Become a Writer Today

Essays About Knowledge: 5 Examples and 7 Prompts

Discover our guide with example essays about knowledge and helpful writing prompts to inspire you and assist with your next piece of writing.

Knowledge refers to information, facts, and skills acquired through education, life experience, and others. It’s critical in achieving power, wisdom, and respect as it lets us be conscious of our surroundings. Our knowledge sets us apart from others as we apply it to every aspect of our lives, such as problem-solving and skill development.

Since knowledge is a broad topic, it’s used in various writings, such as academic and personal essays . Before writing, ensure you understand the subject, know the proper format, and have the main points ready to add to your piece.

5 Essay Examples

1. long essay on knowledge by prasanna, 2. knowledge is power essay for students and children by anonymous on toppr.com, 3. importance of historical knowledge by kristopher fitzgerald, 4. knowledge is power – essay by kirti daga, 5. knowledge is a lifelong process and leads to inventions by ankita yadav, 1. what is knowledge, 2. the true meaning of knowledge is power, 3. the value of knowledge, 4. how to boost knowledge, 5. knowledge vs. wealth, 6. the effect of insufficient knowledge, 7. how does knowledge help me in my everyday life.

“If there is no knowledge or not acquiring knowledge, such a person is merely existing or surviving and not living. Because to live a life, we are bound to make decisions. An appropriate decision can be made if we have the proper knowledge to analyze the problem and decide it.”

Prasanna defines knowledge as a weapon, shield, and the key to life. It’s something that sustains our existence. She deems that apart from books, one can learn from other people, nature, and even things we think are too trivial to matter. Prasanna includes a quote from Alexander Pope to discuss the importance of having extensive knowledge.

She suggests that it’s essential to apply knowledge to enjoy all of its perks. But ultimately, Prasanna believes that while knowledge is limitless, people should prioritize filling their brains with the information they can share with others. You might also be interested in these essays about leadership .

“… We can say that true knowledge help [a] person to bloom. Also, it keeps people away from fights and corruption. Besides, knowledge brings happiness and prosperity to the nation. Above all, knowledge opens the door of success for everyone.”

In this essay, the author refers to knowledge as something that can create and destroy life and balance on the planet. Although many are educated, only a few know the importance of knowledge. The writer further lists some benefits of knowledge, such as making impossible ideas possible, avoiding repeated mistakes, and realizing the difference between good and evil. Ultimately, the author believes that knowledge makes a person richer than billionaires because, unlike money, no one can steal knowledge.  

“Understanding our past is vitally important to the present and future of our civilization. We must find out to grow from our previous successes and errors. It is humanity to make errors, however the less we make, the stronger and smarter we end up being.”

Fitzgerald explains that understanding history is essential to learning from past mistakes. He points to the results of past failures recorded in books, such as death and damages. In addition, historical knowledge improves our lifestyle through modern technologies and efforts to restore the environment.

By studying the history of the world, people can understand the differences in customs and beliefs of different religions. This knowledge gives way to acceptance and appreciation, which are critical to avoiding conflicts originating from ignorant perceptions.

“Knowledge is power because it is intangible whereas money is tangible. An individual with knowledge is better than a fool with money because money cannot buy knowledge whereas knowledge can carve a part which will ultimately help in gaining loads and loads of money.”

In her essay, Daga provides two situations demonstrating how knowledge is more valuable than money. First, she states that wealth, skills, resources, and talent are useless if one doesn’t have the proper knowledge to use them. Meanwhile, even if you have few skills but are knowledgeable enough in a particular field, you have a higher chance of succeeding financially.

The essay also contains information about general knowledge vital to achieving life goals. It incorporates ways to gain knowledge, including reading books and newspapers, watching the latest news, and networking with people. 

“The whole life we learn and gain knowledge. Knowledge increases day by day. We work on the process of learning to gain more knowledge.”

Yadav relates knowledge to something that makes life beautiful. However, unlike an ordinary ornament, knowledge isn’t easily acquired. Knowledge is a lifelong process that people get from experiences, media, books, and others. It has many benefits, such as creating new inventions that improve society and the country. Yadav concludes her essay by saying that knowledge is a valuable asset. It assists people in achieving life goals and honing their moral values.

7 Prompts for Essays About Knowledge

Essays About Knowledge: What is knowledge?

There are many essays that define the word “knowledge”, you can use this prompt to explain the concept of knowledge in your own words. First, explain its textbook definition briefly, then analyze it using your own words and understanding. To conclude your piece, write about how you intend to use knowledge in your life. 

“Knowledge is power” is a famous quotation from Francis Bacon in his book Neues Organon. It’s a powerful quote that sparked various interpretations. For this prompt, you can compile meanings you see online or interview people on what they think the quote means. Then, compare it with the actual intention and origin of the citation.

Tip : Remember to add your analysis and ask the readers to create their interpretation to involve them in the discussion.

Continuous learning makes us better individuals and opens more opportunities for us. When we do what we can to collect knowledge from various media, we also feel a sense of accomplishment. For this prompt, list the reasons why you want to enrich your knowledge. Use this prompt to show the good and bad sides of cultivating knowledge by including what can happen if an individual applies their knowledge to do despicable things. 

You don’t need to follow a strict program or enroll in top universities to build your knowledge. In this essay, enumerate easy ways to enhance someone’s knowledge, such as having a healthy curiosity, being a reasonable observer and listener, and attending gatherings to socialize. Write down all the possible ways and tools someone needs to acquire more knowledge. Then, explain why it’s essential never to stop learning new things.

Essays About Knowledge: Knowledge vs. Wealth

At the start of your essay, ask your readers what they prefer: Extensive knowledge or ample wealth? Some will choose knowledge because money runs out quickly. They will argue that knowing how to handle cash will help secure and grow their finances. On the other hand, others will choose wealth and insist that they can hire people to manage their sizable assets. Share what your thoughts are on the question and answer it as well. You can look for surveys, interviews, and other research materials to gather data that can support your reasoning.

Identify the effects of having insufficient knowledge about a specific topic or in general terms. Add any negative results that can stem from this deficiency. Then, discuss why people need to get more knowledge today. For example, people automatically believe what they see on social media without fact-checking.

Tip : You can include steps the government and organizations should take to provide people with the correct information to avoid false claims.

For this essay topic, describe how knowledge assists you in your day-to-day life and enhances your experiences. Ensure to tackle how knowledge plays a part in your decision-making and your pathway in life.

For instance, you watched a documentary about greenhouse gasses and learned about light pollution. So, on bright mornings, you turn off all the lights in your house to decrease your bill and protect the environment .

If you want to use the latest grammar software for your paper, read our guide to using an AI grammar checker.

application of knowledge essay

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

View all posts

Why Knowledge Is Important (23 Reasons)

Knowing more about everything around us is vital in today’s fast-moving world. Every day, we face various choices and challenges — and to handle these well, we need to be more well-informed. That’s where knowledge comes in! It helps us make better decisions, understand big world issues, and connect with others in meaningful ways.

But why exactly does this matter to you and me? Besides the practical benefits, knowing more also helps us grow as people; it can shape how we see the world and how we can change it for the better.

Let’s explore why knowledge is so important and how it can improve our lives.

Table of Contents

Knowledge Empowers You to Make Better Decisions

Knowledge boosts your problem-solving skills, knowledge increases your potential to achieve success, knowledge enhances your creativity, knowledge improves your ability to communicate, knowledge builds confidence, knowledge facilitates personal growth, knowledge strengthens your position in society, knowledge encourages a lifetime of learning, knowledge supports sustainable development, knowledge fuels innovation, knowledge helps you understand the world around you, knowledge enhances professional skills, knowledge bridges the gap between different cultures, knowledge strengthens democracy, knowledge protects you from misinformation, knowledge expands your perspective, knowledge enables you to teach others, knowledge connects you with like-minded people, knowledge increases your marketability, knowledge helps you adapt to change, knowledge inspires positive change in society, knowledge lays the foundation for a better future, how can i start acquiring more knowledge, is formal education the only way to gain knowledge, can knowledge become outdated, is there a difference between knowledge and wisdom, final thoughts.

Making decisions is a part of everyday life, from choosing what to eat for breakfast to deciding on a career path. Knowledge plays a crucial role in this process. The more you know, the better equipped you are to make choices that positively impact your life and the lives of those around you.

  • Access to Information:  In the age of the internet, information is at our fingertips. However, understanding and interpreting this information correctly is key. Knowledge helps you filter through the noise and focus on what’s important.
  • Analytical Skills:  Knowledge enhances your ability to analyze different situations. This means you can weigh the pros and cons more effectively, leading to better outcomes.
  • Future Planning:  With knowledge, you can predict potential outcomes and plan accordingly. This foresight can save you time, money, and energy in the long run.

Problem-solving is a vital skill, both in personal life and in the workplace. Knowledge is like the fuel that powers your problem-solving engine. The more you know, the more ways you can approach a problem and find effective solutions.

Imagine facing a complex puzzle. Each piece of knowledge you possess is like a puzzle piece. The more pieces you have, the clearer the picture becomes. This analogy illustrates how knowledge enables you to see the bigger picture and connect the dots, making it easier to tackle challenges.

  • Knowledge broadens your understanding, allowing you to see problems from different angles.
  • It equips you with various tools and methods to address issues.
  • Knowledge also teaches resilience. The more you learn, the more you realize that every problem has a solution, encouraging a positive attitude toward challenges.

Success is a journey that requires preparation, hard work, and a deep understanding of your goals. Knowledge is the compass that guides you on this journey, ensuring you’re heading in the right direction.

  • Setting Clear Goals:  Understanding your goal is the first step toward success. Knowledge helps you set realistic and achievable goals.
  • Planning and Execution:  Knowing how to plan and execute your strategies is crucial. With the right knowledge, you can create effective plans and anticipate possible obstacles.
  • Continuous Improvement:  The world is constantly changing, and staying informed helps you adapt and grow. This adaptability is key to long-term success.
Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. — African Proverb

This quote highlights the importance of not only acquiring knowledge but also applying it in real world. By continuously learning and applying what you’ve learned , you increase your chances of achieving your desired outcomes.

Creativity isn’t just about art or music; it’s a way of thinking that can be applied in any field, from science to business. Knowledge fuels creativity by providing the materials from which new ideas are constructed . It’s like having a vast palette of colors to paint with; the more colors you have, the more nuanced and vibrant your creations can be.

To understand how knowledge fuels creativity, consider the following points:

  • Exposure to a wide range of information sparks new connections in the brain, leading to innovative ideas.
  • Deep knowledge in a specific area allows you to play with the rules and principles, often resulting in creative breakthroughs.
  • Learning about seemingly unrelated subjects can inspire unique combinations, leading to novel solutions.

Effective communication is essential in all aspects of life. It enables us to share ideas, express feelings, and collaborate with others. Knowledge enhances communication by enriching the content of our messages and improving our understanding of others.

Understanding complex ideas and being able to explain them in simple terms is a skill that comes with knowledge. It’s about making the complicated accessible , which is especially important in a world where information is abundant but comprehension is not always guaranteed. Knowledge also helps you tailor your message to your audience, considering their background, interests, and level of understanding.

Here are key ways knowledge impacts communication:

  • It builds your vocabulary, allowing for a clearer and more precise expression.
  • Knowledge of cultural and social contexts improves empathy and sensitivity in communication.
  • Being well-informed increases your credibility, making others more likely to listen and engage with what you have to say.

Confidence comes from a sense of mastery and competence. When you have a deep well of knowledge to draw from, you feel more secure in your abilities and decisions. This confidence is not just about feeling good; it’s a practical asset that impacts every area of life.

Having a strong foundation of knowledge gives you the confidence to face new challenges and opportunities. Whether tackling a difficult project at work, learning a new skill, or engaging in debates, knowledge assures you that you can handle what comes your way . This confidence is also visible to others, affecting how they perceive and respond to you.

  • Self-Assurance:  Knowledge helps you trust your judgments and reduces doubt.
  • Authority:  Being knowledgeable in a subject area establishes your authority, making others more likely to respect and listen to you.
  • Adaptability:  A broad knowledge base makes it easier to adapt to new situations, further boosting your confidence in unfamiliar environments.

Personal growth is a continuous journey of improving oneself, seeking new experiences, and expanding one’s understanding of the world. Knowledge is a key driver of this growth, acting as the fuel that propels us forward on this journey. It’s through learning that we evolve , adapt , and become better versions of ourselves .

Here’s how knowledge contributes to personal growth:

  • Knowledge opens up new worlds and perspectives, encouraging us to explore beyond our comfort zones.
  • As we acquire new knowledge, we also develop new skills, whether they’re related to communication , critical thinking , or technical abilities .
  • Learning about different cultures, philosophies, and ideas encourages self-reflection, helping us understand our own beliefs and values more deeply.

In society, knowledge is not just a personal asset; it’s a social one. It influences how we interact with others, how we contribute to our communities, and how we address social issues. Knowledge can elevate your position in society by enhancing your ability to make meaningful contributions and by increasing others’ recognition of your value.

Knowledgeable individuals often find themselves in positions where they can influence change , lead initiatives , or guide others . This isn’t merely due to the information they possess but also because of their ability to apply this knowledge in ways that benefit society.

Here are a few ways knowledge can strengthen your societal position:

  • It allows you to engage in informed debates and discussions, contributing positively to the public discourse.
  • Knowledge equips you with the tools to solve community problems, whether through direct action or by influencing policy.
  • Being well-informed increases your credibility and authority, making you a respected voice within your community.

The pursuit of knowledge is not a destination but a journey — one that lasts a lifetime. This journey is driven by curiosity, the desire to understand more about the world, and the realization that there is always something new to learn .

Encouraging a lifetime of learning is perhaps one of the most profound impacts of knowledge.

The beauty of this journey is that it never ends. Each piece of knowledge we acquire opens the door to new questions, new mysteries, and new understandings. This continuous cycle of learning and discovery keeps our minds active, our lives interesting, and our spirits engaged.

  • Lifelong learning keeps us mentally sharp and adaptable to change.
  • It fosters a sense of curiosity and wonder, enriching our personal and professional lives.
  • Engaging in continuous learning demonstrates a commitment to self-improvement and excellence.

Sustainable development is about meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. It’s a balance between economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity.

Knowledge plays a pivotal role in achieving this balance, guiding our actions and decisions towards more sustainable outcomes.

  • Informed Choices:  Understanding the impact of our choices on the environment and society leads to more responsible decision-making.
  • Innovation for Sustainability:  Knowledge fuels the innovation of sustainable technologies and practices, from renewable energy to waste reduction.
  • Global Awareness:  Learning about global challenges and solutions fosters a sense of global responsibility and cooperation.

Innovation is the engine of progress, driving advancements in technology, medicine, science, and many other fields. At the heart of innovation lies knowledge. It’s the raw material that innovators use to create new solutions, improve existing ones, and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Knowledge provides the foundation for innovation in several key ways:

  • Building on Existing Ideas:  Innovators use their knowledge to build upon existing ideas, creating something new or improving upon what already exists.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Inspiration:  Knowledge from different fields can combine in unexpected ways, leading to breakthrough innovations.
  • Understanding Needs and Challenges:  A deep understanding of current needs and challenges guides the direction of innovation, ensuring it’s relevant and impactful.

Understanding the world around us is essential for navigating life’s complexities. Knowledge provides the lens through which we view the world, influencing our perceptions, beliefs, and actions. It helps us make sense of our surroundings, the events that shape our lives, and the intricate web of relationships and systems that connect us.

  • Knowledge demystifies the natural world, from the vastness of space to the intricacies of ecosystems.
  • It helps us understand societal structures and cultural differences, fostering empathy and cooperation.
  • Understanding historical contexts enriches our appreciation of the present and guides our decisions for the future.

In essence, knowledge not only enhances our understanding of the world but also deepens our connection to it , enabling us to live more meaningful and informed lives.

In today’s fast-paced world, the landscape of almost every profession is constantly evolving. Staying updated with the latest knowledge in your field can dramatically enhance your professional skills , making you more effective, efficient, and valuable in your role.

For example, in the tech industry , new programming languages and technologies emerge regularly. A software developer who dedicates time to learning these new tools not only stays relevant but also opens up new opportunities for innovation and problem-solving. Similarly, in healthcare , professionals who keep abreast of the latest research and treatment methods can provide better care for their patients, directly impacting lives.

  • Continuous learning is essential for career advancement.
  • Knowledge keeps you competitive in the job market.
  • Staying informed helps you anticipate and adapt to industry changes.

Investing in your professional development through ongoing education and learning not only benefits your career but also contributes to the growth and innovation within your field.

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. — Benjamin Franklin

In a world that’s more connected than ever, understanding different cultures is crucial for fostering harmony, collaboration, and mutual respect.

Knowledge about various cultures, their traditions, beliefs, and ways of life, can bridge the gap between people from diverse backgrounds, promoting a more inclusive and empathetic global society.

  • Travel and Exploration:  Learning about a culture before visiting a country can enrich the travel experience, allowing for deeper engagement with the local community.
  • International Collaboration:  In the workplace, cultural knowledge can enhance teamwork and collaboration across global offices, leading to more effective and harmonious working relationships.
  • Overcoming Stereotypes:  Educating ourselves about different cultures helps dismantle stereotypes and prejudices, fostering a more open and accepting society.

Democracy thrives on informed participation. Knowledge about political systems, current events, and civic responsibilities empowers citizens to engage actively in the democratic process. An informed electorate is crucial for making decisions that reflect the collective will and best interests of the society.

  • Voting:  Understanding the issues at stake and the positions of different candidates enables voters to make informed choices at the polls.
  • Public Discourse:  Knowledge facilitates meaningful discussions and debates on public policies and social issues, contributing to a vibrant democratic culture.
  • Accountability:  Informed citizens are better equipped to hold their leaders accountable, ensuring that those in power serve the public interest.

By prioritizing education and access to information, societies can cultivate more engaged and responsible citizens.

In an era where information is abundant, distinguishing between what’s true and what’s false has never been more critical. Knowledge acts as a shield against misinformation, enabling you to critically evaluate the credibility of information before accepting it as truth.

  • Knowledge fosters critical thinking skills , which are essential for questioning and analyzing information sources.
  • Being knowledgeable teaches you how to research effectively , allowing you to find reliable information and verify facts.
  • With a solid knowledge base, you can contribute to discussions with confidence , challenging misinformation and spreading awareness.

By valuing and pursuing knowledge, you not only protect yourself from being misled but also contribute to a more informed and discerning society.

Gaining knowledge is like opening windows to the world, offering new views, and expanding your understanding of life’s complexities. It challenges preconceived notions and biases , encouraging you to think more broadly and empathetically .

Imagine reading about the history and struggles of a community different from your own. This knowledge can profoundly change how you view their current situation, leading to greater empathy and understanding.

  • Exposure to diverse ideas and experiences broadens your worldview.
  • Knowledge encourages empathy by helping you understand others’ experiences.
  • Learning about various fields and disciplines reveals the interconnectedness of all knowledge, fostering a holistic understanding of the world.

One of the most powerful aspects of knowledge is its ability to be shared. By acquiring knowledge, you’re not just enriching your own life; you’re also gaining the ability to impact others positively .

Teaching is a profound way to extend the benefits of your learning, whether it’s in a formal educational setting, mentoring, or casual conversations.

  • Sharing Expertise:  Your knowledge can help others grow and succeed by sharing your expertise and experiences.
  • Inspiring Curiosity:  By teaching, you can spark curiosity in others, encouraging them to embark on their own journeys of discovery.
  • Creating a Ripple Effect:  The knowledge you share can have a far-reaching impact, as those you teach may go on to share their newfound understanding with others, creating a ripple effect of learning and growth.

Knowledge not only enriches your mind but also plays a crucial role in building communities and connections . When you dive deep into a subject, you’re likely to encounter others who share your interests and passions. These connections can be incredibly valuable, providing support, inspiration, and opportunities for collaboration.

  • Whether it’s through online forums, local clubs, or academic conferences, knowledge helps you find and engage with communities that share your interests.
  • In the professional realm, your expertise can connect you with peers and mentors, opening doors to career opportunities and collaborations.
  • Knowledge about different cultures and languages can lead to meaningful friendships and exchanges, enriching your understanding of the world.

These connections not only enhance your personal and professional life but also contribute to a richer, more diverse society.

In today’s competitive job market, having a broad and deep knowledge base can significantly increase your marketability. Employers are looking for candidates who not only possess technical skills but also have a well-rounded understanding of their industry, market trends, and the broader societal context in which they operate.

  • Adaptability:  A diverse knowledge base shows potential employers that you can adapt to new challenges and learn quickly.
  • Innovation:  Your ability to draw on a wide range of knowledge can fuel innovation, making you a valuable asset to any team.
  • Leadership:  Knowledge in areas such as communication, management, and ethics positions you as a strong candidate for leadership roles.

Life is always changing — technology, jobs, and society are constantly shifting. To handle these changes well, being knowledgeable will help you understand what’s happening and allow you to adapt to new situations with ease and confidence.

Here are some simple ways you can stay informed and adapt to changes:

  • Keep yourself updated with the latest trends and changes on a regular basis.
  • Embrace a mindset of continuous learning to always be equipped to tackle new challenges.
  • Cultivate a flexible mindset that enables you to pivot and thrive in changing environments.

Knowledge has the power to inspire and drive positive change in society. It equips individuals with the understanding and tools needed to address social issues, advocate for justice, and contribute to the greater good.

Throughout history, informed individuals and movements have been at the forefront of societal advancements, from civil rights to environmental protection.

  • Awareness:  Knowledge raises awareness of social issues, prompting action and advocacy.
  • Empowerment:  It empowers people to make informed decisions and take stands on important issues.
  • Innovation for Good:  Knowledge drives the development of innovative solutions to societal challenges.

Knowledge is essential for shaping a better future. It drives progress in science, technology, education, and social reform. By using what we know, we can address current challenges , anticipate future ones , and create hope for future generations .

Advancements in every field are also built on a foundation of accumulated knowledge. For example, renewable energy research is key to fighting climate change, while advances in medical science offer better health outcomes for all.

Here are some ways knowledge shapes our future:

  • It helps balance economic growth, environmental preservation, and social equity.
  • It drives innovation that can solve problems and improve our quality of life.
  • It shapes educational systems, preparing future generations for a changing world.

By valuing knowledge and fostering a culture of learning, we create a brighter, more resilient, and more promising future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Begin by identifying areas that interest you or are relevant to your career and personal growth. Use a mix of resources such as books, online courses, podcasts, and seminars. Remember, learning is a continuous journey, so stay curious and open to new experiences.

No, formal education is just one of many paths to acquiring knowledge. Self-study, mentorship, hands-on experience, and travel are equally valuable ways to learn and grow. The key is to engage actively with the world around you and seek learning opportunities in everyday life.

Yes, especially in rapidly evolving fields like technology, medicine, and science. It’s important to stay updated by following current research, industry news, and continuing education opportunities. Lifelong learning is essential for keeping your knowledge fresh and relevant.

Yes, knowledge refers to the accumulation of facts and information, while wisdom involves the application of that knowledge in a judicious and thoughtful manner. Wisdom requires experience, reflection, and an understanding of the broader implications of one’s actions.

As we wrap up, I hope you’re feeling as inspired as I am about the power of knowledge. It’s clear that learning more isn’t just a personal gain; it’s a way to light up the world around us. Every fact we learn and every insight we gain is a step towards a brighter, more connected future.

So, let’s keep that curiosity alive! Let’s keep asking questions, seeking answers, and sharing what we find. Because in the end, the more we know, the more we can do — for ourselves, each other, and our world.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

As you found this post useful...

Share it on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Photo of author

Leah Bayubay

Leah is a creative soul with a passion for telling stories that matter. As an editor and writer at UpJourney, she channels her natural curiosity and imagination into thought-provoking articles and inspiring content. She is also a registered nurse dedicated to helping others and making a positive impact.

In her free time, she indulges her artistic side as a hobbyist photographer, capturing the world's beauty one shot at a time. You can also find her in a poor-lit room playing her favorite video games or in a corner somewhere, reading and immersing herself in the rich worlds of fantasy and dark academia.

At home, Leah is surrounded by love and laughter, living peacefully with her partner and their three adorable shih tzus.

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

  • Publications
  • Account settings
  • Advanced Search
  • Journal List
  • v.15(9); 2014 Sep

Logo of emborep

The most important application of science

Science is valued by society because the application of scientific knowledge helps to satisfy many basic human needs and improve living standards. Finding a cure for cancer and a clean form of energy are just two topical examples. Similarly, science is often justified to the public as driving economic growth, which is seen as a return-on-investment for public funding. During the past few decades, however, another goal of science has emerged: to find a way to rationally use natural resources to guarantee their continuity and the continuity of humanity itself; an endeavour that is currently referred to as “sustainability”.

Scientists often justify their work using these and similar arguments—currently linked to personal health and longer life expectancies, technological advancement, economic profits, and/or sustainability—in order to secure funding and gain social acceptance. They point out that most of the tools, technologies and medicines we use today are products or by-products of research, from pens to rockets and from aspirin to organ transplantation. This progressive application of scientific knowledge is captured in Isaac Asimov’s book, Chronology of science and discovery , which beautifully describes how science has shaped the world, from the discovery of fire until the 20 th century.

However, there is another application of science that has been largely ignored, but that has enormous potential to address the challenges facing humanity in the present day education. It is time to seriously consider how science and research can contribute to education at all levels of society; not just to engage more people in research and teach them about scientific knowledge, but crucially to provide them with a basic understanding of how science has shaped the world and human civilisation. Education could become the most important application of science in the next decades.

