I've read several articles about the problems with the 5-paragraph essay. I could never relate to that structure either. I prefer non-fiction to fiction so I'm curious about what structure essays SHOULD have outside the academic environment.

Structure is critical in music too. I learned how to improvise from Edward Weiss on the Quiescence Music site. He would tell you the key which dictates which keys could be use for the melody and give you two or three chords from that key. He'd leave the choice of rhythm pattern to you. You would improvise within those constraints. Songs are in one key, and usually follow a specific chord progression.

I don't know where I'd even start when it comes to writing a "personal essay". Are they about your "personal" opinions? Do they have to be about "experiences"? I've lived a very sheltered boring life. My "life" happens on the inside. What is the structure of a personal essay?