eventually than never cross it. Don't get hung up in the details. Do the work.

It's not all or nothing. It hardly ever is. Keep going. 

The Mindset Fountain - February 2nd, 2021

Certain problems are easy to solve.

If you are thirsty, you take a drink. If you are hungry, you grab some peanut-butter (or least I do). 

By now, most of us have learned how to handle these common biological signals. But what about some more complicated ones.

What do you do when you are bored? Unmotivated? Burning out? How well do you handle these emotions and triggers.

Just like keeping NyQuil on hand in-case you catch a cold, I propose proactively setting aside helpful resources for the major negative emotional states that inevitably crop-up.

I call this system the mindset fountain. Like a fast-food soda machine, you can pull whatever tap you want based on your mood. 

Here's what mine looks like. 

• When I'm falling back into unproductive rhythms, I reread Cal Newport's books and listen to his podcast.
• When my calisthenics progress flatlines, I rewatch Matthew Smith's Journey from Zero to Holding One-Arm Handstands.
• When my general motivation fades, I listen to the JRE with David Goggins. By the end, I am ready to run through a brick wall.
• When my social life dries up, I watch YES Theory to get inspired.
• When I'm over-cluttered, I watch Matt D'Avella to make space. 
• When I lack enthusiasm for my projects, I turn to Jack Butcher's feed.

Rather than being thrown off by these states, I know ahead of time where I should turn and what content to consume.

Proactively stock your pantry like it's the start of the pandemic all over again. Make sure the taps of your mindset fountain are full.

The internet is here to help you. Use it! 

Study Routine - February 1st, 2021

I face an avalanche of resistance anytime I try to sit and study.

Interesting material or not, I'm just not eager to glue myself to a chair and work through textbooks, notes, or lecture slides.

I'd much rather cook, clean, stretch, and pleasure-read. Despite these deep inclinations toward anything other than hitting the books, studying must happen if I want to pass my classes.

In an attempt to make it less painful to start and less tempting to quit once I actually get the ball rolling, I devised an unnecessarily complicated routine to reduce the friction to getting started. The major steps are outlined below.  

Take care of your biology. Being too hungry is too distracting. Being really thirsty is a distraction. Needing to use the restroom is distracting. Get this taken care of before starting.

Mise en place. Set everything up. Take care of the space around you. Reduce clutter physically and digitally. Close unrelated browser tabs. Clear your study surface.

Control your ears. Find silence or your preferred work playlists. Trust the state change will change your mood. 

Kill the possibility of distraction. Phone off completely. Use free software to block distracting websites. This should be irreversible for a fixed interval until your things are done.

Last, handwrite an in-order list of what you are going to work on. Set a focus timer. Commit to how long you are going to concentrate and then how long of a break you will take. 

That's it. Use the power of routine in your favor. 

Go! Do The Work!

Permissionless Experience - January 31st, 2021

For many students, COVID has made it more difficult to find internships.

Many worry that this is going to trap them in the Catch-22 of hiring: to get hired somewhere, you need to have relevant experience, and to get relevant experience, you need to get hired somewhere... or do you?

As difficult as this situation may seem, it could be a blessing for a student with the right mindset. 

Why? The needs of a given business don't always correspond to projects with the greatest degree of learning. On the other hand, self-designed projects can be custom-tailored to teach exactly what you hope to learn. 

Inspired by Jack Butcher's idea of the Permissionless Apprentice, I encourage students to consider what I call Permissionless Experience. Gate-keepers be damned. If you can't find an internship it is not game over. It's game on. The only permission you need to learn and grow is your own.

Ask yourself the following questions. What skills were you hoping to learn from an internship? What relationships were you hoping to make?

Is an internship necessary to achieve those same goals? Not quite.

The internet has made it easier than ever to build compelling self-designed learning projects and to connect with anyone via Zoom and DMs.

Consider trying any of the following Permissionless Experiences 👇👇👇

• Design your own 'internship' by learning a skill and completing projects.
• Create and publish content about your passions, hobbies, or industry.
• Volunteer your time somewhere and build your 'life-resume.'
• Take free online courses (and take them seriously).
• Pitch yourself as an intern to relevant companies. 
• Consider opportunities outside of your major.

Don't give up hope if you don't get hired. Take ownership of your education.

If you found this helpful, I seriously recommend these two books: Ultralearning by Scott Young and The Third Door by Alex Banayan.

Low-Cost Experiments - January 30th, 2021

We severely undervalue the low-cost experiment. 

To our detriment, we assume things are permanent.

Binary. Yes or no. Black and white. Never or forever. 

That's not always helpful. 

I was a painfully annoying vegetarian for 6-years. Now, 80% of my calories come from steak and eggs. I still have the same friends. My family didn't abandon me. I made a U-Turn. I'm okay. 

You don't have to decide your entire life all at once. Tasting. Test drives. These are the antidotes.

Gates and Zuckerberg never "dropped out of college." 

They each took a leave of absence to run with projects with traction. Because they saw success, they never needed to re-enroll, but that wasn't decided upfront.

How should you test? What makes a good experiment? 

Low cost doesn't mean zero cost. Set clear boundaries at the beginning.  

Trying a new sport? 1 day at Jiu-Jitsu isn't a fair chance. 

Give it a month, minimum. 

World travel? You don't need to commit to 14-months as a Nomad. 

Start smaller and then decide if you want to keep going. 

Set a minimum goal, achieve it, and then re-evaluate. 

Set clear success criteria. Give yourself permission to change course.

Democratizing Manifestation - January 29th, 2021

The internet has democratized manifestation. 

It has NEVER been easier (literally, never) to take an idea from your head and bring it into the real world. 

Rapid-prototyping. Arduino. 3D Printers. Python. YouTube. Google. 

This is just the beginning. 

• Any knowledge is accessible.
• Any collaborator is accessible.
• Any customer is accessible.

Instantly. Anything you could possibly need. Literally right now. 

How we don't appreciate this on a daily basis blows my mind.

About 2 weeks in to running my podcast, I was watching college Jeopardy with my parents. I marveled as Nibir Sarma demolished everybody. I thought, "damn it would be cool to talk to him."

A few DMs and Zooms later, we published an episode with Nibir.

My idea became reality within a week. 

This might be a trivia example but the implications aren't trivial. 

Now, more than ever, anything is possible.

Mainstream society celebrates consumption. 

That will get you nowhere. 

Opportunities come to creators. To producers. Builders of stuff! 

Stop waiting. You have the tools. Bring your ideas to life. 

Measuring Discomfort - January 28th, 2021

"Successful people get good at doing hard things." 

I first encountered this idea on Cal Newport's podcast, and it stuck with me. 

Whether it's waking up early, taking cold showers, or writing for a few extra hours, a great deal of success comes down to winning inflection points: moments where you either execute the plans you've made for yourself or give in to resistance and snooze your plans for an indefinite 'later'.

From having tried to build all of these habits, I'm no stranger to battling with the resistance. Because of that, I'm always in the hunt for helpful tactics to win these battles. Recently, an unexpected strategy came to me from cold-showers. 

Bringing my stopwatch into the shower like an absolute lunatic, I'd smash the start button after dialing the water down from cozy to cold. After a sufficient session of panicked deep breaths, my body would adjust to the water.

Settled in, I would then check my stopwatch to see how much time had elapsed & how much remains. Day 1, 1 minute & 10 seconds. Day 2, 1 minute & 10 seconds. Day 3, 1 minute & 10 seconds. Day 4, 1 minute & 10 seconds. 

Everyday, it took precisely 70 seconds to calm down and settle in. This was an empowering realization. All of a sudden, a 5-minute cold shower was reduced to only 70 seconds of discomfort followed by 4 minutes of normal showering. 

After noticing the pattern in the shower, I started looking for it everywhere.

Anytime I wake up to an alarm, I slide out of bed angry and grumpy. How long does that last? To find out, l measured my morning moods for a week. Like the showers, my state improved after a remarkably predictable interval: 12 minutes. 

Now, my first priority in the morning is to make those 12 minutes pass as easily as possible. Make coffee, put away dishes, brush my teeth. I just bumble around for 12-minutes confident that alertness is just around the corner. 

From observing the boundaries of discomfort, I reduced the difficulty of building good habits. What I learned by accident, I'm now purposely applying in new areas. 

How long does it take to find flow when writing? What about ignoring a craving? At what mile-marker does my heart-rate settle down?  

By measuring discomfort, I've made doing hard things easier. Resistance becomes predictable and manageable. Pay close attention when you are doing hard things. 

Often, starting might just be the hardest part. 

Productivity and Fun - January 26th, 2021

The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes. 

Most productivity advice is wildly ignorant of this natural phenomenon. 

You are bombarded with tactics and widgets: pomodoro timers, complex planning systems, nootropics, to-do lists, and focus music. 

While these are useful, and I actually recommend most of them, they are trivial in the big picture. They are the 80% of causes that earn only 20% of the results.

The truly impactful variables come from the context of your life outside of work. Circumstance exhibits a much greater impact on your productivity than whatever systems and tools you try to incorporate.

You hopefully know the importance of sleep, diet, and exercise, so I won't bore you with repeating those. Loving what you do also makes a huge difference, but what really matters is excitement. 

Are there things outside of work that excite you? How often? Are there things that excite you outside of work on a daily basis? 

As a countermeasure to letting work bleed into the evening, I've tried imposing a hard stop to my workday. I set the intention of finishing everything by 5pm but pretty much always end up working past 5pm.

Why? I didn't have anything compelling planned for after 5. I'd cook dinner, call a friend on the phone, and maybe read a book? I 'like' all of that, but it's not nearly a strong enough pull to work harder all day. 

To stop working at 5, you need to really look forward to what you are going to do after 5. Otherwise, why be productive? Why finish early?

Being quarantined and locked-down has stripped a lot of excitement from daily life. Concerts, social venues, group fitness, and travel are either closed completely or are lacking the vibe they used to create.

It's up to you to find new forms of fun and new ways to interject excitement into daily life. Your productivity depends on it. 

