Miniseries Chapter 2 – Striking the Balance: How to Write about Yourself with Pride, not Arrogance
Balance is so important when selling yourself to an un/familiar board. Many people are uncomfortable accepting praise, let alone listing their own achievements and accomplishments, publicly.
In this light, when it comes to drafting a "Personal Statement" or "Application Letter", It is always a help to choose two people whose English and application experience is strong, whom you trust (if not your parents and friends, then a lecturer), to proof-read your paragraphs. While your sentence construction may be sound, you may write about yourself in a way that, to a wider readership, is either vague, self-depreciating, or lacks verification, or you may unintentionally come across as arrogant. Having proof-readers prevents you from hitting "Send" prematurely!
So, before you begin your draft, pull out the document I mentioned in last week’s miniseries chapter. The one where you wrote down work experience, leadership qualities, and community engagement, remember? Now copy and paste ALL of them into your draft. You can cut and edit later. Here's the link in case you missed it:
The next step, is to organize your thoughts. I usually introduce myself and my academic achievements in the first paragraph. Then, in the body paragraphs of the essay, I discuss my Community Engagement first, followed by my Leadership and Work Experience, concluding with a brief summary of how all the information conveyed, I hope, makes me a worthy recipient of the scholarship / bursary.
Now its time to draft your application essay! As an English tutor, I always taught my tut-lings one absolute rule (acronym) for academic writing: Statement Explain Example. The information in the above-mentioned document represents the S. Now it’s time to give an Example of an experience you had, and Explain what the experience demanded of you. Sometimes, the two E’s swap. I would add an L for what you have Learnt – which is what Community Engagement is meant to be about. Mutual Learning.
The same acronym can be applied when you are writing about Leadership, Academic Achievements, and Work Experience.
We already discussed how to draft an introductory paragraph in miniseries chapter 1 (see above-mentioned link). Make a Statement about what level of degree you're at, Provide an Example of what course/s you are doing, about which you subsequently Explain what you are Learning. Be sure to impress the board by indicating you understand the nuance and "interconnectedness" of all you are learning, academically, and as an individual, at your current institution. But keep it simple, short and sweet.
Let's look at a personal example of Body Paragraphs pertaining to Community Engagement:
S: I was involved in Community Engagement for the entirety of my Undergraduate degree.
Ex: In 2015, I became a member of the Cycle of Knowledge Poetry Society, an initiative that is comprised of Rhodes University students, and youth of varying ages from the township of Y.
Exp: The aim of this society is to promote self-expression and discussion around the issues of gender and contemporary politics. Regardless of a poet’s social and economic background, the Cycle of Knowledge believes that no individuals’ truth or knowledge, gleaned through the lived experience, is superior to that of others. Unlike the problematic ideologies of community outreach, the Cycle of Knowledge operates on the premise that we all have things to engage with or learn, and we must all teach one another how to make South Africa a more equitable society.
L: As a member of the Cycle of Knowledge, I have had many opportunities to perform and showcase my work. Most notably, I performed, during Mandela week, in a community engagement feedback brunch hosted by Rhodes University, called Trading Live. I have also worked on my own poetic projects, and with the assistance of a journalism student, have filmed several of my own poems in different locations in Grahamstown.
Ex continued: I continue to be a member of the Cycle of Knowledge in 2016. This year, the Cycle of Knowledge has had the privilege of working with award winning filmmaker, Shelley Barry, on film and the ways in which it accentuates the meaning of a poem, or even replaces the poem itself. Five to ten poets are receiving training in film technique, and will be awarded certificates qualifying them as film makers. For the Y poets, whose personal contexts are dominated by social, economic, and educational disparity, this skill set is a much needed and liberating qualification to receive.
In 2015, during Mandela week, the Cycle of Knowledge was invited to spend an afternoon with pupils of X Reading Club. The aim of this community engagement project is to assist students receiving secondary education in rural areas. Our input is to offer coaching with reading, writing, and the spoken English language.
L continued: I was inspired by such pupils’ determination and resilience to succeed academically. I have, however, been appalled by the apparent indifference of ( ) to the poor quality of education being provided, and the perpetuation of poverty that this brings. So, when the lecturer behind the initiative of the reading club approached me about becoming a volunteer teacher, I accepted immediately.
As of March 2016, I became a permanent volunteer teacher, and was assigned two new members of X Reading Club, who required particular assistance. One student is in grade four, and the other, in grade seven. It was an education in itself to note that in an impoverished context, a student’s grade does not necessarily reflect their academic ability. For example, the grade four student’s reading level is very poor, and as a result, I have to encourage him with regards to vocabulary and plot. Although the grade seven pupil’s reading level reflects his grade, his comprehension exercises lack clarity and cohesion, and I therefore have to work with focus on rectifying this.
As a volunteer teacher, I am not only making a tangible difference to a needy community, but I am also learning a new skill set for a potential career in teaching. I take back what I have seen and experienced, and encourage those around me to become aware of a reality that a portion of South Africa’s population is apparently unaware of.
There is nothing wrong with speaking your mind. It’s just a question of how you position yourself within the argument. Writing from the perspective of one who is learning is far less likely to make you come across as arrogant. If you critique an authority (as my empty bracket indicates), give real-time examples that justify that critique. It’s a good idea to add ‘apparent’ to that critical statement. For example, while governments are on-the-whole responsible for the livelihoods of their citizens, there may be third parties more directly responsible for mismanagement, that you are unaware of. Better to be safe, than libelous.
The boards are looking for people with a socio-economic, sexuality/gender and political conscience, people with a voice. So give it to them – but framed within a respect for all parties concerned. NEVER name someone without their consent – particularly someone in a position of vulnerability. Anonymity is safer for all concerned.
Once you’ve written one scholarship/bursary/funding application, your workload is halved! Copy and paste what’s useful from old applications, and respond to any new questions or requirements that are of interest to the board.
In the next miniseries chapter, we’ll explore some of the application questions you are likely to be asked to answer, on paper, or in an interview. Stay tuned!
Good Luck & Happy Writing!
If you haven't already, give The Forest Weaver a like, and follow her flight on Insta: @the_forest_weaver