“It is time to seriously consider how science and research can contribute to education at all levels of society…”

More and better education of citizens would also enable informed debate and decision-making about the fair and sustainable application of new technologies, which would help to address problems such as social inequality and the misuse of scientific discoveries. For example, an individual might perceive an increase in welfare and life expectancy as a positive goal and would not consider the current problems of inequality relating to food supply and health resources.

However, taking the view that science education should address how we apply scientific knowledge to improve the human condition raises the question of whether science research should be entirely at the service of human needs, or whether scientists should retain the freedom to pursue knowledge for its own sake—albeit with a view to eventual application. This question has been hotly debated since the publication of British physicist John D. Bernal’s book, The Social Function of Science , in 1939. Bernal argued that science should contribute to satisfy the material needs of ordinary human life and that it should be centrally controlled by the state to maximise its utility—he was heavily influenced by Marxist thought. The zoologist John R. Baker criticised this “Bernalistic” view, defending a “liberal” conception of science according to which “the advancement of knowledge by scientific research has a value as an end in itself”. This approach has been called the “free-science” approach.

The modern, utilitarian approach has attempted to coerce an explicit socio-political and economic manifestation of science. Perhaps the most recent and striking example of this is the shift in European research policy under the so-called Horizon 2020 or H2020 funding framework. This medium-term programme (2014-2020) is defined as a “financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe’s global competitiveness” ( http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm ). This is a common view of science and technology in the so-called developed world, but what is notable in the case of the H2020 programme is that economic arguments are placed explicitly ahead of all other reasons. Europe could be in danger of taking a step backwards in its compulsion to become an economic world leader at any cost.

“Europe could be in danger of taking a step backwards in its compulsion to become an economic world leader at any cost.”

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is embr0015-0919-f1.jpg

For comparison, the US National Science Foundation declares that its mission is to “promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare; to secure the national defence; and for other purposes” ( http://www.nsf.gov/about/glance.jsp ). The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) states that it “promotes creation of intellect, sharing of intellect with society, and establishment of its infrastructure in an integrated manner and supports generation of innovation” ( http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/about/mission.html ). In his President’s Message, Michiharu Nakamura stated that, “Japan seeks to create new value based on innovative science and technology and to contribute to the sustained development of human society ensuring Japan’s competitiveness” 1 . The difference between these declarations and the European H2020 programme is that the H2020 programme explicitly prioritises economic competitiveness and economic growth, while the NIH and JST put their devotion to knowledge, intellect, and the improvement of society up front. Curiously, the H2020 programme’s concept of science as a capitalist tool is analogous to the “Bernalistic” approach and contradicts the “liberal” view that “science can only flourish and therefore can only confer the maximum cultural and practical benefits on society when research is conducted in an atmosphere of freedom” 2 . By way of example, the discovery of laser emissions in 1960 was a strictly scientific venture to demonstrate a physical principle predicted by Einstein in 1917. The laser was considered useless at that time as an “invention in the search for a job”.

“… we need to educate the educators, and consequently to adopt adequate science curricula at university education departments.”

The mercantilisation of research is, explicitly or not, based on the simplistic idea that economic growth leads to increased quality of life. However, some leading economists think that using general economic indicators, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), to measure social well-being and happiness is flawed. For example, Robert Costanza, of the Australian National University, and several collaborators published a paper in Nature recently in which they announce the “dethroning of GDP” and its replacement by more appropriate indicators that consider both economic growth and “a high quality of life that is equitably shared and sustainable” 3 .

If the utilitarian view of science as an economic tool prevails, basic research will suffer. Dismantling the current science research infrastructure, which has taken centuries to build and is based on free enquiry, would have catastrophic consequences for humanity. The research community needs to convince political and scientific managers of the danger of this course. Given that a recent Eurobarometer survey found significant support among the European public for scientists to be “free to carry out the research they wish, provided they respect ethical standards” (73% of respondents agreed with this statement; http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_224_report_en.pdf ), it seems that a campaign to support the current free-science system, funded with public budgets, would likely be popular.

The US NSF declaration contains a word that is rarely mentioned when dealing with scientific applications: education. Indeed, a glance at the textbooks used by children is enough to show how far scientific knowledge has advanced in a few generations, and how these advances have been transferred to education. A classic example is molecular biology; a discipline that was virtually absent from school textbooks a couple of generations ago. The deliberate and consistent addition of new scientific knowledge to enhance education might seem an obvious application of science, but it is often ignored. This piecemeal approach is disastrous for science education, so the application of science in education should be emphasised and resourced properly for two reasons: first, because education has been unequivocally recognised as a human right, and second, because the medical, technological and environmental applications of science require qualified professionals who acquire their skills through formal education. Therefore, education is a paramount scientific application.

“The deliberate and consistent addition of new scientific knowledge to enhance education might seem an obvious application of science, but it is often ignored.”

In a more general sense, education serves to maintain the identity of human culture, which is based on our accumulated knowledge, and to improve the general cultural level of society. According to Stuart Jordan, a retired senior staff scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and currently president of the Institute for Science and Human Values, widespread ignorance and superstition remain “major obstacles to progress to a more humanistic world” 4 in which prosperity, security, justice, good health and access to culture are equally accessible to all humans. He argues that the proliferation of the undesirable consequences of scientific knowledge—such as overpopulation, social inequality, nuclear arms and global climate change—resulted from the abandonment of the key principle of the Enlightenment: the use of reason under a humanistic framework.

When discussing education, we should therefore consider not only those who have no access to basic education, but also a considerable fraction of the populations of developed countries who have no recent science education. The Eurobarometer survey mentioned provides a striking argument: On average, only the half of the surveyed Europeans knew that electrons are smaller than atoms; almost a third believed that the Sun goes around the Earth, and nearly a quarter of them affirmed that earliest humans coexisted with dinosaurs ( http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_224_report_en.pdf ). Another type of passive ignorance that is on the increase among the public of industrialised countries, especially among young people, is an indifference to socio-political affairs beyond their own individual and immediate well-being.

Ignorance may have a relevant influence on politics in democracies because ignorant people are more easily manipulated, or because their votes may depend on irrelevant details, such as a candidate’s physical appearance or performance in public debates. A democracy should be based on an informed society. Education sensu lato —including both formal learning and cultural education—is therefore crucial for developing personal freedom of thought and free will, which will lead to adequate representation and better government 5 .

To improve the cultural level of human societies is a long-term venture in which science will need to play a critical role. We first need to accept that scientific reasoning is intimately linked to human nature: Humanity did not explicitly adopt science as the preferred tool for acquiring knowledge after choosing among a set of possibilities; we simply used our own mental functioning to explain the world. If reason is a universal human feature, any knowledge can be transmitted and understood by everyone without the need for alien constraints, not unlike art or music.

Moreover, science has demonstrated that it is a supreme mechanism to explain the world, to solve problems and to fulfil human needs. A fundamental condition of science is its dynamic nature: the constant revision and re-evaluation of the existing knowledge. Every scientific theory is always under scrutiny and questioned whenever new evidence seems to challenge its validity. No other knowledge system has demonstrated this capacity, and even, the defenders of faith-based systems are common users of medical services and technological facilities that have emerged from scientific knowledge.

For these reasons, formal education from primary school to high school should therefore place a much larger emphasis on teaching young people how science has shaped and advanced human culture and well-being, but also that science flourishes best when scientists are left free to apply human reason to understand the world. This also means that we need to educate the educators and consequently to adopt adequate science curricula at university education departments. Scientists themselves must get more involved both in schools and universities.

“Dismantling the current science research infrastructure, which has taken centuries to build and is based on free enquiry, would have catastrophic consequences for humanity.”

But scientists will also have to get more engaged with society in general. The improvement of human culture and society relies on more diffuse structural and functional patterns. In the case of science, its diffusion to the general public is commonly called the popularisation of science and can involve scientists themselves, rather than journalists and other communicators. In this endeavour, scientists should be actively and massively involved. Scientists—especially those working in public institutions—should make a greater effort to communicate to society what science is and what is not; how is it done; what are its main results; and what are they useful for. This would be the best way of demystifying science and scientists and upgrading society’s scientific literacy.

In summary, putting a stronger emphasis on formal science education and on raising the general cultural level of society should lead to a more enlightened knowledge-based society—as opposed to the H2020 vision of a knowledge-based economy—that is less susceptible to dogmatic moral systems. Scientists should still use the other arguments—technological progress, improved health and well-being and economic gains—to justify their work, but better education would provide the additional support needed to convince citizens about the usefulness of science beyond its economic value. Science is not only necessary for humanity to thrive socially, environmentally and economically in both the short and the long term, but it is also the best tool available to satisfy the fundamental human thirst for knowledge, as well as to maintain and enhance the human cultural heritage, which is knowledge-based by definition.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

  • Japan Science and Technology Agency. 2013. Overview of JST program and organisation 2013–2014 http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/JST_Brochure_2013.pdf ). Last accessed: March 20, 2014.
  • McGucken W. On freedom and planning in science: the Society for Freedom in Science, 1940–46. Minerva. 1978; 16 :42–72. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Costanza R, Kubiszewski I, Giovannini E, Lovins H, McGlade J, Pickett KE. Time to leave GDP behind. Nature. 2014; 505 :283–285. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Jordan S. The Enlightenment Vision. Science, Reason and the Promise of a Better Future. Amherst: Promethous Books; 2012. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Rull V. Conservation, human values and democracy. EMBO Rep. 2014; 15 :17–20. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]

About our book Engaged Teaching: A Handbook for College Faculty   →

Our site is now available in over 100 different languages!

Now available in over 100 languages—choose yours below!

  • Techniques Video Library
  • CrossCurrents Library
  • K. Patricia Cross
  • Instructors
  • Testimonials

Getting Students to Apply What They Have Learned in a New Context

  • Discussion /
  • Lecturing /
  • Student Learning /

Image

“Knowledge without application is like a book that is never read” ~Christopher Crawford

As college teachers, we want students to think deeply about course content and skills, yet sometimes it feels like students never progress beyond surface-level understanding.

One of the best ways to help students get to deeper learning is to have them use what they have learned in a new way.

In his taxonomy of Significant Learning, Fink (2013) suggests that application means learning how to do some new kind of action. In his taxonomy, Bloom suggests that application means students take what they’ve learned and apply it to a different scenario, often one outside of the classroom. For example, students could use a math formula they’ve learned to calculate a family budget or apply a legal ruling to a specific case in news headlines.

To make sure that students show they can apply what they learn, consider the following suggestions:

Be explicit about application

When engaging students in activities that promote the application of knowledge to new contexts, instructors should feel free to make their learning goals and expectations clear. Students will practice application better when they learn to recognize it. They will likely more willingly engage if the instructor explains the benefits of application for future learning and even career aspirations.

Focus on core concepts

Students can more effectively apply knowledge when they comprehend the core principles behind the content and skills that they need to use. You can develop activities to help students develop a deeper understanding of relationships, shared functions, or similar organizing principles prior to asking students to apply the material in new contexts.

Identify sub skills

Asking students to apply what they have learned can sound like a fairly easy task to accomplish, but in reality, it is complicated, and students may not have developed the skills they need to do it well. They need skills in differentiating, classifying, categorizing, organizing, and making attributions. They also need problem solving. It can be useful to scaffold application to highlight the subtasks until students become more comfortable with and clear on their roles and responsibilities.

Provide students with practice

Students develop the ability to apply their learning by practicing application. Instructors can present two different scenarios, formulas, or readings and ask students to find single approaches for solving or analyzing each. Alternately, they can ask students to construct a different problem or scenario that requires the same skills and knowledge as a pre-completed assignment.

Make it social and collaborative

Application of knowledge can be particularly effective when it is done in a cooperative social context that allows peers to develop explanations, provide each other with feedback, and share responsibility for learning.  

Involve students in the process

Students will be more invested in applying what they have learned if they are called upon to mindfully and explicitly search for ways to make connections, to classify, to sort, and so on. Likewise, they will be more invested if called upon to self monitor their progress and success in applying information in new ways. Self-reflection and self-assessment are great tools for accomplishing this goal.

For information about active learning techniques that prompt students to apply knowledge, see our videos for the following techniques:  

  • Support a Statement
  • Case Studies
  • Contemporary issues journal

Suggested Citation

Barkley, E. F., & Major, C. H. (n.d.). Getting students to apply what they have learned in a new context.  CrossCurrents . https://kpcrossacademy.org/getting-students-to-apply-what-they-have-learned-in-a-new-context/

Image

Engaged Teaching

A handbook for college faculty.

Available now, Engaged Teaching: A Handbook for College Faculty provides college faculty with a dynamic model of what it means to be an engaged teacher and offers practical strategies and techniques for putting the model into practice.

Recent Posts

Featured image for “Providing a Path for Lifelong Success: Helping Students Learn How to Learn”

Providing a Path for Lifelong Success: Helping Students Learn How to Learn

Featured image for “ChatGPT in College Education: Promises, Limitations, and Ethical Considerations”

ChatGPT in College Education: Promises, Limitations, and Ethical Considerations

Featured image for “You’ve Got This! Helping Students Expect to Succeed”

You’ve Got This! Helping Students Expect to Succeed

Featured image for “Honoring the Legacy of Dr. K. Patricia Cross”

Honoring the Legacy of Dr. K. Patricia Cross

Featured image for “Skip the Slides – 5 Alternatives that Can Create More Engaging Presentations”

Skip the Slides – 5 Alternatives that Can Create More Engaging Presentations

Featured image for “Grading Group Work: Tips and Strategies”

Grading Group Work: Tips and Strategies

Essay on Knowledge for Students and Children

500+ words essay on knowledge.

Knowledge is understanding and awareness of something. It refers to the information, facts, skills, and wisdom acquired through learning and experiences in life. Knowledge is a very wide concept and has no end. Acquiring knowledge involves cognitive processes, communication, perception, and logic. It is also the human capacity to recognize and accept the truth. Knowledge can be used for positive as well as negative purposes. Thus knowledge can create and destroy at the same time. One may use knowledge for personal progress as well as the progress of the community, city, state, and nation. Some may use it for negative purposes that may not only harm individuals but can also harm the community.

essay on knowledge

Importance of Knowledge

* Knowledge is a success – In today’s world without education and the power of knowledge, it is not possible to succeed in life or even keep up with the fast-paced life. It is not just enough to have knowledge on a particular subject to succeed but it is also important to have knowledge about how to use it effectively to succeed. One should have knowledge about various aspects of a subject.

* Personal Development- Knowledge can last for a lifetime and it impacts our growth which influences everything in our life from relationships to work. Knowledge is important for personal growth and development . We can gain knowledge on everything that we find interesting like any dance form, art, architecture, history or just about anything for our personal development. It makes us wise enough to independently make our decisions in life. But it is important to adopt a positive mindset to become a constant learner only then it helps us progress and achieve our goals.

* Knowledge solves problems – problems in life which can be solved with the power of knowledge. Knowledge sharpens our skills like reasoning and problem-solving . A strong base of knowledge helps brains function more smoothly and effectively. We become smarter with the power of knowledge and solve problems more easily.

* Everyday Life- Knowledge is important and useful in day to day events. For example, if I have to buy air tickets online, I need to have knowledge about the various sites and their discounts, their terms & conditions or like online banking. If I don’t have knowledge then I end up paying more. So gaining knowledge is a constant process and is useful every single day.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

The process to increase knowledge

Open-Minded- We always learn something new by building on the knowledge that we have. We must always be open to accepting knowledge or information from anywhere we get. It may be from books, virtual media, friends, etc. To move on from one step to another we need to know more. Like in school we start from LKG, KG and then move on to 1st standard, 2nd standard and so on. It builds a strong base.

Reading Magazines- Reading helps to decode text and improves fluency to pronounce the speech sounds clear. Reading gives an idea about different topics and different views about them. One can get the actual global knowledge. Apart from that one can learn many new terms and phrase.

Communication- Shared knowledge allows you to communicate. Shared knowledge is important for communicating and understanding each other. When we discuss a certain topic with classmates, friends or relatives they have certain knowledge about it. So through communication, we get new ideas, facts and develops our knowledge. We can also identify what have we learned and what still we don’t know that helps us to clear our doubts later.

Watch documentaries or educational videos-  Discovery Channel, for example, provides excellent documentaries that keep you engaged. If you don’t like reading, this is an excellent alternative to getting your daily dose of knowledge while still relaxing in your couch!

The more knowledge we have the more power we possess. It is important for our personal and professional development and leads us to achieve success in life. Knowledge helps us in several ways but the best part is that it helps us understand ourselves as well as those around us better. It also helps us act wisely in different situations

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

tutor

  • Travelling Essay
  • Picnic Essay
  • Our Country Essay
  • My Parents Essay
  • Essay on Favourite Personality
  • Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
  • Essay on Knowledge is Power
  • Essay on Gurpurab
  • Essay on My Favourite Season
  • Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Google Play

application of knowledge essay

10,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

application of knowledge essay

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

application of knowledge essay

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Leverage Edu

  • School Education /

Essay on Knowledge is Power: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

' src=

  • Updated on  
  • Dec 15, 2023

Essay on knowldege is power

‘ Knowledge is power’ phrase is derived from a Latin term, which is attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, a well-known essayist of all times. Knowledge is power has been accepted widely and timelessly as it underscores the significance of knowledge in empowering people, societies and countries . 

Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ Knowledge not only improves a person’s understanding of the world but also teaches them life lessons to develop decision-making skills and contribute to the betterment of society. Below we have discussed some essays on knowledge is power in different word limits.

This Blog Includes:

Essay on knowledge is power in 100 words, essay on knowledge is power in 200 words, essay on knowledge is power in 300 words.

Also Read: Traditions and Celebrations for Christmas Around the World

Also Read: Essay on Diwali

‘Knowledge is power’ is a timeless truth. A person with knowledge can empower himself to make informed decisions, enhance personal growth and contribute to the development of society. Knowledge equips us with effective tools to navigate the challenges of life and achieve our goals in real-time. The pursuit of knowledge is education. A person who is educated and has the right knowledge will find success in life. 

The world we live in is driven by knowledge-based education and innovations. From agriculture to healthcare, every activity and field requires you to have proper knowledge and understanding of it. Whether it is at the individual level or global level, people who prioritize education and knowledge enjoy economic prosperity and influence.

Also Read – Essay on Yoga

Knowledge is so powerful that it can reshape the entire world or destroy it, depending on the purpose for which it is used. The phrase, ‘Knowledge is Power’ was given by Sir Francis Bacon. With knowledge, one can have a profound impact on their life and the people surrounding it.

Knowledge emperors a person in various ways, from personal growth to changes at the global level. With knowledge, we gain new skills, insights and perspectives about a particular subject. This equips us to excel in our chosen field, pursue all our aspirations and fulfil our dream life.

A person with the right knowledge can make informed decisions. If you are someone who possesses broad knowledge about different subjects, it will be very easy for you to critically analyze any situation, weigh options and make choices that best suit your plans. This not only leads to better personal outcomes but also fosters a sense of autonomy and self-determination. Knowledge is considered as the driving force behind progress. Scientific discoveries, technological innovations, cultural evolution and social developments are all fueled by accumulated knowledge. A very classic example of this is the history of human civilization. We must use knowledge knowledge ethically and ensure its equitable distribution or access.

Also Read – Essay on Unity in Diversity

Knowledge is deemed as the most powerful tool a human possesses. It is the cornerstone of power in our modern society. The universally acknowledged phrase ‘Knowledge is power’ highlights the profound impact knowledge has on individuals and society, and both.

The first thing to know about knowledge is that it is the key to personal development and empowerment. When a person acquires knowledge, they open doors to personal growth and development. Depending on the person’s expertise and field, this empowerment can come in various forms. I person with the right knowledge often finds himself confident, adaptable, and capable of overcoming obstacles in life.

Moreover, knowledge equips you to make informed decisions. We are living in a world which is driven by information. A person who is well-equipped with knowledge about his or her specific field can critically assess a situation, evaluate the options and make choices that best suit their individual needs and values. This not only enhances their personal lives but also fosters a sense of agency and self-determination.

Knowledge is the driving force behind progress, development and innovation. From the time of industrialization to the invention of the internet, knowledge has been the deciding factor for transformative change, improving the quality of life for countless individuals. 

The importance of knowledge is not only limited to individual benefits of scientific discoveries. It also plays a critical role in a country’s governance. It allows you to make informed political decisions, and actively participate in the democratic process. In this way, knowledge serves as a safeguard against tyranny and injustice.

At last, the phrase ‘knowledge is power’ remains a timeless truth that highlights the profound impact of knowledge on a person’s development and societal changes. With this power comes the responsibility to use knowledge ethically and ensure equal access for all, as knowledge remains a vital path to personal and collective empowerment in our ever-changing world.

Related Articles:

  • Essay on Save Environment
  • Essay on Junk Food
  • Essay on Unity in Diversity
  • Essay on Water Pollution
  • Essay on Gaganyaan

The phrase ‘knowledge itself is power’ denotes the meaning that knowing empowers your understanding of the world so that you can make informed decisions for yourself and others. In this way, knowledge is equal to power, as it can help in shaping the future of an individual to an entire country.

Knowledge is considered as an accumulation of information, skills facts and understanding acquired through deep learning, experience and observation. It represents a deep and organised awareness of the world around us, encompassing various fields of knowledge, such as culture, science and technology, history and practical know-how. Knowledge empowers individuals by providing the tools to make informed decisions, solve problems, and navigate life’s complexities. It serves as a foundation for personal growth, innovation, and societal progress, shaping our perceptions and actions. 

A person can improve their knowledge by reading informative articles, newspapers and books, enrolling in courses related to their field of study, attending workshops and seminars, engaging in discussions, etc.

For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu .

' src=

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

application of knowledge essay

Connect With Us

application of knowledge essay

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today.

application of knowledge essay

Resend OTP in

application of knowledge essay

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

application of knowledge essay

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

application of knowledge essay

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

application of knowledge essay

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

application of knowledge essay

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

application of knowledge essay

Don't Miss Out

clock This article was published more than  8 years ago

The real stuff of schooling: How to teach students to apply knowledge

application of knowledge essay

Larry Ferlazzo is a veteran teacher of English and Social Studies at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. He has written seven books on education — including a few on student motivation, and writes extensively on education issues , including authoring a teacher advice blog for Education Week Teacher, and maintaining a popular resource-sharing blog. His new book is titled “ Building A Community Of Self-Motivated Learners: Strategies To Help Students Thrive In School and Beyond ” published by Routledge . This piece is adapted from that book.

“Transfer of learning” is the term used to describe applying what one has learned in a particular situation to another in a different context. This kind of extension could take place during a school year within an individual class when applying what is learned about one problem to another, to different and future classes, to home situations, and to a workplace situation (now and in the future) . Researchers suggest that the pressure of high-stakes standardized tests does not support or encourage teachers to prioritize reinforcing this practice.

This lack of support is ironic since a good case can be made that transfer is the primary purpose of schooling. We want our students to be able to apply the knowledge and skills they learn with us to other challenges inside and outside of school — the goal of our English class is not have students pass the exam, but to be competent and critical life-long writers and readers; the goal of studying history is not to memorize the dates of major battles, but to develop a broad historical perspective that they can apply to understanding the world around them today and in the future.

Despite this lack of institutional support, how can teachers encourage students to become more conscious of, and interested in, “transferring their learning” to more challenging and higher order thinking contexts (in many ways, comparable to the Application stage of Bloom’s Taxonomy)?

There are a number of kinds of “transfer,” most notably ones categorized in a continuum as “near” and “far” (it’s also been called “nearer” and “farther”). Near transfer tends to be focused on procedures or a routine where learned skills in one area are more easily applied consistently to a somewhat similar situation. For example, students might apply the essay writing skills they learn in English class to writing essays in Social Studies courses, or we apply much of what we learn about driving a car to driving a bus or a truck. As we move a little further on the continuum, once students studying history have learned about the American Revolution, they can begun to explore the similarities and differences between that event and revolutions in other countries and at other times. These kinds of near transfers are easier to encourage and have a higher likelihood of success than what’s at the other side of the continuum — far transfer .

In the more difficult area of far transfer, students use their judgment about applying their skills and knowledge from one context to a substantially different one. For example, a chess player might apply the strategies they have learned there to understanding and perhaps even running a political campaign, or someone might learn about concepts related to wind flow from studying windmills and relate them to using a sail on a boat.

Many teachers operate under the assumption that transfer happens automatically and, in a number of cases, it does — using basic reading skills in multiple contexts are one example. However, studies show that many students have difficulties in applying knowledge they learned in one class to another and to outside situations. How often in our own classes will students learn new words on a quiz or vocabulary review but not use them in their writing, or second language learners will know grammatical written forms but are unable to use them in conversation? Assuming automatic transfer of learning will more likely lead us to live out the supposed Chinese proverb that says “people have to stand still for a long time with their mouths open before roast chickens will fly into them.”

Transfer will not happen magically.

Here are some actions teachers can take on a regular basis to increase the chances of both near and far transfer occurring:

Maximizing the Initial Learning Experience for Transfer

It should go without saying that in order for transfer to occur, students need to gain a good understanding of the concepts that we wish them to be able to apply to new problems. As Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman said, it’s “the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.” Memorizing a list of facts or a list of procedures is unlikely to promote sufficient understanding of a concept for students to be able to apply it in a new situation.

One well-known example describes how two groups of children practiced throwing darts at a target 12 inches underwater and both became good at it with practice. The target was then moved to four inches below the surface, but just one group was instructed on how light refraction can cause a deceptive appearance of the target’s location. Even though both groups had become good over time at the first dart-throwing practice, it was the group that received instruction that was able to quickly adjust its experience to a new situation.

When planning how best to help students gain this necessary good understanding of concepts, teachers might want to keep in mind the substantial research supporting instructional strategies like cooperative learning and inductive teaching , and the equally large amount of research questioning the effectiveness of a heavy emphasis on lecture and direct instruction .