Context Versus Effort - January 24th, 2021

My Sunday was off to a fantastic start. I slept 10 blissful hours. I brewed my  generic Target brand three-region coffee. The sun was shining through the window illuminating the pages of one of my favorite books. I was at peace. 

Sipping my expertly-prepared generic coffee, I flipped through the pages of Gary Keller and Jay Papasan's masterpiece, The ONE Thing, for my second pass. 

Then this quote slapped me in the face. 

"Most people struggle to realize how many things don't need to be done, if they would just start with the right thing" — The ONE Thing

My serene morning came to an abrupt stop. Implications and illustrations of the quote rushed to my awareness. 

Where am I making life unnecessarily difficult by not applying this idea?

Where can changing context overpower changing effort? I thought about ice. 

On a hot day in Vegas, ice sells without effort. In Alaska, our same ice salesman fails. In response, maybe he'd start reading sales books to 'understand' what he's doing wrong. He might even hire a sales-team and bring in consultants. 

• When you are selling what people want, marketing is just positioning and communication. It's only when there's a mismatch that any tactics and persuasion are needed. 
• When you start with the right thing, you just need to show up. 
• When you start with the wrong thing, you have to bring in consultants. 

If you hate your work, you'll constantly have to drag yourself to do it. You'll  clock-stare and caffeinate to make it bearable. Inner war becomes the norm.

If your work aligns with your interests and strengths, you'll be like a child at play and look forward to each day. 

Think clearly about your goals and what changes would change everything.

Ask "What is The ONE Thing I can do today such that by doing it, everything else would become easier or unnecessary?"

Do what matters most. ONE Thing at a time. 

Zombies Are Everywhere - January 23rd, 2021

When you are out and about, keep your head up. Look around.

Try it everywhere you go. You'll notice the same thing. 

Everyone else is a zombie. 

Their faces are smothered by screens. Their ears are plugged, covered, or closed. The sounds of nature are overpowered by numbing entertainment of their choosing. 

They are held hostage by their custom virtual universes.

They are all zombies. All of them. 

All of them, except you. Keep your head up. Look around. Choose to see the world. Remember how to experience it. Allow thoughts to wander. 

Observe as the zombies passively go about their days. Watch the measures they'll take to avoid even a glimpse of solitude. 

Solitude is a superpower: sustained concentration, bouncing creative insights, and time for the thinking brain to recharge. 

When you are out and about, keep your head up. Look around. You'll find friends. A group of others that have warded off the pandemic of the mind. A secret fraternity of people aware of awareness. 

Others that look up. Others that plug into the world not the machine.

They are at peace with themselves, at peace with their thoughts, and at peace with the moment. 

They've cured themselves of the pandemic of the mind.

The cure requires a mild dose of boredom and a mild dose of solitude. 

A small price to pay to not be a zombie. 

Quit Daily News - January 22nd, 2021

The daily "news" is outrage porn. 

It's engineered to scare you, piss you off, and induce panic.

People consume the daily news for noble reasons. To stay informed. To be the first to know new information. To understand what's going on in the world. 

The daily news is the worst way to achieve these goals.

Even without intentional bias, the daily news gets a lot wrong. Reporting on stories as they happen is nearly guaranteed to have errors. There isn't enough time to verify details. There isn't enough time to let the dust settle.

I propose checking on a fixed interval: once per week—at most. 

Why? Time is the ultimate filter for relevancy.

Most stories won't make it to the end of the week. If it's irrelevant within a few days, it's not worth knowing at all. 

For the new stories that do last a full week, the end-of-week summary will be orders of magnitude more accurate than what is first reported. 

Whether you consume daily, weekly, or monthly, the same stuff happened. The facts are unchanged by how often you are glued to your screen. 

Anytime I can achieve the same result will less time, effort, and emotional investment, I take the opportunity with enthusiasm.

I'm always tuned for making small changes that lead to outsized results. Quitting the daily news is one of them.

Delete Digital Illusions - January 21st, 2021

"We are kept from our goal, not by obstacles but by a clearer path to a lesser goal" - Robert Brault

Tinder and Duolingo have a lot in common: they suck and should be deleted immediately. We tried these apps for good reasons. We wanted to learn languages. We wanted to improve our dating lives. 

We've been deceived. 

As cleverly as these apps are marketed, they are awful for realizing our goals. Reality has an inconceivable amount of detail, and swiping, texting, and multiple choice quizzes are shallow and incomplete models of the real world. 

These bright and colorful apps have mastered a very dark art. After months we feel like we've made progress, but we've barely passed start. 

Badges, matches, awards, and levels make it feel like we are going somewhere, but it's all an illusion. It's an extremely clear path that leads nowhere. 

We overcomplicate our goals to avoid discomfort. Dating and language learning are simple goals with simple answers. The highest leverage actions are obvious. Socialize with a lot of people. Fumble through conversations with native speakers. 

There are no substitutes for these approaches. The shortcut is to stop taking shortcuts. Unappealing or scary, our opinion of the facts doesn't change them. 

Don't put more value in the illusion of progress than actual progress.

The best way to do something is to do it. Increase your bench press by bench pressing. Not by reading about it. Not by playing mobile games. 

Only by lifting the weight.

Ditch the apps. Get out of your comfort zone. Talk to people. Do the work. 

Managing Infinity - January 20th, 2021

Things used to be finite.

Cigarettes burned out.

Piles of mail only grew so high.

TV shows aired one episode at a time.

It used to be dramatically harder to satisfy your cravings for more.

Smoking inside was frowned upon. You had to wait for more.

The mail only arrived once a day. You had to wait for more.

TV shows only came on at a set time. You had to wait for more.

But things aren't like that anymore. There's no limit to how often you can hit a vape, refresh email, or binge watch an entire TV show.      

We consume far beyond what's recommended or healthy.

There were benefits to the simplicity of finite things. But things aren't so simple.

Vaping is probably better than smoking, email has advantages over snail mail, and Netflix is fun. As all do, these innovations came with good and bad.

The problem lies in the unrestrained nature of these new inventions.

Effortless abundance. Low friction access to infinity.

Endless potential... for things to go wrong.

To retain sanity, balance, and health in an age of easy excess, the habit of self-imposing arbitrary constraints is an absolute must.

Fence in your vices. Set rules. Fix limits. Follow them.

Avoid Competing Goals - January 19th, 2021

Some goals don't work together very well.

Consider trying to bulk-up while training for a marathon.

Bulking plans prescribe lifting heavy weight a few times per week and eating a significant daily caloric surplus.

Most marathon plans recommend 30+ miles of running per week.

Running will reduce your rest between sets, and lifting will make you faster. Of course there are some overlapping benefits between these goals, but you aren't going to gain weight and run 30 miles per week.

Pursuing both goals leads to worse results than chasing just one.

Some would stop here. They'd conclude to focus on one goal at a time. They would be wrong. 

Some goals overlap well and can be mutually reinforcing.

The goals of reading more books and producing more writing align extremely well. Reading fills writing with ideas and stories. Writing inspires reading to fill knowledge gaps only revealed by writing. 

Pursuing both goals leads to better results than chasing just one. 

Put high-level consideration into your goals and what is involved in achieving them. Are they compatible? Do they support each other? 

If the answer is no, drop one goal. Pick and stick. Work sequentially.

For compulsive high achievers, it is a greater achievement to forgo the pursuit of some goals to make it possible to achieve others.

Standing Out Is Easy - January 18th, 2021

Standing out in 2021 is surprisingly easy.

Terrible habits are the rule & healthy habits are the exception.

People are out of shape, constantly tired, addicted to distraction (cheap dopamine from social media, texts, emails), and stressed.

I'm not celebrating this bleak depiction of society, but I don't feel any guilt capitalizing on the opportunity it presents for individuals.

Neither should you. 

How do you stand out? Adopt four habits in service of two goals. Improve your energy levels. Improve your ability to concentrate. 

Energy is a force multiplier for everything that you do. Everything is easier when you have high energy. It feels good to feel good. 

Concentration is the key ingredient to success in knowledge work. Knowledge work has two parts: learning complicated information and producing valuable assets. Both require concentration.  

These four habits improve your energy and concentration capacity.

• Sleep with your phone off in another room. Buy an alarm clock.
• Exercise at a moderate difficulty outside every day.
• Only eat one ingredient foods. Beans. Eggs. Broccoli. 
• Batch Distractions. Check email once per day then close it until the next day. Do the same on social media.

Try all four habits for a week.

Don't celebrate mediocrity.

Don't laugh about your bad habits. Break them. 

Tools, Toys, and The 2007 Test - January 15th, 2021

The only way to "make more time" is to use your time more effectively. A prime candidate for achieving this is reducing the time spent with your screens, more specifically, your phone.

To do this, I recommend judging all of your apps and use cases for your phone through what I call the "2007 test."

"Is this something I could have performed on the original iPhone?"

Steve Jobs' vision for the iPhone at MacWorld 2007 was a digital Swiss Army knife: a revolutionary user interface that combined audio entertainment, web-browsers, calls/texts, and useful utilities like notes, calculator, and a camera.

The original iPhone was a tool, not a toy. 

14 years later, everyone is addicted to their digital multi-tools.

The iPhone was not intended to take over our lives. It wasn't supposed to be consulted at the slightest hint of boredom. It wasn't supposed to be on the dinner table face up. It wasn't supposed to be checked every few minutes. It wasn't supposed to be used 4+ hours of the day.

Go through your apps. Ask "is this a tool or a toy?" Ask "could I have done this in 2007?" Delete apps accordingly. Be ruthless.

There are a few obvious exceptions. The 2007 iPhone did not have a front camera, but I would generally consider FaceTime to be a good use of your device. The first iPhone didn't have a proper GPS, but I would definitely advise navigation if you are lost. 

The 2007 test is not perfect, but it's a starting point for critical thinking.

Delete useless apps. Delete distracting apps. Live your life.

