Draft you own intellectual autobiography. Your essay should reveal the development of your value system, convey an interdisciplinary blend of your concentration areas, and demonstrate how all the areas or disciplines you are studying fit into your life. Keep in mind that this essay is but a sketch of a certain aspect of your life—your intellectual development. This essay is too short to include all the important elements of your life.
This essay should be metaphorical rather than geographical. Avoid the urge to narrate the geographical movements in your life (e.g., In Idaho…then moving to Arkansas…and upon coming to Arizona…). Instead, create your own metaphorical place. Then use metaphors to depict the significance of that place. For instance, someone with a musical background may say, “My life is an orchestra.” That person’s essay may show an orchestra pit, complete with different sections (brass, woodwind, percussion) to represent developments in her life. Think not in terms of geographic landscapes, but rather cultural and symbolic landscapes. This means being born somewhere or moving somewhere else is less a matter of your latitude and longitude, and more of a matter of your identity and experiences. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
1. Symbolism—What elements do you use to symbolize your life; why did you choose these elements; and what do they mean?
2. Life’s path—What direction(s) does your path take, over what landscapes, through what settlements/towns/cities/star systems?
3. Defining moments—identify 2 or 3 defining moments (sites of interest) and explain both the context surrounding each moment and how the defining moment shaped you.
4. Evolving Identity(ies)—When did your identity shift? What influenced that shift, and with what effect(s)?
5. Value system—How and where does your essay illustrate your value system? What particular values does it illustrate?
6. Study areas—How does the essay integrate your areas of study? Where do we see the development of your interest in each area? How do they impact your life?
This essay should be metaphorical rather than geographical. Avoid the urge to narrate the geographical movements in your life (e.g., In Idaho…then moving to Arkansas…and upon coming to Arizona…). Instead, create your own metaphorical place. Then use metaphors to depict the significance of that place. For instance, someone with a musical background may say, “My life is an orchestra.” That person’s essay may show an orchestra pit, complete with different sections (brass, woodwind, percussion) to represent developments in her life. Think not in terms of geographic landscapes, but rather cultural and symbolic landscapes. This means being born somewhere or moving somewhere else is less a matter of your latitude and longitude, and more of a matter of your identity and experiences. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
1. Symbolism—What elements do you use to symbolize your life; why did you choose these elements; and what do they mean?
2. Life’s path—What direction(s) does your path take, over what landscapes, through what settlements/towns/cities/star systems?
3. Defining moments—identify 2 or 3 defining moments (sites of interest) and explain both the context surrounding each moment and how the defining moment shaped you.
4. Evolving Identity(ies)—When did your identity shift? What influenced that shift, and with what effect(s)?
5. Value system—How and where does your essay illustrate your value system? What particular values does it illustrate?
6. Study areas—How does the essay integrate your areas of study? Where do we see the development of your interest in each area? How do they impact your life?
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