Just the Right Words...Not Enough TIme by Felicia

Just the Right Words...Not Enough TIme by Felicia - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

The prompt stares at me, imposing, demanding my coherent response in the given time. I watch the clock count down, every number getting smaller. First, I plan - at least I try to. My thoughts are all over the place, with several ideas that I want to incorporate. But then, it happens. I start overthinking. I glance at the clock. I begin. I write. I pause. I shake my head, spamming the backspace key. I begin again. Before I know it, the timer is nearing 5 minutes. I hastily try to finish the paper, with clunky thoughts that do not represent my full writing ability.

For me, writing essays, especially ones that are timed, pose a great challenge for me. I often find myself taking far too long in the drafting process due to overthinking. Tasks that should take me 2 hours end up taking more than 7 hours to compete. Near the end, I often feel frustrated. This is because what I turn in - despite the amount of time and work that I put into it - does not reflect the quality, substance, and richness of ideas that I want to communicate. In short, everything gets into my head and I shut down.

Upon reflection, I found that the problem lay ultimately in my mindset. I realized that I approached every prompt with the expectation that I would produce the paper of all papers. I learned that I was simultaneously thinking, drafting and editing all at the same time. I like to consider every detail and analyze it thoroughly. However, that style of writing is not the best thing to do when you have a timed exam.

I knew things had to change. Though not easy, I got better at not overthinking too much, especially in the planning process. I worked on freeing myself when I write. This meant that I immediately wrote down my thoughts as fast as I could, not worrying about if it was going to fit exactly what I wanted to say. Instead, I focused more on what the prompt was asking and quickly made a decision. I worked to be more flexible in my writing. Furthermore I talked to my teacher about this issue, and told her about my progress.

Now, writing is more manageable for me because I have gotten (well, mostly) the stress of getting it perfect the first time out of my head. I try not to be the critic when I am drafting. I tell myself that this is simple. I remind myself of what I need to do. I remind myself of why and what I am doing. Most of all, I remind myself that I need to be kinder to myself and a that it is ok to keep things simple.