Student Autobiography: Outline, Examples, & How-to Guide

A student autobiography is a short paper written by a person about their life, achievements, and goals.

A student autobiography is a short paper written by a person about their life, achievements, and goals. You often need to compose one when entering a college or when applying for work. Your autobiography shows your attitude towards the chosen path. This is how you let the committee or employer know that you do want to get the position.

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We’ve prepared for you a step-by-step guide that will help you write the perfect student autobiography. You will learn the difference between a biography, an autobiography, and a memoir. Then we will explain how to define a goal and outline your essay. In addition, you’ll find autobiography examples for high school and college students at the end of this article. Keep reading and write a remarkable student autobiography using our tips!

🆚 Biography vs. Autobiography: What’s the Difference?

Biography versus autobiography. What is the difference between them?

  • A biography is a story about a person written by someone else;
  • An autobiography is a narration about its author.

Of course, they have many other differences and similarities.

The table below compares these two types of texts.

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BiographyAutobiography
Describe one’s life’s journey
Are non-fiction texts
Tell about real-life events and people
Are usually written in chronological order
Is written by someone about someone elseIs written by someone about themselves
Can be written for different purposesNeeded when one is entering a college or applying for a job
Usually aims at a wide audienceUsually aims at a small group of people
Can contain mistakes and inaccuraciesCan be too expressive and biased
Is usually longIs usually not longer than 400 words
Is written in the third personIs written in the first person

👣 7 Steps to a Perfect Student Autobiography

Now let’s write a creative student autobiography! We are sure that every person has something exciting to share with others. With our guide below, you’ll be able to express your own experience.

The picture contains 7 steps to a top student autobiography.

Step 1: Determine Your Goal

The first thing you are to do before writing an autobiography is to define your goal. What are you writing your autobiography for? What is your audience? Are there any requirements? Most student autobiographies feature a similar format. However, if there are any special requirements, you should take them into account.

Below are five questions to help you set up a goal.

❓What are you writing your autobiography for?Is it for academic, professional, or personal purposes? If your purpose is not personal, there should be some rules to follow. Do not worry, as we are here to explain them to you. If you write an autobiography for yourself, you are free to do whatever you want!
❓What is your target audience?It plays a crucial role if you write for a vast group of people or your potential chief or admissions office. The first situation gives you more freedom of expression. The other one is stricter.
❓How long should your text be?Once again, you are free to choose any size for your essay if you write it for your private purposes. If you are looking for a job or a scholarship, there are fixed rules. Your autobiography should contain about 200-400 words and consist of 5 paragraphs.
❓What should the style be?It is best to keep it simple but not informal. Find the middle ground and stick to it. You should not use slang or jokes. Keep the essay coherent and easy to read.
âť“Are there any special requirements?Most of the student autobiographies have more or less the same standards. Still, we recommend you study the requirements of your potential employee or admission committee carefully. There may be some minor but important differences – for example, a particular length of an essay.

Step 2: Outline Your Autobiography

Start working on your student autobiography by creating your life’s timeline. It will help you structure your thoughts in a logical order and see the big picture. Then look at the list of events and choose those worth describing in the text. It is also a good idea to think of the people you will mention.

Once you’ve decided which facts to include, it’s time to draft an outline of your autobiography. A typical one consists of the following parts:

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  1. Introduction. This section provides a general idea of who you are, what your goal is, etc. Your aim here is to grab your reader’s attention. You can do this by starting with a hook or by writing an engaging thesis statement at the end of the paragraph. It could be your goal or a childhood dream you are trying to bring to life.
  2. Body. This is the base of your text that should contain a description of the events selected before you start creating the outline. You might want to briefly describe your family, childhood, and hobbies. Share something personal that not many people know about. It is also a good idea to talk about your cultural background and the things you like about it.
    Feel free to write about your achievements and skills. Any small victory will do. It will help if you mention some of your failures but state that you have coped with them. The next thing is to present your future goals and prospects. Where does the college or job you applying for to get fit into your plans?
  3. Conclusion. The last paragraph of a student autobiography should summarize its main ideas. The conclusion should be more or less the same size as an introduction. Formulate the main idea of your text in one sentence. Repeat here why you want to enter a college or get a job.

