Whenever we write an essay, we often want to relate it to our own lives by bringing in our experiences. While this is fine to do on the argument essay (Q3) of the AP® Lang exam, it needs done correctly. If not, the writing portion will not come off as strong as it really could or should. To avoid this happening to you, be sure to examine these tips on how to write about a personal experience the right way.
#1: Quality Examples of Personal Experience
When bringing in personal experience, it needs to be something with enough detail. You will need to expand your thoughts on it, so it cannot be something too simple. Now, it does not need to be overly complex, but it needs to have substance. Due to this, people often want to exaggerate the experience. While no reader will fact-check your personal experience, you do not want to over-embellish your story. Honestly, this rarely works out the way students hope. Instead, focus on your experience and how it relates to your thesis.
#2: Personal Experience that is Relevant to the Prompt
When focusing on how to write about a personal example, you need to consider the prompt. Some allow you to bring in personal experience while others may not. Ultimately, you need to be sure that the experience relates to the prompt to keep the writing on topic.
If you do not have a personal experience but know someone who does, you can use their story. However, be sure to give appropriate context and be specific. Focus on the experience and the lesson or growth behind it.
When writing about the experience, make sure not to make it hypothetical. For instance, do not begin with “Suppose….” This will reduce your credibility and result in a lower score due to generalization. The examples need to be real-life, not hypotheticals.
#3: Show Value or Meaning behind the Example
If you bring in personal experience, it needs to be something with value or meaning. Specifically, you want to explain how the experience changed you or allowed you to grow as a person.
#4: Provide Backstory
The reader does not know who you are. Therefore, you must provide the backstory or context needed to understand the personal experience. For instance, how old were you? Or, where were you? Essentially, you need to set the scene to help the reader visualize the personal experience.
#5: Relate to Your Other Evidence
Sometimes, the personal experience can stand alone in the body paragraph. However, there are times when it relates to other evidence. If you can build this connection, do it. It will show the reader the connection between the prompt, your personal experience, and the additional evidence.
When learning how to write about a personal experience, you want to keep your thesis in mind. Ultimately, the experience must strengthen your paper by relating it to the topic and other evidence. Additionally, there needs to be enough backstory. If you can do this, you will be able to have the commentary required to show the lesson or growth. If you feel you cannot do this, make sure to consider a different personal example.
Bonus Tip: Avoid phrases like “In my opinion,” “I think,” or “I believe” when writing a claim. Your claim will be stronger if you omit these words.
For more information about preparing for the AP Lang exam, check out this blog post.
