Undergraduate / Essay about the environment and how we can improve it [2]

I grew up in a environment where pollution, disease, and other problems are a big issue. Cars and factories release greenhouse gasses into the air, and forests are being cut down. In other countries, many people are behind on cures for diseases. Many people talk about how the polar ice caps are melting and the ozone layer depleting. An Inconvenient Truth opened my eyes to see how today's technology and garbage affect these environmental disasters, and I want to do something about it.

I do some things to make myself more environmentally friendly. I walk to school instead of driving because I live about two blocks away. I also take the bus when I go downtown or my friend's house. When I need to get somewhere and many people are going, I carpool with some friends. I recycle any cardboard boxes and milk cartons, and I reuse water bottles and fill them with filtered tap water instead of buying more water. I take short showers and I don't leave the facet on when I am brushing my teeth.

At school, I am constantly learning about the environment and how we are affecting it. I noticed recycle and compost bins in the cafeteria and an old Asian woman picking up cans and bottles in the gym. In the A.P. Environmental Science class, I see how other third world countries are less fortunate than us and how we just dump our trash in their countries. We need to find a way to use less resources and produce less trash so other countries can improve their standard of living.

During the summer of 2008, I was a intern at North East Medical Services (NEMS), which is a clinic near Chinatown. I worked as a lab technical assistant and they had strict safety regulations. I always had to wash my hands and wear latex gloves because I was transporting blood samples. My mentor told me that a clean work place reduces the chance of people spreading any diseases. He also told me that many people are ill because their houses or work places are unsanitary.

A clean environment is good for everyone, but we are far from one. If we continue what we are doing, most of our natural resources would be gone and our future generations would have nothing to survive on. We should focus more on renewable energy sources like the wind, sun, and maybe even rain instead of wasting all of our fossil fuels. We also need to do more with our trash instead of burning or burying it. I hope that if apply my studies to environmental problems and coming up with a solution to them, I can help make a better future for everyone.

Undergraduate / I am shy - what I did to overcome this trait? [2]

Essay about overcoming shyness

After ending my conversation with my friend I was amazed when the screen displayed the duration of the call. Two hours, five minutes, and twenty-four seconds, and my cell phone had one bar of battery left. This was the longest conversation I ever had in my life. In the past, I did not say much over the phone except: hi, bye, yes, and no. During my sophomore year I realized I was a pretty quiet person. Whenever I saw someone I knew I would just say hi and keep walking the other direction. I always went home right after school and did my homework. On the weekends, I did my chores like vacuuming or cleaning the toilets, and followed my parents wherever they went. I needed a better social life and to talk more because being quiet will not help me in my future.

My social skills expanded during my junior year. For an Academy of Finance class I had to do a mock interview with an employer from Jobs for Youth which is an organization to help teenagers gain job experience. After my teacher read the requirements of the project, I knew that I had a lot of work. I sought my parents' advice on how to succeed during an interview. My mother told me that I should sell myself. I must emphasize my qualities, dress professionally, and be knowledgeable about the company to show them that I am the best candidate for the job.

Rocking back and forth and feeling the perspiration on my face, I waited patiently for my name to be called. After my name was called, I entered a small meeting room, firmly shook my interviewer's hand, and we sat down. My teacher advised me that squeezing my thumb underneath the table would calm me down. As he was introducing himself I secretly gripped my thumb and I felt more relaxed. We began and the questions were not as difficult as I anticipated. The conversation was like a boat ride down a river with a few bumps and white water, but I made it safely to the nice sunny beach. I left the building with a smile on my face.

At school I am much closer to my teachers and ask questions if I do not understand the material. On Saturdays, I still do chores, but I also go on trips to the beach and go bowling. I can also apply my social skills in volleyball where I yell to let my teammates know what I am doing and cheer us on when we score points. When I go to college I am eager to join academic and social clubs and be environmentally active. My social skills will further develop my resume because I can handle an interview comfortably with confidence. College will provide me with the academic knowledge and experience that will help me obtain my goals, and my social skills will assist me be more ambitious in everything I do.