Activate Prior Knowledge

One strategy researchers suggest using in an effective initial learning experience to maximize transfer potential is building upon the knowledge students already bring to a topic, which can enhance the likelihood of developing a genuine understanding of concepts. In addition to relating a lesson to familiar contexts, it strengthens and models the idea of transfer. As neurologist andteacher Judy Willis writes , “memories with personal meaning are most likely to become…long-term memories available for later retrieval.”

Deliberate Practice

The pressure to “cover” the curriculum, especially prior to annual standardized tests, does not encourage teachers to often create the time needed to create the necessary conditions for transfer to occur.   This time is needed for, among other things, students to utilize deliberate practice to increase understanding. This type of practice, which includes active monitoring of one’s learning and regular receiving feedback, is critical for maximizing the possibility of transfer.   There are many ways time could be used for deliberate practice that would enhance student understanding of concepts so that transfer could be promoted. For example, after students learn the qualities of a successful presentation, instead of giving one presentation in front of the entire class, they could give it multiple times in small groups with time for structured feedback from classmates and revision.

Explain In Their Own Words

Another important use of time to promote greater understanding of key concepts is to have students explain in their own words — to others or to themselves (called “self-explanation”) — what they are learning. Substantial research has shown that not only does this type of explaining help students identify their incorrect assumptions, but it also helps them to generalize concepts for future applications.

Simulations

Simulations are especially recommended for promoting near transfer to similar future situations. They put students in the kinds of roles that they may very well find themselves in at a future date. Students can role-play job interviews instead of just talking about appropriate interview responses and behavior, or play different roles in complex racial or union-management negotiations . Student use of online computer simulations have also been found to have a positive effect on learning transfer.

Group Learning

The National Academy of Sciences examined how school environments tend to compare to the settings in other aspects of everyday life. They found that schools are much more focused on individualized work than in most other nonschool situations. For successful transfer to occur to non-classroom situations, they recommend that schools place a greater emphasis on shared learning.

Analogies and Metaphors

One strategy for knowledge transfer is using an analogy or metaphor — we can use what was known previously and apply it to a new situation to make it better understood — such as comparing how a heart works to a pump. When discussing the importance of providing evidence to support one’s position, we can point to a chair and ask, “What would happen if its legs were removed?” After students respond that it would fall down, a teacher can say that the legs are like evidence and the seat is like a thesis statement — without it, it can’t stand up.

One well known experiment using analogy for transfer, and which also highlighted the importance of explicitly teaching their use, used a war story. Researchers first explain a situation to students where an army wanted to overcome a fortress that had its defenses organized so that the only way it could be successfully attacked was by a general who divided his forces so that smaller units of his army had to attack it from all sides simultaneously. Afterwards, students were asked to solve the problem of how to effectively treat a tumor with rays that would not affect the tumor at a low intensity and would also destroy healthy tissue if used at a high level. Over 90 percent of the students figured out a solution of treating it with multiple small doses of rays targeting the tumor — but only if they were reminded of the fortress story. Only a small number solved the problem without the prompt.

I have used Plato’s Allegory of The Cave in a similar fashion. A very crude and short summary of the Allegory is that a group of prisoners are in a cave facing a wall for their entire lives with a fire and walkway behind them. All they see of the world are shadows. Then one is released and discovers what the real world is like and returns to tell his former fellow prisoners. However, they choose not to believe him and threaten to kill him if he tries to take them outside.   After discussing the allegory and considering questions about its meaning and what might be our, and greater society’s, “caves” today, students create short skits and videos applying the Allegory to modern life.   It is then frequently brought up by students the rest of the year when we explore problems that are contributed to by people refusing to move from entrenched ideological positions.

The question “Why are we learning this?” is not a rare one in most teachers’ classrooms. We might find it arising less frequently in the future if we make “transfer of learning” a higher priority in our instructional efforts.

application of knowledge essay

The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Application Essays

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise the personal statement required by many graduate programs, internships, and special academic programs.

Before you start writing

Because the application essay can have a critical effect upon your progress toward a career, you should spend significantly more time, thought, and effort on it than its typically brief length would suggest. It should reflect how you arrived at your professional goals, why the program is ideal for you, and what you bring to the program. Don’t make this a deadline task—now’s the time to write, read, rewrite, give to a reader, revise again, and on until the essay is clear, concise, and compelling. At the same time, don’t be afraid. You know most of the things you need to say already.

Read the instructions carefully. One of the basic tasks of the application essay is to follow the directions. If you don’t do what they ask, the reader may wonder if you will be able to follow directions in their program. Make sure you follow page and word limits exactly—err on the side of shortness, not length. The essay may take two forms:

  • A one-page essay answering a general question
  • Several short answers to more specific questions

Do some research before you start writing. Think about…

  • The field. Why do you want to be a _____? No, really. Think about why you and you particularly want to enter that field. What are the benefits and what are the shortcomings? When did you become interested in the field and why? What path in that career interests you right now? Brainstorm and write these ideas out.
  • The program. Why is this the program you want to be admitted to? What is special about the faculty, the courses offered, the placement record, the facilities you might be using? If you can’t think of anything particular, read the brochures they offer, go to events, or meet with a faculty member or student in the program. A word about honesty here—you may have a reason for choosing a program that wouldn’t necessarily sway your reader; for example, you want to live near the beach, or the program is the most prestigious and would look better on your resume. You don’t want to be completely straightforward in these cases and appear superficial, but skirting around them or lying can look even worse. Turn these aspects into positives. For example, you may want to go to a program in a particular location because it is a place that you know very well and have ties to, or because there is a need in your field there. Again, doing research on the program may reveal ways to legitimate even your most superficial and selfish reasons for applying.
  • Yourself. What details or anecdotes would help your reader understand you? What makes you special? Is there something about your family, your education, your work/life experience, or your values that has shaped you and brought you to this career field? What motivates or interests you? Do you have special skills, like leadership, management, research, or communication? Why would the members of the program want to choose you over other applicants? Be honest with yourself and write down your ideas. If you are having trouble, ask a friend or relative to make a list of your strengths or unique qualities that you plan to read on your own (and not argue about immediately). Ask them to give you examples to back up their impressions (For example, if they say you are “caring,” ask them to describe an incident they remember in which they perceived you as caring).

Now, write a draft

This is a hard essay to write. It’s probably much more personal than any of the papers you have written for class because it’s about you, not World War II or planaria. You may want to start by just getting something—anything—on paper. Try freewriting. Think about the questions we asked above and the prompt for the essay, and then write for 15 or 30 minutes without stopping. What do you want your audience to know after reading your essay? What do you want them to feel? Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, organization, or anything else. Just get out the ideas you have. For help getting started, see our handout on brainstorming .

Now, look at what you’ve written. Find the most relevant, memorable, concrete statements and focus in on them. Eliminate any generalizations or platitudes (“I’m a people person”, “Doctors save lives”, or “Mr. Calleson’s classes changed my life”), or anything that could be cut and pasted into anyone else’s application. Find what is specific to you about the ideas that generated those platitudes and express them more directly. Eliminate irrelevant issues (“I was a track star in high school, so I think I’ll make a good veterinarian.”) or issues that might be controversial for your reader (“My faith is the one true faith, and only nurses with that faith are worthwhile,” or “Lawyers who only care about money are evil.”).

Often, writers start out with generalizations as a way to get to the really meaningful statements, and that’s OK. Just make sure that you replace the generalizations with examples as you revise. A hint: you may find yourself writing a good, specific sentence right after a general, meaningless one. If you spot that, try to use the second sentence and delete the first.

Applications that have several short-answer essays require even more detail. Get straight to the point in every case, and address what they’ve asked you to address.

Now that you’ve generated some ideas, get a little bit pickier. It’s time to remember one of the most significant aspects of the application essay: your audience. Your readers may have thousands of essays to read, many or most of which will come from qualified applicants. This essay may be your best opportunity to communicate with the decision makers in the application process, and you don’t want to bore them, offend them, or make them feel you are wasting their time.

With this in mind:

  • Do assure your audience that you understand and look forward to the challenges of the program and the field, not just the benefits.
  • Do assure your audience that you understand exactly the nature of the work in the field and that you are prepared for it, psychologically and morally as well as educationally.
  • Do assure your audience that you care about them and their time by writing a clear, organized, and concise essay.
  • Do address any information about yourself and your application that needs to be explained (for example, weak grades or unusual coursework for your program). Include that information in your essay, and be straightforward about it. Your audience will be more impressed with your having learned from setbacks or having a unique approach than your failure to address those issues.
  • Don’t waste space with information you have provided in the rest of the application. Every sentence should be effective and directly related to the rest of the essay. Don’t ramble or use fifteen words to express something you could say in eight.
  • Don’t overstate your case for what you want to do, being so specific about your future goals that you come off as presumptuous or naïve (“I want to become a dentist so that I can train in wisdom tooth extraction, because I intend to focus my life’s work on taking 13 rather than 15 minutes per tooth.”). Your goals may change–show that such a change won’t devastate you.
  • And, one more time, don’t write in cliches and platitudes. Every doctor wants to help save lives, every lawyer wants to work for justice—your reader has read these general cliches a million times.

Imagine the worst-case scenario (which may never come true—we’re talking hypothetically): the person who reads your essay has been in the field for decades. She is on the application committee because she has to be, and she’s read 48 essays so far that morning. You are number 49, and your reader is tired, bored, and thinking about lunch. How are you going to catch and keep her attention?

Assure your audience that you are capable academically, willing to stick to the program’s demands, and interesting to have around. For more tips, see our handout on audience .

Voice and style

The voice you use and the style in which you write can intrigue your audience. The voice you use in your essay should be yours. Remember when your high school English teacher said “never say ‘I’”? Here’s your chance to use all those “I”s you’ve been saving up. The narrative should reflect your perspective, experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Focusing on events or ideas may give your audience an indirect idea of how these things became important in forming your outlook, but many others have had equally compelling experiences. By simply talking about those events in your own voice, you put the emphasis on you rather than the event or idea. Look at this anecdote:

During the night shift at Wirth Memorial Hospital, a man walked into the Emergency Room wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. He seemed confused and was moaning in pain. One of the nurses ascertained that he had been swinging from tree branches in a local park and had hit his head when he fell out of a tree. This tragic tale signified the moment at which I realized psychiatry was the only career path I could take.

An interesting tale, yes, but what does it tell you about the narrator? The following example takes the same anecdote and recasts it to make the narrator more of a presence in the story:

I was working in the Emergency Room at Wirth Memorial Hospital one night when a man walked in wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. I could tell he was confused and in pain. After a nurse asked him a few questions, I listened in surprise as he explained that he had been a monkey all of his life and knew that it was time to live with his brothers in the trees. Like many other patients I would see that year, this man suffered from an illness that only a combination of psychological and medical care would effectively treat. I realized then that I wanted to be able to help people by using that particular combination of skills only a psychiatrist develops.

The voice you use should be approachable as well as intelligent. This essay is not the place to stun your reader with ten prepositional phrases (“the goal of my study of the field of law in the winter of my discontent can best be understood by the gathering of more information about my youth”) and thirty nouns (“the research and study of the motivation behind my insights into the field of dentistry contains many pitfalls and disappointments but even more joy and enlightenment”) per sentence. (Note: If you are having trouble forming clear sentences without all the prepositions and nouns, take a look at our handout on style .)

You may want to create an impression of expertise in the field by using specialized or technical language. But beware of this unless you really know what you are doing—a mistake will look twice as ignorant as not knowing the terms in the first place. Your audience may be smart, but you don’t want to make them turn to a dictionary or fall asleep between the first word and the period of your first sentence. Keep in mind that this is a personal statement. Would you think you were learning a lot about a person whose personal statement sounded like a journal article? Would you want to spend hours in a lab or on a committee with someone who shuns plain language?

Of course, you don’t want to be chatty to the point of making them think you only speak slang, either. Your audience may not know what “I kicked that lame-o to the curb for dissing my research project” means. Keep it casual enough to be easy to follow, but formal enough to be respectful of the audience’s intelligence.

Just use an honest voice and represent yourself as naturally as possible. It may help to think of the essay as a sort of face-to-face interview, only the interviewer isn’t actually present.

Too much style

A well-written, dramatic essay is much more memorable than one that fails to make an emotional impact on the reader. Good anecdotes and personal insights can really attract an audience’s attention. BUT be careful not to let your drama turn into melodrama. You want your reader to see your choices motivated by passion and drive, not hyperbole and a lack of reality. Don’t invent drama where there isn’t any, and don’t let the drama take over. Getting someone else to read your drafts can help you figure out when you’ve gone too far.

Taking risks

Many guides to writing application essays encourage you to take a risk, either by saying something off-beat or daring or by using a unique writing style. When done well, this strategy can work—your goal is to stand out from the rest of the applicants and taking a risk with your essay will help you do that. An essay that impresses your reader with your ability to think and express yourself in original ways and shows you really care about what you are saying is better than one that shows hesitancy, lack of imagination, or lack of interest.

But be warned: this strategy is a risk. If you don’t carefully consider what you are saying and how you are saying it, you may offend your readers or leave them with a bad impression of you as flaky, immature, or careless. Do not alienate your readers.

Some writers take risks by using irony (your suffering at the hands of a barbaric dentist led you to want to become a gentle one), beginning with a personal failure (that eventually leads to the writer’s overcoming it), or showing great imagination (one famous successful example involved a student who answered a prompt about past formative experiences by beginning with a basic answer—”I have volunteered at homeless shelters”—that evolved into a ridiculous one—”I have sealed the hole in the ozone layer with plastic wrap”). One student applying to an art program described the person he did not want to be, contrasting it with the person he thought he was and would develop into if accepted. Another person wrote an essay about her grandmother without directly linking her narrative to the fact that she was applying for medical school. Her essay was risky because it called on the reader to infer things about the student’s character and abilities from the story.

Assess your credentials and your likelihood of getting into the program before you choose to take a risk. If you have little chance of getting in, try something daring. If you are almost certainly guaranteed a spot, you have more flexibility. In any case, make sure that you answer the essay question in some identifiable way.

After you’ve written a draft

Get several people to read it and write their comments down. It is worthwhile to seek out someone in the field, perhaps a professor who has read such essays before. Give it to a friend, your mom, or a neighbor. The key is to get more than one point of view, and then compare these with your own. Remember, you are the one best equipped to judge how accurately you are representing yourself. For tips on putting this advice to good use, see our handout on getting feedback .

After you’ve received feedback, revise the essay. Put it away. Get it out and revise it again (you can see why we said to start right away—this process may take time). Get someone to read it again. Revise it again.

When you think it is totally finished, you are ready to proofread and format the essay. Check every sentence and punctuation mark. You cannot afford a careless error in this essay. (If you are not comfortable with your proofreading skills, check out our handout on editing and proofreading ).

If you find that your essay is too long, do not reformat it extensively to make it fit. Making readers deal with a nine-point font and quarter-inch margins will only irritate them. Figure out what material you can cut and cut it. For strategies for meeting word limits, see our handout on writing concisely .

Finally, proofread it again. We’re not kidding.

Other resources

Don’t be afraid to talk to professors or professionals in the field. Many of them would be flattered that you asked their advice, and they will have useful suggestions that others might not have. Also keep in mind that many colleges and professional programs offer websites addressing the personal statement. You can find them either through the website of the school to which you are applying or by searching under “personal statement” or “application essays” using a search engine.

If your schedule and ours permit, we invite you to come to the Writing Center. Be aware that during busy times in the semester, we limit students to a total of two visits to discuss application essays and personal statements (two visits per student, not per essay); we do this so that students working on papers for courses will have a better chance of being seen. Make an appointment or submit your essay to our online writing center (note that we cannot guarantee that an online tutor will help you in time).

For information on other aspects of the application process, you can consult the resources at University Career Services .

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Asher, Donald. 2012. Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice , 4th ed. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Curry, Boykin, Emily Angel Baer, and Brian Kasbar. 2003. Essays That Worked for College Applications: 50 Essays That Helped Students Get Into the Nation’s Top Colleges . New York: Ballantine Books.

Stelzer, Richard. 2002. How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School , 3rd ed. Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson Peterson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Learning by… Knowledge and skills acquisition through work-based learning and research

Journal of Work-Applied Management

ISSN : 2205-2062

Article publication date: 25 January 2022

Issue publication date: 5 October 2022

Issues around informal, non-formal and formal learning, intended and unintended learning and competencies and capabilities have been considered in work-based learning (WBL). However, demarcated modes of learning, or what can be called strategies or pedagogies of learning, associated with experience of work environments have yet to be examined. One mode of learning which has been highlighted in relation to work is reflective practice, and its centrality to learning at work has been established. But reflective practice as a core skill, and its relation to other approaches to learning and research in WBL, remains uncovered. The purpose of the present study therefore is to identify different modes of learning as they appear in the literature and to present a proto-theoretical “learning by …” model for WBL and research founded on learning by reflection.

Design/methodology/approach

Proto-theoretical modelling and qualitative descriptions of each mode of learning.

Work environments, and the higher degree WBL programmes which support them, should provide learning via every available mode of learning, thereby allowing students to find their own best orientation to learning and encourage it by any means.

Originality/value

The proto-theoretical model and 12 modes of learning applied to WBL are unique to this study. WBL provides participants of work with multiple opportunities and approaches to learn and similarly provides multiple modes through which learning can occur on the basis of knowledge and skills in reflective practice.

  • Reflective practice
  • Work-based learning
  • Work-based research

Fergusson, L. (2022), "Learning by… Knowledge and skills acquisition through work-based learning and research", Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 184-199. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWAM-12-2021-0065

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Lee Fergusson

Published in Journal of Work-Applied Management . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyonemay reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial andnon-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The fullterms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

This paper considers the notion of different modes of learning and how they apply to work-based learning (WBL) and research. It has been established that human beings learn via a significant number of separate, but often overlapping and interconnected, channels of exchange. These channels have been variously called learning strategies, learning methodologies, learning conditions, pedagogical practices and approaches to learning. In this research, we apply to WBL (as differentiated from workplace learning and work-integrated learning, for example) the meaning ascribed to it by Fergusson and van der Laan (2021a) .

the teaching-learning process from a model of knowledge transfer by teachers to a learning model based on student-centred competencies. Therefore, it has been necessary to include active learning methodologies that entail a greater degree of involvement on the part of the student, a greater dynamism in learning and a greater interaction with the contents. ( Oliván Blázquez et al. , 2019 , p. 2)

Such a view has been wholeheartedly embraced by pedagogues of WBL, a transdisciplinary “field of study” ( Garnett, 2016 , p. 306) which incorporates a variety of learning approaches in work environments. WBL's impact has recently been investigated ( Boud et al. , 2020 ), and its relation to research is a topic of growing pedagogical interest (e.g. Fergusson et al. , 2019a ; Scott, 2020 ).

Modes of learning are not learning styles ( Coffield et al. , 2004 ). Modes of learning are value-free and can equally apply to all work-based learners, while learning styles have historically denoted dichotomous learner types and scales which have been rightly contested. Arguments against mechanistic and reductionistic classifications of learning styles have grown in the literature ( Glazzard, 2015 ), and the so-called “false dichotomies” associated with stereotyping learners have been increasingly seen as problematic ( MacNeill et al ., 2018 ). Indeed, Dewey rejected the notion of the sharp binaries associated with learner pairs, and recent research matching learning style with teaching methods designed to accommodate different types of learner in higher education found no relation to academic achievement ( Cimermanová, 2018 ).

According to Attenborough et al. (2019 , p. 132), WBL appears “everywhere and nowhere”, meaning it is ubiquitous but often goes unrecognised by learners, teachers and organisations. Learning in this context apparently sits on an informal–formal scale: “at the informal end of the continuum WBL comprises implicit, unintended, opportunistic and unstructured learning, with the absence of a teacher. . . . Practice that is supervised by a mentor or supervisor represents WBL towards the formal end” (ibid.). WBL therefore incorporates both primary learning, where learning is the intended outcome of a work-related activity, and secondary learning, where it is an incidental and spontaneous by-product of work. In such environments, learning occurs when the working professional is both a student and a teacher, learning at and from work through a variety of modes, including what Wofford et al . (2013) called “learning-on-the-fly”.

Irrespective of whether learning at work is informal or formal, or is intended or incidental, at its heart is reflective practice (e.g. Fergusson et al. , 2019b ; Helyer, 2015 ). Therefore, according to Eden (2014 , p. 267), “the experience of work and [its] subsequent analysis to properly comprehend that experience and to apply it to future work” sits at the core of the WBL mission. In this paper, I propose that reflective practice also permeates every mode of learning in WBL.

Reflective practice in work-based learning and research

Learning by reflection is well documented and involves creating a learning situation where the outcome is a combination of previous experience at work, specific work contexts and the theory that guided practice. Sometimes associated with higher-order thinking ( Cañas et al ., 2017 ), reflective practice is foundational to all modes of learning and has been adopted as a key feature of WBL (e.g. Costley and Abukari, 2015 ). Indeed, Helyer (2015 , p. 16) called it a “critical skill” in WBL, claiming it develops “self-identity, self-awareness and personal agency” and thus leads to learning how to learn. Carrol (2010 , p. 24) went further and said: “Reflection is the medium through which we learn. Not only is it the bridge between information and wisdom, it is the process that turns information and knowledge into wisdom”.

This is why Kim et al. (2018) discuss reflective practice in the context of work-based nursing, Gibbons (2018) does so in the context of work-based law education, and Gerhardt (2019) considers it in the context of human resource management. This is also why Lester and Costley (2010 , p. 563) maintain that “one of the distinctive features [of WBL] is its emphasis on reflecting on and enquiring into work activity and on developing people as reflective, self-managing practitioners who are committed to their own development”. In education, it has been argued that “reflective practice aims to progress teachers' knowledge, understanding, and actions throughout various stages of their career, so that they positively impact student outcomes. . . . At the heart of reflective practice research is a teacher's ability to know, understand, and reflect upon professional practice. …” ( Kern and Wehmeyer, 2021 , p. 170).

can be questioned, particularly personal reflection which tends to focus on feelings. Introspection is the dominant approach to personal reflective practice, with prime focus being on individual and personal thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This often is seen by students as adequate and appropriate reflective practice, but a practice that is “fluffy” and irrelevant. Perhaps it is purely naval gazing and needs to be challenged in students so that critical reflection occurs that can lead to change, development and growth.

Nevertheless, Greenberger (2020) has attempted to create a “guide for reflective practice”. In so doing, he has approached the thorny issue of defining the practice in a coherent way while calling it a “skill (of reflecting on past experience) and method (to inquire about problems in professional practice) that is contextualized but also theory-guided” (p. 459).

Reflective practice has also been analysed from the perspective of work-based research. This author, for example, has considered micro- and macro-reflective cycles in work-based research associated with learning how to develop objectives and a research proposal and learning how to successfully conduct and report results from a work-based project ( Fergusson et al. , 2019b ). The significance of that model was to show how reflective practice can be applied at all stages of work-based research: operationalising research; working with secondary data; gathering primary data; and analysing data. Activation of that reflective model in various real-world, international work-based settings has also been presented ( Fergusson et al. , 2020a ).

Such an approach is said to result in a triple dividend; that is: a benefit to oneself, to one's organisation and to original knowledge creation about work ( Fergusson et al. , 2018 ). In a more recent conceptualisation of WBL's approach to transdisciplinarity, I have posited a fourth so-called “futures” dividend, that is, a dividend “which illuminates the way forward for a less harmful and more socially responsible, resilient approach to work and its contemporary problems. Increasingly, projects related to the ‘future’ embrace principles and practices which enhance awareness, require post-conventional responses, encourage a ‘vision to action’, and help navigate the Anthropocene” ( Fergusson and van der Laan, 2021b , p. 19).

For these reasons, learning by reflecting has been centred at the heart of the work-based proto-theoretical model in Figure 1 . In this model, reflective practice should be seen as foundational to, and implicitly involved in, every subsequent mode of learning associated with work. My aim here is not to propose an overarching synthesis of all possible modes of learning but to open a dialogue about which modes might be applied in WBL through reflecting.

Learning by …

On the basis of learning by reflecting, 12 modes of learning can be identified as they relate to WBL, and these have been grouped into four main types: Group A: Empathetic Learning , which includes learning by (1) chatting, storytelling and yarning, (2) listening and asking questions and (3) observing, making and tinkering; Group B: Action-Oriented Learning , which includes learning by (4) doing and practicing, (5) imitating, discussing and repeating and (6) sketching, drawing and visualising; Group C: Scholarly and Applied Learning , which includes learning by (7) reading and writing, (8) researching and experimenting and (9) solving real-world problems; and Group D: Social and Environmental Learning , which includes learning by (10) teaching and training, (11) cooperating and helping others and (12) creating sustainable futures.

The 12 modes of learning adopted in this paper resulted from an investigative survey of the literature on work and learning in the eight categories described by Fergusson and van der Laan (2021a) , namely: (1) work-related learning (WRL); (2) work-based learning (WBL); (3) workplace learning (WPL); (4) work-applied learning (WAL); (5) work-based training (WBT); (6) work-integrated learning (WIL); (7) workplace-based learning (WPBL); and (8) work-based education (WBE).

The four main groups of learning have been developed as high-level constructs to help capture the essential nature of the modes identified within them and to thereby facilitate conceptual arrangement. How these four groups of learning organisationally relate to learning by reflecting and how the entire WBL endeavour is situated within a range of work environments, workplaces and domains of practice are shown in Figure 1 . In this representation of learning, more organic, informal modes of learning have been identified closer to the centre and more concrete, formal approaches closer to the outer permeable region which lies between the individual learner and the three main environments in which work is carried out: work spaces , which include any setting in which work is performed, such as an atelier, workshop or “in the field”; workplaces , which include formalised places of employment, such an offices or factories; and domains of practice , which somewhat formalise work but are more commonly associated with a combination of direct and in-direct service, such as those provided by social workers and in-home carers.