Should You Build in Public? - January 14th, 2021

(Update: March 5th, 2021, I have returned to Twitter since writing this essay)

A few months ago, I heard the term "build in public" for the first time.

If you are working on cool stuff, talk about it online. Let people try your early versions. Publish what mistakes you are making so others can learn from them proactively. Share glimpses of success to inspire other builders. 

There are great benefits to this approach. 

• Acquire and learn from real users
• Potential to "go viral" with the right retweet or share
• Increase your odds for serendipitous, positive events to occur

I tried buying into this strategy in 2020, but ran into a big problem: I got too caught up in the documenting. Using Twitter to share what I was building lead to more time on Twitter and less time building.

I started building in public prematurely. My "builder" habits were not nearly developed enough to overcome the addictive draw of Twitter.   

On the times that I saw benefits from building in public, like high engagement with a tweet, things only got worse. I started to crave the attention and validation (quick & cheap dopamine). I started to care more about making good tweets than making good work.

So I quit Twitter.

I'm now taking the extra time to learn skills and produce work. I'm betting more of my chips on quality instead of hoping for retweets and hoping for likes.

If building in public is getting in the way of your building, take a step back and remind yourself why you are building in the first place.

Don't let building in public get in the way of building.

No Room for Social Media - January 11th, 2021

Last week, I deleted all of my social media accounts.

My decision came from a three step framework I learned from studying minimalism and intentional living.

Step 1: Identify your most important values

Step 2: Identify the most important activities that support your most important values

Step 3: Prioritize those activities above less important activities. Don't let what matters least take away from what matters most. 

With my last semester of college coming up, I went through the exercise to make sure my activities matched my values. Here's my thinking...

Values: my work (learning), relationships (real world), and my health and happiness (fitness, energy levels, and emotions). 

Prioritized Activities: studying, exercising, sleeping well, and having an in-person social-life.

With this established, I asked if there was room for social media in the picture. Would it be supportive or detrimental?

Social media is harmful to overall concentration and time management.

It doesn't make me fit or happy. Constant comparison is not helpful.

It doesn't amplify my real world social interactions. 

Seems like a simple decision to me.

Find what matters most. Make sure your actions support it.

(since writing this, I rejoined Twitter :/ -- It is extremely useful for finding podcast guests)

Think With A Different Box - January 9th, 2021

Being told to "think outside the box" is unhelpful. 

Once you "leave the box," where do you go? How do ideas interact? What do you hold on to?

The expression approaches creative thinking all-wrong. You still need frameworks (boxes) to make sense of the world. The goal isn't to discard structured-thought all-together. The goal is to challenge your base assumptions and think through situations with different frameworks.

The solution? Think with a different box. 

Mental models are general thinking concepts that usefully model real-world situations. Many systems and situations follow predictable patterns. The more mental models you are familiar with, the more likely you'll think with an appropriate and helpful box to model your situation.

Your library of mental models can be expanded in a few ways. 

• Studying contrarian thinkers. 
• Studying disciplines such as: math, economics, computer science, natural sciences, anthropology, and game-theory.
• Directly reading about mental models.

If you approach problems with the same boxes as everyone else, you won't stand out. Your ideas will be predictable and uninspiring.

Instead, if you want to build a reputation for developing unique ideas, finding missed patterns, considering alternate explanations, and an ability to change people's perspectives, study mental models. 

What gets measured gets improved. Focused effort to enhance your thinking can lead to thinking better.

Want to dig deeper? Start here: https://fs.blog/mental-models/

You Need a Sleep Checklist - January 8th, 2021

I hate lying awake in bed. 

If I don't fall asleep within 10-15 minutes, the feedback loop from hell kicks in. Stress about not being able to fall asleep. Stress about not getting enough sleep. Not sleeping because of the stress from not sleeping. 

More than being endlessly frustrated in the moment, the quality of my sleep determines my happiness, self-confidence, long term optimism, and demeanor on a day-to-day basis. 

Knowing these critical factors are at the mercy of my sleep, I studied my patterns to learn how to avoid sleepless evenings.

I observed three rules that form the basis of my "sleep checklist."

• Did I drink caffeine too late in the day? (within 8 hours of bed)
• Did I nap for too long or too late in the day? 
• Did I exercise (moderate intensity) for at least 30 minutes?

With all three correct, I sleep like a child. If not, I run the risk of another frustrating evening and an entire day off-balance.

Now, I take every precaution to avoid breaking a rule. I'd prefer to "waste" two hours in the afternoon binging YouTube to not throw off my sleep schedule with a nap. It's worth forgoing two productive hours to save an entire day.

Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying that "fatigue is the best pillow.” My checklist lead me to the same conclusion: the most important factor for falling asleep is being tired. 

Everyone needs a sleep checklist. Look for patterns. Document what works. Tweak, experiment, and optimize the right variables. 

Don’t Snooze, Win The Day - January 7th, 2021

With James Clear’s personal email list crossing 1-million subscribers, there’s no denying that the discussion of habits has gone mainstream.

After the fundamental habits are dialed in (smoking, drinking, healthy eating, and exercise), the snooze button should be the next target for habit-change.

Successful people focus on winning the day. Skills are acquired by stacking days of practice, books are written by stacking days of writing, and bodies are sculpted by stacking days of training.

If you snooze, you don’t win the day.

Yiddish culture has a proverb for this: Lose an hour in the morning, chase after it all day. Just as the height of a pyramid is governed by its base, the effectiveness of your day is governed by your morning.

Start your day with a mini-victory. Wake up at the first alarm.

How to break the snoozing habit?

• Change beliefs — Deeply believe that snoozing is losing
• Add consequences — Venmo a friend $50 every-time you snooze
• Plan your first 20 minutes—Brush your teeth, drink coffee, go for a walk. Know exactly how you want to spend the first 20-minutes
• Celebrate victory—Put "no snooze" on a ToDo list and cross it off 

Yiddish culture has one more proverb that might persuade you: If you want your dreams to come true, don’t oversleep. 

Get up and get after it.

Happiness is really simple - January 6th, 2021

Don't try to guess what will make you happy this year.

Don't set new resolutions. Conduct a detailed 2020 review instead. This 10-minute exercise changed my outlook for the coming year. 

Get a blank sheet of paper, draw a line down the middle to make two columns, name one positive, the other negative.

Flip your calendar to January 2020 and relive the year, week by week. As you do, jot down the good and bad in the appropriate columns. If you journal, flip through that as well.

After completing this exercise, I was dumbfounded by how a few simple variables constituted 90% of my well-being.

My best days: outdoor cardio, proper sleep, frequent reading and writing, frequent playtime (racketball, frisbee, deep conversations), cold showers, and active in-person socialization (family, friends and dating life).

With all of those variables in place, I felt happy, motivated, and grateful to be alive.

My worst days: stress & overwhelm, unnecessary busyness, poor sleep, canola oil, obsessive number checking (stocks, bitcoin, website traffic, podcast downloads), and unrestricted social media use.

Those weeks sucked.

From this basic exercise, I know what to prioritize this year and what to avoid. Use the past year's worth of data to derive your own personal happiness equation!

Don't try to guess what makes you happy. All the info you need is right in front of you.

Don't Confuse Viable with Mandatory - January 5th, 2021

I'm graduating college four months from now.

This "deadline" to figure out my life is inducing a lot of stress, and I finally identified why. 

After binging a few dozen entrepreneurship books my sophomore year, I've taken deliberate steps to convince myself that "entrepreneurship is viable immediately after graduating." 

What were those deliberate actions?

Input Immersion: Obsessively consuming content that promoted this belief — books, podcasts, even personal conversations.

Affirmations: Literally repeating the statement "entrepreneurship is viable immediately after graduating" on a near daily basis

Actions: Learning and developing "entrepreneurial skills" & starting side projects

The problem? That formula worked way too well. I fully convinced myself of my intended belief, but did not anticipate the wave of unintended side-beliefs that would come with it.

By convincing myself that entrepreneurship is viable immediately, I accidentally convinced myself that it was mandatory. Anything else was failure. Taking a job, no matter how good the opportunity, the pay, or how much I would enjoy the work constituted losing in my distorted & self-imposed game.

The reward for expanding your sense of possibility should be confidence--not stress. Finishing your first marathon does not mean you HAVE to graduate into Iron-Mans just because you now think they are possible.

Don't confuse what's now possible as being mandatory.

Write everyday for 30 days? Leverage and Understanding - January 4th, 2021

When I rejoined Twitter in February, David Perell's account popped up in my feed. Over and over, he repeated variants of the following idea: writing online is a super power.

When I started listening to podcasts, Naval Ravikant's "How to Get Rich without Getting Lucky" popped up in my feed. Over and over, he repeated variants of the following idea: accumulate permission-less leverage.

Learn to build, learn to sell. Permission-less leverage comes from media and engineering. Learn to code, learn to write. I'm already taking care of the coding with my bachelors degree, so I figured my spare time should go to the writing.

Insert Dickie Bush. Dickie's an up-and-coming writer who created a 30-day-challenge to help maximize the leverage of writing efforts. Ship a screenshot sized "atomic-essay" everyday for 30 days. This has a few key benefits.

Public accountability. Announcing that you are publishing daily for month means there are consequences for failing: looking bad and not upholding your word with however many people you told about the challenge.

Iteration. Quantity drives Quality. It takes 50 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. You'll learn something each essay that improves your writing.

Develop a workflow. Build positive habits. Publishing daily becomes doable only through rituals and routines. This improves efficiency as a writer.

Low-cost feedback from low-cost experiments. Some essays will pop-off while others will flop. I'd prefer to know which after 300 words rather than 3000.

Thinking has two parts: processing input and outputs. The learning comes from the transformation of one into the other.

Input: hear an idea in the classroom, read an idea in a book, observe something in the world. Chew on it. Output: make it communicable to others, write about it, make a presentation, make an infographic.

Explanation is the only objective test of understanding. Reading 25 books is far less impactful than understanding and summarizing 10.