Student Autobiography Outline Example

Below you’ll find an outline for an autobiography that could be written by a student who is applying for admission to a vocal department of a college.

  • Introduction (100 words):
    • Basic info about the author: name, age, the city they live in.
    • Thesis statement: I feel empowered to make a meaningful contribution to art as a vocalist.
  • Body (300 words); each paragraph is about 100 words – the description of the author’s past, present, and future:
    • When I was a child, I enjoyed watching talent shows with singers and wanted to be like them. My parents sent me to music school, and a path to my dream began.
    • I gave many concerts as a soloist in the choir. I took part in several singing competitions. It was not easy to get the victory, especially with such professional competitors. But I have not given up and practiced my skills, so I have managed to win some of them.
    • Now the project of my life is to go further and become a professional vocalist. I would like to go to this college because I believe that you have the best professors that help students develop excellent singing skills.
  • Conclusion (100 words):
    • Since my childhood, I have done everything I could to sing professionally. The next step to my dream is to enter and graduate from college.

Step 3: Start Writing Your Autobiography

Now, after you have prepared an autobiography outline, let’s proceed to the writing itself. You have already completed the most challenging part. In the introduction, you might want to write a catchy and creative thesis statement or a hook that will draw the reader’s attention.

BTW, if you need any help with formulating a thesis statement, you can use our free thesis maker.

Here are some ideas for your introduction:

  • I wondered, how can I become a desired position?
  • The desired positioninspires many people to be better. That is why I have chosen this path.
  • I decided to enter the name of college, just like my relative/friend did.

Step 4: Write the Body

The body part is the most important one because here you write about your life in detail. You need to expand on the topics you have touched upon in the outline. Be honest and write whatever you find interesting. When you come to the difficult period of your life, do not write about yourself as a victim of circumstances. You need to prove yourself strong and committed to your goal.

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Make sure your paragraphs are in a logical order and do not contradict each other in any way. Use linking words to connect the paragraphs coherently. If you do not know how to use them, look at the paragraphs’ examples later in the article!

Step 5: Conclude Your Autobiography

The conclusion is the part where you paraphrase the ideas you have stated in the introduction. Here you also need to summarize the points you have made in the body. Need help with making a summary quickly? Use our free summarizing tool!

Then you need to define the central idea of the autobiography about yourself in one or two sentences. It has to be short, simple, and memorable so that the committee would remember you.

Please do not forget to pay more attention to your goals and plans. Explain how the place you are applying for is going to help you in achieving them. Be sure to add why you think you will fit the position.

Step 6: Title Your Autobiography

We recommend that you do not choose a title for your student autobiography before writing the text itself. This must be the second last step you take because you do not know what your essay is going to be. You may consider some titles after you have composed an outline.

The purpose of the title is to attract attention and be remembered by the reader. The last thing you want to do is to create a boring heading. Write a catchy or inspiring phrase, your motto, or something that characterizes your life journey.

Here are some examples of good and bad titles:

✅ Great titles❌ Terrible titles
My path to a number one pianist: per Aspera ad AstraAn essay about myself
The way a childhood dream comes trueMy interesting and unusual life
A mistake that turned out as my best decisionHow I have become the best student

Step 7: Proofread & Relax

The last step you will take is to give yourself a day or at least a couple of hours break. Then read through your autobiography again and check for errors. Maybe you want to add or change something? If the final result suits you, then you have done a great job and can relax. Congratulations, you have your autobiography written!

đź‘€ Student Autobiography: Examples

In this section, you’ll find great autobiography examples for high school and college students. Use them for inspiration and as templates. They are written as a paper to enter a college in the first case and to get a job with the second. Read them through, and you will be ready to compose your bio!