However, this organisation of modes of learning could be misleading for several reasons. Firstly, it could be assumed that the modes of learning are definitive, when in fact they are representational; other modes exist and should be considered in WBL. Secondly, it could be assumed that the model is hierarchical, with those modes of learning closer to reflective practice more important than those further away; this is not the case: all modes are potentially of equal importance, and no special value has been placed on any one mode.

Thirdly, it could be assumed that each mode of learning is discrete and practised in isolation; this is not the case: in work environments, learning is an organic, holistic and continuous process, occurring informally (such as chatting and observing), non-formally (such as cooperating and helping others) and formally (such as researching and training).

And finally, it could be assumed that the proto-theoretical model in Figure 1 is a reductionist one and that each mode of learning is independent of all others; this is also not the case: learning is an interdependent phenomenon, and different modes of learning overlap and are congruent with all others, particularly when applied in messy work environments. Such a phenomenon can be seen in the example of “learning by observing”, which is severally embraced as a strategy in imitating, drawing, visualising and so on.

For these reasons, Figure 2 advances Figure 1 by representing the dynamic relationship between modes of learning and how reflecting in WBL is considered not only foundational to every mode but also informs, guides and inspires every aspect of lifelong learning. Thus, the “doing” of WBL can include listening, observing, chatting, storytelling, imitating, repeating, reading, writing, sketching, drawing and visualising, and each may occur for every learner in a continuous and dynamic interrelationship of work experience and reflection.

In the same way, “research”, particularly in higher education, can extend WBL to solving work-related problems, cooperating and helping others, teaching and training colleagues and improving organisations, government, society and the environment by creating sustainable futures, and may be the domain of multiple learner types. What is common to them all is the ability to reflect in a meaningful and critical way. The following four groupings seek to briefly explain the properties of the 12 modes of learning in the proto-theoretical model, along with representative citations from the work and learning literature.

Group A: empathetic learning

Learnings in Group A shown in Table 1 represent bidirectional channels of exchange within learners at work. Empathetic learning, as a generalised construct, relates in large part to the use of work environments as places of human exchange through what has become known as “appreciative inquiry”. This is why Wall et al . (2017 , p. 131) contend “in terms of learning and emotion in workplaces, evidence indicates that when people are more emotionally (and positively) engaged, workplace learning is more effective”.

Learning by chatting, storytelling and yarning

Research has found that informal social interactions, such as chatting at work, can improve cognitive function ( Ybarra et al. , 2011 ). One of the ways this approach to learning is operationalised in organisations and work is storytelling; according to Gabriel (2000 , p. 2), “stories open valuable windows into the emotional, political, and symbolic lives of organisations”. For many Indigenous people, informal and semi-formal oral communication is the most significant medium through which knowledge, culture and kinship are produced, practised and maintained. In Australia, for example, this diverse set of verbal practices associated with learning from elders is called yarning ( Walker et al. , 2014 ). These types of bidirectional verbal exchanges encourage empathy and learning about one's work environment and broader social and ecological context.

Learning by listening and asking questions

Listening is central to learning and “careful listening … can propel new cycles of expansive learning and agency” ( Bang and Vossoughi, 2016 , p. 182). Learning occurs when participants in work environments listen to each other and ask questions. For example, so-called “quality questioning” is viewed as essential for all learners ( Walsh and Sattes, 2016 ).

Learning by observing, making and tinkering

Learning by observation is also central to learning, and research has found that learners learn more if they have a visual experience and then a verbal instruction rather than a verbal instruction alone ( Bläsing et al. , 2018 ). Such findings rely on what is called feedback-in-practice and consequential learning ( DiGiacomo and Gutiérrez, 2016 ) where observation can lead to “trying out” or tinkering, both of which relate to fluid experimentation and open exploration. “In its ideal form, tinkering should be an ongoing process”, according to DiGiacomo and Gutiérrez (2016 , p. 144), because “activities that promote a ‘live’ quality, such that they allow learners to see how the parts of an activity relate the its whole, are especially important for engaging learners over time”. Thus, individuals can glean a great deal from watching their colleagues work and by making and tinkering themselves.

Group B: action-oriented learning

Learnings in Group B are presented in Table 2 . One of the primary features of WBL is its adherence to action learning, a mode of learning entwined with reflective practice ( Costley and Lester, 2012 ). In my model, “action” embraces not only generic doing and practicing, but also imitating, discussing, repeating, sketching, drawing and visualising.

Learning by doing and practicing

Also called “experiential learning”, learning by doing occurs when the learner is directly in touch with the realities being studied, practiced or experienced. Such a view has a considerable history in education, encapsulating the work of Dewey, Piaget and others (e.g. Kolb and Kolb, 2005 ). The principle of learning by doing is predicated on the notion that doing is better than watching ( Koedinger et al. , 2015 ) and has been embraced, for example, by “do-it-yourself” civic actors who launch initiatives to green cities and combat climate change by initiating “a learning and adjustment process, both for the urban space in question and themselves” ( Cloutier et al ., 2018 , p. 285).

Learning by imitating, discussing and repeating

Also referred to severally as mimetic learning, reinforcement learning and guided learning, imitation along with discussing and repeating, particularly when coupled with observation and other forms of doing, contribute to “holistic learning”. Imitating and repeating have become less fashionable in Western contemporary higher education, but in work contexts, they are suited to mechanical and systems learning, often drawing from expert demonstrations or working examples ( Li  et al. , 2017 ).

Learning by sketching, drawing and visualising

While learning by observing and seeing can be linked to watching, they are also fundamental to perception and looking in the arts. Thus, observing is seen as a critical learning when associated with sketching, drawing and visualising, modes of learning which often accompany scientific inquiry (e.g. Gameira et al. , 2018 ) and work practices and processes. These three modes mean, for example, in the context of design thinking that “ongoing experimentation and testing as concepts are made more concrete and users are involved in developing or assessing prototypes. Field experiments, prototypes, and visualization techniques such as drawings and pictures can be used to enable continuous learning and concept sharing and [can] clarify the characteristics of the idea and make it more amenable to critical consideration and feedback” ( Micheli et al. , 2019 , p. 136). The same conclusion apparently applies to learning by story-telling, which Micheli et al. describe as a form of visualisation, and the work of Pink (2015) on methodologies in visual ethnographic research also bear directly on learning by observing and seeing.

Group C: scholarly and applied learning

Learnings in Group C are presented in Table 3 . The last 25 years have seen an increased focus in higher education, industry and government on WBL. As a result, the issue of harnessing research and scholarship to address work-related problems has been highlighted, resulting in the implementation of government-supported WBL higher degree research programmes, such as the Professional Studies programme at University of Southern Queensland in Australia with which the author is affiliated. The three main elements of scholarship in WBL are learning by reading and writing, learning by researching and experimenting and learning by solving real-world problems.

Learning by reading and writing

Reading and writing, the so-called “academic literacies”, are fundamental to all forms of learning, not just learning which occurs in the workplace. Researchers therefore concur that reading and writing are foundational to WBL and are crucial to the development of metacognitive skills and work-related success. Benefits from reading and writing include a range of affective and cognitive outcomes. Such initiatives as writing workshops, which seek to inculcate scholarly habits associated with learning by reading and writing, may act as a “force for deeper change” ( Boose and Hutchings, 2016 , p. 42).

Learning by researching and experimenting

Work-based research has emerged in recent years as a powerful tool for changing the future of work ( McCormack and Kiss, 2015 ), and its linkages to reflection and experimentation have been identified ( Grosemans et al. , 2015 ). However, evidencing the full range and extent of the impact of research on work environments is beyond the scope of this study.

Learning by solving real-world problems

In work-based research, the individual learner explores a topic related to her professional role within an organisation or community of practice. Her inquiry typically involves pragmatic, insider research as a way of investigating real-world problems and thereby improves practice in a broad professional context, utilising reflective practice, creating positionality and contributing to constructive impact. Miller and Maelloro (2016) suggest that collective reflection and reflective observation directly contribute to such an outcome.

Group D: social and environmental learning

Learnings which involve organisations, communities, societies and the global community are summarised in Table 4 and include learning by teaching and training, by cooperating and helping others and by creating sustainable futures. These modes of learning relate to the most applied, socially driven learning types in WBL, often identified with altruism and social activism and justice.

Learning by teaching and training

Learning by reflecting lies at the heart of learning through teaching and training ( Margolinas et al ., 2005 ). Work environments can provide opportunities for didactic interaction, but in such circumstances, the teacher or trainer can (and should) be a learner as much as a leader. Teaching, training and learning in the workplace always provide for bidirectionality of knowledge and skills, and everyone thereby becomes an epistemic agent. Criteria associated with this mode include: learning how to unlearn what we think we know to make room for new knowledge; remembering what it is like to be a student; when at work, everyone learns; we learn empathy when we teach others; only practice teaches theory; teachers teach, but great teachers learn; and great teachers find ways to inspire themselves through learning new things. Moreover, teachers learn through reflection ( Grosemans et al. , 2015 ).

Learning by cooperating and helping others

An individual can learn by giving, cooperating and helping others in the work environment. This is sometimes called “service learning” or “citizen science”. Benefits of learning to provide include insights into one's own learning and thus go beyond simple reciprocated assistance ( Shah et al ., 2018 ); learning by cooperating in citizen science has been described as a way to “develop positive action on behalf of the environment” ( Phillips et al. , 2018 , p. 1).

Learning by creating sustainable futures

Aboytes and Barth (2020 , p. 993) call learning by creating sustainable futures “transformational learning” and consider it “critical to enhancing and catalysing social transformations towards sustainability” through “learning that leads to the transformation of unsustainable mindsets” (p. 994). Allen et al . (2019 , p. 781) likewise maintain that such an approach to learning meets “the need for an ecocentric stance to sustainability that reflexively embeds humans in —rather than detached from —nature”. Perhaps the most urgent of all 12 modes, learning by creating sustainable futures means learning to live sustainably on this planet, drawing on resources that can be replenished and are in tune with a balanced ecosphere and describing and changing currently unsustainable patterns of human thinking and activity. Work-based learning and research have the capability to contribute to this endeavour, and examples emerging from WBL higher degree programmes are now doing so ( Fergusson et al. , 2020b ).

The proto-theoretical model presented in Figures 1 and 2 locates learning by reflecting at the centre of WBL, a concept consistent with the published literature on work and learning. WBL also provides participants of work with multiple opportunities to learn (and become more experienced and qualified) and similarly provides multiple modes through which learning can occur on the basis of knowledge and skills in reflective practice. Moreover, WBL by necessity must accommodate many different types of learner and must be open, flexible and inclusive enough to expect and embrace diversity, change and fit-for-futures research.

Ideally, work environments, and the higher degree WBL programmes which support them, should provide learning via every available mode of learning, thereby allowing students to find their own best orientation to learning and encourage it by any means. Such a prospect has the potential for WBL to result in delivering a quadruple dividend, a significant benefit to: oneself; an organisation; original knowledge; and perhaps most importantly resulting in a benefit to a more sustainable human and social future.

application of knowledge essay

Proto-theoretical model of learning by reflecting and other modes of learning in WBL

application of knowledge essay

Dynamic and interconnected relationship of learning by reflecting to modes of learning by other means in WBL

Empathetic learning with principles, sample quotes and citations

Action-oriented learning with principles, sample quotes and citations

Scholarly and applied learning with principles, sample quotes and citations

Social and environmental learning with principles, sample quotes and citations

Aboytes , J.G.R. and Barth , M. ( 2020 ), “ Transformative learning in the field of sustainability: a systematic literature review (1999‒2019) ”, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education , Vol.  21 No.  5 , pp.  993 - 1013 .

Allen , S. , Cunliffe , A.L. and Easterby-Smith , M. ( 2019 ), “ Understanding sustainability through the lens of ecocentric radical-reflexivity: implications for management education ”, Journal of Business Ethics , Vol.  154 No.  3 , pp.  781 - 795 .

Attenborough , J. , Abbott , S. , Brook , J. and Knight , R.-A. ( 2019 ), “ Everywhere and nowhere: work-based learning in healthcare education ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol.  36 , pp.  132 - 138 .

Bang , M. and Vossoughi , S. ( 2016 ), “ Participatory design research and educational justice: studying learning and relations within social change making ”, Cognition and Instruction , Vol.  34 No.  3 , pp.  173 - 193 .

Banks , M. ( 2018 ), Using Visual Data in Qualitative Research , Sage , Thousand Oaks, CA , Vol. 5 .

Bannigan , K. and Moores , A. ( 2009 ), “ A model of professional thinking: integrating reflective practice and evidence-based practice ”, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy , Vol.  76 No.  5 , pp.  342 - 350 .

Bessarab , D. and Ng’andu , B. ( 2010 ), “ Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method in Indigenous research ”, International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies , Vol.  3 No.  1 , pp.  37 - 50 .

Billett , S. ( 2014 ), Mimetic Learning at Work: Learning in the Circumstances of Practice , Springer , Cham .

Bläsing , B.E. , Coogan , J. , Biondi , J. and Schack , T. ( 2018 ), “ Watching or listening: how visual and verbal information contribute to learning a complex dance phrase ”, Frontiers in Psychology , Vol.  9 No.  2371 , pp.  1 - 15 .

Boose , D.L. and Hutchings , P. ( 2016 ), “ The scholarship of teaching and learning as a subversive activity ”, Teaching and Learning Inquiry , Vol.  4 No.  1 , pp.  40 - 51 .

Boud , D. , Costley , C. , Marshall , S. and Sutton , B. ( 2020 ), “ Impacts of a professional practice doctorate: a collaborative enquiry ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol.  40 No.  3 , pp.  431 - 445 .

Bozalek , V. ( 2017 ), “ Slow scholarship in writing retreats: a diffractive methodology for response-able pedagogies ”, South African Journal of Higher Education , Vol.  31 No.  9 , pp.  40 - 57 .

Bradberry , L.A. and De Maio , J. ( 2019 ), “ Learning by doing: the long-term impact of experiential learning programs on student success ”, Journal of Political Science Education , Vol.  15 No.  1 , pp.  94 - 111 , doi: 10.1080/15512169.2018.1485571 .

Brice , S. ( 2018 ), “ Situating skill: contemporary observational drawing as a spatial method in geographical research ”, Cultural Geographies , Vol.  25 No.  1 , pp.  135 - 158 .

Cañas , A.J. , Reiska , P. and Möllits , A. ( 2017 ), “ Developing higher-order thinking skills with concept mapping: a case of pedagogic frailty ”, Knowledge Management and E-Learning: An International Journal , Vol.  9 No.  3 , pp.  348 - 365 .

Carlson , B. and Frazer , R. ( 2018 ), “ Yarning circles and social media activism ”, Media International Australia , Vol.  169 No.  1 , pp.  43 - 53 .

Carroll , M. ( 2010 ), “ Levels of reflection: on learning reflection ”, Psychotherapy in Australia , Vol.  16 No.  2 , pp.  24 - 31 .

Castelnuovo , E. , Galeotti , M. , Gambarelli , G. and Vergalli , S. ( 2005 ), “ Learning-by-doing vs. learning-by-researching in a model of climate change policy analysis ”, Ecological Economics , Vol.  54 Nos  2-3 , pp.  261 - 276 .

Chan , S. ( 2017 ), “ The reciprocity of ‘imitative learning’ through apprenticeship ”, Vocations and Learning , Vol.  10 No.  3 , pp.  325 - 342 .

Cimermanová , I. ( 2018 ), “ The effect of learning styles on academic achievement in different forms of teaching ”, International Journal of Instruction , Vol.  11 No.  3 , pp.  219 - 232 .

Cloutier , G. , Papin , M. and Bizier , C. ( 2018 ), “ Do-it-yourself (DIY) adaptation: civic initiatives as drivers to address climate change at the urban scale ”, Cities , Vol.  74 , pp.  284 - 291 .

Coffield , F. , Moseley , D. , Hall , E. and Ecclestone , K. ( 2004 ), Should We Be Using Learning Styles? What Research Has to Say to Practice , Learning and Skills Research Centre , London .

Conway , M. ( 2012 ), “ Sustainable futures: what higher education has to offer ”, Social Alternatives , Vol.  31 No.  4 , pp.  35 - 40 .

Costley , C. and Abukari , A. ( 2015 ), “ The impact of work-based research projects at postgraduate level ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol.  7 No.  1 , pp.  3 - 14 .

Costley , C. and Lester , S. ( 2012 ), “ Work-based doctorates: professional extension at the highest levels ”, Studies in Higher Education , Vol.  37 No.  3 , pp.  257 - 269 .

Craig , S.L. , McInroy , L.B. , Bogo , M. and Thompson , M. ( 2017 ), “ Enhancing competence in health social work education through simulation-based learning: strategies from a case study of a family session ”, Journal of Social Work Education , Vol.  53 No.  sup1 , pp.  S47 - S58 .

DiGiacomo , D.K. and Gutiérrez , K.D. ( 2016 ), “ Relational equity as a design tool within making and tinkering activities ”, Mind, Culture, and Activity , Vol.  23 No.  2 , pp.  141 - 153 .

Eden , S. ( 2014 ), “ Out of the comfort zone: enhancing work-based learning about employability through student reflection on work placements ”, Journal of Geography in Higher Education , Vol.  38 No.  2 , pp.  266 - 276 .

Erwin , R.W. , Jr ( 2015 ), “ Data literacy: real-world learning through problem-solving with data sets ”, American Secondary Education , Vol.  43 No.  2 , pp.  18 - 26 .

Fergusson , L. , Allred , D. and Dux , T. ( 2018 ), “ Work-based learning and research for mid-career professionals: professional studies in Australia ”, Interdisciplinary Journal of eSkills and Lifelong Learning , Vol. 14 , pp. 1 - 17 .

Fergusson , L. , Shallies , B. and Meijer , G. ( 2019 a), “ The scientific nature of professional studies: an introduction to first principles ”, Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning , Vol. 10 No. 1 , pp. 171 - 186 .

Fergusson , L. , van der Laan , L. and Baker , S. ( 2019 b), “ Reflective practice and work-based research: a description of micro- and macro-reflective cycles ”, Reflective Practice: International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives , Vol. 20 No. 2 , pp. 289 - 303 .

Fergusson , L. , van der Laan , L. , Ormsby , G. and Azmy , W. ( 2020 a), “ Applied micro- and macro-reflective cycles in work-based learning and research: two advanced practice contexts ”, Reflective Practice: International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives , Vol. 21 No. 3 , pp. 400 - 414 .

Fergusson , L. , van der Laan , L. , Shallies , B. and Baird , M. ( 2020 b), “ Work, resilience and sustainable futures: the approach of work-based research to problems and their solutions ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol. 21 No. 3 , pp. 400 - 414 .

Fergusson , L. and van der Laan , L. ( 2021 a), “ Work + learning: unpacking the agglomerated use of pedagogical terms ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Advanced online publication . doi: 10.1108/JWAM-12-2020-0053 .

Fergusson , L. and van der Laan , L. ( 2021 b), “ Disciplinarity and work: work-based learning as a transdisciplinary mode of study ”, World Futures , Vol. 77 No. 7 , pp. 508 - 531 .

Gabriel , Y. ( 2000 ), Storytelling in Organizations: Facts, Fictions, and Fantasies , Oxford University Press , Oxford .

Gameiro , S. , de Guevara , B.B. , El Refaie , E. and Payson , A. ( 2018 ), “ Drawing out: an innovative drawing workshop method to support the generation and dissemination of research findings ”, PLoS ONE , Vol.  13 No.  9 , e0203197 .

Garnett , J. ( 2016 ), “ Work-based learning: a critical challenge to the subject discipline structures and practices of higher education ”, Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning , Vol.  6 No.  3 , pp.  305 - 314 .

Gearty , M.R. , Bradbury-Huang , H. and Reason , P. ( 2015 ), “ Learning history in an open system: creating histories for sustainable futures ”, Management Learning , Vol.  46 No.  1 , pp.  44 - 66 .

Gerhardt , T. ( 2019 ), “ An analysis of the impact of a leadership intervention on an undergraduate work-based learning project for human resource management students ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol.  11 No.  1 , pp.  53 - 62 .

Gibbons , J. ( 2018 ), “ Reflection, realignment and refraction: Bernstein's evaluative rules and the summative assessment of reflective practice in a problem-based learning programme ”, Teaching in Higher Education , Vol.  24 No.  7 , pp.  834 - 849 .

Gibson , D. and Tavlaridis , V. ( 2018 ), “ Work-based learning for enterprise education? The case of Liverpool John Moores University ‘live’ civic engagement projects for students ”, Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning , Vol.  8 No.  1 , pp.  15 - 14 .

Glazzard , J. ( 2015 ), “ A critical analysis of learning styles and multiple intelligences and their contribution to inclusive education ”, Journal of Global Research in Education and Social Science , Vol.  2 No.  3 , pp.  107 - 113 .

Greenberger , S.W. ( 2020 ), “ Creating a guide for reflective practice: applying Dewey's reflective thinking to document faculty scholarly engagement ”, Reflective Practice , Vol.  21 No.  4 , pp.  458 - 472 .

Grosemans , I. , Boon , A. , Verclairen , C. , Dochy , F. and Kyndt , E. ( 2015 ), “ Informal learning of primary school teachers: considering the role of teaching experience and school culture ”, Teaching and Teacher Education , Vol.  47 , pp.  151 - 161 .

Helyer , R. ( 2015 ), “ Learning through reflection: the critical role of reflection in work-based learning (WBL) ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol.  7 No.  1 , pp.  15 - 27 .

Huda , M. , Jasmi , K.A. , Alas , Y. , Qodriah , S.L. , Dacholfany , M.I. and Jamsari , E.A. ( 2018 ), “ Empowering civic responsibility: insights from service learning ”, in Burton , S.L. (Ed.), Engaged Scholarship and Civic Responsibility in Higher Education , IGI Global , Hershey, PA , pp. 144 - 165 .

Jones , W.M. and Dexter , S. ( 2014 ), “ How teachers learn: the roles of formal, informal, and independent learning ”, Educational Technology Research and Development , Vol.  62 No.  3 , pp.  367 - 384 .

Kern , M.L. and Wehmeyer , M.L. ( 2021 ), The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Education , Palgrave MacMillan , Cham .

Kim , Y.H. , Min , J. , Kim , S.H. and Shin , S. ( 2018 ), “ Effects of a work-based critical reflection program for novice nurses ”, BMC Medical Education , Vol.  18 No.  1 , pp.  1 - 6 .

Koedinger , K.R. , Kim , J. , Jia , J.Z. , McLaughlin , G.A. and Bier , N.L. ( 2015 ), “ Learning is not a spectator sport: doing is better than watching for learning from a MOOC ”, L@S ’15: Proceedings of the Second ACM Conference on Learning @ Scale , March 2015 , pp.  111 - 120 .

Kolb , A.Y. and Kolb , D.A. ( 2005 ), “ Learning styles and learning spaces: enhancing experiential learning in higher education ”, Academy of Management Learning and Education , Vol.  4 No.  2 , pp.  193 - 212 .

Lester , S. and Costley , C. ( 2010 ), “ Work‐based learning at higher education level: value, practice and critique ”, Studies in Higher Education , Vol.  35 No.  5 , pp.  561 - 575 .

Li , Y. , Song , J. and Ermon , S. ( 2017 ), “ Infogail: interpretable imitation learning from visual demonstrations ”, 31st Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS 2017) , Long Beach, CA , arXiv preprint arXiv:1703.08840 .

Lillis , T. and Tuck , J. ( 2016 ), “ A critical lens on writing and reading in the academy ”, in Hyland , K. and Shaw , P. (Eds), The Routledge Handbook of English for Academic Purposes , Routledge , New York , pp. 30 - 43 .

MacNeill , N. , Silcox , S. and Boyd , R. ( 2018 ), “ Transformational and transactional leadership: a false dichotomy of leadership in schools ”, Education Today , Vol.  11 , pp.  10 - 12 .

Margolinas , C. , Coulange , L. and Bessot , A. ( 2005 ), “ What can the teacher learn in the classroom? ”, Educational Studies in Mathematics , Vol.  59 Nos 1/3 , pp.  205 - 234 .

Martens , S.E. , Meeuwissen , S.N.E. , Dolmans , D.H.J.M. , Bovill , C. and Könings , K.D. ( 2019 ), “ Student participation in the design of learning and teaching: disentangling the terminology and approaches ”, Medical Teacher , Vol.  41 No.  10 , pp.  1203 - 1205 .

McCormick , K. and Kiss , B. ( 2015 ), “ Learning through renovations for urban sustainability: the case of the Malmö Innovation Platform ”, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability , Vol.  16 , pp.  44 - 50 .

Micheli , P. , Wilner , S.J. , Bhatti , S.H. , Mura , M. and Beverland , M.B. ( 2019 ), “ Doing design thinking: conceptual review, synthesis, and research agenda ”, Journal of Product Innovation Management , Vol.  36 No.  2 , pp.  124 - 148 .

Middleton , R. ( 2017 ), “ Is reflection ‘overdone’ in nursing education? ”, Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal , Vol.  25 No.  2 , p. 36 .

Miller , R.J. and Maellaro , R. ( 2016 ), “ Getting to the root of the problem in experiential learning: using problem solving and collective reflection to improve learning outcomes ”, Journal of Management Education , Vol.  40 No.  2 , pp.  170 - 193 .