Over the past few years, I've encountered so many life changing ideas that I wish to better communicate. This challenge forces me to crystallize my thinking on at least 30 of those topics.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter to see what comes next!

Don't Move Your Goal Posts - January 3rd, 2021

My first goal in 2021 was to re-introduce a bad habit. Why?

In November 2019 I committed to quit alcohol for at least one year.

I was 'studying' in Bangkok as a part of an insane two months of fun, parlaying 10 days at Burning Man straight into a knuckle-head tour of Southeast Asia: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia in a few short weeks. I had countless amazing experiences and instagram moments but felt a nagging sense of stagnation. 

My long term goals in entrepreneurship and fitness were no closer in November than they were in August, and I couldn't shake the negative feeling of standing still.

Journaling on the problem, I identified drinking as the key habit interfering with my growth in the gym, day-to-day energy, and barrier to productive use of downtime.

For something to change, something had to change. Drinking had to go. 

For 13 months, I didn't drink a sip of alcohol, and it was amazing. 2020 was an unreasonably productive year. I ran my first marathon, learned how to hold 45 second handstands and do the splits, started a podcast and recorded over 70 interviews, completed two college semesters, and did the 75HARD.

When 2020 wrapped up, I looked to my journal yet again. Where will my next area of growth come from? Will it come from another year of sobriety and hyper-focused productivity? Of setting another 12 months worth of goals and systematically achieving them?

That's what I've been doing, so I might as well keep it up... right?

Not quite. I needed to get back in touch with my why. Why was I sober? What did I hope to achieve by taking a year off of drinking?

In that reflection process, I realized that I achieved my reasons for testing sobriety. I spent a year focused on discipline, entrepreneurial projects, and personal growth. 

I learned what I set out to learn.

Ironically, what I need now is to learn how to have fun again... to let loose and be spontaneous.

New Years came around, which meant it had been well over 1 year without alcohol.

I made it across my finish line, and I gave myself the freedom to celebrate.

Don't move your goal posts.

Published on Mar 05, 2021

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3 College Essay Examples that Need Improvement

What’s Covered:

Common college essay mistakes, how to strengthen your college essay.

• College Essay Examples and How They Could Be Improved

Where to Get Your Essay Edited for Free

If you’re preparing to apply to college, you already know how important your essay is as a part of your complete application. The college application essay demonstrates your strengths , and allows you the opportunity to explain to admissions committees why you are the perfect fit for a school. 

With the increasing popularity of test-optional and test-blind admissions, essays are becoming even more important. The last thing you want is to make simple mistakes that detract from your story. In this post, we’ll are three essay examples that didn’t quite make the mark and explain where they fell short and how they could be improved to make sure you don’t fall into the same traps.

Picking the Wrong Topic 

Admissions counselors are looking for topics that stand out. They seek originality when reviewing college applications, so it’s best to avoid any topics that could be considered cliche or overdone , like a sports injury or personal tragedy. Focus on what makes you stand out as a student, and as a person. Think about what makes you different from your peers, and center your topic around this. 

Writing About Too Much

Avoid repeating what you’ve said in other areas of your application. Write about one area of your life that’s interesting. The college essay isn’t a place for a chronological narrative of your life. You’ll want to focus on one moment, one anecdote that you can build on. The moment can be small, such as a bird you saw on a ledge when you woke up one morning. It can be as simple as a conversation with a friend in a car, or that time you went skydiving. In your college essay, think about how you will use a moment or metaphor as a vehicle for your story. 

Writing Too Formally

Write in your natural voice. Avoid academic jargon and use active voice rather than passive voice. You want to produce an essay that reads as natural as possible, so the meaning of your writing is clear to the admissions committee. Forget about impressing anyone with your top-tier vocabulary. Write how you speak, without any grammatical or spelling errors.

Not Showing Personality

The essay is an opportunity to show the admissions committee what makes you stand out. It’s a reflection of who you are. In the process of trying to build a complete application, don’t treat the essay as a formula to complete. This is your time to shine. Have fun with it, and show your readers what makes you unique. 

Telling Instead of Showing

Rather than giving a summary of your accomplishments, you’ll want to show the reader who you are by building a narrative. This means using sensory details to help your reader experience the story. When you move into telling moments, this pulls your reader away from the narrative. 

For example, if you want to describe a storm, instead of saying that you heard thunder and saw lightning in the sky (telling), say that there was a rumble in the ground and the sky lit up with a fluorescent haze (showing). 

So, now that you know what to avoid when it comes to writing your college essay, what should you do to strengthen your essay? 

1. Strong Topic 

Choosing a good topic is essential to a strong college essay. The topic you choose should allow you to answer the essay prompt, while also showcasing who you are.

Keep in mind that your topic should not be a list of your best qualities. Instead, think about an experience or series of experiences that can be expanded upon to provide insight into your character. Pick a memorable experience or exciting revelations, and then use literary devices, like metaphors, to create connections to your personality, identity, and values. The most seemingly simple topics, like walking your dog or participating in a summer program, can be exciting and insightful as long as you share your personality and reflections throughout your essay.

2. Personal Quotient 

Essays are the place to add your personal flair to your application. A great college essay should answer these questions:

• “Who Am I?”
• “Why Am I Here?”
• “What is Unique About Me?”
• “What Matters to Me?”

Essays are one of the only places on your application where admissions officers can actually hear your voice. While the rest of your application allows the admissions committee to understand you as a student through a collection of scores, grades, and activities, your essays can reveal who you are as a person. Make sure you write in your natural voice so that admissions officers can put a personality to the rest of your application data.

3. Quality Writing and Storytelling 

It’s important to show your writing skills in an essay, and keep your audience engaged. Don’t forget, the essay is different from other parts of your application: it’s a story . That means you need dialogue, action, sensory details, and a strong hook. 

Think about your favorite writers and how they tell a story in a captivating way. Rather than blatantly stating a character’s thoughts or feelings, authors often show these plot points using sensory descriptions or exciting action. You should do the same in your essays! This will allow admissions officers to feel more invested in your story and your application.

College Essay Examples and How They Could Be Improved 

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Essay Example #1

Prompt: You may wish to include an additional essay if you feel that the college application forms do not provide sufficient opportunity to convey important information about yourself or your accomplishments. You may write on a topic of your choice, or you may choose from one of the following topics: 

Travel, living, or working experiences in your own or other communities.

It was a raw day of what seemed as autumn but suggested winter. The red in every thermometer started to fall alongside the first few snowflakes. The green of the streets started to hide as the frost took control of the landscape. The colors of nature were an odd sight, as though it could not decide what dress it should wear. A cutting, ominous wind blew across the land.

That raw day was my first encounter with real personal crisis. My mind was blank. My head burned intensely. I couldn’t decide if this was a nightmare or a real tragedy. My mom had urged me to do a video call. I didn’t imagine she was the herald of dismal news: my parents were going to split up. Bitterness and sorrow accompanied every tear that my mother shed. She ended the call and l burst into tears. The unexpected news rammed my heart and injured it severely.

My parent’s separation created turmoil inside of me. I wasn’t the first kid whose parents separated, but I felt distant and powerless. I was living abroad for a year. I was thousands of miles from my beloved family. After this event, the chasm between me and my family seemed gargantuan. I lived in a land where I could barely speak the language. The language barrier didn’t allow me to explain how I felt and tears weren’t enough to describe what I was suffering. Even though I was surrounded by my host family and new friends, I felt alone without the ability to communicate. I stopped attending chess school. I rejected offers from my basketball teammates to train. I declined my music teacher’s offer to learn to play a new instrument. I was slowly succumbing to the pain caused by a problem that I couldn’t solve.

My emotional imbalance forced me to ponder about my decisions. Ron wouldn’t have rejected an opportunity to try his new chess tactics. Ron wouldn’t have rejected an opportunity to better his basketball personal high score. Ron wouldn’t have rejected an opportunity to challenge his musical abilities by learning a new instrument. I was ceasing to be myself. I realized I stopped doing what I loved, and instead lamented about the unchanging state of my parent’s ruined marriage. I realized I was throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime by staying home crying for something I couldn’t repair. I suddenly opened my eyes to my reality. I was living in Russia. I was living in the land of ballet, the land of scientific discovery, the land of music. I made the resolute decision to take advantage of the place I lived in, and fight through my pain whilst doing it. I kept myself busy with activities, as to not leave time for my mind to wander. I spent my afternoons in chess practices, basketball training, and music rehearsals. I started to play in chess tournaments, basketball matches and even had my first musical recital. I had filled my heart with joy from nourishing activities and had forgotten my internal grief.

Social, emotional, physical or even religious crises may bring personal instability into one’s life. The fact that I lived far away from my loved ones brought a more severe emotional instability. Nonetheless, this instability gave me the opportunity to mature and grow both emotionally and intellectually. Commitment to my daily activities not only helped me grow as a musician, as a chess player, as a basketball player, and as a person, but it also helped me encounter myself after being lost in grief. By finding a safe haven in my activities, I discovered a way to soothe the pain I felt. Through this state of entropy, I discovered that “times of personal crisis and inner turmoil” is just a euphemism for “opportunities and chances to thrive”. 

Why This Essay Isn’t Strong

Although this essay has a nice story at its core, there are multiple weak points that ultimately overwhelm the essay and confuse the reader.

Creative language: While this student was hoping to convey a sophisticated writing style, the inundation of metaphors, lofty diction, and irrelevant imagery severely distracts from the story and gives the impression this student used a thesaurus for every other word. The entire introductory paragraph has nothing to do with the essay except to demonstrate this student can describe the weather. Phrases like “ herald of dismal news ” and “ rammed my heart and injured it severely ” feel overly dramatic and out of place in a 17 year old’s conversational vocabulary. Yes, you want to put your best foot forward in your writing, but it has to be your words and not a thesaurus.

Grammar:  Something as simple as grammar can make or break your essay. Unfortunately, this student had multiple grammar mistakes that are hard to ignore. “ It was a raw day of what seemed as autumn but suggested winter, ” “ I didn’t imagine she was the herald of dismal news, ” and “ My emotional imbalance forced me to ponder about my decisions, ” are just a few examples.

