Example of Autobiography Essay about Yourself

How to write Autobiography Essay About Yourself

Autobiography writing is a common exercise in many educational institutions, and when asked to write one, students always try to find some examples of autobiography essays on yourselves. Most students feel that they are no Steve Jobs or Cristiano Ronaldo, nor have they done anything significant that can be mentioned in an autobiography.

With such insignificant details, it is hard to write a memoir, let alone an autobiography. However, the objective of writing an autobiography is not highlighting your achievements; rather, it is about narrating your life story. The professors want to test your English knowledge and writing skills rather than knowing what you have achieved to date.

How to start an autobiography about yourself

If you are wondering how to start an autobiography about yourself, follow these steps –

1. Determine your purpose

Before you start writing the autobiography, it is important that you know why you are writing it. Is it to inspire your readers? Or do you have a story that you want to share with people? You may also want to document your life for future generations. Regardless of the reasons, you should be clear about your purpose for writing one.

2. Create an outline

Creating an outline is an important step in autobiography writing. A well-defined outline helps you stay organized and streamline your ideas and thoughts while staying on track the entire time.

3. Write an introduction

In this part, your aim should be to grab the attention of the readers from the first moment and make them wanting for more.

It is usually done with the help of a “hook”. A hook sentence can be a single or a couple of sentences containing some striking information, which will make the readers inquisitive. It can even be a statistic or a shocking or controversial statement.

After the hook, provide some background information about yourself. This information can be generic, like a brief detail about where you were born, your family, or any significant incidents in your childhood.

4. Write about your early life

In this section, discuss your childhood and teenage years. Write about your family and how they helped or treated you during childhood and adolescence. You can write about your education and any events worth mentioning during that time.

A smart way to make this section interesting and engaging is by including stories or anecdotes from your life. You can speak about a memory that scarred you in school or a fond memory from your teenage days; you love to revisit even now.

5. Write about adulthood

In this section, you should gradually move on to your adult life. Discuss the various aspects f your adult life, like your first stable relationship, career, and other significant events during this time. Just like the previous part, using anecdotes and stories make it a much more enjoyable and engaging read. For example, you can describe your first interview, the first day at the university, and any other significant events from your personal life.

6. Mention the accomplishments

This section should be totally dedicated to accomplishments and achievements. Mention and discuss the awards, recognitions, and honours you have received. However, you should not sound cocky while mentioning these honours. It is important to be humble when you are discussing your accomplishments and speak about the hard work and dedication you put in instead of bragging about your success.

7. Write the challenges you faced

After discussing the awards and recognitions, the next section should be assigned to the challenges you faced and overcame. Discuss how you tackled all the obstacles you faced and what learning you got from them. It is important to maintain honestly

8. Conclude the autobiography

Finally, in this section, you should aim to wrap up the autobiography by showing hints of hope and inspiration. Discuss what you have learned to date from your life, how the incidents shaped your career, and what you accomplish in the future. You can even leave some advice for the readers and encourage them to pursue their dreams and overcome challenges.

What are the Examples of Autobiography Essay About Yourself?

Here is an example of how you can draft your autobiography –

 “I was born on a pleasant summer night in my native Bennington, Oklahoma. I heard from my parents that the night seemed to stand still when I was born near midnight. I had a very enjoyable childhood surrounded by my parents, older sibling, and my nana. My mom always said that I was an active child with a highly curious mind. Although I had trouble communicating with people, I used to ask my dad dozens of questions daily. Sometimes, I used to get so impatient that I asked ten-twelve questions at a time, even without waiting for their answers. This may be the reason why I used to get so many puzzles and books as birthday gifts from my parents.”

In the next part, describe yourself a little more. It may or may not be creative, but ensure that there is a smooth transition between the two paragraphs –

“My thirst for knowledge seemed to only rise with time. However, it never slowed down, even after passing out of school. I was particularly interested in two subjects - Biology and History. My passion for these two subjects helped me gain profound knowledge in both these subjects. My high grades eventually helped me to get into my dream college and choose the major I always wanted to study. Currently, I am a student of Biology major, and I couldn’t be more proud of it.”

Then you can gradually move to your career goals and what you aspire to be –

“I am certain that my degree in biology will help me to shape a better tomorrow. I want to be a reputed researcher of microbiology and work towards making vaccines that can cure the common cold. The common cold is a common disease that none has yet managed to cure permanently. So, this is my goal, and for that, I engage a lot of my time reading scholarly reviews. I also watch many interviews of the specialists I admire and follow in this field.”

Then you can mention the ups and downs that you have faced in your life, connecting it with your previous paragraph. For example,

“However, I have understood that life cannot be a bed of roses all the time. There are many hardships and challenges that I have faced throughout my academic journey. Though I never had to struggle to get the bare minimum in life, my parents didn't have the necessary financial strength to pay the fees of my dream college. So, I had to mortgage my house to take an education loan. However, the high interest on the loan was becoming a challenge for us. So, I started giving tuition to junior students while I was studying. I also started applying for various part-time jobs so that I could support my family even more. Eventually, I managed to crack an interview and get a part-time job. I felt really proud and triumphant the day I got my first salary. It gave me a sense of responsibility, and I felt like I have finally grown up.”

Then you can move to the final conclusion of your autobiography. In this part, you want to establish the lessons that you want your readers to take away from the story.

“From the experiences I have gained, I have started believing that success depends on two factors. The first is always the person's determination, and the second is how desperate they are to succeed. Being successful requires sacrifices. You need to sacrifice spending quality time with your friends and gaming sessions and give inputs for a better tomorrow. You will fail many times in your life. However, you can only be successful if you can recover from those setbacks and run again towards your goals. So, if you cannot motivate yourself to bounce back from failures, it is impossible to taste the sweet taste of success.

Simultaneously, getting enough support from the people around you is equally important. Don't alienate yourself from your near and dear ones or step on others' dreams to achieve your own. Having all the wealth in the world won’t mean anything if you don't have anyone to share your happiness with. Success is all about identifying your weaknesses and growing with the help of other people who want your best. For example, I could not have become a successful microbiologist without the continuous and undying support of my parents.”

You can also read a few famous autobiographies to get a detailed idea about how an ideal autobiography should look like. A few of them are –

• “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls
• “Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela
• “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert
• “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed
• “The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama
• “Finding Me: A Memoir” by Viola Davis
• “The Greatest: My Own Story” by Muhammad Ali
• “Open” by Andre Agassi
• “Playing it My Way” by Sachin Tendulkar
• “Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler

Writing an autobiography can be an overwhelming task for students. However, with the right approach, autobiography writing can also be a rewarding experience. So, follow these tips and examples, and you can write an excellent autobiography that will encourage and inspire others.