Mooney , J. , Riley , L. and Blacklock , F. ( 2018 ), “ Yarning up: stories of challenges and success ”, Australian Journal of Education , Vol.  62 No.  3 , pp.  266 - 275 .

Muis , K.R. , Psaradellis , C. , Chevrier , M. , Di Leo , I. and Lajoie , S.P. ( 2015 ), “ Learning by preparing to teach: fostering self-regulatory processes and achievement during complex mathematics problem solving ”, Journal of Educational Psychology , Vol.  108 No.  4 , p. 474 .

Nottingham , P.M. ( 2020 ), “ Professional artefacts: evaluating creative outcomes for work-based inquiry ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol.  12 No.  2 , pp.  127 - 139 .

Okada , T. and Ishibashi , K. ( 2017 ), “ Imitation, inspiration, and creation: cognitive process of creative drawing by copying others' artworks ”, Cognitive Science , Vol.  41 No.  7 , pp.  1804 - 1837 .

Oliván Blázquez , B. , Masluk , B. , Gascon , S. , Fueyo Díaz , R. , Aguilar-Latorre , A. , Artola Magallón , I. and Magallón Botaya , R. ( 2019 ), “ The use of flipped classroom as an active learning approach improves academic performance in social work: a randomized trial in a university ”, PLoS ONE , Vol.  14 No.  4 , e0214623 .

Phillips , T. , Porticella , N. , Costas , M. and Bonnet , R. ( 2018 ), “ A framework for articulating and measuring individual learning outcomes from participation in citizen science ”, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice , Vol.  3 No.  2 , pp.  1 - 19 , Article 3 .

Pink , S. ( 2015 ), Doing Sensory Ethnography , Sage , Thousand Oaks, CA .

Porter , H.T. ( 2018 ), “ Constructing an understanding of undergraduate disciplinary reading: an analysis of contemporary scholarship ”, Journal of College Reading and Learning , Vol.  48 No.  1 , pp.  25 - 46 .

Rees , C. ( 2018 ), “ Drawing on drawings: moving beyond text in health professions education research ”, Perspectives on Medical Education , Vol.  7 No.  3 , pp.  166 - 173 .

Scott , D. ( 2020 ), “ Creatively expanding research from work-based learning ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol.  12 No.  2 , pp.  115 - 125 .

Shah , N.P. , Cross , R. and Levin , D.Z. ( 2018 ), “ Performance benefits from providing assistance in networks: relationships that generate learning ”, Journal of Management , Vol.  44 No.  2 , pp.  412 - 444 .

Souto-Manning , M. and Cheruvu , R. ( 2016 ), “ Challenging and appropriating discourses of power: listening to and learning from early career early childhood teachers of color ”, Equity and Excellence in Education , Vol.  49 No.  1 , pp.  9 - 26 .

Stroupe , D. ( 2014 ), “ Examining classroom science practice communities: how teachers and students negotiate epistemic agency and learn science‐as‐practice ”, Science Education , Vol.  98 No.  3 , pp.  487 - 516 .

Vereijken , M.W. , van der Rijst , R.M. , de Beaufort , A.J. , van Driel , J.H. and Dekker , F.W. ( 2018 ), “ Fostering first-year student learning through research integration into teaching: student perceptions, beliefs about the value of research and student achievement ”, Innovations in Education and Teaching International , Vol.  55 No.  4 , pp.  425 - 432 .

Vossoughi , S. and Bevan , B. ( 2014 ), “ Making and tinkering: a review of the literature ”, National Research Council Committee on Out of School Time STEM , Vol.  67 , pp.  1 - 55 .

Walker , M. , Fredericks , B. , Mills , K. and Anderson , D. ( 2014 ), “ ‘Yarning’ as a method for community-based health research with indigenous women: the indigenous women's wellness research program ”, Health Care for Women International , Vol.  35 No.  10 , pp.  1216 - 1226 .

Wall , T. , Russell , J. and Moore , N. ( 2017 ), “ Positive emotion in workplace impact: the case of a work-based learning project utilising appreciative inquiry ”, Journal of Work-Applied Management , Vol.  9 No.  2 , pp.  129 - 146 .

Walsh , J.A. and Sattes , B.D. ( 2016 ), Quality Questioning: Research-Based Practice to Engage Every Learner , Corwin Press , Thousands Oaks, CA .

Willis , R. ( 2019 ), “ The use of composite narratives to present interview findings ”, Qualitative Research , Vol.  19 No.  4 , pp.  471 - 480 .

Wofford , M.G. , Ellinger , A.D. and Watkins , K.E. ( 2013 ), “ Learning on the fly: exploring the informal learning process of aviation instructors ”, Journal of Workplace Learning , Vol.  25 No.  2 , pp.  79 - 97 .

Ybarra , O. , Winkielman , P. , Yeh , I. , Burnstein , E. and Kavanagh , L. ( 2011 ), “ Friends (and sometimes enemies) with cognitive benefits: what types of social interactions boost executive functioning? ”, Social Psychological and Personality Science , Vol.  2 No.  3 , pp.  253 - 261 .

Corresponding author

Related articles, we’re listening — tell us what you think, something didn’t work….

Report bugs here

All feedback is valuable

Please share your general feedback

Join us on our journey

Platform update page.

Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

Questions & More Information

Answers to the most commonly asked questions here

  • Knowledge Management
  • Knowledge Hub
  • Human Resources

Taking advantage of all the expertise within an organization is a great way to maximize its potential. Companies have a well of untapped knowledge within their workforce that is lying dormant or siloed to individual staff or departments.

With the proper management structures in place, this knowledge can be found, stored, and made accessible to the wider workforce, offering tangible business benefits.

What is Knowledge Management?

Knowledge management in practice, types of knowledge, examples of knowledge management.

  • Importance of knowledge management

Benefits of knowledge management

Knowledge management process, knowledge management methods, what are knowledge management systems.

Knowledge management is the conscious process of defining, structuring, retaining, and sharing the knowledge and experience of employees within an organization.

As organizations evolve, expand into new areas, and define their approach to business, they develop significant institutional knowledge . This information is invaluable to the company. Imparting it to new or less experienced staff is vital for maintaining successful operations.

The primary goal of knowledge management is facilitating the connection of staff looking for information, or institutional knowledge, with the people who have it.

With practical knowledge management in place, organizations can spread information and raise the level of expertise held by specific individuals or teams to improve the efficiency of their practices.

It often refers to training and learning in an organization or of its customers. It consists of a cycle of creating, sharing, structuring, and auditing knowledge to maximize the effectiveness of an organization’s collective expertise.

Knowledge management can be separated into three main areas:

  • Accumulating knowledge
  • Storing knowledge
  • Sharing knowledge

By accumulating and storing the staff’s knowledge, companies hold onto what has made them successful in the past. In addition, sharing this information throughout the organization informs staff of past approaches that improve performance or better inform new strategies.

To achieve the goal of knowledge management, companies have to enable and promote a culture of learning and development, creating an environment where employees are encouraged to share information to better the collective workforce.

The banner for Skills Gap Analysis Guide

When discussing knowledge management, it is helpful to consider the different types of knowledge and how it is possible to share them within an organization.

The information knowledge management covers can generally be broken down into three main types:

1. Explicit knowledge is knowledge and information that can be easily codified and taught, such as how to change the toner in a printer and mathematical equations.

2. Implicit knowledge is knowledge that explains how best to implement explicit knowledge. For example, consider discussing a task with an experienced co-worker. They may provide explicit steps detailing how to complete the job. But they may also use their understanding of the situation to consider different options and decide the best approach for your given circumstances. The experienced employee utilizes and shares their implicit knowledge to improve how the team operates.

3. Tacit knowledge is knowledge gained through experience. Therefore, it is more intuitive and less easy to share with others. Examples of tacit knowledge are “know-hows”, innovative thinking, and understanding body language.

While knowledge management for implicit and tacit knowledge can be harder to implement, with correct procedures in place, you can ensure all relevant information is shared around the company and retained as staff retire or move on.

Utilizing all the expertise in your company benefits the business as a whole, creating best practices for everyday tasks, improving situational awareness, developing employee intuition for course corrections, and enhancing organizational capacity.

Staff retiring

An employee’s knowledge and skillset grow as they spend time with an organization. As a result, staff typically retire with a wealth of expertise that the company needs to mine using efficient knowledge management processes in order to reduce disruption and prevent workforce knowledge gaps.

This means identifying and capturing the meaningful information that needs to be retained by the organization and determining the best approach for storing and distribution.

Employee transfer or promotion

When staff change positions within a company, they must develop additional skillsets and expertise to match their new role.

Efficient knowledge management procedures simplify delivering this information to create a seamless transition from one position to another.

Why is knowledge management important?

Knowledge management is important because it boosts the efficiency of an organization’s decision-making ability.

By making sure that all employees have access to the overall expertise held within the organization, a smarter workforce is built that is more able to make quick, informed decisions, benefiting the entire company.

Knowledge management allows innovation to grow within the organization, customers benefit from increased access to best practices, and employee turnover is reduced.

The importance of knowledge management is growing every year. As the marketplace becomes ever more competitive, one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve is to build your organization in an intelligent, flexible manner. You must have the ability to spot issues from a distance and be able to respond quickly to new information and innovations.

Companies begin the knowledge management process for many different reasons.

  • A merger or acquisition could spur the need for codifying knowledge and encouraging teams to share their expertise.
  • The imminent retirement of key employees could demonstrate the need to capture their knowledge.
  • An upcoming recruitment drive shows the wisdom in using knowledge management to assist in training new employees.

52% of respondents in Deloitte’s 2021 Global Human Capital Trends Survey stated workforce movement as the driving force behind proactively developing knowledge management strategies.

Whatever the reason is, implementing knowledge management processes offers tangible benefits that drive value. This is backed up by research , showing knowledge management positively influences dynamic capabilities and organizational performance.

A survey of over 286 people working in knowledge management across a range of industries, locations, and company sizes found the most significant benefits to be:

  • Reduced time to find information
  • Reduced time for new staff to become competent
  • Reduced operational costs
  • Improved customer satisfaction
  • Improved bid win/loss ratio

Making knowledge management a significant part of a company’s leadership approach produces a more streamlined workforce with faster onboarding and well-informed staff that provide a better experience for customers.

Knowledge management is a critical tool for any company that wants to increase its bottom line and market share .

IDC estimates that Fortune 500 companies lose $31 billion from not sharing knowledge within their organization every year. Studies estimate improving employee access to information and tools could save organizations roughly $2 million a month for every 4000 employees.

Implementing effective knowledge management requires proactive strategies and incorporating multiple new processes.

Companies have to uncover the existing knowledge available to them, understand how to spread this information to produce additional value, and plan what this looks like in action.

Knowledge management process

Knowledge management process. Credit: Valamis. ( CC BY 4.0 )

1. Discovery

Every organization has multiple sources of knowledge, from employees to data and records.

This could be the education and skillsets staff bring to the job, the experience and unique expertise they develop on the job, or hard drives of data that can positively affect the business with proper analysis.

During the discovery process, organizations must identify all the available sources of knowledge, with a particular emphasis on information that could be easily lost.

This process is simplified by a strong understanding of where and how knowledge flows around the organization.

2. Collection

Collecting all the available knowledge and data creates the foundation from which future processes build.

Sloppy or incorrect knowledge collection leads to decisions without a complete understanding of the organization and its capabilities.

Companies must audit their existing staff expertise, documentation, and external knowledge sources. A range of tools is available to help, including automated surveys, document scanning, and metadata.

Post-implementation, many organizations redefine internal processes to make capturing institutional knowledge a part of everyday processes. This could be through continual employee feedback systems or more in-depth offboarding procedures.

3. Assessment

This process involves the deep analysis of the knowledge gathered in the previous two steps. Data must be assessed and organized into a structured, searchable, and easily accessible form.

Assessment of the gathered knowledge is required to ensure it is accurate, offers value, and is up to date.

Then teams can determine how best to share information to improve company performance and give staff the knowledge they need to maximize performance.

Utilizing the right knowledge management system simplifies this process by allowing leadership to organize, assess, segment, and store a comprehensive knowledge database.

The whole point of knowledge management is to give staff the expertise and information they need to do their job to the best of their ability.

Once you have built a detailed and accurate body of knowledge related to your company, you need to plan how it will be shared.

See the “Knowledge management methods” section below for examples of how to share information around your company.

While there are many examples of sharing information, one thing that should be universal is creating a cultural shift towards learning and development .

Leadership must prioritize and reward knowledge sharing, creating an atmosphere where team members are actively encouraged to both teach each other and learn from one another.

5. Application

This is the step where organizations reap the rewards of knowledge management. Discovering and storing institutional knowledge is just the beginning.

Staff utilizing newly acquired expertise in their tasks brings a range of benefits in productivity, accuracy, decision-making, and more innovative employees.

6. Creation

The final stage of knowledge management is to create more knowledge.

It should never be considered a one-and-done process. A single audit and rollout won’t deliver the results you are looking for.

Knowledge management is a continual process that maximizes a company’s performance for the expertise available to it.

Whether it is a team discovering a new, more efficient approach to a task or a better way of capturing data related to company performance, organizations should constantly be innovating and creating new knowledge to pass on to future employees.

Depending on what the company needs, their knowledge management will look different.

Below we have listed common examples of knowledge management methods in action:

1. Tutoring & training, communities of practice, and Q&A

These examples all involve transferring information directly from the knowledge holder to other employees.

This could be through in-person tutoring, company-wide training sessions, online chats, and group discussions – or a mix of these options and others.

Many companies value building a skills matrix that maps each employee’s expertise. This simplifies finding the employee with the most experience or knowledge in a given field. In addition, it identifies knowledge gaps within the workforce and shows areas requiring focus for specific knowledge management methods and training.

Some examples of this type of knowledge management may not require a formalized structure. For example, perhaps your company is having problems with a new project, which reminds you of a previous situation. Using the company Slack, for example, you can search for similar questions and find old threads discussing how you overcame the problem last time. Prior expertise that you may not have thought about in years is stored and discovered in old communications to help you right now.

  • Questions can be immediately answered
  • Clarifications can be made if the material is not understood
  • Brainstorming sessions can be facilitated, taking advantage of the combined power of the group’s experience and knowledge
  • In-person learning tends to be remembered more clearly
  • It can be time-consuming and take away from the tasks the knowledge holder is trying to complete
  • A system of expertise location can be time-consuming to build and maintain
  • It can be challenging to document and save for future use
  • Difficulty finding the right expert with good communication skills and knowledge of the company
  • You can lose the knowledge if the knowledge holder leaves the company

2. Documentations, guides, guidelines, FAQ, and tutorials

Written communications are great for storing and transferring knowledge.

With text-based knowledge management, a system to store, categorize and navigate subjects is always available.

In many cases, metadata is a great help for this.

  • The company has an invaluable source of information of up to date information
  • Easy to find and share online (when organized well)
  • Can easily combine multiple people’s expertise into one packet
  • Requires a lot of time to create and keep up-to-date
  • Must be appropriately managed to ensure relevant knowledge is easily found
  • Requires infrastructure (internet access, etc.)
  • It takes time to consume

3. Forums, intranets, and collaboration environments

These online resources spark conversation and bring many knowledge holders into the same place.

Threads, subforums, and groups can be divided by topic, level of expertise, or any number of other classifications.

  • Collaboration drives innovation
  • Many experts can be brought together into one place, no matter their location globally
  • Facilitating contact with remote teams helps teamwork and knowledge transfer
  • It can be a chaotic, noisy environment
  • Knowledge is not actively being vetted as it is added to discussions
  • Searching through many messages and threads for relevant answers is time-consuming
  • Messages and threads might not be archived

4. Learning and development environments

Creating an environment where learning is considered an asset will continuously drive employees to educate themselves.

Incentivizing them to take advantage of your knowledge management systems will result in upskilled employees ready to take on leadership roles in your organization.

For this to happen, there must be structured and accessible learning and development technology in place that employees can use.

  • Motivated employees can develop themselves at will
  • Training pathways can be set out
  • Wide range of resources available to produce a constant flow of fresh content
  • The structure allows for easier discovery of subjects
  • Authoring tools available such that internal experts can build company-specific courses
  • Analytic tools are available to help find knowledge gaps inside the company
  • Requires a lot of effort to develop and maintain in house
  • Readily available solutions may be too generic to add real value for your company
  • Content must be created and continually updated
  • Requires an influential learning culture to motivate staff to participate

5. Case studies

These in-depth studies into particular areas serve as complete guides to a subject.

Looking at the actions taken, the results they produce, and any lessons learned is extremely valuable.

  • Allow for complete documentation and archiving of lessons learned
  • Easily shareable
  • Efficient for communicating complex information
  • It takes a lot of time and skill to create
  • The case study may have limitations or require approval from the parties involved
  • Can be too specialized to apply the knowledge broadly
  • In fast-paced fields that are constantly innovating, case studies can become out of date quickly

6. Webinars

These online seminars can be beneficial in widely disseminating ideas throughout teams, branches, or the entire company.

  • Accessible for all interested employees to attend
  • Potential for interactivity where attendees can ask questions specific to issues they are having
  • Can be recorded and reused
  • Planning, finding the right speakers, and settling on a topic is time-consuming
  • Requires organization
  • External experts can cost a lot
  • Requires time to find answer

Knowledge management systems are IT solutions that allow for the storage and retrieval of the information stored within the company, allowing for better collaboration and more efficient problem-solving.

Depending on what your company needs, they will have different features.

Examples of knowledge management systems are:

  • Feedback database – Everyone involved in a product, from designers to salespeople to customers, can share their feedback with the organization. All stakeholders can access the feedback and thus quickly make fundamental changes armed with better information.
  • Research files – In developing projects and ideas, a company does market and consumer research to determine what is needed, what niches are yet to be filled in the market, and what trends can be forecasted. The files are then shared within the organization to allow all departments to benefit from the research conducted.

Shared project files – This system allows for greater collaboration and teamwork, especially across distances.

How to Conduct a Skills Gap Analysis in 5 Steps

Start to decrease your employees’ skills gap by using our guide. Learn the five practical steps to asses the skills gap and identify what to do next.

application of knowledge essay

Ivan Andreev

Demand Generation & Capture Strategist

Ivan is a dedicated and versatile professional with over 12 years of experience in online marketing and a proven track record of turning challenges into opportunities. Ivan works diligently to improve internal processes and explore new possibilities for the company.

Cookie Preferences

Valamis values your privacy. Please choose the cookie types you want to allow. You can read our Cookie Policy for more details.

Necessary cookies Necessary cookies are crucial for the website's proper functioning and cannot be disabled without negatively impacting the site's performance and user experience. These cookies do not store personal information and are strictly necessary for basic functions. Without them, the website would not be operable.

Marketing cookies Marketing cookies track website visitors to display relevant ads to individual users. These cookies do not store personal information. They measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and remarketing, relying on a unique identifier for the user's browser and devices.

Analytics cookies Analytical cookies enable the website owner to gain insights into how visitors interact with the website by gathering and reporting data. These cookies do not store personal information. These data help optimize website's performance and user experience.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Duke University

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

application of knowledge essay

How to Write the Common Application Essays 2023-2024 (With Examples)

The Common App essay is one of the most important parts of your application, but it can be extremely daunting if you’re not familiar with creative writing or what admissions officers are looking for.

In this blog post, we’ll provide advice on how to break down these prompts, organize your thoughts, and craft a strong, meaningful response that admissions officers will notice. If you’d like more free personalized help, you can get your essays reviewed and explore school-by-school essay help on CollegeVine.

Why the Common App Essay Matters

Admissions is a human process. While admissions committees look at grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, there are five students that have great qualifications in those areas for every spot in a university’s class. As an applicant, you need an admissions counselor to choose you over everyone else — to advocate specifically for you. 

This is where essays come in; they are an opportunity for you to turn an admissions counselor into an advocate for your application! Of your essays, the Common App is the most important since it is seen by most of the colleges to which you apply. It is also your longest essay, which gives you more space to craft a narrative and share your personality, feelings, and perspective.

It’s not hyperbole to say that getting the Common App essay right is the single most important thing you can do to improve your chances of admission as a senior. 

Overview of the Common App

The Common App essay is the best way for admissions committees to get to know you. While SAT scores, your past course load, and your grades provide a quantitative picture of you as a student, the Common App essay offers adcoms a refreshing glimpse into your identity and personality. For this reason, try to treat the essay as an opportunity to tell colleges why you are unique and what matters to you.

Since your Common App essay will be seen by numerous colleges, you will want to paint a portrait of yourself that is accessible to a breadth of institutions and admissions officers (for example, if you are only applying to engineering programs at some schools, don’t focus your Common App on STEM at the expense of your other applications — save that for your supplemental essays).

In short, be open and willing to write about a topic you love, whether it is sports, music, politics, food, or watching movies. The Common App essay is more of a conversation than a job interview.

What Makes a Great Common App Essay?

A great Common App essay is, first and foremost, deeply personal. You are relying on the admissions committee to choose you over someone else, which they are more likely to do if they feel a personal connection to you. In your essay, you should delve into your feelings, how you think about situations/problems, and how you make decisions.

Good essays also usually avoid cliche topics . A couple overdone themes include an immigrant’s journey (particularly if you’re Asian American), and a sports accomplishment or injury. It’s not that these topics are bad, but rather that many students write about these subjects, so they don’t stand out as much. Of course, some students are able to write a genuine and unique essay about one of these topics, but it’s hard to pull off. You’re better off writing about more nuanced aspects of your identity!

You should also, of course, pay close attention to your grammar and spelling, use varied sentence structure and word choice, and be consistent with your tone/writing style. Take full advantage of the available 650 words, as writing less tends to mean missed opportunities.

Finally, it’s a good practice to be aware of your audience – know who you are writing for! For example, admissions officers at BYU will probably be very religious, while those at Oberlin will be deeply committed to social justice.

See some examples of great Common App essays to get a better idea of what makes a strong essay.

How your Common App Essay Fits with Your Other Essays

The Common App is one part of a portfolio of essays that you send to colleges, along with supplemental essays at individual colleges. With all of your essays for a particular college, you want to create a narrative and tell different parts of your story. So, the topics you write about should be cohesive and complementary, but not repetitive or overlapping. 

Before jumping in to write your Common App essay, you should think about the other schools that you’re writing essays for and make sure that you have a strategy for your entire portfolio of essays and cover different topics for each. If you have strong qualifications on paper for the colleges you are targeting, the best narratives tend to humanize you. If you have weaker qualifications on paper for your colleges, the best narratives tend to draw out your passion for the topics or fields of study that are of interest to you and magnify your accomplishments. 

Strategy for Writing the Common App Essays

Because the Common App essay is 650 words long and has few formal directions, organizing a response might seem daunting. Fortunately, at CollegeVine, we’ve developed a straightforward approach to formulating strong, unique responses.

This section outlines how to: 1) Brainstorm , 2) Organize , and 3) Write a Common App essay.

Before reading the prompts, brainstorming is a critical exercise to develop high-level ideas. One way to construct a high-level idea would be to delve into a passion and focus on how you interact with the concept or activity. For example, using “creative writing” as a high-level idea, one could stress their love of world-building, conveying complex emotions, and depicting character interactions, emphasizing how writing stems from real-life experiences.

A different idea that doesn’t involve an activity would be to discuss how your personality has developed in relation to your family; maybe one sibling is hot-headed, the other quiet, and you’re in the middle as the voice of reason (or maybe you’re the hot-head). These are simply two examples of infinitely many ideas you could come up with.

To begin developing your own high-level ideas, you can address these Core Four questions that all good Common App essays should answer:

  • “Who Am I?”
  • “Why Am I Here?”
  • “What is Unique About Me?”
  • “What Matters to Me?”

The first question focuses on your personality traits — who you are. The second question targets your progression throughout high school (an arc or journey). The third question is more difficult to grasp, but it involves showing why your personality traits, methods of thinking, areas of interest, and tangible skills form a unique combination. The fourth question is a concluding point that can be answered simply, normally in the conclusion paragraph, i.e., “Running matters to me” or “Ethical fashion matters to me.”

You can brainstorm freeform or start with a specific prompt in mind.

Sometimes, it can be helpful to start by jotting down the 3-5 aspects of your personality or experiences you’ve had on a piece of paper. Play around with narratives that are constructed out of different combinations of these essential attributes before settling on a prompt. 

For example, you might note that you are fascinated by environmental justice, have had success in Model Congress, and are now working with a local politician to create a recycling program in your school district. You may also have tried previous initiatives that failed. These experiences could be constructed and applied to a number of Common App prompts. You could address a specific identity or interest you have associated with public advocacy, discuss what you learned from your failed initiatives, explore how you challenged the lack of recycling at your school, fantasize about solving waste management issues, etc. 

Selecting a prompt that you identify with

For example, consider the following prompt: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Perhaps you had been a dedicated and active member of your school’s debate team until one of your parents lost their jobs, leaving you unable to afford the high membership and travel dues. You decided to help out by getting a job after school, and responded to your familial hardship with grace and understanding (as opposed to anger). A few months later, and after speaking with your former debate coach and your parents, you set up a system to save up for your own trips so that you could still participate in debate!

In general, the most common mistake CollegeVine sees with Common App essays is that they aren’t deeply personal. Your essay should be specific enough that it could be identified as yours even if your name wasn’t attached. 

If you get stuck, don’t worry! This is very common as the Common App is often the first personal essay college applicants have ever written. One way of getting unstuck if you feel like you aren’t getting creative or personal enough is to keep asking yourself “why”

For example: I love basketball…

  • Because I like having to think on the fly and be creative while running our offense.

