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essay help
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| SuperFarStucker |
I'm applying for a local electric company scholarship (Benton REA) and their essay topic of all things is:
"How has terrorism affected the electric utility industry?"
I really have a terrible time writing about stuff I have no passion (even with a "passion" for something my writings tend to be characteristically erratic (constantly digressing) and vague :( )for and this happens to be one of those things. I just have a total block as to what to say... Seeing as this is the "homework help" forum I figured I'd give it a shot before receding to total despair.
I guess I never really learned how to write an essay to begin with. Always just kind of winged it.. got me this far, but ever since I've started filling out college applications, scholarships and what-not I have realized I really have no clue what the fsck I'm doing.
Just to give you an example of my "poor" writing capabilities here is my admissions essay. I put a lot of ing time into it and it still sucks (although my teachers thought it was fine, I thought it sucked) - I finally got so frustrated I just submitted the S.O.B.. I'm positive there is tons of grammatical errors in it...
| quote: | When asked to write about a character shaping experience, I was initially having a hard time finding one that seemed significant or “important” enough. After spending a few days with the topic floating at the top of my mind I came to the perhaps obvious conclusion, that at least in my life, character (re)formation has been over a series of events, rather than a single one.
Rather recently, Paul, my step-father, asked me a perhaps simple question which was something along the lines of “Do you believe in [the Christian] god?” This wasn’t the first time he had asked me the question, and I, from previous experience with him, having lived together for the past 10 years, knew what his reaction would be to a “no.” I was presented with, to me, a rather simple choice, I could lie, and avert the argument, or I could answer truthfully, and set myself in for yet another lecture based on slippery logic (and his own fabricated events).
I suppose I should take this time to let you know what my step father is like. He has had perhaps had what most would consider “a rough” life. At the age of seventeen, he ran away of home (due to his extreme dislike of his step mother), and subsequently, failed to ever graduate from high school. I could continue about his personal life, but I think it’s sufficient to say he never pursued a higher education. Due to this, he has a general lack of understanding of science and, is, more apt than most to latch onto dogmatic claims made by unreliable sources.
So I said “no” in a rather monotone fashion. I had, in the past, stated this, although I never took the time to fully explain myself. He is a self proclaimed religious man, although he rarely (I’ve never seen him) attends church, and I’ve never seen him read a single page out of the bible (in fact, it’s rare to see him read). He then proceeded to tell me how “scientists” tried to disprove the bible and they couldn’t because scientists are “heretics”. He asked me if I thought we came from “monkeys”, I said no, and then he said, well, you believe in evolution right?
I said, ”yes, at least the concept.” To which he said “well evolution means you came from a monkey.” I said, it in fact (but perhaps more properly “theory”) we share a common ancestor, and likewise genetic code, but, I, by no means came from a “monkey.” I came from a human, just like everyone else.
At this point, he became, what I would call infuriated, and began vigorously defending his religious principals, and in the process attempted to impress them on me. When I refused (as I always do) to say “I believe there is a god” he responded by taking things from me.
He said he wouldn’t do anything for an “atheist bastard” (although, I consider myself, more or less, agnostic). One of those things he had agreed to get me was a car. That was a month ago, I still don’t have one, and he apparently has no intentions of providing me with one. I knew he would attempt to do something along those lines if I refused to agree with his beliefs. A car, is very important to me, but, telling the truth and sticking to my beliefs, is far more important.
I’ve never been one to sway my beliefs or reason in exchange for some sort of reward. It’s one of the few things I can say I am proud of, many I know, express difficulty in resisting such temptation (and often times, fail to do so). This, I don’t hold against them, just as I don’t hold Paul’s actions against him. I find it dogmatic to make character judgments based on such circumstances.
I hope the experience I shared with you proves to be a sufficient token of my character. I would characterize myself as committed to being truthful to not only myself, but everyone else as well, whether or not they deserve my honesty. I don’t think you have anything without honesty. I also, try, to be a logical person, which in part, has characterized my spiritual beliefs (or rather lack thereof). Finally, I also try to be an understanding individual. While I may not share the creeds of many people in this world, I can certainly be tolerant and in many cases understanding of them.
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So all you college goers out there give me some pointers on writing essays. God knows you've done tons of them.
Gah, I feel like a total inept :(:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: |
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| whiskers |
| quote: | Originally posted by SuperFarStucker
"How has terrorism affected the electric utility industry?"
:(:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: |
um, we need more lights outside to see if there are any terrorists lurking around, so we buy more light bulbs?
in other news, how did janet's boob slip affect global warming?
/got nothing. sorry. |
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| Boomer187 |
yeah, thats pretty bad.
wish I could help but I have a few stacks o books to read instead.
I would suggest taking as many english classes as you can. I used to write the exact same way, until I took about 5 college english classes. The last one finally sunk in and now I can write half way decent papers. |
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| whiskers |
| quote: | Originally posted by Boomer187
yeah, thats pretty bad.
wish I could help but I have a few stacks o books to read instead.
I would suggest taking as many english classes as you can. I used to write the exact same way, until I took about 5 college english classes. The last one finally sunk in and now I can write half way decent papers. |
see, that's the thing, the ******s didn't let me skip it, even though i wrote like 5 pages in a span of an hour... and i think i'm a pretty decent writer. hell, i think i'm better than 70% of americans, especially those who say "there car" and "your didn't come last night"
and now i have to waste my time on it, doing the things that i'm already doing, like reading and writing a journal and writing responses to somebody's thoughts... i'd rather be ing a goat than doing english hw. i keep a journal and read stuff on my own anyway.
/random rant |
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| {b.s.e.} |
You're heavy into 'to be', eh? I would do a little e-prime, if I were you. But I'm not, and I don't have any essays due, either. :D
Obviously you have some room in this essay for speculation; make up some ideas that can tie (however loosely) into the terrorism idea. The more time people spend inside, the more energy they use, maybe people have been afraid to step outside, and thus their electricity bill has sky rocketed..
I don't know.. to be honest, that is the worst topic I have ever seen.. :D
Just apply for the Kraft Scholarship, they'll give you 50 bucks if you tell them how much you like KD. :stongue: |
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| Boomer187 |
| quote: | Originally posted by whiskers
see, that's the thing, the ******s didn't let me skip it, even though i wrote like 5 pages in a span of an hour... and i think i'm a pretty decent writer. hell, i think i'm better than 70% of americans, especially those who say "there car" and "your didn't come last night"
and now i have to waste my time on it, doing the things that i'm already doing, like reading and writing a journal and writing responses to somebody's thoughts... i'd rather be ing a goat than doing english hw. i keep a journal and read stuff on my own anyway.
/random rant |
breathe....think calm soothing thoughts....breathe.
breathe. |
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| Omegasox |
| Sorry, my attention span is , but from the first section, way too many comma's. I suffer from the same disease. I put comma's where they aren't necessarily needed. It's as if you're fitting too many thoughts in one sentence when it should be one coherent thought, not full of pauses. |
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| whiskers |
| quote: | Originally posted by Boomer187
breathe....think calm soothing thoughts....breathe.
breathe. |
ben lost set.. relaxing progressive...
but i need a goat! |
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| {b.s.e.} |
| did someone say goatse? |
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| SuperFarStucker |
| quote: | Originally posted by {b.s.e.}
did someone say goatse? |
I heard goatse is gone. To scared to confirm myself :p:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: |
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| {b.s.e.} |
Nope, it's true. *sheds a tear*
t3h 5adne55. |
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| SuperFarStucker |
| quote: | Originally posted by {b.s.e.}
Nope, it's true. *sheds a tear*
t3h 5adne55. |
The apocalypse has begun! |
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