How to Write About a Community
by Michelle
One popular prompt that pops up often for college essays would be a question like ‘Describe a community you are a part of’ or ‘Describe how you have contributed to your community.’
These prompts can prove puzzling to many students, who may be unsure how to describe a community. Beyond the TV-perfect image of a community being made up of a group of friends in a fancy New York City loft, there are numerous possible communities to write on.
Whatever the community you choose to focus on—whether family, an ethnic background, a school organization, or enthusiasts about a niche interest—there are many methods to start thinking on how to write on it.
Consider these tips for writing about a community in your essay:
1.What are the positives/what makes you happy about being part of that community?
Think about making a bullet-point list of positives of a community, from emotional bonds to deeper understanding of a topic out of conversations and collaboration.
For a community of ice-skating fans, you may discover how ice skating has also helped you develop a stronger interest in the real history behind classical music pieces used in performances.
Or perhaps you lived in a small town that lacked after-school childcare resources for elementary school kids, and you helped set up a science exploration group to teach kids about native plants in a local park. This would be considered a positive community contribution.
2.What are some negative aspects/popular arguments happening in the community?
Almost no community is perfect—and it could add nuance and thoughtfulness to your writing if you consider contradictions in the group you are part of.
It make sense for someone to respect and take pride in their family or their ethnic/cultural background (consider an earlier post about the immigrant story). Conversely, there might also be certain aspects of a culture’s approach for some topics that students might disagree with, like a different understanding of mental health or different approach in communication styles.
If your community is more interest-based, such as the arts or technology, there are plenty of popular arguments within those fields you might have strong opinions on.
In art, there would be hot topic questions on issues like cultural appropriation or how to better subtitle films in a different language. In tech and STEM, there might be fervent discussions around topics like planned obsolescence and the right-to-repair, or problems in getting people to care about conserving unpopular species of insects over charismatic megafauna.
3. What do you feel is your role in the community?
This question might be simpler to understand if a student has ever played video games like a MMORPG with roles like tank, dps, or healer, with different strengths for each role.
In a real-life community, what do you feel like your role might be? An organizer? A leader? A cheerleader? An idealist? After you have an idea about your role, you can also think of specific experiences in your community that show how you exemplified that role and learned new values.
With these tips as an Essay Narwhal, you will know how to write about your community within your pod in a distinctive way.
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