Using Examples of Personal Statements When Writing An Essay Highlighting Your Excellent Research Skills
Research skills are an invaluable asset in any industry and any profession that you enter into, even in the schooling stages of one’s life. No matter what path you decide to take in your college or post-graduate education, you will find that your research skills can be a great help not only for getting through school, but also for getting into school. You application forms and transcripts will probably give the admissions committee a hint that your research skills are excellent, but you may want to consider highlighting these skills in your personal statement. Read on for some helpful tips on how to write an admission essay about your excellent research skills.
Put your research skills to use
As a good researcher, you probably already know the importance of doing research before starting any major projects. So, before you begin writing your application essay or personal statement, you need to begin by doing some research on the schools that you are applying to. Taking the time and effort to do your research will give you a vital edge when writing your personal statement. Try to get information from the official websites of these schools to get a clear picture of their values, style of education, strengths and weaknesses, campuses, student bodies, and their philosophy of education. You will be able to use all of this information when deciding on your approach for your personal statement. While your research, remember to think of ways that you can tie in the themes of research and your research skills in particular when writing your essay.
Gather some sources
Now that you have done some research on the schools you plan on applying to, it’s time to gather some sources to help you on your personal statement. There are loads of guides and tips on the Internet, but one of the most effective sources for help are examples of personal statements. Gather some examples of personal statements so you can get some ideas about the format, style, tone, themes, and subjects that others have written about in their essays. Because you want to focus on your research skills, you should try to find some examples of personal statements that also focus on research skills. It may take some time to find some good examples of personal statements, but the benefits are well worth it.
How to focus on your research skills in your personal statement
With a good foundation of what the admissions committee expects from your essay, you can now go about writing your personal statement. When you write about your research skills, make sure not to make that the only focus of your personal statement. While research skills are a definite plus, you don’t want the admissions committee to think that it is your only skill or trait. Try to discuss your research skills in relation to how they have helped you deal with difficult situations or challenging times. You can also relate your abilities as an excellent researcher to your values, character traits, virtues, and future goals. Reflection is an important step towards realizing just how much of an impact your research skills have made on you, your personality, and your life in general.
Photo Credit : Freddy The Boy
Researching plays a heavy role in the educational models of many colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning. Whether you are writing a simple essay, a thesis paper, or a dissertation, you will probably have to perform some form of research to get through the assignment. Here is how you can improve your research skills.
Understand your assignment
Before you getting yourself immersed in the research process, you will have to fully understand your assignment. The following is a short list of the things you should know about your assignment:
* What is the objective of the assignment?
* What topic are you required to write about?
* How long should the paper be?
* What types of sources are allowed?
* When is the deadline for submission?
* What kind of citation will be used?
Once you know the answer to these basic questions, you will also have clues about how, where, and when to begin your research.
Plan
Now that you know your submission deadline, you can begin scheduling research time and planning your research methods. Be sure that you have ample time for researching, writing, and revising your paper. List down some of the places where you are likely to find research materials. You can begin with the Internet, the library, or your own book collection (if you have the resources). Now that you have a basic outline and schedule for research, you can begin your research. You may be overwhelmed with the vast resources available to you, so it’s always a good idea to be focused on your objective.
Be familiar with effective researching strategies
* Narrow down your topic or scope if needed. Researching for a broad topic can take a lot of time and energy. If possible, come up with a list of research topics and ask for the approval of your teacher on them. Have him or her suggest a topic from the list.
* Begin by gathering background information from general references and similar sources.
* Use what your teacher gives you. If you are using relevant sources in the classroom, ask permission to use those sources for your research. Or, at least, you can reread them to get ideas.
* Ask for advice from teachers, mentors, or other classmates on where you can find research material son your topic.
* Use the Internet to find books and articles relevant to your topic. Just make sure that what you take from the Internet comes from a reliable source.
Photo Credit : Robert Scoble
