Brainstorming Techniques

You’ve gathered together the materials you need to remind you of your journey at Evergreen—now it’s time to start making sense of it all. The following are a few ideas to support you in deepening your reflections and furthering your process as you work on the Academic Statement. Feel free to use some and not others, combine them, or just use components that you like.

Engage in self-reflective practice. Whatever it looks like for you, it may help to engage in a reflective practice even when you aren’t writing. Maybe it’s a free write, mind-map, a series of lists, or an outline. Or maybe it’s less words and more artistic—a painting, drawing, or song. Maybe it’s meditating, taking a walk, or taking a shower. Do what you need to do in order to get going, get flowing, and unravel all the pieces that have brought you to this moment of your education, as well as this version of yourself as a student.

Ignore the “ideal” for now. Don’t worry about what your Academic Statement “should” be. As you work through your process, set aside expectations of the final product. Let yourself explore your learning, education, and self. Don’t worry about the word count and let yourself imperfectly say everything you have to say. Afterwards, you can sift through everything to find what feels to be the most important content to keep.

Use visual representations or outlines. Make a map, timeline, or other visual representation of your education and the important pieces. Reflect on the meaning and related themes.

Color-code your research. If you have gathered your materials and don’t know where to start, try reading through with a handful of colored writing tools and code for various themes, activities, achievements, and skills—see where it takes you.