Too much  repetition: Repetition can be a great tool in writing to create flow or emphasize certain points, but in this essay the combination of repeating sentence structure and ideas makes the essay feel unvaried and a bit monotonous. This student starts sentence after sentence with “ I ” and repeats the phrases “ I lived ” and “ I realized. ” On top of that, the pattern of chess, basketball, and music is repeated—in that same order—four times throughout the essay. It’s okay to focus on these three interests, but bringing them up in the same order multiple times makes the essay predictable.

Assuming the reader knows too   much:  You don’t want your college essay to spell everything out for the reader, but at the same time you don’t want each new piece of information to come out of left field and shock them. This student casually brings up that they were abroad in the third paragraph without any explanation as to why. They also refer to themselves in the third person (“ Ron wouldn’t… “), but at first glance it might not be evident that they are talking about themselves and the reader might wonder who Ron is.

How It Could Be Improved

So, how could this essay address each of the pain points addressed above?

Trust in your voice:  Rather than feeling the need to inject creative language and sophisticated diction into every sentence, rely on your natural writing style to truly convey to admissions officers who you are. A good practice is to write your first draft completely in your own voice and then when your editing you can change a few words or phrases, but make sure the majority of your writing sounds more like a conversation you would have with a friend or teacher rather than a formal essay.

Proofread. Proofread. Proofread : The best way to catch grammar mistakes is to read over your essay multiple times. With each reread you will catch a sentence that sounds clunky or a typo that doesn’t belong. However, you shouldn’t be the only one proofreading your essay. Give it to a friend, parent, or teacher so a fresh pair of eyes can help you perfect your grammar. Or, you can get an expert at CollegeVine to look over your essay!

Vary sentence structure:  To combat the over-repetitiveness in this essay this student needs to employ more creative sentences that play with the subject and predicate. These sentences, “ I stopped attending chess school. I rejected offers from my basketball teammates to train. I declined my music teacher’s offer to learn to play a new instrument”  could become: “ From ditching chess practice to skipping training sessions to abandoning my potential to learn the oboe, everything became meaningless.”

Clear organization:  The reader can easily get confused when new details are randomly introduced because of this essay’s lack of organization, so mapping out a clear flow of the story from beginning to middle to end would be beneficial. This essay should have begun with a depiction of this student’s life abroad in Russia, joyfully participating in the activities they abandon later. Then it would present the conflict of the divorce and the emotional turmoil the student experienced. Finally, they would demonstrate how their mindset shifted and what they learned. Presenting information in an organized, chronological way would greatly increase the reader’s ability to follow along.

Essay Example #2

Prompt: At MIT, we bring people together to better the lives of others. MIT students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way in which you have contributed to your community, whether in your family, the classroom, your neighborhood, etc. (200-250 words)

“Big Boy is back!” a child exclaimed excitedly, brandishing a marker and running towards me.

Having just walked into the room of the local nursery program at my church where I often volunteered, I couldn’t help but be amused. No matter how many times I told the kids my real name, I would always be known as “Big Boy.”

“Hey Sam! What are we doing today?” I asked enthusiastically, eyeing the chaotically moving marker that was inches away from my face. 

“We’re coloring angels, let me show you!” he responded. Looking at his multi-colored hands, I could only imagine the masterpieces he and the other kids had created.

When I tell people I’m interested in pursuing engineering, the last place they expect me to be spending my Sunday mornings is at a church hanging out with a bunch of little kids. Yet, that’s exactly where I’ll be. After they get over their disbelief, they often ask why, of all places, I would want to spend my time at such a chaotic place. The answer is simple: kids are fun! They do the most adorable things, and they surprise you in the best ways. But beyond that, I do it because I feel I can make a difference. I’ve watched many of these kids grow up since I started in 7th grade, and they always tell me that I’m their role model. If I can have such an impact on the life of a child, then why shouldn’t I continue?

At first glance you might think this essay is good—it has a surprising hook, it engages the reader with dialogue, and it includes the student’s playful voice. The big issue with this essay is it barely addresses the prompt and and the conversation with the kid has very little to do with the reflection the student provides at the end.

The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate your role within a given community. We want to see what your role is, what it entails, how the community has been affected, and hopefully how you have been affected or changed because of your involvement. We know that this student’s role is volunteering at a church nursery program, but that’s about it. 

While the final paragraph mentions “ I do it because I feel I can make a difference “, the rest of the essay doesn’t address this at all. The student refers to themself as “ their role model ” and yet the dialogue that encompasses half the essay doesn’t show us how this student is a role model nor how they’ve watched kids grow up and witnessed their impact. 

What Could Be Improved

This essay could easily be improved by tweaking the conversation with the little kid. Rather than making it about the student’s nickname and coloring, they could have discussed a conversation they had about teaching kids to work through a disagreement or how they inspired a group to start a hobby this student loves themself. The actual topic could vary but the important idea is conveying that this student is a role model and is making a difference in the lives of these children. 

It could also be nice to include details about older kids that they started working with a few years ago so the reader can actually see the impact of this student in the community. For example, maybe they use to kick a soccer ball around with a kid when they were in the program and now that kid is eight and they joined a local soccer team because they want to play varsity in high school like the student. An anecdote like that demonstrates a tangible impact this student had and makes it very easy to see how they are a role model.

Essay Example #3

Prompt: How did you discover your intellectual and academic interests, and how will you explore them at the University of Pennsylvania? Please respond considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected. (For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer these questions in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.) (350-400 words)

My second grade accomplishment of being designated “Star of the Week” came with the  requirement of filling out a poster about myself. Besides telling the world my favorite snack, I had to write down my favorite subject and why—a box I ended up cramming, in the smallest handwriting possible, full of every single subject we’d explored at age seven. 

I have always been drawn to areas that allow me to combine my interdisciplinary passions. When I had the chance to promote school events as part of my school’s Leadership program, I realized that Marketing is one such subject. So I started seeking more venues to learn about the field. 

One of these opportunities came in the form of Wharton’s own Leadership in the Business World program. The RTAs-residential teaching assistants-helped me focus on the arena of  marketing as I conducted research on target markets and branding strategies to apply to our team’s startup. By the end of the program, I’d gotten a taste of the resources Penn has to offer to its undergraduate business students. 

At Wharton, I look forward to a varied curriculum that will enable me to pursue an interdisciplinary education which is strong in business and also offers a well-rounded General Education. Classes like “Creativity” and “Strategic Brand Management” will challenge me to learn and apply the diversity of technical and interpersonal skills required in the professional  world. 

I also look forward to the chances outside the classroom where I will be able to pursue my  interest in Marketing. I can join the MUSE organization (maybe under the Creative agency),  where upperclassmen and working professionals will mentor me in my education and career. I can look for opportunities to do research with professors like Dr. Kahn about brand loyalty or  visual design. At the Wharton School, the resources-faculty, curriculum, network-are abundant and diverse, making it the perfect place for me to pursue my interest in Marketing.

This essay makes a good effort, but ultimately feels flat and generic. To begin with, the story at the beginning was a nice attempt to establish pathos with a callback to their student’s childhood, but it doesn’t serve the essay at all. The whole essay is about pursuing marketing, therefore an anecdote about them discovering marketing would have been a much stronger opening. Instead of casually mentioning the “ chance to promote school events as part of my school’s Leadership program “, they could have shown the reader what that program looked like and why it piqued their interest.

In the body of the essay, there are many places where the author falls short in making connections between their own interests and UPenn’s unique resources. Highlighting Penn’s “ interdisciplinary education which is strong in business ” is by no means a unique school-specific offering, and the classes this student chose are pretty generic business classes. This student tells us what they will get out of these classes, but not why they want to take them. What prior experiences drew them to a class about creativity?

The student also mentions a club they want to join and a professor who’s research interests them, but again these aren’t Penn specific and there is a lack of personal connection. Why is learning about brand loyalty and visual design so important to this student? The reader gets no insight to the deeper emotional connection this student has to marketing. This essay is a prime example of how name dropping school resources isn’t enough.

The biggest change this essay could make would be to elaborate on their personal connection and fascination with marketing and UPenn. What would that look like?

To start, they would place us in the action at their school’s leadership program: describing the project they were working on, the creative ideas running through their head, and the adrenaline coursing through their body as they watched their marketing campaign get launched. 

The paragraph about Wharton’s Business program would be reworked to put the emphasis on the student’s startup and the process they went through to develop a marketing strategy, rather than what the program provided generally to all students.

When they discuss classes, clubs, and professors at Penn, the student would go into detail about why they are choosing this specific opportunity over anything else. How does it relate to their previous experiences? What skills are they hoping to develop and why? How will their future be impacted by participating in this particular opportunity? Each resource at Penn they mention has to drive home two points: the student will benefit from this opportunity and they could only have this at UPenn.

Writing college essays is hard; you need to show your personality, engage the reader, and answer the prompt fully. It’s important to get a second set of eyes on your essay so you can avoid these common college essay mistakes.  That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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How to improve healthcare improvement—an essay by Mary Dixon-Woods

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• Mary Dixon-Woods , director
• THIS Institute, Cambridge, UK
• director{at}thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk

As improvement practice and research begin to come of age, Mary Dixon-Woods considers the key areas that need attention if we are to reap their benefits

In the NHS, as in health systems worldwide, patients are exposed to risks of avoidable harm 1 and unwarranted variations in quality. 2 3 4 But too often, problems in the quality and safety of healthcare are merely described, even “admired,” 5 rather than fixed; the effort invested in collecting information (which is essential) is not matched by effort in making improvement. The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, for example, has raised many of the same concerns in report after report. 6 Catastrophic degradations of organisations and units have recurred throughout the history of the NHS, with depressingly similar features each time. 7 8 9

More resources are clearly necessary to tackle many of these problems. There is no dispute about the preconditions for high quality, safe care: funding, staff, training, buildings, equipment, and other infrastructure. But quality health services depend not just on structures but on processes. 10 Optimising the use of available resources requires continuous improvement of healthcare processes and systems. 5

The NHS has seen many attempts to stimulate organisations to improve using incentive schemes, ranging from pay for performance (the Quality and Outcomes Framework in primary care, for example) to public reporting (such as annual quality accounts). They have had mixed results, and many have had unintended consequences. 11 12 Wanting to improve is not the same as knowing how to do it.

