How To Write a College Narrative Essay

A college narrative essay is a personal story. This type of essay uses emotional language to tell a story through the author’s eyes. The author often reflects on personal experiences or gives an account of something that happened in their life.

In most cases, the structure of a college narrative essay will follow a chronological order, meaning that the events will be told in the order that they occurred.

A narrative essay is one of the most common types of essays assigned to college students. With this guide, you will learn how to write a college narrative essay step by step, and we’ll even give you a few college narrative essay examples to help you get started.

College Narrative Essay Structure

A good college narrative essay structure should have 3 main sections namely:

Introduction
Body paragraphs.
Conclusion

Let us discuss each of these different parts of an essay below.

Introduction

The introduction of your essay should include the following:

A hook: An essay hook is an interesting opening sentence that will engage the reader’s attention.
A brief overview of the story: You should give the reader a brief overview of what the story is about without giving too much away.
Thesis statement: A thesis statement in an essay is the main point or argument of your essay.

Body paragraphs

Your body paragraphs should each focus on a different aspect of the story.

For example, you could have a paragraph that focuses on the setting of the story, one that focuses on the characters, and one that focuses on the plot.

Conclusion

Your conclusion should provide a resolution to the story and tie up any loose ends. It should also leave the reader with something to think about after they finish reading your essay.

How to Write a College Narrative Essay Step by Step

Before you start writing your college narrative essay, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the requirements. Most colleges will require that you submit a personal essay as part of your application process. This means that you’ll need to choose a topic that’s both personal and significant. Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to start writing!

Step 1: Choose a Topic

Choosing a topic for your college narrative essay can be tricky. You’ll want to choose an essay topic that’s both personal and significant.

Ask yourself what experience you want to write about, and why this experience is important to you.

Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to start writing!

Step 2: Create an Outline

Creating an outline for your college narrative essay will help you stay on track as you write.

Begin by brainstorming ideas for your essay, and then create a list of potential topics.

Next, narrow down your list by choosing the experience that you think will make for the most compelling story.

Finally, create an outline of your essay by listing the main points that you want to discuss.

Step 3: Write Your Introduction

Your introduction should hook the reader’s attention and give them some context for the story that you’re about to tell.

Begin with a short anecdote or description of the event that you’re going to write about.

Then, introduce the main character(s) in your story and provide some background information about them.

Finally, end your introduction with a thesis statement that describes the purpose of your essay.

Step 4: Write Your Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of your college narrative essay should contain the meat of your story.

Each paragraph should describe one particular event from your experience.

Be sure to include plenty of details and descriptions so that the reader feels like they’re experiencing the events along with you.

Also, be sure to use transitional phrases between each paragraph so that your essay flows smoothly.

Step 5: Write Your Conclusion

The conclusion of your college narrative essay should tie everything together and leave the reader with a strong impression.

Begin by briefly summarizing the main points of your story. Then, reflect on what these events have taught you about yourself or life in general.

Finally, end with a powerful sentence or quote that leaves the reader thinking about your story long after they’ve finished reading it.

Step 6: Submit your essay.

The final step in writing your college narrative essay is to submit it!

Be sure to follow any guidelines provided by your instructor or professor, and don’t forget to proofread one last time before hitting the submit.

Congratulations—you’ve just written a great college narrative essay!

Professional Tips for writing a college narrative essay

Here are some professional tips for making your personal college narrative essay stand out.

Start with a bang: Make sure your opening sentence is interesting and engaging. If you can make the reader want to keep reading, you’re more likely to get them to stay with you until the end.
Create believable characters: Your readers need to be able to relate to your characters for them to care about what happens to them. Avoid making your characters too perfect or too flawed—try to make them as realistic as possible.
Make sure your plot is compelling: A good plot will keep your readers engaged and wanting to find out what happens next. Avoid predictable plots and clichéd endings.
Edit, edit, edit: Make sure you proofread your essay carefully before you submit it. Check for grammar mistakes, typos, and other errors that could distract from your message.

Final Thoughts:

As you can see, writing a college narrative essay is not as difficult as it may seem at first glance.

By following the steps outlined above, you can easily write an engaging and well-written college narrative essay that will capture the attention of readers.