The Personal Statement workshop was incredibly eye-opening. I learned a lot in terms of what employers and graduate schools look for in applications. Overall, I realized that employers and schools hire people who not only have the appropriate credentials, but also whose personality and character fit into the culture of their institution. In addition to his advice on the structure of  a narrative essay, Dr. Hill also revealed that hiring and admissions staff look for students who can think analytically about ways to solve problems. I started wondering why that was the case. Then, I thought that creative people are capable of coming up with multiple ways to do one thing, which can be incredibly useful in difficult situations. Although Dr. Hill’s advice about being persistent and knowing when to follow instructions struck me as odd, I understand now that the application process is a kind of game. Different rules apply depending on the circumstance.

I think this workshop was very valuable, even if we didn’t quite get to the writing portion, we learned how to write the personal statement using a creative method. I certainly hadn’t heard of the “nugget” method before this workshop, but I think it would be fun and interesting to try it. I really thought it would be great for someone who didn’t understand how applications work to attend this workshop. It encompassed many aspects of the application process. Dr. Hill and GRF Magdala’s personal acetates and experiences helped by putting things in perspective of the real world. Even though the application process is daunting and can be stressful, it is a valuable way to earn a position. I think that it can seem like a mystery if you don’t understand how employers and admissions staff make decisions, but if you have someone  who can explain it too you, it makes more sense.