Undergraduate / Essay on Significant experience or situation that changed my belief or thinking and why. [2]

Prompt: describe a significant experience or situation that transformed your thinking or beliefs and why? (350 words maximum)

circumstances aren't important

Crouched beside my younger brother on one corner of the bed, we exchanged silent stares. He was hurt and so was I.
Earlier, a boy called tisloh, my neighbours friend had forcefully entered into our room and without hesitation had lounged into a series of disturbing questions like how my whole family fit into a single room apartment. Finally, he exclaimed that he was surprised that in this present day, a family could live in such a place with no basic necessities like a TV.

In my fifteen years of sharing a room with my family, I was really embarrassed. After that incident, I promised myself to work hard and become a better person. However, the thougt that i wasnt like my mates lingered on. I felt inferior to those I considered better than me.

However, in 12th grade, something spectacular happened. I fell ill and was homebound for a couple of days. Few days later, few of my concerned classmates visited my house. I remember the fear I felt when my mom informed me of their presence. However, all was forgotten when we began to chat happily and made jokes about each other. My mom even joined in the laughter. When they left, I was grateful they came.

Few days later I resumed school and my visitors couldn't stop talking about how they had so much fun at my place. One of my close friends even told me that my house was one of the best places she had visited. It was this gesture that opened my eyes.

I went home that day with a new perspective on life; to never let my situation define my personality. I realized that rather than paying attention to my circumstances, I could focus on using it to impact the lives of those around me. To my classmates, I was a source of happiness but I never realized that till that moment.

I have come to the conclusion that success isn't about the challenges I have faced but what I have become because of it.

Undergraduate / MasterCard foundation. Topic of importance essay. [3]

Prompt: write on a topic that is of importance to you and reflects who you are (maximum 500 words)

no dream is unattainable

The day my brother received news that his result was cancelled, was a sad day in my family. It was my family's first attempt in sending someone in my family to university. My brother had attended a two-year pre-university course but his results was withheld because he couldn't pay the full tuition. On that day, my mom had cried and so had my brother. After that incident, my burden to finish college intensified.

I dream about the day I would walk up into our living room to a wall with diplomas and accolades reading congrats on getting your B.A in economics hanging on it rather than stories of unfulfilled dreams. In this present age a college experience was vital to succeed, but this wasn't my major motivation for it: it was my family and the community I lived with.

Growing up with parents that did not have college degrees, I witnessed the struggle my parents underwent each day to provide for the family. My dad, for instance, suffered at an early age from arthritis due to his dropping out from school and working in construction sites as a labourer at a young age. That this problem has continued to haunt my family is a major concern. For example, after graduating from high school, transmitting into college was always difficult. No one in my family have been able to get a college degree.

However, It is a common trend in my neighborhood to see kids drop out of school because of financial hardship. Hence, the high number of highschool and college dropouts which make up a high rate of poverty. Growing up, I never wanted to be part of this trend. I wanted to be different; I wanted to go to college. To my family, my college degree would be a great accomplishment but to my community, this would mean much more than that; it would mean answers to its numerous economic problems as I hope to address issues such as illiteracy, unemployment and inflation which are the major problems it faces.

It is for this reason; I sought for a scholarship to study economics. I want to be an example to the youths that no dream is unattainable. I want to be a motivation to these individuals to pursue their dreams and this includes going college.

Undergraduate / The quiet time. What is important to you and why essay [5]

Prompt: what is important to you and why (max 250) words.

The quiet time

I woke up to the insistent buzzing of my phone alarm at 5:00am and gently reached for my bible and earpiece at the bedside.
I come from a religious family and my parents believed in training us in the right doctrines. For instance, in seventh grade, my mom introduced me to a daily practice which she she partook in and referred to as quiet time. At that time, as a kid, this had no meaning to me hence I considered it a waste of my time. To me, it was just all about saying my prayers and reading my bible daily but as I grew up, I realized I gradually became a better person each day as I struggled to keep up to the time I chose; a practice that required discipline, consistency and sacrifice.

Over time, quiet time to me revolved from a daily practice to please my mom to something I enjoyed doing. Hence, when my aunt told me I could learn so much from studying the bible I didn't disagree. Quiet time to me has become more than just a religious practice; I consider it a learning process also. Quiet time gives me the peace and solitude to reflect on various areas of my life. Apart from the knowledge and values I learn from the Bible, I also have the opportunity to enjoy one of my hobbies; listening to inspirational music by individuals who overcame significant challenges in life.

Even though there are still times when I slap the snooze button and go back to sleep, I wake up the next morning with a new zeal to keep to my time.

Undergraduate / Equality in sport, topic of importance essay. [3]

Write on a topic that is of importance to you and reflects who you are. Max 500 words.

everyone should be treated equally

Getting into high school, I had plans to join the soccer team but this was not possible until second year.

My first year was characterized by disappointments: spending full games on the bench and getting rejected from the team countless times. I never had the chance to prove my worth. Those who saw me play during practice sessions told me to join the team because they felt that was the best place I could develop my skills. Despite the number of ties I tried, I was rejected. I wasn't because I was a bad player, I was considered unfit for the team because of my small stature.

The first time I was allowed to play was because my house team was short of a player and my coach thought my presence wouldn't make a difference. Surprisingly, I had scored the winning goal and had been invited to the school team afterwards.

Even after I had been accepted to the team, I still faced some challenges like being bullied by my team mates on the pitch. I recall one incident where a girl I tackled had warned me to stay away from her unless I wanted to get injured and her friends had cheered her for it. Even though I had dismissed her threats with a smile, I was hurt by the fact that some one would consider another inferior because of their status.

There is no doubt that the lessons I learnt from soccer thought me to be determined and persistent. However, the bigger lesson I learnt was to treat everyone equally. Everyone deserved the right to be given equal opportunities not based on status but capability. I realized from my experiences in soccer that when people rated based on appearance rather than ability, it has profound effects like forcing the individual to neglect his passion or give up on something he would have otherwise performed greatly.

With this in mind, when I entered senior class and held leadership positions, such as team captain, equality was at the heart of my leadership. I ensured every member on the team received equal treatment regardless of rank. However, I also ensured seniors were not disrespected by juniors and juniors were not treated badly by the seniors.

It is important to me that everyone is treated equally. It is this attitude I hope to carry along with me anywhere I go.