Camouflage, pickup trucks, and wild turkey potluck dishes – that’s what Bedford County does.
Despite the fair warning that my program director, Bob, gave me before accepting this job, I was still surprised that moving westward 200 miles could result in such a change of culture. Tidbits of my interview stick out upon reflection: phrases like “one stoplight”, “small town”, and “very rural” – but for some reason, I wasn’t able to process this fully until I woke up my first morning in Bedford to a blue heron peeking into my bedroom windows. Well good morning to you, too, you humungous and slightly frightening bird.
Fair enough, I rolled with the changes and turned up Alan Jackson on my drive to school past roosters and mountain goats. The change of scenery didn’t bother me much, but instead, it was the whole “adapting to a new environment while being on my own for the first time ever” concept that I found pretty difficult. My 4.5 years in college were spent living with multiple roommates and growing up with 6 people in a small house doesn’t allow for lots of alone time. With so much newfound independence, I was left to really think about what makes a place become a home. Is it possible to build a life all by yourself?
While this is something I’m still struggling to figure out, I’ve got this much down (and yes, it’s cliché, my apologies): it isn’t where you are, but who you are with that makes a new place become a home. The first few months of being in Bedford were difficult because everything and everyone was new. It also takes a fair amount of time to truly let your guard down, especially when trying to present yourself professionally at your first real job post graduating college. But now, after building and creating friendships, I am beginning to feel that welcome and refreshing sense of belonging and community. Working at a school and being one of the youngest employees also has its benefits, as several coworkers have taken it upon themselves to “look out” for me, whether it involves helping me fix a flat tire or creating new workplace traditions together (Donut Friday!).
The act of advising in itself and the feeling of purpose that goes along with it has also made this transition smoother. Because I feel so passionate about what I’m doing, which involves various amounts of guiding, advising, persuading, and lots and lots of listening, it is easier to come to terms with my current surroundings. I believe I am needed here, and so here I shall stay. …Did I mention that my current surroundings include seven cows that live in my backyard?
Who knows, maybe at the end of my two-year term, I will not only be incredibly confident with my advising capabilities, but I might also be able to make my own deer jerky AND operate a snowmobile. I’ll keep you posted!
About Stephanie:
I grew up in Allentown, PA, which serves as the namesake of Billy Joel's chart topping hit AND is also home of Yocco's Hot Dogs. The college application process was very foreign to me in my senior year as both of my parents entered the workforce after their high school graduations. After much debate, I left home to attend Millersville University and majored in English Education. I loved being in the classroom with students every day, but my experience working for the Pre Scholar's Institute (a college access program) served as inspiration to become involved in higher education. Outside of work, I enjoy practicing my culinary arts skills, doing pilates, and cheering on the Philadelphia Flyers. I also identify myself as a reality tv enthusiast... please don't judge me.
Who doesn’t love fall? It provides much needed relief from the oppressive heat of summer, brings college football and ice hockey to the masses, and turns regular trees into brilliant rainbows of red, orange, and yellow. Hunting season also arrives and in due time, deer jerky will serve as a favorite seasonal snack in result (at least in Bedford, PA, anyway). However, with the good must always come something to even the balance. For our high school seniors, this can manifest itself in form of the dreaded college application essay. In order to help our students with their writing, here are four tips to read over and share with them.
1. Beware the five-paragraph format!
Birds will fly, fish will swim, and high school students will write five-paragraph essays. In order to ace a standardized exam, a five-paragraph essay will meet the standards and expectations of the judges. When writing an application essay, though, why would our students ever want to be considered “standard”? Encourage them to avoid this formatting, despite what their subconscious might say. Students should use these free-format options to their advantage. For example, they can write a single sentence and allow it to stand alone to create impact, tell a story that is relevant to the essay question, or
use dialogue in a personal narrative. Fight the good fight and bring creativity back into writing!
2. Legally Blonde was wrong - scented resumes usually don’t work.
When writing with a specific audience in mind, especially an audience that is going to have a hand in deciding their futures, students may experience a general sense of panic. This heightened level of anxiety is usually followed by the strong desire to impress the hooey out of any admissions representative within eyesight of their essay. Using words they don’t understand, being too vague and abstract with their ideas, and restating over and over again what already appears in their application are not the best ways to go about approaching an essay. Students should be clear with their language; at times that means using SAT-level vocabulary, but everything is best in moderation. Also keep in mind that if a university wanted a student to submit a resume, they would ask for it. Your students should not use this as a way to restate what has already been said. The option of using pink, scented paper is up to the student, though (although I personally wouldn’t recommend it, despite what Reese Witherspoon might say).
3. Work with students to help them harness their voice.
No, this doesn’t mean recording their application essay as a dramatic monologue and then sending the cassette tape to the college’s admissions office.
…And no, that probably isn’t a good idea.
High school students use their appearances, gestures, and language as means to create their own identity, yet it is difficult for most of them to translate their own unique voice into writing. Perhaps it’s the
“once-and-done” mindset that I see so often, where students want to write their essay perfectly the first time. They end up paying too much attention to punctuation and grammar while the creative, fun part of writing falls to the wayside. Perhaps it is the fear of having someone read their writing (such as your friendly neighborhood College Adviser) and telling them that it stinks big time that attributes to the lack of expression in personal essays. As a retired English teacher (4 months of student teaching really wore me out), I’ve read the same essay from different students again and again. It can be painful, like repeatedly ripping a Band-Aid off that never loses its stickiness. In order to save yourself and others from this agony, help your students develop a writing persona with flavor, opinions, and attitude. Obviously, it shouldn’t be anything offensive, but something that will stand out to an admissions representative that says, “Good day sir or madam! I am an individual and yes, you really want me to attend your school. You might also want to give me a full scholarship to pay for tuition as well.”
4. Carpe’ essay! (Seize it!)
The application essay is the only part of the admissions process that doesn’t involve filling in a blank, reporting a test score, or copying your transcript word-for-word. Essentially, this is a student’s chance to appear human, as an individual, a force to be reckoned with, as opposed to a file lying in the midst of nearly identical files. If the essay question allows it, your students will have a chance to explain any discrepancies on their application, whether that is a low GPA for a certain year because of a family tragedy, or if there are circumstances, such as a lack of transportation, that don’t allow a student to participate in after school curricular events. I know we’ve all been led to believe that admissions representatives are robotic in nature, but I’ve met a fair share, and I have yet to see anyone resembling that
of Optimus Prime (which is unfortunate because he is my favorite Transformer). Representatives want and NEED to know personal information about applicants in order to understand them as an entire person!
Last, but definitely not least: edit like you have never edited before. I think this goes without saying, though.
Hopefully these tips come in handy when you’re proofreading your students’ essays. Remember that it can be intimidating to share your writing with someone and a little positive feedback can go a long way.
Also, remember that when you’re reading a fellow adviser’s writing about… well, college essay writing…
About Stephanie:
I grew up in Allentown, PA, which serves as the namesake of Billy Joel's chart topping hit AND is also home of Yocco's Hot Dogs. The college application process was very foreign to me in my senior year as both of my parents entered the workforce after their high school graduations. After much debate, I left home to attend Millersville University and majored in English Education. I loved being in the classroom with students every day, but my experience working for the Pre Scholar's Institute (a college access program) served as inspiration to become involved in higher education. Outside of work, I enjoy practicing my culinary arts skills, doing pilates, and cheering on the Philadelphia Flyers. I also identify myself as a reality tv enthusiast... please don't judge me.