In response, attention has increasingly turned to a set of approaches known as quality improvement (QI). Though a definition of exactly what counts as a QI approach has escaped consensus, QI is often identified with a set of techniques adapted from industrial settings. They include the US Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Model for Improvement, which, among other things, combines measurement with tests of small change (plan-do-study-act cycles). 8 Other popular approaches include Lean and Six Sigma. QI can also involve specific interventions intended to improve processes and systems, ranging from checklists and “care bundles” of interventions (a set of evidence based practices intended to be done consistently) through to medicines reconciliation and clinical pathways.

QI has been advocated in healthcare for over 30 years 13 ; policies emphasise the need for QI and QI practice is mandated for many healthcare professionals (including junior doctors). Yet the question, “Does quality improvement actually improve quality?” remains surprisingly difficult to answer. 14 The evidence for the benefits of QI is mixed 14 and generally of poor quality. It is important to resolve this unsatisfactory situation. That will require doing more to bring together the practice and the study of improvement, using research to improve improvement, and thinking beyond effectiveness when considering the study and practice of improvement.

Uniting practice and study

The practice and study of improvement need closer integration. Though QI programmes and interventions may be just as consequential for patient wellbeing as drugs, devices, and other biomedical interventions, research about improvement has often been seen as unnecessary or discretionary, 15 16 particularly by some of its more ardent advocates. This is partly because the challenges faced are urgent, and the solutions seem obvious, so just getting on with it seems the right thing to do.

But, as in many other areas of human activity, QI is pervaded by optimism bias. It is particularly affected by the “lovely baby” syndrome, which happens when formal evaluation is eschewed because something looks so good that it is assumed it must work. Five systematic reviews (published 2010-16) reporting on evaluations of Lean and Six Sigma did not identify a single randomised controlled trial. 17 18 19 20 21 A systematic review of redesigning care processes identified no randomised trials. 22 A systematic review of the application of plan-do-study-act in healthcare identified no randomised trials. 23 A systematic review of several QI methods in surgery identified just one randomised trial. 56

The sobering reality is that some well intentioned, initially plausible improvement efforts fail when subjected to more rigorous evaluation. 24 For instance, a controlled study of a large, well resourced programme that supported a group of NHS hospitals to implement the IHI’s Model for Improvement found no differences in the rate of improvement between participating and control organisations. 25 26 Specific interventions may, similarly, not survive the rigours of systematic testing. An example is a programme to reduce hospital admissions from nursing homes that showed promise in a small study in the US, 27 but a later randomised implementation trial found no effect on admissions or emergency department attendances. 28

Some interventions are probably just not worth the effort and opportunity cost: having nurses wear “do not disturb” tabards during drug rounds, is one example. 29 And some QI efforts, perversely, may cause harm—as happened when a multicomponent intervention was found to be associated with an increase rather than a decrease in surgical site infections. 30

Producing sound evidence for the effectiveness of improvement interventions and programmes is likely to require a multipronged approach. More large scale trials and other rigorous studies, with embedded qualitative inquiry, should be a priority for research funders.

Not every study of improvement needs to be a randomised trial. One valuable but underused strategy involves wrapping evaluation around initiatives that are happening anyway, especially when it is possible to take advantage of natural experiments or design roll-outs. 31 Evaluation of the reorganisation of stroke care in London and Manchester 32 and the study of the Matching Michigan programme to reduce central line infections are good examples. 33 34

It would be impossible to externally evaluate every QI project. Critically important therefore will be increasing the rigour with which QI efforts evaluate themselves, as shown by a recent study of an attempt to improve care of frail older people using a “hospital at home” approach in southwest England. 35 This ingeniously designed study found no effect on outcomes and also showed that context matters.

Despite the potential value of high quality evaluation, QI reports are often weak, 18 with, for example, interventions so poorly reported that reproducibility is frustrated. 36 Recent reporting guidelines may help, 37 but some problems are not straightforward to resolve. In particular, current structures for governance and publishing research are not always well suited to QI, including situations where researchers study programmes they have not themselves initiated. Systematic learning from QI needs to improve, which may require fresh thinking about how best to align the goals of practice and study, and to reconcile the needs of different stakeholders. 38

Using research to improve improvement

Research can help to support the practice of improvement in many ways other than evaluation of its effectiveness. One important role lies in creating assets that can be used to improve practice, such as ways to visualise data, analytical methods, and validated measures that assess the aspects of care that most matter to patients and staff. This kind of work could, for example, help to reduce the current vast number of quality measures—there are more than 1200 indicators of structure and process in perioperative care alone. 39

The study of improvement can also identify how improvement practice can get better. For instance, it has become clear that fidelity to the basic principles of improvement methods is a major problem: plan-do-study-act cycles are crucial to many improvement approaches, yet only 20% of the projects that report using the technique have done so properly. 23 Research has also identified problems in measurement—teams trying to do improvement may struggle with definitions, data collection, and interpretation 40 —indicating that this too requires more investment.

Improvement research is particularly important to help cumulate, synthesise, and scale learning so that practice can move forward without reinventing solutions that already exist or reintroducing things that do not work. Such theorising can be highly practical, 41 helping to clarify the mechanisms through which interventions are likely to work, supporting the optimisation of those interventions, and identifying their most appropriate targets. 42

Research can systematise learning from “positive deviance,” approaches that examine individuals, teams, or organisations that show exceptionally good performance. 43 Positive deviance can be used to identify successful designs for clinical processes that other organisations can apply. 44

Crucially, positive deviance can also help to characterise the features of high performing contexts and ensure that the right lessons are learnt. For example, a distinguishing feature of many high performing organisations, including many currently rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, is that they use structured methods of continuous quality improvement. But studies of high performing settings, such as the Southmead maternity unit in Bristol, indicate that although continuous improvement is key to their success, a specific branded improvement method is not necessary. 45 This and other work shows that not all improvement needs to involve a well defined QI intervention, and not everything requires a discrete project with formal plan-do-study-act cycles.

More broadly, research has shown that QI is just one contributor to improving quality and safety. Organisations in many industries display similar variations to healthcare organisations, including large and persistent differences in performance and productivity between seemingly similar enterprises. 46 Important work, some of it experimental, is beginning to show that it is the quality of their management practices that distinguishes them. 47 These practices include continuous quality improvement as well as skills training, human resources, and operational management, for example. QI without the right contextual support is likely to have limited impact.

Beyond effectiveness

Important as they are, evaluations of the approaches and interventions in individual improvement programmes cannot answer every pertinent question about improvement. 48 Other key questions concern the values and assumptions intrinsic to QI.

Consider the “product dominant” logic in many healthcare improvement efforts, which assumes that one party makes a product and conveys it to a consumer. 49 Paul Batalden, one of the early pioneers of QI in healthcare, proposes that we need instead a “service dominant” logic, which assumes that health is co-produced with patients. 49

More broadly, we must interrogate how problems of quality and safety are identified, defined, and selected for attention by whom, through which power structures, and with what consequences. Why, for instance, is so much attention given to individual professional behaviour when systems are likely to be a more productive focus? 50 Why have quality and safety in mental illness and learning disability received less attention in practice, policy, and research 51 despite high morbidity and mortality and evidence of both serious harm and failures of organisational learning? The concern extends to why the topic of social inequities in healthcare improvement has remained so muted 52 and to the choice of subjects for study. Why is it, for example, that interventions like education and training, which have important roles in quality and safety and are undertaken at vast scale, are often treated as undeserving of evaluation or research?

How QI is organised institutionally also demands attention. It is often conducted as a highly local, almost artisan activity, with each organisation painstakingly working out its own solution for each problem. Much improvement work is conducted by professionals in training, often in the form of small, time limited projects conducted for accreditation. But working in this isolated way means a lack of critical mass to support the right kinds of expertise, such as the technical skill in human factors or ergonomics necessary to engineer a process or devise a safety solution. Having hundreds of organisations all trying to do their own thing also means much waste, and the absence of harmonisation across basic processes introduces inefficiencies and risks. 14

A better approach to the interorganisational nature of health service provision requires solving the “problem of many hands.” 53 We need ways to agree which kinds of sector-wide challenges need standardisation and interoperability; which solutions can be left to local customisation at implementation; and which should be developed entirely locally. 14 Better development of solutions and interventions is likely to require more use of prototyping, modelling and simulation, and testing in different scenarios and under different conditions, 14 ideally through coordinated, large scale efforts that incorporate high quality evaluation.

Finally, an approach that goes beyond effectiveness can also help in recognising the essential role of the professions in healthcare improvement. The past half century has seen a dramatic redefining of the role and status of the healthcare professions in health systems 54 : unprecedented external accountability, oversight, and surveillance are now the norm. But policy makers would do well to recognise how much more can be achieved through professional coalitions of the willing than through too many imposed, compliance focused diktats. Research is now showing how the professions can be hugely important institutional forces for good. 54 55 In particular, the professions have a unique and invaluable role in working as advocates for improvement, creating alliances with patients, providing training and education, contributing expertise and wisdom, coordinating improvement efforts, and giving political voice for problems that need to be solved at system level (such as, for example, equipment design).

Improvement efforts are critical to securing the future of the NHS. But they need an evidence base. Without sound evaluation, patients may be deprived of benefit, resources and energy may be wasted on ineffective QI interventions or on interventions that distribute risks unfairly, and organisations are left unable to make good decisions about trade-offs given their many competing priorities. The study of improvement has an important role in developing an evidence-base and in exploring questions beyond effectiveness alone, and in particular showing the need to establish improvement as a collective endeavour that can benefit from professional leadership.