It can often help to work with someone and bounce ideas off them. Teachers are often a bad idea – they tend to think of essays in an academic sense, which is to say they often fail to apply the admissions context. Further, it is unlikely that they know you well enough to provide valuable insight. Friends in your own year can be a good idea because they know you, but you should be careful about competitive pressures applying within the same high school. Older friends, siblings, or neighbors who have successfully navigated the admissions process at your target universities (or good universities) strike that medium between no longer being competitive with you for admissions but still being able to help you brainstorm well because they know you.

Overall, there is no single “correct” topic. Your essay will be strong as long as you are comfortable and passionate about your idea and it answers the Core Four questions.

Common App essays are not traditional five-paragraph essays. You are free to be creative in structure, employ dialogue, and use vivid descriptions—and you should! Make sure that context and logic are inherent in your essay, however. From paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, your ideas should be clear and flow naturally. Great ways to ensure this are using a story arc following a few major points, or focusing on cause and effect.

The traditional approach

This involves constructing a narrative out of your experiences and writing a classic personal essay. You are free to be creative in structure, employ dialogue, and use vivid descriptions—and you should! Make sure that context and logic are inherent in your essay, however. From paragraph to paragraph, sentence to sentence, your ideas should be clear and flow naturally. Great ways to ensure this are using a story arc following a few major points, or focusing on cause and effect.

The creative approach

Some students prefer to experiment with an entirely new approach to the personal essay. For example, a student who is passionate about programming could write their essay in alternating lines of Binary and English. A hopeful Literature major could reimagine a moment in their life as a chapter of War and Peace, adopting Tolstoy’s writing style. Or, you could write about a fight with your friend in the form of a third person sports recap to both highlight your interest in journalism and reveal a personal story. Creative essays are incredibly risky and difficult to pull off. However, a creative essay that is well executed may also have the potential for high reward.

Your Common App essay must display excellent writing in terms of grammar and sentence structure. The essay doesn’t need to be a Shakespearean masterpiece, but it should be well-written and clear.

A few tips to accomplish this are:

  • Show, don’t tell
  • Be specific
  • Choose active voice, not passive voice
  • Avoid clichés
  • Write in a tone that aligns with your goals for the essay. For example, if you are a heavy STEM applicant hoping to use your Common App essay to humanize your application, you will be undermined by writing in a brusque, harsh tone.

“Show, don’t tell” is vital to writing an engaging essay, and this is the point students struggle with most.  Instead of saying, “I struggled to make friends when I transferred schools,” you can show your emotions by writing, “I scanned the bustling school cafeteria, feeling more and more forlorn with each unfamiliar face. I found an empty table and ate my lunch alone.”

In many cases, writing can include more specific word choice . For example, “As a kid, I always played basketball,” can be improved to be “Every day after school as a kid, I ran home, laced up my sneakers, and shot a basketball in my driveway until the sun went down and I could barely see.”

To use active voice over passive voice , be sure that your sentence’s subject performs the action indicated by the verb, rather than the action performing onto the subject. Instead of writing “this project was built by my own hands,” you would say “I built this project with my own hands.”

Finally, avoid clichés like adages, sayings, and quotes that do not bring value to your essay. Examples include phrases like “Be the change you wish to see in the world” (it’s also important to know that sayings like these are often seriously misquoted—Gandhi did not actually utter these words) and lavish claims like “it was the greatest experience of my life.”

A few tips for the writing (and re-writing!) process

  • If you have enough time, write a 950 word version of your personal statement first and then cut it down to the official word limit of 650. In many cases, the extra writing you do for this draft will contain compelling content. Using this, you can carve out the various sections and information that allow you to tell your story best. 
  • Revise your draft 3-5 times. Any more, you are probably overthinking and overanalyzing. Any less, you are not putting in the work necessary to optimize your Common App essay.
  • It can be easy for you to get lost in your words after reading and rereading, writing and rewriting. It is best to have someone else do your final proofread to help you identify typos or sentences that are unclear.

Deciding on a Prompt

This section provides insights and examples for each of the 7 Common App essay prompts for the 2023-2024 cycle. Each of these prompts lends itself to distinct topics and strategies, so selecting the prompt that best aligns with your idea is essential to writing an effective Common App essay.

Here are this year’s prompts (click the link to jump to the specific prompt):

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. how did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience, reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. what prompted your thinking what was the outcome, reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. how has this gratitude affected or motivated you, discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others., describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. why does it captivate you what or who do you turn to when you want to learn more, share an essay on any topic of your choice. it can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design..

This prompt offers an opportunity to engage with your favorite extracurricular or academic subject, and it allows you to weave a narrative that displays personal growth in that area. An essay that displays your personality and a unique interest can be attention-grabbing, particularly if you have an unconventional passion, such as blogging about Chinese basketball or unicycling.

Don’t feel intimidated if you don’t have a passion that is immediately “unique,” however. Even an interest like “arctic scuba diving” will fail as an essay topic if it’s not written with insight and personality. Instead of attempting to impress the Admissions Officer by making up unusual or shocking things, think about how you spend your free time and ask yourself why you spend it that way. Also think about your upbringing, identity, and experiences and ask yourself, “What has impacted me in a meaningful way?”

Here Are A Few Response Examples:

Background – A person’s background includes experiences, training, education, and culture. You can discuss the experience of growing up, interacting with family, and how relationships have molded who you are. A background can include long-term interactions with arts, music, sciences, sports, writing, and many other learned skills. Background also includes your social environments and how they’ve influenced your perception. In addition, you can highlight intersections between multiple backgrounds and show how each is integral to you.

One student wrote about how growing up in a poor Vietnamese immigrant family inspired her to seize big opportunities, even if they were risky or challenging. She describes the emotional demand of opening and running a family grocery store. (Note: Names have been changed to protect the identity of the author and subjects in all the examples.)

The callouses on my mother’s hands formed during the years spent scaling fish at the  market in Go Noi, Vietnam. My mother never finished her formal education because she  labored on the streets to help six others survive. Her calloused hands not only scaled fish, they  also slaved over the stove, mustering a meal from the few items in the pantry. This image  resurfaces as I watch my mother’s calloused hands wipe her sweat-beaded forehead while she  manages the family business, compiling resources to provide for the family. 

Living in an impoverished region of Vietnam pushed my parents to emigrate. My two  year-old memory fails me, but my mother vividly recounts my frightened eyes staring up at her on my first plane ride. With life packed into a single suitcase, my mother’s heart, though,  trembled more than mine. Knowing only a few words of English, my mother embarked on a  journey shrouded in a haze of uncertainty. 

Our initial year in America bore an uncanny resemblance to Vietnam – from making one  meal last the entire day to wearing the same four shirts over and over again. Through thin walls, I  heard my parents debating their decision to come to the United States, a land where they knew  no one. My grandparents’ support came in half-hearted whispers cracking through long-distance  phone calls. My dad’s scanty income barely kept food on the table. We lived on soup and rice for  what seemed an interminable time. 

However, an opportunity knocked on my parents’ door: a grocery store in the town of  Decatur, Mississippi, was up for rent. My parents took the chance, risking all of their savings.  To help my parents, I spent most of my adolescent afternoons stocking shelves, mopping floors,  and even translating. My parents’ voices wavered when speaking English; through every attempt to communicate with their customers, a language barrier forged a palpable presence in each  transaction. My parents’ spirits faltered as customers grew impatient. A life of poverty awaited us in Vietnam if the business was not successful. 

On the first day, the business brought in only twenty dollars. Twenty dollars. My mother and my father wept after they closed the shop. Seeing the business as a failure, my mom commenced her packing that night; returning to Vietnam seemed inevitable. 

The next business day, however, sales increased ten-fold. More and more customers  came each successive day. My mom’s tears turned into—well, more tears, but they were tears of  joy. My mother unpacked a bag each night. 

Fifteen years later, my parents now own Blue Bear Grocery. My parents work, work,  work to keep the shelves stocked and the customers coming. The grocery store holds a special  place in my heart: it is the catalyst for my success. My parents serve as my role-models, teaching  me a new lesson with every can placed on the shelf. One lesson that resurfaces is the importance  of pursuing a formal education, something that my parents never had the chance of. 

When the opportunity to attend the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science  (MSMS) presented itself, I took it and ran, as did my parents by leaving Vietnam and by buying  the store. Although I am not managing hundreds of products, I am managing hundreds of  assignments at MSMS – from Mu Alpha Theta tutoring to lab reports to student government to British literature. 

Had I not immigrated, my hands would be calloused from the tight grip of the knife  scaling fish rather than from the tight grip on my pencil. My hands would be calloused from scrubbing my clothes covered in fish scales rather than from long hours spent typing a research paper. 

Although the opportunities that my parents and I pursued are different, our journey is  essentially the same: we walk a road paved with uncertainty and doubt with the prospect of success fortified by our hearts and our hands.

Identity – this can mean racial identity, sexual orientation, gender, or simply one’s place within a specific community (even communities as unique as, say, players of World of Warcraft). With the topic of racial identity, it’s important to remember the audience (college admissions counselors often lean progressive politically), so this might not be the best place to make sweeping claims about today’s state of race relations. However, reflecting on how your culture has shaped your experiences can make for a compelling essay. Alternatively, focusing on a dominant personality trait can also make for a compelling theme. For example, if you’re extremely outgoing, you could explain how your adventurousness has allowed you to learn from a diverse group of friends and the random situations you find yourself in. One important thing to note: the topic of identity can easily lack originality if you cover a common experience such as feeling divided between cultures, or coming out. If such experiences are integral to who you are, you should still write about them, but be sure to show us your unique introspection and reflection.

One student detailed how growing up as an American in Germany led to feelings of displacement. Moving to America in high school only exacerbated her feelings of rootlessness. Her transcultural experiences, however, allowed her to relate to other “New Americans,” particularly refugees. Helping a young refugee girl settle into the US eventually helped the writer find home in America as well:

Growing up, I always wanted to eat, play, visit, watch, and be it all: sloppy joes and spaetzle, Beanie Babies and Steiff, Cape Cod and the Baltic Sea, football and fussball, American and German. 

My American parents relocated our young family to Berlin when I was three years old. My exposure to America was limited to holidays spent stateside and awfully dubbed Disney Channel broadcasts. As the few memories I had of living in the US faded, my affinity for Germany grew. I began to identify as “Germerican,” an ideal marriage of the two cultures. As a child, I viewed my biculturalism as a blessing. I possessed a native fluency in “Denglisch” and my family’s Halloween parties were legendary at a time when the holiday was just starting to gain popularity outside of the American Sector. 

Insidiously, the magic I once felt in loving two homes was replaced by a deep­rooted sense of rootlessness. I stopped feeling American when, while discussing World War II with my grandmother, I said “the US won.” She corrected me, insisting I use “we” when referring to the US’s actions. Before then, I hadn’t realized how directly people associated themselves with their countries. I stopped feeling German during the World Cup when my friends labeled me a “bandwagon fan” for rooting for Germany. Until that moment, my cheers had felt sincere. I wasn’t part of the “we” who won World Wars or World Cups. Caught in a twilight of foreign and familiar, I felt emotionally and psychologically disconnected from the two cultures most familiar to me. 

After moving from Berlin to New York state at age fifteen, my feelings of cultural homelessness thrived in my new environment. Looking and sounding American furthered my feelings of dislocation. Border patrol agents, teachers, classmates, neighbors, and relatives all “welcomed me home” to a land they could not understand was foreign to me. Americans confused me as I relied on Urban Dictionary to understand my peers, the Pledge of Allegiance seemed nationalistic, and the only thing familiar about Fahrenheit was the German after whom it was named. Too German for America and too American for Germany, I felt alienated from both. I wanted desperately to be a member of one, if not both, cultures. 

During my first weeks in Buffalo, I spent my free time googling “Berlin Family Seeks Teen” and “New Americans in Buffalo.” The latter search proved most fruitful: I discovered New Hope, a nonprofit that empowers resettled refugees, or “New Americans,” to thrive. I started volunteering with New Hope’s children’s programs, playing with and tutoring young refugees. 

It was there that I met Leila, a twelve-­year-­old Iraqi girl who lived next to Hopeprint. In between games and snacks, Leila would ask me questions about American life, touching on everything from Halloween to President Obama. Gradually, my confidence in my American identity grew as I recognized my ability to answer most of her questions. American culture was no longer completely foreign to me. I found myself especially qualified to work with young refugees; my experience growing up in a country other than that of my parents’ was similar enough to that of the refugee children New Hope served that I could empathize with them and offer advice. Together, we worked through conflicting allegiances, homesickness, and stretched belonging. 

Forging a special, personal bond with young refugees proved a cathartic outlet for my insecurities as it taught me to value my past. My transculturalism allowed me to help young refugees integrate into American life, and, in doing so, I was able to adjust myself. Now, I have an appreciation of myself that I never felt before. “Home” isn’t the digits in a passport or ZIP code but a sense of contentedness. By helping a young refugee find comfort, happiness, and home in America, I was finally able to find those same things for myself.

The above essay was written by Lydia Schooler, a graduate of Yale University and one of our CollegeVine advisors. If you enjoyed this essay and are looking for expert college essay and admissions advice, consider booking a session with Lydia .

Interests – Interest are basically synonymous to activities, but slightly broader (you could say that interests encompass activities); participation in an interest is often less organized than in an activity. For instance, you might consider cross country an activity, but cooking an interest. Writing about an interest is a way to highlight passions that may not come across in the rest of your application. If you’re a wrestler for example, writing about your interest in stand-up comedy would be a refreshing addition to your application. You should also feel free to use this topic to show what an important activity on your application really means to you. Keep in mind, however, that many schools will ask you to describe one of your activities in their supplemental essays (usually about 250 words), so choose strategically—you don’t want to write twice on the same thing.

Read a successful essay answering this prompt.

This prompt lends itself to consideration of what facets of your personality allow you to overcome adversity. While it’s okay to choose a relatively mundane “failure” such as not winning an award at a Model UN conference, another (perhaps more powerful) tactic is to write about a foundational failure and assess its impact on your development thereafter.

There are times in life when your foundation is uprooted. There are times when you experience failure and you want to give up since you don’t see a solution. This essay is about your response when you are destabilized and your actions when you don’t see an immediate answer.

For example, if you lost a friend due to an argument, you can analyze the positions from both sides, evaluate your decisions, and identify why you were wrong. The key is explaining your thought process and growth following the event to highlight how your thinking has changed. Did you ever admit your fault and seek to fix the problem? Have you treated others differently since then? How has the setback changed the way you view arguments and fights now? Framing the prompt in this way allows you to tackle heavier questions about ethics and demonstrate your self-awareness.

If you haven’t experienced a “big” failure, another angle to take would be to discuss smaller, repeated failures that are either linked or similar thematically. For example, if you used to stutter or get nervous in large social groups, you could discuss the steps you took to find a solution. Even if you don’t have a massive foundational challenge to write about, a recurring challenge can translate to a powerful essay topic, especially if the steps you took to overcome this repeated failure help expose your character.

One student described his ignorance of his brother’s challenges — the writer assumed that because his brother Sam was sociable, Sam  was adjusting fine to their family’s move. After an angry outburst from Sam  and a long late-night conversation, the writer realizes his need to develop greater sensitivity and empathy. He now strives to recognize and understand others’ struggles, even if they’re not immediately apparent.

“You ruined my life!” After months of quiet anger, my brother finally confronted me. To my shame, I had been appallingly ignorant of his pain.

Despite being twins, Max and I are profoundly different. Having intellectual interests from a young age that, well, interested very few of my peers, I often felt out of step in comparison with my highly-social brother. Everything appeared to come effortlessly for Max and, while we share an extremely tight bond, his frequent time away with friends left me feeling more and more alone as we grew older.

When my parents learned about The Green Academy, we hoped it would be an opportunity for me to find not only an academically challenging environment, but also – perhaps more importantly – a community. This meant transferring the family from Drumfield to Kingston. And while there was concern about Max, we all believed that given his sociable nature, moving would be far less impactful on him than staying put might be on me.

As it turned out, Green Academy was everything I’d hoped for. I was ecstatic to discover a group of students with whom I shared interests and could truly engage. Preoccupied with new friends and a rigorous course load, I failed to notice that the tables had turned. Max, lost in the fray and grappling with how to make connections in his enormous new high school, had become withdrawn and lonely. It took me until Christmas time – and a massive argument – to recognize how difficult the transition had been for my brother, let alone that he blamed me for it.

Through my own journey of searching for academic peers, in addition to coming out as gay when I was 12, I had developed deep empathy for those who had trouble fitting in. It was a pain I knew well and could easily relate to. Yet after Max’s outburst, my first response was to protest that our parents – not I – had chosen to move us here. In my heart, though, I knew that regardless of who had made the decision, we ended up in Kingston for my benefit. I was ashamed that, while I saw myself as genuinely compassionate, I had been oblivious to the heartache of the person closest to me. I could no longer ignore it – and I didn’t want to.

We stayed up half the night talking, and the conversation took an unexpected turn. Max opened up and shared that it wasn’t just about the move. He told me how challenging school had always been for him, due to his dyslexia, and that the ever-present comparison to me had only deepened his pain.

We had been in parallel battles the whole time and, yet, I only saw that Max was in distress once he experienced problems with which I directly identified. I’d long thought Max had it so easy – all because he had friends. The truth was, he didn’t need to experience my personal brand of sorrow in order for me to relate – he had felt plenty of his own.

My failure to recognize Max’s suffering brought home for me the profound universality and diversity of personal struggle; everyone has insecurities, everyone has woes, and everyone – most certainly – has pain. I am acutely grateful for the conversations he and I shared around all of this, because I believe our relationship has been fundamentally strengthened by a deeper understanding of one another. Further, this experience has reinforced the value of constantly striving for deeper sensitivity to the hidden struggles of those around me. I won’t make the mistake again of assuming that the surface of someone’s life reflects their underlying story.

This prompt is difficult to answer because most high schoolers haven’t participated in the types of iconoclastic protests against societal ills that lend themselves to an awe-inspiring response. A more tenable alternative here could be to discuss a time that you went against social norms, whether it was by becoming friends with someone who seemed like an outcast or by proudly showing off a geeky passion.

And if you ever participated in a situation in tandem with adults and found some success (i.e., by blogging, starting a tutoring organization, or participating in political campaigns), you could discuss your experiences as a young person without a college degree in professional circles. However, avoid sounding morally superior (as if you’re the only person who went against this convention, or that you’re better than your peers for doing so).

Another way to answer this prompt is to discuss a time when you noticed a need for change. For example, if you wondered why medical records are often handwritten, or why a doctor’s visit can be long and awkward, maybe you challenged the norm in healthcare by brainstorming an electronic-recording smartphone app or a telemedicine system. In a similar way, if you led a fundraiser and recognized that advertising on social media would be more effective than the traditional use of printed flyers, you could write about a topic along those lines as well. Focus on what action or experience caused you to recognize the need for change and follow with your actions and resulting outcome.

As a whole, this prompt lends itself to reflective writing, and more specifically, talking the reader through your thought processes. In many cases, the exploration of your thought processes and decision-making is more important than the actual outcome or concept in question. In short, this essay is very much about “thinking,” rumination, and inquisition. A good brainstorming exercise for this prompt would be to write your problem on a sheet of paper and then develop various solutions to the problem, including a brief reason for justification. The more thorough you are in justifying and explaining your solutions in the essay, the more compelling your response will be.

While this prompt may seem to be asking a simple question, your answer has the potential to provide deep insights about who you are to the admissions committee. Explaining what you are grateful for can show them your culture, your community, your philosophical outlook on the world, and what makes you tick. 

The first step to writing this essay is to think about the “something” and “someone” of your story. It is imperative to talk about a unique moment in your life, as the prompt asks for gratitude that came about in a surprising way. You will want to write about a story that you are certain no one else would have. To brainstorm, ask yourself: “if I told a stranger that I was grateful for what happened to me without any context, would they be surprised?” 

Note that the most common answers to this prompt involve a family member, teacher, or sports coach giving the narrator an arduous task ─ which, by the end of the story, the narrator becomes grateful for because of the lessons they learned through their hard work. Try to avoid writing an essay along these lines unless you feel that your take on it will be truly original.

Begin your essay by telling a creative story about the “something” that your “someone” did that made you thankful. Paint a picture with words here ─ establish who you were in the context of your story and make the character development of your “someone” thorough. Show the admissions committee that you have a clear understanding of yourself and the details of your world. 

Keep in mind, however, that the essay is ultimately about you and your growth. While you should set the scene clearly, don’t spend too much time talking about the “something” and “someone.”

Your story should then transition into a part about your unexpected epiphany, e.g. “Six months after Leonard gave me that pogo stick, I started to be grateful for the silly thing…” Explain the why of your gratitude as thoroughly as you can before you begin to talk about how your gratitude affected or motivated you. Have a Socratic seminar with yourself in your head ─ ask yourself, “why am I grateful for the pogo stick?” and continue asking why until you arrive at a philosophical conclusion. Perhaps your reason could be that you eventually got used to the odd looks that people gave you as you were pogoing and gained more self-confidence. 

Finally, think about how learning to be grateful for something you would not expect to bring you joy and thankfulness has had a positive impact on your life. Gaining more self-confidence, for example, could motivate you to do an infinite number of things that you were not able to attempt in the past. Try to make a conclusion by connecting this part to your story from the beginning of the essay. You want to ultimately show that had [reference to a snippet of your introduction, ideally an absurd part] never have happened, you would not be who you are today.

Remember to express these lessons implicitly through the experiences in your essay, and not explicitly. Show us your growth through the changes in your life rather than simply stating that you gained confidence. For instance, maybe the pogo stick gift led you to start a pogo dance team at your school, and the team went on to perform at large venues to raise money for charity. But before your pogo days, you had crippling stage fright and hated even giving speeches in your English class. These are the kinds of details that make your essay more engaging. 

This prompt is expansive in that you can choose any accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked personal growth or new understanding.

One option is to discuss a formal accomplishment or event (whether it is a religious ritual or social rite of passage) that reflects personal growth. If you go this route, make sure to discuss why the ritual was meaningful and how specific aspects of said ritual contributed to your personal growth. An example of this could be the meaning of becoming an Eagle Scout to you, the accomplishment of being elected to Senior Leadership, or completing a Confirmation. In the case of religious topics, however, be sure to not get carried away with details, and focus on the nature of your personal growth and new understanding — know your audience.

Alternatively, a more relaxed way to address this prompt is using an informal event or realization, which would allow you to show more personality and creativity. An example of this could be learning how to bake with your mother, thus sparking a newfound connection with her, allowing you to learn about her past. Having a long discussion about life or philosophy with your father could also suffice, thus sparking more thoughts about your identity. You could write about a realization that caused you to join a new organization or quit an activity you did not think you would enjoy, as doing so would force you to grow out of your comfort zone to try new things.

The key to answering this prompt is clearly defining what it is that sparked your growth, and then describing in detail the nature of this growth and how it related to your perception of yourself and others. This part of the essay is crucial, as you must dedicate sufficient time to not undersell the description of how you grew instead of simply explaining the experience and then saying, “I grew.” This description of how you grew must be specific, in-depth, and it does not have to be simple. Your growth can also be left open-ended if you are still learning from your experiences today.

One student wrote about how her single mother’s health crisis prompted her to quickly assume greater responsibility as a fourteen-year-old. This essay describes the new tasks she undertook, as well as how the writer now more greatly cherishes her time with her mother.

Tears streamed down my face and my mind was paralyzed with fear. Sirens blared, but the silent panic in my own head was deafening. I was muted by shock. A few hours earlier, I had anticipated a vacation in Washington, D.C., but unexpectedly, I was rushing to the hospital behind an ambulance carrying my mother. As a fourteen-year-old from a single mother household, without a driver’s license, and seven hours from home, I was distraught over the prospect of losing the only parent I had. My fear turned into action as I made some of the bravest decisions of my life. 

Three blood transfusions later, my mother’s condition was stable, but we were still states away from home, so I coordinated with my mother’s doctors in North Carolina to schedule the emergency operation that would save her life. Throughout her surgery, I anxiously awaited any word from her surgeon, but each time I asked, I was told that there had been another complication or delay. Relying on my faith and positive attitude, I remained optimistic that my mother would survive and that I could embrace new responsibilities.

My mother had been a source of strength for me, and now I would be strong for her through her long recovery ahead. As I started high school, everyone thought the crisis was over, but it had really just started to impact my life. My mother was often fatigued, so I assumed more responsibility, juggling family duties, school, athletics, and work. I made countless trips to the neighborhood pharmacy, cooked dinner, biked to the grocery store, supported my concerned sister, and provided the loving care my mother needed to recover. I didn’t know I was capable of such maturity and resourcefulness until it was called upon. Each day was a stage in my gradual transformation from dependence to relative independence.

Throughout my mother’s health crisis, I matured by learning to put others’ needs before my own. As I worried about my mother’s health, I took nothing for granted, cherished what I had, and used my daily activities as motivation to move forward. I now take ownership over small decisions such as scheduling daily appointments and managing my time but also over major decisions involving my future, including the college admissions process. Although I have become more independent, my mother and I are inseparably close, and the realization that I almost lost her affects me daily. Each morning, I wake up ten minutes early simply to eat breakfast with my mother and spend time with her before our busy days begin. I am aware of how quickly life can change. My mother remains a guiding force in my life, but the feeling of empowerment I discovered within myself is the ultimate form of my independence. Though I thought the summer before my freshman year would be a transition from middle school to high school, it was a transformation from childhood to adulthood.

This prompt allows you to expand and deepen a seemingly small or simple idea, topic, or concept. One example could be “stars,” in that you could describe stargazing as a child, counting them, recognizing constellations, and then transforming that initial captivation into a deeper appreciation of the cosmos as a whole, spurring a love of astronomy and physics.

