Make your space the ideal place for writing (and re-writing!) your application essays.
It can be tough to actually get started (and more important, to keep going) on your writing because of how important it is. At UnCommon Apps, we think great writing happens when students are relaxed and present in the moment.
Here are some tips for creating a space that will help you be a creative and productive writer:
1. Pick a place
Designate a place to do your college app writing and stick with it. It could be a study, a desk in your room, even outside (if wifi allows). Coming back to the same space for each writing session tells your brain “This is what I do here. I’m writing!”
2. Clear some space
Ideally, your writing spot should be as free from distractions as possible. Kitchens where everyone gathers around, in front of a TV or gaming system, at a busy coffee shop--these are
not ideal spaces for most folks to do some serious thinking about their lives.
Clear clutter, but leave room for objects that might help spur your thinking-- a treasured gift, symbolic knick knack, or important quotes.
3. Don’t get too comfy
You want an ideal space, but if it’s too comfortable, you might not be inspired to work so much as nap, and napping is not writing.
4. Write at your best time of day
What’s your most productive time of day? Morning? Mid-afternoon? Evening? Do this writing at that time whenever you can and as consistently as you can.
Twice a week is a good place to start!
5. Choose your tools
We recommend a computer, a program that automatically saves your writing (like GoogleDocs), a notebook for scribbling, and a pen or pencil that makes you feel like your most authorial self. If you need a feather quill pen, so be it! Use tools that make you excited to write.
Want to work with us? We offer workshops and one-one-one essay coaching online to students across the world! Sign up for expert support here.