Mary Dixon-Woods is the Health Foundation professor of healthcare improvement studies and director of The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute at the University of Cambridge, funded by the Health Foundation. Co-editor-in-chief of BMJ Quality and Safety , she is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Physicians. This article is based largely on the Harveian oration she gave at the RCP on 18 October 2018, in the year of the college’s 500th anniversary. The oration is available here: http://www.clinmed.rcpjournal.org/content/19/1/47 and the video version here: https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/events/harveian-oration-and-dinner-2018

This article is one of a series commissioned by The BMJ based on ideas generated by a joint editorial group with members from the Health Foundation and The BMJ , including a patient/carer. The BMJ retained full editorial control over external peer review, editing, and publication. Open access fees and The BMJ ’s quality improvement editor post are funded by the Health Foundation.

Competing interests: I have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and a statement is available here: https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/advisory-panels/editorial-advisory-board/mary-dixonwoods

Provenance and peer review: Commissioned; not externally peer reviewed.

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ .

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How to Improve Essay Writing Skills

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If you've been told time and time again that you express great ideas in your essay writing but your writing needs polishing, you aren't alone. The following tips will help improve your writing skills and turn you into a great writer.

Avoid repetition: It's an essay killer

Though it may seem difficult when writing a five-page term paper on a single idea or character, avoiding repetition is essential to improving your writing skills. When you use the same words ad nauseam, your reader views it as a sign of laziness. Here are three tactics that will help eliminate wordiness and eradicate repetitive words and phrases:

• The simplest approach to improving your writing skills is to eliminate the repetitive word or phrase from your essay.
• If you feel you need to keep the idea, replace the word or phrase with something similar. This may mean substituting a pronoun for a proper name, such as he instead of George; or it may mean searching for an alternative. Use a thesaurus only to remind you of words you already know but have temporarily forgotten. Don't select unfamiliar words that merely sound good; this risky path often leads to the use of words with different underlying meanings, which ultimately can hurt you more than the original repetition.
• The last of our techniques for improving your writing skills is more difficult, but usually the most effective. Begin by crossing out the offending repetition. Next, circle key words in the sentence (skip words such as a, of, while, it, etc.). Now craft a new sentence that retains the circled words but discards the repeat ones. This may require you to add more ideas to round out the thought, but our term paper editors have found that expanding on your new sentence in this manner will improve your paper.

Active voice: Breathe life into your essay writing

In order to improve writing skills, we encourage students to write in the active voice . For those of you who have misplaced your grade school grammar book, this means that the subject of the sentence performs the action; it does not receive the action. Compare the following examples:

• Tom tossed the ball (active)
• The ball was tossed by Tom (passive)

To find the dreaded passive voice, look for a "to be" verb (is, am, are, was, were, be, being, or been) followed by a past participle (often a verb ending with -ed). Ask yourself who is performing the action (the verb). Move that person or subject in front of the verb and make the necessary grammatical changes.

Trite phrases: Banish the banal

In order to improve your writing skills, force yourself to delete all idioms and clichés. Your reader wants original thoughts, not processed or canned sentiments. Yes, this means you must replace those mundane words with something clever of your own. Reduce—perhaps to zero—the number of similes and metaphors, particularly if they are common ones.

There may be instances in which you have devised the perfect comparison, one that highlights the essence of your argument, but chances are that an experienced reader won't be as impressed with your creativity as you are. While certain types of writing (advertising, speeches, etc.) may call for this, such phrases are anathema in formal writing. Eliminate these to improve your writing skills.

Literary present: Just do it

When writing about literature, you must write in the literary present. Your natural inclination will be to write:

The river symbolized freedom and enlightenment for Huckleberry Finn.

But the literary present demands that you write:

The river symbolizes freedom and enlightenment for Huckleberry Finn.

A key tip to improving your writing skills is that everything should be in the present tense. It doesn't matter that you read the book last week, or that the author wrote it a century ago. Write about the characters and events as though they exist in the here and now. This is one of those conventions that is just easier to accept than to question.

Mechanics: Sweating the small stuff is important when improving your writing skills

Always run a spell check. It only takes a moment, and it will save you the embarrassment of turning in an analysis of Julius Caesar in which you consistently misspell Caesar. Pay attention to the suggested replacements when editing your essay, however, as these canned wizards do not always understand your meaning. Even Bill Gates can't turn "it" into "in" or "you're" into "your" for you, so you also need to comb through the paper carefully with your own eyes to find every error before handing it in. Brilliant essays receive lower grades if simple mistakes are left unchanged.

Ask for a second opinion

If you're thinking that this seems like a lot to remember, you're right. But focusing on one or two areas at a time will help you steadily improve your writing skills.

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A (Very) Simple Way to Improve Your Writing

• Mark Rennella

It’s called the “one-idea rule” — and any level of writer can use it.

The “one idea” rule is a simple concept that can help you sharpen your writing, persuade others by presenting your argument in a clear, concise, and engaging way. What exactly does the rule say?

• Every component of a successful piece of writing should express only one idea.
• In persuasive writing, your “one idea” is often the argument or belief you are presenting to the reader. Once you identify what that argument is, the “one-idea rule” can help you develop, revise, and connect the various components of your writing.
• For instance, let’s say you’re writing an essay. There are three components you will be working with throughout your piece: the title, the paragraphs, and the sentences.
• Each of these parts should be dedicated to just one idea. The ideas are not identical, of course, but they’re all related. If done correctly, the smaller ideas (in sentences) all build (in paragraphs) to support the main point (suggested in the title).

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

Most advice about writing looks like a long laundry list of “do’s and don’ts.” These lists can be helpful from time to time, but they’re hard to remember … and, therefore, hard to depend on when you’re having trouble putting your thoughts to paper. During my time in academia, teaching composition at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I saw many people struggle with this.

• MR Mark Rennella is Associate Editor at HBP and has published two books, Entrepreneurs, Managers, and Leaders and The Boston Cosmopolitans .  

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Reading Books — A Reflection on the Improvement in My Reading, Writing, and Learning

A Reflection on The Improvement in My Reading, Writing, and Learning

• Categories: Reading Books

About this sample

Words: 649 |

Published: Dec 11, 2018

Words: 649 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Anderson, P. (2017). Technical Communication: A Reader-Centered Approach. Cengage Learning.
• Bussmann, H., & A. Jansen, E. (2018). How to Write and Illustrate a Scientific Paper. Cambridge University Press.
• Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2018). They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Hacker, D. (2019). A Writer's Reference. Bedford/St. Martin's.
• Lunsford, A. A., & Ruszkiewicz, J. J. (2020). Everything's an Argument with Readings. Bedford/St. Martin's.
• McWhorter, K. T. (2018). Reading and Writing About Contemporary Issues. Bedford/St. Martin's.
• Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (2018). Writing Academic English. Pearson Education.
• Rosen, L. D., & Lim, A. F. (2018). Writing for the Information Age: Elements of Style for the 21st Century. Cengage Learning.
• Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (2017). The Elements of Style. Penguin.
• Williams, J. M., & Colomb, G. G. (2020). Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Pearson Education.

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How to Improve Essay Writing

Last Updated: December 28, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 42,266 times.

Do your teachers always mark up your essays with red ink? Are you eager to learn how to express yourself clearly and effectively? If so, there are plenty of steps you can take to improve your essay writing skills. Improve your grammar, refine your style, and learn how to structure a well-organized essay. Since academic essays are especially tricky, learn the ins and outs of formal, scholarly writing. Be sure to read as much as possible; seeing how other authors use language can improve your own writing.

Improving Your Grammar and Style

• For example, while writing, you might not know whether to use “who” or “whom,” so you check the rule online. You’d use “who” for a person doing an action (called a subject), and “whom” for someone who gets something done to them (called an object). “Who called you,” and “Whom did you call” are grammatically correct.
• Find a general guide on grammar at https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/index.html .
• If you’re a student, see if your school has a writing lab. If so, they’ll have useful resources on grammar and tutors who can help you improve basic writing skills.

• That said, some exceptions apply. If you’re discussing a scientific study, “The subjects were divided into control and experimental groups,” is better than “Researchers divided the subjects into control and experimental groups.” This is because passive voice emphasizes the object of the action rather than the subject. In scientific writing, the object is more important than the subject.

• For example, “The author of the selection establishes the foundation of the work’s controlling metaphor in the initial stanza,” is packed with unnecessary words. A cleaner version of this example could be, “The author introduces the poem’s controlling metaphor in the first stanza.”
• Instead of “The animal sleeps during the day and is active at nighttime,” write “The animal is nocturnal.”
• Rather than "The fox ran very fast," write "The fox sprinted."
• In the sentence, “The argument is compelling and convincing,” compelling and convincing are close enough in meaning. Using one would get the point across, but using both is repetitive.

• Keep in mind the clause that follows a semicolon needs to be a complete sentence. It should also continue the idea conveyed in the clause before the semicolon. Proper use would be, “The platter dates to 1790; examples of British transfer-ware from this period are rare.”
• Use punctuation strategically. A complicated sentence, like this one, with too much, or confusing, or misplaced, punctuation is hard, for most readers, to follow. Aim instead for clear, easy-to-read writing.

• For example, “The platter dates to 1790. It is in pristine condition. There are no nicks or cracks,” are choppy and repetitive.
• Better phrasing would be, “An impressed back-stamp indicates that the platter was made in 1790. With no nicks, cracks, or discoloration, its condition is pristine; few pieces of this age and quality exist.”
• Keep in mind repetitive sentences aren’t necessarily choppy. For instance, “Since the platter has a maker’s mark, accurately determining its age is possible. Since it has no nicks or marks, it is in excellent condition,” are repetitive sentences, even if they’re not short and choppy.