Another example could be “language,” discussing how it has evolved and changed over the course of history, how it allows you to look deeper into different cultures, and how learning different languages stretches the mind. A tip for expanding on these topics and achieving specificity is to select particular details of the topic that you find intriguing and explain why.

For example, if you’re passionate about cooking or baking, you could use specific details by explaining, in depth, the intricate attention and artistry necessary to make a dish or dessert. You can delve into why certain spices or garnishes are superior in different situations, how flavors blend well together and can be mixed creatively, or even the chemistry differences between steaming, searing, and grilling.

Regardless of your topic, this prompt provides a great opportunity to display writing prowess through elegant, specific descriptions that leverage sensory details. Describing the beauty of the night sky, the rhythms and sounds of different languages, or the scent of a crème brûlée shows passion and captivation in a very direct, evocative way.

The key to writing this essay is answering the question of why something captivates you instead of simply ending with “I love surfing.” A tip would be to play off your senses (for applicable topics), think about what you see, feel, smell, hear, and taste.

In the case of surfing, the salty water, weightlessness of bobbing over the waves, and fresh air could cater to senses. Alternatively, for less physical topics, you can use a train of thought and descriptions to show how deeply and vividly your mind dwells on the topic.

Well-executed trains of thought or similar tactics are successful ways to convey passion for a certain topic. To answer what or who you turn to when you want to learn more, you can be authentic and honest—if it’s Wikipedia, a teacher, friend, YouTube Channel, etc., you simply have to show how you interact with the medium.

When brainstorming this particular essay, a tip would be to use a web diagram, placing the topic in the middle and thinking about branching characteristics, themes, or concepts related to the topic that are directly engaging and captivating to you. In doing so, you’ll be able to gauge the depth of the topic and whether it will suffice for this prompt.

In the following example, a student shares their journey as they learn to appreciate a piece of their culture’s cuisine.

As a wide-eyed, naive seven-year-old, I watched my grandmother’s rough, wrinkled hands pull and knead mercilessly at white dough until the countertop was dusted in flour. She steamed small buns in bamboo baskets, and a light sweetness lingered in the air. Although the mantou looked delicious, their papery, flat taste was always an unpleasant surprise. My grandmother scolded me for failing to finish even one, and when I complained about the lack of flavor she would simply say that I would find it as I grew older. How did my adult relatives seem to enjoy this Taiwanese culinary delight while I found it so plain?

During my journey to discover the essence of mantou, I began to see myself the same way I saw the steamed bun. I believed that my writing would never evolve beyond a hobby and that my quiet nature crippled my ambitions. Ultimately, I thought I had little to offer the world. In middle school, it was easy for me to hide behind the large personalities of my friends, blending into the background and keeping my thoughts company. Although writing had become my emotional outlet, no matter how well I wrote essays, poetry, or fiction, I could not stand out in a sea of talented students. When I finally gained the confidence to submit my poetry to literary journals but was promptly rejected, I stepped back from my work to begin reading from Whitman to Dickinson, Li-Young Lee to Ocean Vuong. It was then that I realized I had been holding back a crucial ingredient–my distinct voice. 

Over time, my taste buds began to mature, as did I. Mantou can be flavored with pork and eggplant, sweetened in condensed milk, and moistened or dried by the steam’s temperature. After I ate the mantou with each of these factors in mind, I noticed its environment enhanced a delicately woven strand of sweetness beneath the taste of side dishes: the sugar I had often watched my grandmother sift into the flour. The taste was nearly untraceable, but once I grasped it I could truly begin to cherish mantou. In the same way the taste had been lost to me for years, my writer’s voice had struggled to shine through because of my self-doubt and fear of vulnerability.

As I acquired a taste for mantou, I also began to strengthen my voice through my surrounding environment. With the support of my parents, peer poets, and the guidance of Amy Tan and the Brontё sisters, I worked tirelessly to uncover my voice: a subtle strand of sweetness. Once I stopped trying to fit into a publishing material mold and infused my uninhibited passion for my Taiwanese heritage into my writing, my poem was published in a literary journal. I wrote about the blatant racism Asians endured during coronavirus, and the editor of Skipping Stones Magazine was touched by both my poem and my heartfelt letter. I opened up about being ridiculed for bringing Asian food to school at Youth Leadership Forum, providing support to younger Asian-American students who reached out with the relief of finding someone they could relate to. I embraced writing as a way to convey my struggle with cultural identity. I joined the school’s creative writing club and read my pieces in front of an audience, honing my voice into one that flourishes out loud as well.

Now, I write and speak unapologetically, falling in love with a voice that I never knew I had. It inspires passion within my communities and imparts tenacity to Asian-American youth, rooting itself deeply into everything I write. Today, my grandmother would say that I have finally unearthed the taste of mantou as I savor every bite with a newfound appreciation. I can imagine her hands shaping the dough that has become my voice, and I am eager to share it with the world.

Your GPA and SAT don’t tell the full admissions story

We’ll let you know what your chances are at your dream schools!

This prompt allows you to express what you want to express if it doesn’t align directly with the other prompts. While this prompt is very open-ended, it doesn’t mean you can adapt any essay you’ve written and think it will suffice. Always refer back to the Strategy section of this article and make sure the topic and essay of your choice addresses the Core Four questions necessary for a good Common App essay.

This prompt, more than the others, poses a high risk but also a high-potential reward. Writing your own question allows you to demonstrate individuality and confidence. Here, you can craft an innovative essay that tackles a difficult topic (for example, whether to raise or lower taxes) or presents information with a unique format (such as a conversation with an historical figure).

We encourage you to try something unconventional for this prompt, like comparing your personality to a Picasso painting, using an extended philosophical metaphor to describe your four years of high school, or writing in a poetic style to display your love of poetry. If you are extremely passionate about a topic or an expert in a certain area, for example Renaissance technology or journalism during World War II, you can use this prompt to show your authority on a subject by discussing it at a high level.

Be careful to frame the essay in a way that is accessible to the average reader while still incorporating quality evidence and content that would qualify you as an expert. As always, exercise caution in writing about controversial social or political topics, and always make sure to consider your audience and what they’re looking for in a student.

Sometimes an unconventional essay can capture Admissions Officers’ attention and move them in a profound way; other times, the concept can fly completely over their heads. Be sure to execute the essay clearly and justify your decision by seeking high-quality feedback from reliable sources. As always, the essay should demonstrate something meaningful about you, whether it is your personality, thought process, or values.

Here’s what the experts have to say about this prompt…

This prompt, like the others, is really asking you to tell the story of who you are. Your essay should be personal and should talk about something significant that has shaped your identity.

Here are a few broad themes that can work well: academic interest; culture, values, and diversity; extracurricular interests; and your impact on the community. You should highlight one of these themes using creative, vividly descriptive narrative. Make sure to not fall into the common pitfall of talking about something else -- an extracurricular activity, for example -- more than yourself.

A student I advised had a great idea to respond to this prompt -- an essay about how they do their best thinking while sitting on a tree branch near their home. Not only was it unique and personal, but it allowed the student to show what they think about, dream about, and value. That's the main goal for any applicant responding to prompt 7.

application of knowledge essay

Alex Oddo Advisor on CollegeVine

All of the Common App prompts are broad in scope, but this one really takes the cake! I typically advise using the first six prompts as guardrails for your brainstorm, but in doing so, you may come up with a topic that doesn’t cleanly fit with any of the first six prompts. That’s where this prompt can come in handy.

Or, you might have an idea that’s really out there (like writing about your love of sonnets as a series of sonnets). Essentially, this prompt is a good fit for essays that are anywhere from slightly unconventional to extremely atypical.

If this all feels a bit confusing - don’t worry! How you write your story is much more important than what prompt you end up choosing. At the end of the day, these are just guides to help you cultivate a topic and are not meant to stress you out.

application of knowledge essay

Priya Desai Advisor on CollegeVine

Students who want to complete the CommonApp’s seventh prompt need to have already gone through the other prompts and determined that their story cannot fit with those. Thus, generally speaking, I advise my students to not use the final prompt unless it is absolutely necessary.

If an admission officer believes that your essay could have been used with one of the other prompts, this may lead them to have a perception about you as a student that might not be accurate.

Nevertheless, as my colleagues have pointed out, what matters is the essay the most and not necessarily the prompt. That being said, the test of whether or not you as a student can follow directions is part of the prompt selection and how well you answer it. If you choose the final prompt and yet your answer could work with another available prompt, this will not put you in your best light.

In conclusion, only use this prompt when absolutely necessary, and remember that the purpose of the personal statement is to give the admissions officers a glimpse into who you are as a person, so you want to use this space to showcase beautiful you.

application of knowledge essay

Veronica Prout Advisor on CollegeVine

Where to get your common app essay edited.

At selective schools, your essays account for around 25% of your admissions decision. That’s more than grades (20%) and test scores (15%), and almost as much as extracurriculars (30%). Why is this? Most students applying to top schools will have stellar academics and extracurriculars. Your essays are your chance to stand out and humanize your application. That’s why it’s vital that your essays are engaging, and present you as someone who would enrich the campus community.

Before submitting your application, you should have someone else review your essays. That’s why we created our free  Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

application of knowledge essay

Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

Tips for writing an effective college essay.

College admissions essays are an important part of your college application and gives you the chance to show colleges and universities your character and experiences. This guide will give you tips to write an effective college essay.

Want free help with your college essay?

UPchieve connects you with knowledgeable and friendly college advisors—online, 24/7, and completely free. Get 1:1 help brainstorming topics, outlining your essay, revising a draft, or editing grammar.

 alt=

Writing a strong college admissions essay

Learn about the elements of a solid admissions essay.

Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes

Learn some of the most common mistakes made on college essays

Brainstorming tips for your college essay

Stuck on what to write your college essay about? Here are some exercises to help you get started.

How formal should the tone of your college essay be?

Learn how formal your college essay should be and get tips on how to bring out your natural voice.

Taking your college essay to the next level

Hear an admissions expert discuss the appropriate level of depth necessary in your college essay.

Student Stories

 alt=

Student Story: Admissions essay about a formative experience

Get the perspective of a current college student on how he approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about personal identity

Get the perspective of a current college student on how she approached the admissions essay.

Student Story: Admissions essay about community impact

Student story: admissions essay about a past mistake, how to write a college application essay, tips for writing an effective application essay, sample college essay 1 with feedback, sample college essay 2 with feedback.

This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org.

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

College admissions

Course: college admissions   >   unit 4.

  • Writing a strong college admissions essay
  • Avoiding common admissions essay mistakes
  • Brainstorming tips for your college essay
  • How formal should the tone of your college essay be?
  • Taking your college essay to the next level
  • Sample essay 1 with admissions feedback

Sample essay 2 with admissions feedback

  • Student story: Admissions essay about a formative experience
  • Student story: Admissions essay about personal identity
  • Student story: Admissions essay about community impact
  • Student story: Admissions essay about a past mistake
  • Student story: Admissions essay about a meaningful poem
  • Writing tips and techniques for your college essay

Introduction

Sample essay 2, feedback from admissions.

Want to join the conversation?

  • Upvote Button navigates to signup page
  • Downvote Button navigates to signup page
  • Flag Button navigates to signup page

Incredible Answer

Have a language expert improve your writing

Check your paper for plagiarism in 10 minutes, generate your apa citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base
  • College essay

Common App Essays | 7 Strong Examples with Commentary

Published on November 19, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

If you’re applying for college via the Common App , you’ll have to write an essay in response to one of seven prompts.

Table of contents

What is the common application essay, prompt 1: background, identity, interest, or talent, prompt 2: overcoming challenges, prompt 3: questioning a belief or idea, prompt 4: appreciating an influential person, prompt 5: transformative event, prompt 6: interest or hobby that inspires learning, prompt 7: free topic, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

The Common Application, or Common App , is a college application portal that is accepted by more than 900 schools.

Within the Common App is your main essay, a primary writing sample that all your prospective schools will read to evaluate your critical thinking skills and value as a student. Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any college names or programs. Instead, save tailored answers for the supplementary school-specific essays within the Common App.

Regardless of your prompt choice, admissions officers will look for an ability to clearly and creatively communicate your ideas based on the selected prompt.

We’ve provided seven essay examples, one for each of the Common App prompts. After each essay, we’ve provided a table with commentary on the essay’s narrative, writing style and tone, demonstrated traits, and self-reflection.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

This essay explores the student’s emotional journey toward overcoming her father’s neglect through gymnastics discipline.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

When “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” began to play, it was my signal to lay out a winning floor routine. Round off. Back handspring. Double back layout. Stick!

Instead, I jolted off the floor, landing out of bounds. Over the past week, I hadn’t landed that pass once, and regionals were only seven days away. I heaved a heavy sigh and stomped over to the bench.

Coach Farkas saw my consternation. “Mona, get out of your head. You’re way too preoccupied with your tumbling passes. You could do them in your sleep!”

That was the problem. I was dreaming of tumbling and missing my landings, waking up in a cold sweat. The stress felt overwhelming.

“Stretch out. You’re done for tonight.”

I walked home from the gym that had been my second home since fourth grade. Yet my anxiety was increasing every time I practiced.

I startled my mom. “You’re home early! Wait! You walked? Mona, what’s going on?!”

I slumped down at the kitchen table. “Don’t know.”

She sat down across from me. “Does it have anything to do with your father texting you a couple of weeks ago about coming to see you at regionals?”

“So what?! Why does it matter anymore?” He walked out when I was 10 and never looked back. Still, dear ol’ Dad always had a way of resurfacing when I least expected him.

“It still matters because when you hear from him, you tend to crumble. Or have you not noticed?” She offered a knowing wink and a compassionate smile.

I started gymnastics right after Dad left. The coaches said I was a natural: short, muscular, and flexible. All I knew was that the more I improved, the more confident I felt. Gymnastics made me feel powerful, so I gave it my full energy and dedication.

The floor routine became my specialty, and my performances were soon elevating our team score. The mat, solid and stable, became a place to explore and express my internal struggles. Over the years, no matter how angry I felt, the floor mat was there to absorb my frustration.

The bars, beam, and vault were less forgiving because I knew I could fall. My performances in those events were respectable. But, the floor? Sometimes, I had wildly creative and beautiful routines, while other times were disastrous. Sadly, my floor routine had never been consistent.

That Saturday afternoon, I slipped into the empty gym and walked over to the mat. I sat down and touched its carpeted surface. After a few minutes, my cheeks were wet with the bitter disappointment of a dad who only showed up when it was convenient for him. I ruminated on the years of practices and meets where I had channeled my resentment into acrobatics and dance moves, resolved to rise higher than his indifference.

I saw then that my deepest wounds were inextricably entangled with my greatest passion. They needed to be permanently separated. While my anger had first served to launch me into gymnastics, before long, I had started serving my anger.

Anger is a cruel master. It corrupts everything it touches, even something as beautiful as a well-choreographed floor routine.

I changed my music days before regionals. “The Devil” no longer had a place in my routine. Instead, I chose an energetic cyberpunk soundtrack that inspired me to perform with passion and laser focus. Dad made an obligatory appearance at regionals, but he left before I could talk to him.

It didn’t matter this time. I stuck every landing in my routine. Anger no longer controlled me. I was finally free.

Word count: 601

This essay shows how the challenges the student faced in caring for her sister with autism resulted in an unexpected path forward in her education.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

I never had a choice.

My baby sister was born severely autistic, which meant that every detail of our home life was repeatedly adjusted to manage her condition. I couldn’t go to bed without fearing that Mindy would wake up screaming with that hoarse little voice of hers. I couldn’t have friends over on weekends because we never knew if our entire family would need to shift into crisis mode to help Mindy regain control.

We couldn’t take a family vacation because Mindy would start hitting us during a long car ride when she didn’t want to sit there anymore. We couldn’t even celebrate Christmas like a normal family because Mindy would shriek and run away when we tried to give her presents.

I was five years old when Mindy was born. For the first ten years, I did everything I could to help my mom with Mindy. But Mom was depressed and would often stare out the window, as if transfixed by the view. Dad was no help either. He used his job as an excuse to be away from home. So, I tried to make up for both of them and rescue Mindy however I could whenever she needed it.

However, one day, when I was slowly driving Mindy around with the windows down, trying to lull her into a calmer state, we passed two of my former classmates from middle school. They heard Mindy growling her disapproval as the ride was getting long for her. One of them turned to the other and announced, “Oh my God! Marabeth brought her pet monster out for a drive!” They laughed hysterically and ran down the street.

After that day, I defied my parents at every turn. I also ignored Mindy. I even stopped doing homework. I purposely “got in with the wrong crowd” and did whatever they did.

My high school counselor Ms. Martinez saw through it all. She knew my family’s situation well. It didn’t take her long to guess what had probably happened.

“Marabeth, I get it. My brother has Down syndrome. It was really hard growing up with him as a brother. The other kids were pretty mean about it, especially in high school.”

I doubted she understood. “Yeah. So?”

“I’m guessing something happened that hurt or embarrassed you.”

“I’m so sorry. I can only imagine how you must have felt.”

It must have been the way she said it because I suddenly found myself sobbing into my trembling, cupped hands.

Ms. Martinez and I met every Friday after that for the rest of the year. Her stories of how she struggled to embrace living with and loving her brother created a bridge to my pain and then my healing. She explained that her challenges led her to pursue a degree in counseling so that she could offer other people what no one had given her.

I thought that Mindy was the end of my life, but, because of Ms. Martinez’s example and kindness, I can now see that Mindy is a gift, pointing me toward my future.

Now, I’m applying to study psychology so that I can go on to earn my master’s degree in counseling. I’m learning to forgive my parents for their mistakes, and I’m back in Mindy’s life again, but this time as a sister, not a savior. My choice.

Word Count: 553

This essay illustrates a student’s courage in challenging his culture’s constructs of manhood and changing his course while positively affecting his father in the process.

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

“No son of mine is gonna march around a football field wearing tail feathers while all the real men are playing football!”

I took a step backward and tried not to appear as off-balance as I felt. In my excitement, I had blurted out more information than my father could handle:

“Dad! I made the marching band as a freshman! Nobody does that—I mean nobody!”

As soon as I had said it, I wished I could recall those words. How could I forget that 26 years earlier, he had been the starting wide receiver for the state-champion Tigers on the same field?!

Still, when I opened the email on that scorching hot August afternoon, I was thrilled that five months of practicing every possible major and harmonic minor scale—two octaves up and two octaves down—had made the difference. I had busted reed after reed, trying not to puff my cheeks while moving my fingers in a precise cadence.

I knew he had heard me continually practicing in my room, yet he seemed to ignore all the parts of me that were incongruous with his vision of manhood:

Ford F-150 4x4s. Pheasant hunting. The Nebraska Cornhuskers.

I never had to wonder what he valued. For years, I genuinely shared his interests. But, in the fall of eighth grade, I heard Kyle Wheeling play a saxophone solo during the homecoming marching band halftime show. My dad took me to every football game to teach me the plays, but that night, all I could think about was Kyle’s bluesy improv at halftime.

During Thanksgiving break, I got my mom to drive me into Omaha to rent my instrument at Dietze Music, and, soon after, I started private lessons with Mr. Ken. Before long, I was spending hours in my room, exploring each nuance of my shiny Yamaha alto sax, anticipating my audition for the Marching Tigers at the end of the spring semester.

During those months of practice, I realized that I couldn’t hide my newfound interest forever, especially not from the football players who were going to endlessly taunt me. But not all the guys played football. Some were in choir and theater. Quite a few guys were in the marching band. In fact, the Marching Tigers had won the grand prize in their division at last year’s state showdown in Lincoln.

I was excited! They were the champions, and I was about to become a part of their legacy.

Yet, that afternoon, a sense of anxiety brewed in my belly. I knew I had to talk to him.

He was sweeping the grass clippings off of the sidewalk. He nodded.

“I need to tell you something.”

He looked up.

“I know that you know about my sax because you hear me practicing. I like it a lot, and I’m becoming pretty good at it. I still care about what you like, but I’m starting to like some other things more. I hope you’ll be proud of me whatever I choose.”

He studied the cracks in the driveway. “I am proud of you. I just figured you’d play football.”

We never talked about it again, but that fall, he was in the stands when our marching band won the state championship in Lincoln for the second time. In fact, for the next four years, he never left the stands during halftime until the marching band had performed. He was even in the audience for every performance of “Our Town” at the end of my junior year. I played the Stage Manager who reveals the show’s theme: everything changes gradually.

I know it’s true. Things do change over time, even out here in central Nebraska. I know because I’ve changed, and my dad has changed, too. I just needed the courage to go first.

Word count: 626

The student demonstrates how his teacher giving him an unexpected bad grade was the catalyst for his becoming a better writer.

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

I stared in disbelief at the big red letter at the top of my paper: D. 

Never in my entire high school career had I seen that letter at the top of any paper, unless it was at the beginning of my first name. 

I had a 4.796 GPA. I had taken every pre-AP and AP course offered. My teachers had praised my writing skills! However, Mr. Trimble didn’t think so, and he let me know it:

“Darwin, in the future, I believe you can do better if you fully apply yourself.” 

I furiously scanned the paper for corrections. Not even one! Grammar and syntax? Perfect. Spelling? Impeccable. Sentence and paragraph structure? Precise and indisputable, as always. 

Was he trying to ruin my GPA? Cooper was clearly his favorite, and we were neck and neck for valedictorian, which was only one year away. Maybe they were conspiring to take me down. 

Thankfully, AP Composition was my last class. I fled the room and ran to my car. Defiant tears stained my cheeks as I screeched my tires and roared out of the parking lot. When I got home, I shoved in my AirPods, flopped on my bed, and buried my head under the pillow. 

I awoke to my sister, Daria, gently shaking my arm. “I know what happened, D. Trimble stopped me in the hall after school.”

“I’m sure he did. He’s trying to ruin my life.”

“That’s not what he told me. You should talk to him, D.”

The next day, although I tried to avoid Mr. Trimble at all costs, I almost tripped over him as I was coming out of the bathroom.

“Darwin, can we talk?” 

He walked me down the hall to his room. “Do you know that you’re one of the best writers I’ve ever had in AP Comp?” 

“Then why’d you do it?” 

“Because you’re better than you know, Darwin. You impress with your perfect presentations, and your teachers reward you with A’s and praise. I do frequent the teacher’s lounge, you know.” 

“So I know you’re not trying.”

I locked eyes with him and glared. 

“You’ve never had to try because you have a gift. And, in the midst of the acclaim, you’ve never pushed yourself to discover your true capabilities.”

“So you give me a D?!”

“It got your attention.”

“You’re not going to leave it, are you?”

“Oh, the D stands. You didn’t apply yourself. You’ll have to earn your way out with your other papers.” 

I gained a new understanding of the meaning of ambivalence. Part of me was furious at the injustice of the situation, but I also felt strangely challenged and intrigued. I joined a local writer’s co-op and studied K. M. Weiland’s artistic writing techniques. 

Multiple drafts, track changes, and constructive criticism became my new world. I stopped taking Mr. Trimble’s criticism personally and began to see it as a precious tool to bolster me, not break me down. 

Last week, the New York Public Library notified me that I was named one of five finalists for the Young Lions Fiction Award. They described my collection of short stories as “fresh, imaginative, and captivating.” 

I never thought I could be grateful for a D, but Mr. Trimble’s insightful courage was the catalyst that transformed my writing and my character. Just because other people applaud you for being the best doesn’t mean you’re doing your best . 

AP Composition is now recorded as an A on my high school transcript, and Cooper and I are still locked in a tight race for the finish line. But, thanks to Mr. Trimble, I have developed a different paradigm for evaluation: my best. And the more I apply myself, the better my best becomes. 

Word Count: 627

This student narrates how she initially went to church for a boy but instead ended up confronting her selfishness by helping others.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Originally, I went to church not because I was searching for Jesus but because I liked a boy.

Isaac Ono wasn’t the most athletic boy in our class, nor was he the cutest. But I was amazed by his unusual kindness toward everyone. If someone was alone or left out, he’d walk up to them and say hello or invite them to hang out with him and his friends.

I started waking up at 7:30 a.m. every Sunday morning to attend Grace Hills Presbyterian, where Isaac’s father was the pastor. I would strategically sit in a pew not too close but close enough to Isaac that when the entire congregation was instructed to say “Peace be with you,” I could “happen” to shake Isaac’s hand and make small talk.

One service, as I was staring at the back of Isaac’s head, pondering what to say to him, my hearing suddenly tuned in to his father’s sermon.

“There’s no such thing as a good or bad person.”

My eyes snapped onto Pastor Marcus.

“I used to think I was a good person who came from a respectable family and did nice things. But people aren’t inherently good or bad. They just make good or bad choices.”

My mind raced through a mental checklist of whether my past actions fell mostly into the former or latter category.

“As it says in Deuteronomy 30:15, ‘I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.’ Follow in the footsteps of Jesus and do good.”

I glanced to my left and saw Margaret, underlining passages in her study Bible and taking copious notes.

Months earlier, I had befriended Margaret. We had fourth-period Spanish together but hadn’t interacted much. She was friends with Isaac, so I started hanging out with her to get closer to him. But eventually, the two of us were spending hours in the Starbucks parking lot having intense discussions about religion, boys, and our futures until we had to return home before curfew.

After hearing the pastor’s sermon, I realized that what I had admired about Isaac was also present in Margaret and other people at church: a welcoming spirit. I’m pretty sure Margaret knew of my ulterior motives for befriending her, but she never called me out on it.

After that day, I started paying more attention to Pastor Marcus’s sermons and less attention to Isaac. One year, our youth group served Christmas Eve dinner to the homeless and ate with them. I sat across from a woman named Lila who told me how child services had taken away her four-year-old daughter because of her financial and living situation.

