While some high school seniors begin to enjoy writing their college essay, others fail to see the importance of it. In some cases, these 600 words determine acceptance or a rejection. 【小题1】 It is also a process of self-discovery. Here are some helpful tips.

1. Have fun! When you get upset, it is reflected in your work. Relax, breathe and realize that this is the time to expose a side of you that the grades cannot.

2. Don’t settle for basics — be creative! 【小题2】 Stay away from volunteer work, your dead dog and vacations. Admission counselors (入学辅导员) see thousands of essays a month; make sure your essay is distinct from your experience and personality. Do not focus on what you think they want you to write, but what is actually significant to you.

3. 【小题3】 Although it is effective to appeal to the emotions of an admission counselor, I do not recommend writing an essay about sad stories. Self-pity can be annoying, and most admission counselors do not want that to be their first impression of you. 【小题4】 Make sure that the story is focused on your growth, not on the struggle.

4. Your essay is not a longer version of your resume (简历). If you send in a resume, there is absolutely no need to restate what is on it. Many students like bragging (吹嘘) about how much they do. It is amazing that you are involved, but admission counselors do not only want to hear about how much you do, especially if they already see this on your resume. 【小题5】

Good luck on your college essay!

   Several recent cases of violence（暴力）against students at U.S. colleges have made global headlines，arousing questions about the safety of America’s campuses. Yet government data show that the number of violent assaults（袭击）at colleges actually has decreased in recent years. And most schools have worked to increase safety through technology and student behavior.

It’s also important for students to take responsibility for their own safety. Being familiar with local neighborhoods and campus services is key. Personal-safety expert David Nance says the most important thing students can do is be attentive-which means not being distracted by smartphones or other devices.

The website for the group PEACE OUTSIDE CAMPUS，formed in response to the murder of a student from the University of Delaware in her off-campus apartment in 2005，lists additional measures students can take：

1. Don’t walk alone after dark or while drunk. Contact a friend to take you where you need to go.

2. When driving，keep your doors locked，and park in well-lit areas.

3. Don’t wear earphones or play music so loudly that you are unaware of your surroundings.

4. Trust your instinct（本能）and don’t worry about overreacting. You’re better safe than sorry.

5. Avoid entering elevators with strangers. When this is unavoidable，stand by the control panel and，if faced with a threatening way，push the emergency alarm and all the floor buttons. Don’t press the stop button.

6. Don’t hold the door open for a stranger attempting to enter the house，even if it seems rude. Ask them to identify themselves.

7. Post the police’s and fire departments’ numbers by every phone，and put them into your cellphone.

8. Label your emergency contacts as ICE（In Case of Emergency）in your cellphone so officials will know who to contact for important personal or medical information.

Planning is good as it decides in details how we do what we want to do it. However, a plan bears no fruit without being actual carried out. My experience in the English speech contest last month was a case in point. A month before the event, I spent hours work out a schedule with my goals and practical steps. After that, I set out read widely for an inspired topic , wrote a speech, and practised my pronunciation with good public speech skills. I finally stood out as a first prize winner. I know why I achieved my success. It came from good planning but better practice.

   As we all know, books are very important to us. They can provide us with many useful things.【小题1】 However, how can you become a good reader？Do you know what effective ways to read are？I suggest you should follow these tips.

【小题2】 Libraries are wonderful places to find a variety of books. What's more, you can fix your attention on the book in this quiet, comfortable place because you won't be disturbed. You can also relax yourself in this comfortable place.

Pick out reading materials that most interest you. Finding materials that interest you is the first important step in improving your reading.【小题3】 If you have trouble understanding what the author is trying to say, you may not enjoy the book. If you are interested in a book, you will enjoy reading it again and again.

Know what your purpose is. If you want to learn the language, you should learn the sentence structures, the useful words and expressions that you may need to use later.【小题4】 The more words you are exposed to, the more your vocabulary will grow. This will help you write a good composition.【小题5】