This summer, two of our students have been shortlisted for a prestigious international essay competition – the John Locke essay competition. Students from all over the world respond in length to intriguing questions in disciplines ranging from philosophy, history, law, psychology, and economics, and it’s a great honor to be shortlisted from hundreds of submissions. We talked to Anna (Y12) and Elaine (Y12) about their experience.
Elaine (UISG)
How was your experience like?
The whole experience went more smoothly than I thought. I actually completed it in less time than I expected.
How did studying at UISG help her prepare for this competition?
Taking Psychology in IB DP helped a lot since we always have to cite studies for any points we make. Doing my Extended Essay in Psychology was helpful, because I could apply the research skills and writing strategies I used for my EE to the John Locke essay competition. And of course, our English classes were helpful as well as they help to build foundational writing skills.
Tips or advice for anybody who does this in the future?
Good essays work differently in different disciplines. If any future student wants to write an essay for psychology, find as many studies as you can. It may be tempting to make things up but cite all your statements from actual studies.
What was your essay prompt and the main argument of the essay?
The prompt was: “There is an unprecedented epidemic of depression and anxiety among young people. Can we fix this? How?” In short, we can. Some strategies I mentioned are as follows. Schools should implement a more complete educational system on mental health. Community services should be established for the wider society. We should develop technology, such as applications with built-in sensors to gather information about user’s regular activity patterns. If one has family members afflicted by mental health conditions, close engagement with them is really important. And finally, effective policies should be established.
Anna (UISG)
How was your experience like?
The writing took shorter time than I expected; overall, it was a fun experience. I got to research some case studies and incorporated them into the essay.
How did studying at UISG help her prepare?
In language classes, learning how to structure an essay was helpful. From planning out the essay, and crafting the introduction, main argument, and counterargument, these were skills I applied in the essay competition. History also helped, as it is somewhat similar to language subjects in that it requires you to structure essays, formulate essays, and provide counter-arguments. Overall, the IB curriculum was helpful for this essay competition.
Tips or advice for anybody who does this in the future?
Choose a topic that’s your passion. It’s normal to feel stressed during these activities, but because I chose a topic I enjoyed the most, the experience was enjoyable.
What was your essay prompt and the main argument of the essay?
The prompt was: “Your parents say that 11pm is your bedtime. But they don’t punish you if you don’t go to bed by 11pm. Is 11pm really your bedtime?” In short, rule without enforcement is meaningless because a rule loses its power to influence behavior to be regulated when there is no consequence that is following. The moral principle surely holds intrinsic value, which is especially relevant in the context of family. However, it is crucial to recognize that the rule is all about practicability, which means if there is no enforcement then there is no existence of a rule. Relying on the concept of ‘morality’ for all rules is extremely idealistic when the concept of morality itself is already vague and is different for everyone.
Thanks, Elaine and Anna, for sharing your valuable experience!
* The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
