The Values Exercise
My favorite brainstorming activities to do with students is the 'Values Exercise.'
It takes 10 minutes, but the conversations that unfold become building blocks that give writers clarity when answering the age-old question: "Should I write about [Insert topic here] on my college admission essay?"
Let's try out the exercise together!
Join me and my co-host, Kate Pillette, as we dive into the college essay writing process on May 28 at 7pm for our webinar, "College Admission Essays for Students with Learning Differences"
Register here: https://lu.ma/essay-2024
For those who can’t make it, or who simply want to learn a bit more about this exercise, below is a short overview.
What is the Values Exercise?
The “values exercise” is a common coaching technique that is one of the first things I learned about when I became a college essay coach. It’s a simple and straightforward process. Take some quiet time look over a list of words and circle the ones that resonate most with you.
I have seen a lot of different values lists. There is a comprehensive version that I used a lot early on. This one has 100+ values. For those of us who can get paralyzed from too many choices, I like this condensed list adapted from The Center for Ethical Leadership.
Peace
Wealth
Happiness
Success
Friendship
Integrity
Joy
Love
Recognition
Family
Status
Wisdom
Truth
Justice
Fame
Authenticity
Power
Influence
Here’s how it works: Values Exploration
There are a couple of different ways in which you can engage with the values exercise.
Option 1: Core Values
Circle the top 8 values that are most important to you
Cut the list in half. Only 4 remain.
Again, cut the list in half. Only 2 remain.
Option 2: Challenges Values
Use this process to figure out if you should write about a significant challenge.
Review the words on your Core Values Exercise list.
What values have developed as a result of your challenge. Jot note notes along the way to organize your thoughts. Use this as a template.
In conclusion, here are a few things to keep in mind as you start to get reflective:
Alleviate anxiety and stress. The ‘values exercise’ is a great strategy to get out of the toxic game of comparing your story to someone else’s. There is no “right” topic.
Trust your gut. Many students have a gut feeling about what to write about before they start. Be open to changing your mind, but trust your gut.
It’s not about the tea. As I learned from my one of the first students I worked with (Her topic: drinking tea), the topic doesn’t mean much if your college admission essay isn’t using the topic as a device to tell the reader who you are and what’s important to you.
