Tip 31 : "If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough"
Have you ever tried to explain something, only to realise that you don't understand it as well as you thought you did? One of the most irritating things about writing is that this tends to happen over and over again.
Einstein is often quoted as saying "If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough" - This is a vital concept for writing. If you're really struggling to write part of your personal statement in a powerful, concise manner, it could be that you don't have a clear idea of what you're trying to say.
In these cases it's usually best to write your point out in note form, without worrying about wording. If you're still finding this difficult, it may be that you need to give more thought to the point before you try to explain it in writing.
You're not alone by the way - professional writers often spend far longer researching than they do writing, and it's for this very reason. In order to explain something simply, you must first understand it thoroughly.
Tip 32: Don't try to be clever; it often backfires if you do
On the subject of quotations, here's another to demonstrate this point: 'I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.'
Typically when people try to be clever when writing personal statements, they go about it in one of two ways:
-Leave out an explanation of a point or concept, as if to suggest that it's so simple that no explanation is necessary
-Use complicated language (we've already discussed why that's a bad idea), or wordplay
There are so many reasons why both of these are bad ideas, but I'll stick with the simplest: If your writing isn't crystal clear, there's a chance it will be misunderstood. Clearly that's a bad thing, so always try to keep it simple.