A few days later, as I sat curled up reading the book of James, my heart suddenly felt heavy.

“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”

I thought back to Pastor Marcus’s sermon on good and bad actions, Lila and her daughter, and the times I had passed people in need without even saying hello.

I decided to put my faith into action. The next week, I started volunteering at the front desk of a women’s shelter, helping women fill out forms or watching their kids while they talked with social workers.

From working for the past year at the women’s shelter, I now know I want to major in social work, caring for others instead of focusing on myself. I may not be a good person (or a bad one), but I can make good choices, helping others with every opportunity God gives me.

Word count: 622

This essay shows how a student’s natural affinity for solving a Rubik’s cube developed her self-understanding, academic achievement, and inspiration for her future career.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

The worst part about writing is putting down my Rubik’s cube so that I can use my hands to type. That’s usually the worst part of tackling my to-do list: setting aside my Rubik’s cube. My parents call it an obsession. But, for me, solving a Rubik’s cube challenges my brain as nothing else can.

It started on my ninth birthday. I invited three friends for a sleepover party, and I waited to open my presents right before bed. Wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows flew through the air as I oohed and aahed over each delightful gift! However, it was the last gift—a 3 x 3 x 3 cube of little squares covered in red, green, blue, yellow, white, and orange—that intrigued me.

I was horrified when Bekka ripped it out of my hands and messed it all up! I had no idea how to make all the sides match again. I waited until my friends were fast asleep. Then, I grabbed that cube and studied it under my blanket with a flashlight, determined to figure out how to restore it to its former pristine state.

Within a few weeks, I had discovered the secret. To practice, I’d take my cube with me to recess and let the other kids time me while I solved it in front of them. The better I became, the more they gathered around. But I soon realized that their attention didn’t matter all that much. I loved solving cubes for hours wherever I was: at lunch, riding in the car, or alone in my room.

Cross. White corners. Middle-layer edges. Yellow cross. Sune and anitsune. 

The sequential algorithms became second nature, and with the assistance of a little black digital timer, I strove to solve the cube faster , each time attempting to beat my previous record. I watched speed solvers on YouTube, like Australia’s Feliks Zemdegs and Max Park from Massachusetts, but I wasn’t motivated to compete as they did. I watched their videos to learn how to improve my time. I liked finding new, more efficient ways of mastering the essential 78 separate cube-solving algorithms.

Now, I understand why my passion for my Rubik’s cube has never waned. Learning and applying the various algorithms soothes my brain and centers my emotions, especially when I feel overwhelmed from being around other people. Don’t get me wrong: I like other people—just in doses.

While some people get recharged by spending time with others, I can finally breathe when I’m alone with my cube. Our psychology teacher says the difference between an extrovert and an introvert is the situations that trigger their brains to produce dopamine. For me, it’s time away, alone, flipping through cube patterns to set a new personal best.

Sometimes, the world doesn’t cooperate with introverts, requiring them to interact with many people throughout the day. That’s why you’ll often find me in the stairwell or a library corner attempting to master another one of the 42 quintillion ways to solve a cube. My parents tease me that when I’ve “had enough” of anything, my fingers get a Rubik’s itch, and I suddenly disappear. I’m usually occupied for a while, but when I finally emerge, I feel centered, prepared to tackle my next task.

Secretly, I credit my cube with helping me earn top marks in AP Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics. It’s also responsible for my interest in computer engineering. It seems I just can’t get enough of those algorithms, which is why I want to study the design and implementation of cybersecurity software—all thanks to my Rubik’s cube.

Just don’t tell my parents! It would ruin all the fun!

Word count: 607

In this free topic essay, the student uses a montage structure inspired by the TV show Iron Chef America to demonstrate his best leadership moments.

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Iron Chef America: College Essay Edition

The time has come to answer college’s most difficult question: Whose story shows glory?

This is … Iron Chef America: College Essay Edition!

Welcome to Kitchen Stadium! Today we have Chef Brett Lowell. Chef Brett will be put to the test to prove he has what it takes to attend university next fall.

And the secret ingredient is … leadership! He must include leadership in each of his dishes, which will later be evaluated by a panel of admissions judges.

So now, America, with a creative mind and empty paper, I say unto you in the words of my teacher: “Let’s write!”

Appetizer: My first leadership experience

A mountain of mismatched socks, wrinkled jeans, and my dad’s unironed dress shirts sat in front of me. Laundry was just one of many chores that welcomed me home once I returned from my after-school job at Baskin Robbins, a gig I had taken last year to help Dad pay the rent. A few years earlier, I wasn’t prepared to cook dinners, pay utility bills, or pick up and drop off my brothers. I thought those jobs were reserved for parents. However, when my father was working double shifts at the power plant and my mom was living in Tucson with her new husband, Bill, I stepped up and took care of the house and my two younger brothers.

Main course: My best leadership experience

Between waiting for the pasta water to boil and for the next laundry cycle to be finished, I squeezed in solving a few practice precalculus problems to prepare for the following week’s mathletics competition. I liked how the equations always had clear, clean answers, which calmed me among the mounting responsibilities of home life. After leading my team to the Minnesota State Finals for two years in a row, I was voted team captain. Although my home responsibilities often competed with my mathlete duties, I tried to be as productive as possible in my free time. On the bus ride home, I would often tackle 10 to 20 functions or budget the following week’s meals and corresponding grocery list. My junior year was rough, but both my home and my mathlete team needed me.

Dessert: My future leadership hopes 

The first thing I ever baked was a chocolate cake in middle school. This was around the time that Mom had just moved out and I was struggling with algebra. Troubles aside, one day my younger brother Simon needed a contribution for his school’s annual bake sale, and the PTA moms wouldn’t accept anything store-bought. So I carefully measured out the teaspoons and cups of various flours, powders, and oils, which resulted in a drooping, too-salty disaster.

Four years later, after a bakery’s worth of confections and many hours of study, I’ve perfected my German chocolate cake and am on my way to mastering Calculus AB. I’ve also thrown out the bitter-tasting parts of my past such as my resentment and anger toward my mom. I still miss having her at home, but whenever I have a baking question or want to update her on my mathlete team’s success, I call her or chat with her over text.

Whether in school or life, I see problems as opportunities, not obstacles, to find a better way to solve them more efficiently. I hope to continue improving my problem-solving skills next fall by majoring in mathematics and statistics.

Time’s up! 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this tasting of Chef Lowell’s leadership experiences. Next fall, tune in to see him craft new leadership adventures in college. He’s open to refining his technique and discovering new recipes.

Word count: 612

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

  • Writing process
  • Transition words
  • Passive voice
  • Paraphrasing

 Communication

  • How to end an email
  • Ms, mrs, miss
  • How to start an email
  • I hope this email finds you well
  • Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

  • Personal pronouns
  • Conjunctions

The Common App essay is your primary writing sample within the Common Application, a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools. All your prospective schools that accept the Common App will read this essay to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student.

Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any college names or programs; instead, save tailored answers for the supplementary school-specific essays within the Common App.

When writing your Common App essay , choose a prompt that sparks your interest and that you can connect to a unique personal story.

No matter which prompt you choose, admissions officers are more interested in your ability to demonstrate personal development , insight, or motivation for a certain area of study.

To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:

  • Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
  • Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories

You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

  • A unique, personally meaningful topic
  • A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
  • Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
  • Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
  • Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
  • A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Courault, K. (2023, May 31). Common App Essays | 7 Strong Examples with Commentary. Scribbr. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/common-app-examples/

Is this article helpful?

Kirsten Courault

Kirsten Courault

Other students also liked, college essay examples | what works and what doesn't, how to apply for college | timeline, templates & checklist, how to write a diversity essay | tips & examples.

Writing A College Application Essay

Cathy A.

College Application Essay | A Writing Guide

14 min read

Published on: Feb 14, 2019

Last updated on: Nov 22, 2023

College application essay

People also read

22+ Winning College Application Essay Examples For Your Inspiration

College Application Essay Format - A Comprehensive Guide with Examples

Trending College Application Essay Prompts and Topics

Statement of Purpose: Writing Guidelines, Tips, & Examples

Share this article

Are you a high school student feeling the pressure of making your college dreams a reality? Feeling overwhelmed by the daunting task of crafting a compelling college application essay? 

Well, the essay is an important part of the application process but fret not! In this blog, we're going to take you on an exciting journey of writing a standout college application essay. We'll equip you with the tools, strategies, and insider tips you need to grab the attention of admissions officers and secure your spot at the college of your dreams.  So, let's dive in and uncover the secrets to your college admission success!

On This Page On This Page -->

What is a College Application Essay?

A college application essay, often referred to as a personal statement or admissions essay, is a crucial part of the college application process. It's your opportunity to go beyond test scores and present a compelling narrative that showcases your personality, experiences, and aspirations.

Purpose of College Application Essay

The primary purpose of a college application essay is to provide admissions committees with a deeper insight into who you are as a person and a student.

It allows you to stand out from other applicants, demonstrate your unique qualities, and convey why you're an excellent fit for the college you're applying to.

Essentially, it's your chance to make a memorable impression and increase your chances of admission.

How Long Should a College Application Essay be?

The ideal length for a college application essay typically ranges from 250 to 650 words. However, it's essential to check the specific guidelines provided by the college or university you're applying to, as word limits can vary.

Adhering to the specified word count is crucial to ensure that your essay is concise, well-structured, and effectively communicates your message to the admissions committee.

Order Essay

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Types of College Application Essays

types of college application essay - MyPerfectWords.com

Below-given are the three types of college application essays.

Personal Statement

The 'You' Essay, often called the Personal Statement, centers around your personal experiences, values, and identity. It aims to provide admissions committees with a deeper understanding of who you are as an individual.

Supplemental Essay

The 'Why Us' Essay, also known as a Supplemental Essay, dives into your specific reasons for wanting to attend a particular college or university. It should highlight what you admire about the institution and how you envision yourself contributing to its community.

Unconventional or Free-Form Essay

The 'Creative Essay,' referred to as an Unconventional or Free-Form Essay, provides you with the freedom to showcase your creativity and originality. It encourages you to think outside the box and present your story in a unique and engaging way.

These various essay types give applicants the opportunity to showcase different aspects of their character and aspirations, allowing admissions committees to gain a more comprehensive view of who you are as a potential student.

College Application Essay Format

A college application essay format usually follows the below pattern.

College Application Essay Format Example

For a more detailed application essay format check out our college application essay format   blog!

How to Start a College Application Essay?

A good starting is key to making your college application essay stand out. Thus, it is essential to pay attention to this section.

Here are some tips to start a college application essay correctly.

How to Write a College Application Essay?

Follow the steps given below to write an exceptional college application essay.

Step 1: College Application Essay Prompts 

The first step is to read the instructions and understand the essay prompts. It may suggest two or more topic ideas that may be impersonal but are aimed at testing you.

Consider the following elements to comprehend the college application essay ideas.

  • What does the prompt seek? Is it directed to inform? Expand? Support? Defend?
  • Relate the prompt to yourself and analyze how it can apply to you.

In case colleges do not assign an essay topic, try to find one you are passionate about. Also, think about memorable incidents, struggles, achievements, or failures that have affected your life.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas

Once you’re done with the prompt, brainstorm ideas to write a good college essay. The purpose is to collect all the information and align it with your college admissions essays. Make sure that you do this before starting the writing process.

Step 3: College Application Essay Outline

The next important step is to create an outline that divides the essay into different sections. A basic outline structure includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

The following is a detailed description of each section.

College Application Essay Introduction:

  • Start with a hook – use a controversial statement, a thought-provoking question, or a confession.
  • Reflect your personality in your writing style.
  • Challenge the reader by addressing them directly.
  • Relate the topic to your subject knowledge and its potential societal impact.
  • Mention your academic skills in connection with the chosen course, keeping it focused.

College Application Essay Body Paragraphs

  • Provide detailed explanations and examples in body paragraphs.
  • Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence .
  • Be concise and use vivid imagery.
  • Avoid excessive use of "I" and "me."
  • Inject a creative perspective into your writing.

College Application Essay Conclusion

  • Start and end the conclusion naturally.
  • Restate your thesis statement and link it to the opening statement.
  • Maintain the same tone and theme as the introduction.
  • Avoid summarizing; discuss your learnings instead.
  • Steer clear of clichéd phrases and quotations.
  • End positively, emphasizing how your admission can benefit the college and community.
  • Leave readers with an open-ended question or thought to ponder.

College Application Essay Outline Template

Step 4: Writing the College Application Essay

Once you've outlined your essay, stick to it. Stay focused, meet the word count, and start with a central idea. Be original, avoid copying, and bring a unique perspective. Support your arguments with details and add humor when appropriate.

After drafting, edit and proofread meticulously to ensure a polished, error-free essay for your college application.

How to End a College Application Essay?

End your college application essay by identifying whether you have included all the elements in your essay. Here is a checklist for you to access your application by asking yourself the following questions.

  • Have you provided original content and personal experiences in your essay?
  • Does your essay meet all the instructions specified by the college you are applying to?
  • Does it address the college essay prompts effectively?
  • Does it mention your academic grades and accomplishments?
  • Does it meet the required word count?
  • Are there enough details to support the main ideas?
  • Does it follow the correct college essay format template?
  • Does it mention your goals and commitments to the college?
  • Does it include the reasons why you are the perfect choice among others to get admission?
  • Does it demonstrate your enthusiasm for attending your desired college?
  • Does it include any references or recommendation letters from your teachers?
  • Have you proofread your essay for punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes?
  • Have you checked it for consistency and logical flow between paragraphs?
  • Have you used the correct outline and sentence structure?

Keeping in mind these elements will help to end a successful college application essay.

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

College Application Essay Examples

500 Words College Application Essay Example

Sample College Application Essay

Personal College Application Essay

Refer to our good  college application essay examples  in case you need more samples.

College Application Essay Topics

Here are some compelling ideas to consider:

  • Share a significant challenge you've faced and how it shaped you.
  • Explore your cultural heritage and its influence on your life.
  • Discuss a hobby or interest that defines you outside of academics.
  • Describe someone who has influenced your life profoundly.
  • Detail your leadership roles and the impact you've made.
  • Highlight your contributions to your community.
  • Explain your academic interests and goals.
  • Discuss a book or film that transformed your perspective.
  • Narrate a pivotal moment that altered your outlook.
  • Share your dreams and how your college choice aligns with them.

Get help from our compiled list of  college application essay prompts  to get more interesting ideas.

How to Pick a College Essay Topic?

When it comes to crafting your college application essay, you might find yourself at a crossroads. Some selective colleges hand you a specific topic or prompt, while others grant you the freedom to choose what you want to write about.

Whichever situation you're in, the process of selecting the right essay topic can be both exciting and daunting. 

Now, let's explore the process of selecting the perfect college essay topic for your application.

  • Reflect on Your Experiences: Start by brainstorming your life experiences, both significant and every day. Consider moments that had a profound impact on you, challenged your beliefs, or shaped your identity.
  • Identify Your Values and Passions: Think about your core values, interests, and passions. What makes you tick? What do you care deeply about? A topic related to your values often makes for a compelling essay.
  • Consider Diversity: Reflect on aspects of your background, culture, or upbringing that are unique or have influenced your perspective. These can provide rich material for your essay.
  • Tell a Personal Story: Personal anecdotes often make for engaging essays. Share a specific experience, challenge, or achievement and explain how it impacted you.
  • Connect to Your Goals: Consider your academic and career goals. How does attending this college relate to your aspirations? Connecting your essay to your future plans can demonstrate your commitment.
  • Research the College: If the college requires a 'Why Us' essay, research the institution thoroughly. Identify specific programs, faculty, or opportunities that align with your interests and goals.
  • Test Your Ideas: Discuss potential topics with friends, family, or teachers. Their feedback can help you gauge which ideas resonate the most.
  • Stay Authentic: Choose a topic that genuinely reflects who you are. Avoid writing what you think admissions officers want to hear; be yourself.
  • Avoid Overused Topics: While personal growth and overcoming challenges are valid topics, they are also common. If you choose these themes, ensure your perspective is unique.
  • Draft and Reflect: Once you've selected a topic, write a draft of your essay. Afterward, reflect on whether it effectively conveys your message and personality.

College Application Essay Tips

Writing your college application essay is a significant step in the admissions process. Here are some essential tips to help you craft a compelling essay:

  • Start Early: Begin well in advance to allow time for brainstorming, drafting, editing, and proofreading.
  • Be Authentic: Write in your unique voice, and be honest about your experiences and aspirations.
  • Tell a Story: Use anecdotes and narratives to illustrate your points and engage the reader.
  • Show, Don't Tell: Use descriptive language and specific examples to demonstrate your qualities and experiences.
  • Connect with the College: Explain why you're a good fit for the college and how you'll contribute to the community.
  • Be Concise: Avoid unnecessary repetition or verbosity; make every word count.
  • Avoid Controversial Topics: Exercise caution when discussing sensitive issues, ensuring your tone remains respectful.
  • Stay Positive: Maintain a positive and optimistic tone throughout your essay.
  • Revise, Revise, Revise: Don't settle for the first draft; revisions lead to a stronger essay.

To sum it up, creating a standout college application essay can feel overwhelming, given its pivotal role in shaping your future. Many students opt for professional assistance, and if you're seeking a dependable option, MyPerfectWords.com is the perfect choice.

Our experienced writers can help you craft an exceptional, error-free essay efficiently. We specialize in delivering top-notch supplemental essays, scholarship essays, and personal statements providing you the best essay writing service online.

Don't hesitate; place your order with our college admission essay writing service and let us help you secure your academic future!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use ‘i’ in a college application essay.

It is important to make ‘I’ statements in your college application essays. Colleges expect you to sound like yourself, so always be true to yourself when writing for the college boards.

Can you say ‘We’ in an essay?

We all know that 1st person plural is not a good idea in essays. To keep the reader engaged, you should be impersonal and avoid using ‘we’ or ‘us.’

Is it OK to talk about depression in a college essay?

Don't do it! There is no need to make your main essay all about these topics. Other ways may work better than writing, specifically on depression.

Cathy A. (Literature, Marketing)

Cathy has been been working as an author on our platform for over five years now. She has a Masters degree in mass communication and is well-versed in the art of writing. Cathy is a professional who takes her work seriously and is widely appreciated by clients for her excellent writing skills.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Get Help

Keep reading

College application essay

We value your privacy

We use cookies to improve your experience and give you personalized content. Do you agree to our cookie policy?

Website Data Collection

We use data collected by cookies and JavaScript libraries.

Are you sure you want to cancel?

Your preferences have not been saved.

IMAGES

  1. How to Structure a Theory of Knowledge Essay

    application of knowledge essay

  2. Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge Essay Example

    application of knowledge essay

  3. The Balance of Knowledge

    application of knowledge essay

  4. How Is Knowledge Gained Free Essay Example

    application of knowledge essay

  5. Essay on Knowledge

    application of knowledge essay

  6. Essay on Knowledge

    application of knowledge essay

VIDEO

  1. Essay Session

  2. Essay questions chapter 1

  3. Essay questions chapter 8

  4. Essay Session

  5. Essay questions chapter 4

  6. Writing Concept Information

COMMENTS

  1. Essays About Knowledge: 5 Examples And 7 Prompts

    1. Long Essay on Knowledge by Prasanna "If there is no knowledge or not acquiring knowledge, such a person is merely existing or surviving and not living. Because to live a life, we are bound to make decisions. An appropriate decision can be made if we have the proper knowledge to analyze the problem and decide it."

  2. Why Knowledge Is Important (23 Reasons)

    Awareness: Knowledge raises awareness of social issues, prompting action and advocacy. Empowerment: It empowers people to make informed decisions and take stands on important issues. Innovation for Good: Knowledge drives the development of innovative solutions to societal challenges.

  3. The most important application of science

    This progressive application of scientific knowledge is captured in Isaac Asimov's book, Chronology of science and discovery, which beautifully describes how science has shaped the world, from the discovery of fire until the 20 th century.

  4. Getting Students to Apply What They Have Learned in a New Context

    When engaging students in activities that promote the application of knowledge to new contexts, instructors should feel free to make their learning goals and expectations clear. Students will practice application better when they learn to recognize it. They will likely more willingly engage if the instructor explains the benefits of application ...

  5. Essay on Knowledge for Students and Children

    It refers to the information, facts, skills, and wisdom acquired through learning and experiences in life. Knowledge is a very wide concept and has no end. Acquiring knowledge involves cognitive processes, communication, perception, and logic. It is also the human capacity to recognize and accept the truth.

  6. Essay on Knowledge is Power: Samples in 100, 200, 300 Words

    Essay on Knowledge is Power in 300 Words. Knowledge is deemed as the most powerful tool a human possesses. It is the cornerstone of power in our modern society. The universally acknowledged phrase 'Knowledge is power' highlights the profound impact knowledge has on individuals and society, and both. The first thing to know about knowledge ...

  7. The real stuff of schooling: How to teach students to apply knowledge

    For example, students might apply the essay writing skills they learn in English class to writing essays in Social Studies courses, or we apply much of what we learn about driving a car to driving ...

  8. APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE

    COGNITIVE PRINCIPLE 1 The first cognitive principle can be divided into two distinct components -- contextual knowledge and structural knowledge. According to the DFI report (2015), learners must possess these in order to transfer skills or knowledge to novel problems.

  9. Application Of Knowledge Essay

    Application Of Knowledge Essay 776 Words4 Pages The pursuit of knowledge is certainly an enquiry into understanding the depth of any information. Knowledge is familiarity or experience gained through study of a particular subject.

  10. How to Write a College Essay

    Home Knowledge Base College essay How to Write a College Essay | A Complete Guide & Examples The college essay can make or break your application. It's your chance to provide personal context, communicate your values and qualities, and set yourself apart from other students. A standout essay has a few key ingredients: A unique, personal topic

  11. Sample essay 1 with admissions feedback

    Sample essay 1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you (500 word limit). A misplaced foot on the accelerator instead of the brakes made me the victim of someone's careless mistake. Rushing through the dark streets of my hometown in an ambulance, I attempted ...

  12. How to Choose a TOK Knowledge Question

    Breaking down the knowledge question into segments makes it a lot easier. We'd start with a starter segment for the KQ, and the following examples are great options: "To what extent…". "Is it possible for…". "In what sense is…". Notice that none of the starters begin with a simple "why" or "how," because that isn't ...

  13. Application Essays

    Applications that have several short-answer essays require even more detail. Get straight to the point in every case, and address what they've asked you to address. Audience. Now that you've generated some ideas, get a little bit pickier. It's time to remember one of the most significant aspects of the application essay: your audience.

  14. Learning by… Knowledge and skills acquisition through work-based

    Knowledge and skills acquisition through work-based learning and research - Author: Lee Fergusson. Issues around informal, non-formal and formal learning, intended and unintended learning and competencies and capabilities have been considered in work-based learning (WBL). However, demarcated modes of learning, or what can be called strategies ...

  15. 10 Skills to Highlight on Your College Applications

    Our college essay experts go through a rigorous selection process that evaluates their writing skills and knowledge of college admissions. We also train them on how to interpret prompts, facilitate the brainstorming process, and provide inspiration for great essays, with curriculum culled from our years of experience helping students write essays that work.

  16. Knowledge Management: Importance, Benefits, Examples [2023]

    Benefits of knowledge management. A survey of over 286 people working in knowledge management across a range of industries, locations, and company sizes found the most significant benefits to be: Reduced time to find information. Reduced time for new staff to become competent.

  17. 10 College Application Essay Dos and Don'ts

    DON'T copy and paste. With upwards of 25 or more essays to write for a balanced college list of 10-12 schools, it's tempting for students to repurpose essays across applications if the prompts are similar, especially when working down to the wire. While students can use the same main essay on the Common App for multiple schools, we always ...

  18. How to write a great college application essay

    A college application essay is usually around 500 words, and those words can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection. ... The application essay is your opportunity to impress an admissions officer with your determination and existing knowledge of your chosen subject. Make sure it reflects all of your skills and ambitions, and show ...

  19. How to Write the Common Application Essays 2023-2024 ...

    Because the Common App essay is 650 words long and has few formal directions, organizing a response might seem daunting. Fortunately, at CollegeVine, we've developed a straightforward approach to formulating strong, unique responses. This section outlines how to: 1) Brainstorm, 2) Organize, and 3) Write a Common App essay.

  20. Ultimate Guide to Writing Your College Essay

    Sample College Essay 2 with Feedback. This content is licensed by Khan Academy and is available for free at www.khanacademy.org. College essays are an important part of your college application and give you the chance to show colleges and universities your personality. This guide will give you tips on how to write an effective college essay.

  21. Sample essay 2 with admissions feedback

    Sample essay 2. We are looking for an essay that will help us know you better as a person and as a student. Please write an essay on a topic of your choice (no word limit). I'm one of those kids who can never read enough. I sit here, pen in hand, at my friendly, comfortable, oak desk and survey the books piled high on the shelves, the dresser ...

  22. Common App Essays

    Prompt 2: Overcoming challenges. Prompt 3: Questioning a belief or idea. Prompt 4: Appreciating an influential person. Prompt 5: Transformative event. Prompt 6: Interest or hobby that inspires learning. Prompt 7: Free topic. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about college application essays.

  23. How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay

    Step 1: College Application Essay Prompts. The first step is to read the instructions and understand the essay prompts. It may suggest two or more topic ideas that may be impersonal but are aimed at testing you. Consider the following elements to comprehend the college application essay ideas.

  24. 7 Common App Essay Prompts for 2023-2024 Application Cycle

    Explore the 2023-2024 Common App essay options and get expert tips to write a powerful personal statement (250-650 words) that impresses admissions officers. Common App Essay Prompt #1 Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful that they believe their application would be incomplete without it.