Using Academic Language

• For example, instead of, “I think it’s pretty crazy how the artist made the painting so detailed,” write, “The artist achieves an impressive level of detail.”
• Note that you can use the first person and contractions in less formal essays, such as an autobiographical sketch or college application essay. However, your writing still shouldn’t be too casual. “I found myself questioning my assumptions” is fine but, in most cases, “I was like wow I didn’t know what I was talking about” is too casual.

• Say you’re writing an essay about school uniforms. “Uniforms are good because they make it easier to get ready in the morning,” might be a fair point, but it's not the strongest argument you could make. Backing up your point with objective evidence would be more convincing.
• On the other hand, “According to a 2017 study, schools reported an average of 44% fewer disciplinary referrals the year after implementing mandatory uniforms,” cites a specific, concrete fact.
• Additionally, use specific quantities whenever possible. In this example, “an average of 44% fewer disciplinary referrals,” is more effective than “a significant decrease.” [5] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• Learning how to properly use subject-specific terminology can help you express yourself clearly and effectively. Academic writing is a dialogue, and learning the language of a scholarly dialogue is essential.
• For instance, if you’re writing a literary analysis, you might discuss how an author makes a comparison. While technically correct, the word “comparison” isn’t as precise as literary terms such as “metaphor” or “simile.”

• Using convoluted jargon or big words just for the sake of it will make your writing clunky. Furthermore, you’ll lose credibility if you misuse a complex word or technical term.
• For instance, “By utilizing efficacious examples, the author elucidates an irrefutable argument” is verbose. Simpler phrasing would be, “The author presents a convincing argument by using effective examples.”

Mastering the Writing Process

• Note that an essay prompt’s keywords have distinct meanings. Analyze, for example, doesn’t mean to describe; it means to pull apart and examine something’s structure.
• Suppose you have to analyze an argument. Your essay needs identify the argument's rhetorical elements, such as pathos (appeals to emotion), logos (employing reason or logic), or ethos (relying on authority or credibility). After breaking down the argument's structure, you'll then need to explain how the author uses these devices to make their case.

• Remember to check your sources’ credibility. If you’re writing about a former president, find the biography scholars consider most authoritative. Check the authoritative biography’s footnotes and references, which will help you track down more reputable sources.
• You won't conduct thorough research if you’re writing an essay for a test. Instead, read the sources provided with the exam. For example, if a literature essay test requires you to analyze an excerpt, read the passage carefully.

• For instance, “Schools should implement mandatory uniforms because they reduce disciplinary issues, help students focus on learning, and promote school spirit,” is clear and specific.
• The thesis, “Mandatory uniforms are beneficial, so schools should implement them,” makes a claim, but “beneficial” is vague. It doesn’t convey why uniforms are good, so it’s not a strong thesis.

• For the next Roman numerals, write the subtopics, citations, and other details that you’ll cover in each body paragraph.
• In the following example, Roman number II. would be an essay section, and letters A. through D. are body paragraphs that each focus on a sub-topic: II. Uniforms reduce disciplinary issues   A. 44% decrease in detentions after introducing uniforms (Smith, 2017)   B. Suspension decreased by 60% (Smith, 2017)   C. Absenteeism and tardiness decreased (Pew, 2013)   D. 66% of students report less bullying (Ohio Board of Education, 2016)

• Topic sentence: School uniforms may reduce the number of serious behavioral problems.
• Explain: Evidence suggests dressing alike lowers peer pressure, promotes discipline, and prevents the display of controversial or offensive imagery.
• Evidence: For example, according to the Ohio Board of Education, schools that introduced uniforms reported 44% fewer disciplinary referrals, such as detentions and suspensions. Furthermore, 66% of surveyed students said they witnessed fewer bullying incidents after they started wearing uniforms.
• Link: These findings suggest that implementing uniforms is an effective way to foster a disciplined school environment.

• A counterargument could be, “Opponents claim that mandatory uniforms stifle self-expression and lower self-esteem. Although uniforms do prevent personal expressions of style, studies show they actually improve confidence and encourage the expression of ideas. Rather than harm self-image, research suggests that uniforms positively impact mental health. In a 10-year Oxford University study, a majority of students reported that wearing uniforms boosts their self-esteem. With a level playing field, they worry less about choosing clothes that fit the norm.”

• First, revise your essay’s content. Check for unclear language, unorganized spots, awkward sentences, and weak word choices. Next, proofread your work and fix any spelling or grammatical errors.
• For important essays, like a term paper or an admissions essay, have someone read your work and offer feedback.
• In general, try to leave a day for edits at the bare minimum. For a big research paper, scheduling a week or more is ideal.
• For a quick, paragraph-long assignment that’s due the next day, you might only need 15 or 20 minutes for revisions. If you're taking a timed essay test, set aside the last 5 to 10 minutes to check your work.

Expert Q&A

• To improve your writing, read as much as you can. Reading a mix of fiction, newspaper articles, and scholarly works will help you learn new ways to structure sentences, refine your grammar skills, and improve your vocabulary. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You might not have to conduct thorough research or develop a scholarly thesis if you’re writing an informal essay. However, basic elements such as strong word choices, varied sentence structures, and concise language still apply. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/passive-voice/
• ↑ https://slc.berkeley.edu/nine-basic-ways-improve-your-style-academic-writing
• ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/sites/default/files/academic_style.pdf
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/sciences/
• ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/sites/default/files/vocabulary.pdf
• ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/sites/default/files/Essay_writing_process_accessible_2015.pdf
• ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/sites/default/files/super%20essay.pdf
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/developing-thesis
• ↑ https://emedia.rmit.edu.au/learninglab/content/paragraph-structure

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School Improvement Essay

Most societies in the modern world comprise of a variety of individuals. This is because they are made up of people who are from different cultures and background. As a result, these societies contain a rich heritage due to the interaction of the culture, traditions and beliefs of the people who are part and parcel of it. Normally, the main factor that constitute to the difference of the individuals who make up these societies is race.

Many societies in the modern civilization comprise of individuals who are from different races of the world. In America, for example, a community can be made up of Latinos, African Americans and individuals from the white community (Manasseh, 2010). This ratio complexity has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The culture, background and traditions of these individuals play an important role in the determination of the various factors of their lives. This includes their behaviour, beliefs, psychological status, cognitive development and intellectuality.

With regards to these factors, it will therefore be true to state that racial differences, among other factors play a critical role in determining the academic performance of an individual (Murphy, 2009). Due to this fact, this essay shall on the effects of racial differences and achievement gap.

Education has become an essential requirement in the modern world. This is due to the role it plays in determining and shaping the career of an individual. Education gives individuals the knowledge and skills that is required to perform given roles in a specific profession. As a result, individuals who are learned stand a better chance of having desirable careers as compared to individuals who are not learned or perform poorly in school.

From studies that have been conducted, a strong correlation has been identified between the performance of a student and his ethnic background. Students from white families tend to perform better as compared to those from Latino and African American communities (Murphy, 2009). This difference can be attributed to a number of factors. This may include cultural differences, financial stability, cognitive development and so on.

Due to the increased levels of poor performance, many governments have employed a number of strategies to improve the educational status of their countries. To achieve this, most schools have mainly concentrated on modifying their educational system.

This, for example, entails having favourable leadership that ensures that teachers conduct their roles as per the expected standards and that there is proper allocation of resources to all the departments. Other governments have modified their curriculum and education system in order to meet the current needs and requirements of the modern world.

In other circumstances, schools have maintained teachers who exhibit high performance but have replaced those who were performing poorly. These are just but some of the strategies that schools have been employing over time to improve the performance of their students.

However, in all these strategies, a critical aspect has always been left out in order to minimize the gap in the performance of students on racial lines. This is the role played by the community in the determination of the success or failure of any project. I feel that it is essential for the government and schools to consult and work together with the community in order to improve the performance of their students.

With this strategy in place, it will be easier to understand the needs of a community. It also encourages parental participation. This makes them to feel as part and parcel of the project.

As a result, the performance of students will be monitored both at home and in school. Teachers and parents will work together as a team to achieve a common goal. Once this strategy is integrated with other methods, the performance gap as a result of racial lines shall be reduced.

Manasseh, A.L. (2010) Vision and Leadership: Paying attention to intention. Peabody Journal of Education, 63 (1), 150-173.

Murphy, J.T. (2009) The unheroic side of leadership: Notes from the swamp. Phi Delta Kappan , 69, 654-659.

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IvyPanda. (2019, May 12). School Improvement. https://ivypanda.com/essays/school-improvement-essay/

"School Improvement." IvyPanda , 12 May 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/school-improvement-essay/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'School Improvement'. 12 May.

IvyPanda . 2019. "School Improvement." May 12, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/school-improvement-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "School Improvement." May 12, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/school-improvement-essay/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "School Improvement." May 12, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/school-improvement-essay/.

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Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Cyclen molecule manipulation for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.

Although perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have been developed rapidly, the poor quality of perovskite films and difficulty in scalable fabrication in air condition hindered the improvement of PSC performance. In this work, a novel ring molecule, 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen), is introduced to manipulate the high-quality film fabrication. And we at the first time captured a key intermediate, cyclen-PbI 2 -DMSO, which retarded the crystallization process and promoted the carrier lifetime and decreased non-radiative recombination. According to DFT calculation and experimental characterization, the cyclen well interacted with Pb 2+ ions to manipulate the perovskite films crystallization and reduce the defect density. Consequently, the small-area device with power conversion efficiency up to 24.71% is fabricated and can still maintain 90% over 1600 h at 85 °C in N 2 atmosphere without encapsulation. And the constructed 36-cm 2 -area cyclen modules yielded the efficiency of 20.08% by auto-blade coating process in air condition.

• This article is part of the themed collection: Journal of Materials Chemistry A HOT Papers

Supplementary files

• Supplementary information PDF (3517K)
• Crystal structure data CIF (173K)

Article information

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Cyclen molecule manipulation for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Y. Yang, L. Yuan, Q. Chang, Y. Yang, X. Tang, Z. Wan, J. Du, H. Wei, C. Liu, P. Guo, Z. Liu, R. Chen and H. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A , 2024, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D4TA01511H

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