Working on pre-writing more secondaries and I'm on the challenge essay. Many of these questions include phrases like "share the strategies you employed" or "describe the steps you took" and I want to make sure I am answering this correctly. Am I supposed to write more about how I solved the problem (i.e. more planning and action oriented) or how I was able cope with having to do this (i.e. the more emotional coping component)? Both? In searching through SDN, most of the advice is to write about coping strategies, which I would take to mean emotional coping strategies but others mention more like coming up with a plan and execution of said plan.
For the sake of an (made up) example, let's say I'm a garbage collector and I really hate smelly, heavy garbage.
Problem solving focused:
1. "I needed to pick up the, smelly, heavy trash everyday, 7 days a week. To address the smell, I found a nose clip to reduce how much I could smell it and began wearing a mask with peppermint oil (essential oils of course) to mask it even further. I began working out daily to build my strength to pick up the heavy bags. With these strategies, I was able to successfully be a garbage collector and keep the streets free of refuse. What initially started out as an overwhelming experience soon became routine and well within my capabilities..."
or
Emotional coping focused:
2. "I hated the smelly, heavy trash that I had to pick up as a garbage collector - it killed my soul to show up to this job everyday. As I continued to work, I began to look at the positives of the job: keeping trash out of nature, the smile of satisfaction on the homeowner's face when I emptied her ex-husband's stuff into my truck, and my ability to do a job that many people would refuse to do. I also learned to talk to my brother after a bad day to help destress..."
Or a blend of the above? I'm mostly concerned about getting too wrapped up in the details of what I did (I addressed problem "x" by literally taking "A, B, C, and D" actions) and missing out on showing them my emotional coping skills if that is what Adcoms want to know about. I could write paragraphs on the steps I took, but I imagine that would be very boring to read. It would show my ability to plan/execute very well though.
Basically, are they more interested in my ability to formulate a plan and execute it in detail or more interested in how I emotionally deal with stressful situations?
For the sake of an (made up) example, let's say I'm a garbage collector and I really hate smelly, heavy garbage.
Problem solving focused:
1. "I needed to pick up the, smelly, heavy trash everyday, 7 days a week. To address the smell, I found a nose clip to reduce how much I could smell it and began wearing a mask with peppermint oil (essential oils of course) to mask it even further. I began working out daily to build my strength to pick up the heavy bags. With these strategies, I was able to successfully be a garbage collector and keep the streets free of refuse. What initially started out as an overwhelming experience soon became routine and well within my capabilities..."
or
Emotional coping focused:
2. "I hated the smelly, heavy trash that I had to pick up as a garbage collector - it killed my soul to show up to this job everyday. As I continued to work, I began to look at the positives of the job: keeping trash out of nature, the smile of satisfaction on the homeowner's face when I emptied her ex-husband's stuff into my truck, and my ability to do a job that many people would refuse to do. I also learned to talk to my brother after a bad day to help destress..."
Or a blend of the above? I'm mostly concerned about getting too wrapped up in the details of what I did (I addressed problem "x" by literally taking "A, B, C, and D" actions) and missing out on showing them my emotional coping skills if that is what Adcoms want to know about. I could write paragraphs on the steps I took, but I imagine that would be very boring to read. It would show my ability to plan/execute very well though.
Basically, are they more interested in my ability to formulate a plan and execute it in detail or more interested in how I emotionally deal with stressful situations?
