Earlier in the semester, we defined “psychology” as the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. As such, I hope that you have taken the time to apply the principles we have discussed in class to better understand your own behavior and thoughts. Many of the concepts we have learned, including introspection and mindful meditation, can serve as powerful tools outside of the classroom.
The goal of this assignment is to encourage you to encourage you to meaningfully reflect on your behavior and thoughts, and to provide you with a working document that may be used as a draft of your personal statement. Your task is to choose one of the following prompts and write a college-essay style opinion piece in which you express what you have learned about yourself.
You may complete this assignment at home or during the scheduled exam time. However, you must come to the final and spend at least one hour writing and/or revising your personal statement.
Your final exam will be graded by the following rubric.
To find out more information about personal statements, refer to the 2015-16 Common Application Essay Prompts
The goal of this assignment is to encourage you to encourage you to meaningfully reflect on your behavior and thoughts, and to provide you with a working document that may be used as a draft of your personal statement. Your task is to choose one of the following prompts and write a college-essay style opinion piece in which you express what you have learned about yourself.
- The two moments I’ll never forget in my life are… Describe them in great detail, and what makes them so unforgettable.
- Write about a moment experienced through your body. Traveling somewhere new, making breakfast, going to a party, having a fight, an experience you’ve had or you imagine for your character. Leave out thought and emotion, and let all information be conveyed through the body and senses.
- The words I’d like to live by are…
- When I’m in pain — physical or emotional — the kindest thing I can do for myself is…
- What does unconditional love look like for you?
- I really wish others knew this about me…
- What do you love about life?
- What always brings tears to your eyes? (As Paulo Coelho has said, “Tears are words that need to be written.”)
- What can you learn from your biggest mistakes?
- I feel most energized when…
- I feel happiest in my skin when…
You may complete this assignment at home or during the scheduled exam time. However, you must come to the final and spend at least one hour writing and/or revising your personal statement.
Your final exam will be graded by the following rubric.
To find out more information about personal statements, refer to the 2015-16 Common Application Essay Prompts