Autobiography Example for High School Students

A dream I want to share with others

IntroductionMy name is Lucy Thompson, I was born on April 28, 2003, in Atlanta, but I have not grown up there. My parents and I moved to Boston when I was three years old, and I have lived there ever since. At the age of 5, I realized my life dream is to sing like a nightingale.
BodyWhen I was a little girl, I watched singing shows on TV with my parents every weekend. It was my favorite part of the day. I could not stop but sing and dance, imitating that this is me who is on stage. I remember the very first time my parents brought me to Philharmonia to listen to a choir. I was so amazed by the talent of singers that my mom decided to get me to music school. It was a great pleasure studying there, though it was not always so romantic as I imagined. At first, I had to sacrifice a good sleep and connections with some people to show above-average results at school and competitions. I was stressed and under pressure, but my family and close friends have helped me get through this time. I have managed to organize my life in a peaceful and productive way. I practiced my singing, gave four solo concerts and won three competitions. Now I enjoy singing even more because I do it for people who love and support me. After that tough period, I understand that I want to share my passion with as many people as possible. I think the best way to do this is to master my skills with enthusiasts like me. I am sure that your conservatory is the perfect place for it!
ConclusionAll my life I have dreamed only about singing. No matter what was happening, I could not let this dream go. It has made me stronger, showed me the true nature of people around me and myself. The next step I can take to achieve my goal is to enter your conservatory. Many talented musicians, composers, and singers graduated from it, and I want to be among them.

Autobiography Example for College Students

It turned out not as I expected

IntroductionI am Peter McNeil, 21. I grew up in a small town near Denver with my parents and my older brother. He is a successful programmer, and he got me interested in computers and technologies. I wanted to go the same path my brother went, but the stars were not aligned.
BodyAs far as I remember, I always looked at my brother, who coded different programs. Apps and cites he created do help others and are profitable for him. He has taught me some basics, and I began to code on my own. I thought I was going to devote a significant part of my life to programming. When I was at school, the IT classes were far from ideal because our teacher did not care much about education. It has seriously slowed down my studies in college. I have to work much harder and spend more time than expected on some tasks. It was a surprise for me that I was not the only one with such problems. Many of my friends struggled as well. I was in shock because of this situation, and at some point, it struck me. I want to work as a teacher so the students have the opportunity to graduate from school with useful knowledge and skills. They have a right to an interesting tutor who is into modern technologies and methods. I wish more children were aware of how exciting IT technologies could be.
ConclusionI spent a significant amount of time studying computers. I was sure that my purpose was to create a life-changing app or program, but I was wrong. I have to help children become better students and people. My goal is to share my experience, be an inspiring and supportive teacher, and provide educational lessons.

Congrats, now you know everything you need to write an exciting autobiography! We hope our article and student autobiography examples were useful to you. Check out the FAQ section to get rid of all the remaining questions and start writing your essay as soon as possible!

âť“ Student Autobiography FAQ

How to start an autobiography?

The first sentence of your autobiography contains your name, age, and status (a high-school student, a college student, or your profession). Then you should present yourself in more detail. What your family is, where you were born and what school you went to. It is very easy and you do not have to imagine anything.

How to conclude an autobiography?

In your autobiography conclusion, you should restate a thesis if you have one and summarize the key points of your text. You don’t have to give any new information here. Make sure you have written about your goals and expectations for the college or job you want to get. Those who will read your essay have to know why you are interested in the position.

How to title an autobiography?

Remember to title your autobiography after it is written. Read your paper through and identify its main idea. What have you emphasized and paid most attention to? Point it out in the title, but do not exaggerate, be confident. It would be best if you draw attention to your person so that the committee or an employer wishes to read it.

How long should an autobiography be?

It depends on your goal. If you want to describe your life to a vast audience, you may write a book of any length you want. When you need to get a job or enter a college, the appropriate size of an autobiography is five paragraphs.

đź”— References

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