jonroman1
Oct 7, 2014
Undergraduate / What is the good life? Describe your notion. [7]
Prompt:
We often hear the phrase "the good life." In fact, the University of Florida's common course required of all undergraduate students is titled "What is the Good Life?". The concept of "the good life" can be interpreted in many different ways depending upon the experiences, values and aspirations of each individual.
In a concise narrative, describe your notion of "the good life." How will your undergraduate experience at the University of Florida prepare you to live "the good life"?
Essay: <START> I can still see it; I can still see his face: a face which days prior, was warm and full of joy; a face that could make anyone smile. A face that now only brings tears to my mother's eyes. A face that is now emotionless and cold, so very cold. It is the last image of the last memory I have of my brother, to which there will be no new memories, no new fun times to reminisce when we get old and visit each other on the holidays. The possibilities that lay in front of us just days before have all but vanished. It was all that was scurrying through my mind as I helped the pall-bearers carry him to his final resting place. All I have now to carry around is that last image of that last memory. But such a memory, that it now allows me to analyze my experience and find my own solution to the age-old question "What is the Good Life?"
Given the very short time on Earth, people strive to achieve their own unique version of the good life. Before you can achieve the good life, you must define it. In order to define it, you must define what it is not. If you were to ask my 13 year-old self "What is the Good Life?" you would have received a distorted answer along the lines of "obtaining wealth." The distorted part was not the answer itself, but my definition of wealth. What it meant to me then was no more than simple cash, cold hard money, but what it means to me now is far beyond that. What it means to me now is happiness. Not the fake-it-until-you-make-it kind of happiness, but the happiness that is bought with the acceptance of what you cannot control. The happiness that is bought with a career you love. To reach such happiness, I must first let go of the things I cannot control. I must accept the fact that I cannot control the randomness that is Gainesville weather, the traffic that is Archer Road, and more importantly, whether or not I get accepted into your University. The first half of acceptance I must complete on my own, but the second half is where the University of Florida will prepare me.
I must find a career that I love and if my current interests are of any help, the career would be in Microbiology. Such a topic fascinates and moves me to learn more of it and makes me question why so few Universities have it available as a major. It is what I wish to further my education in and one day, make a living in. Just the idea of researching and developing products that could help people overcome diseases and completing courses such as Immunology under Dr. Joseph Larkin just overwhelms me with happiness. This kind of happiness, true happiness, is what is needed to achieve the good life. <END>
Hello! I just joined this amazing website. It would be awesome if anyone would nit pick my essay and give any tips on it. I'm not to sure about the opening paragraph only because i don't really mention what i bring up later in the essay. If you think i should change anything please let me know. Also, I don't entirely feel confident that my essay fulfill the requirements to be considered a narrative so any feedback on that would be great. Thanks!
Prompt:
We often hear the phrase "the good life." In fact, the University of Florida's common course required of all undergraduate students is titled "What is the Good Life?". The concept of "the good life" can be interpreted in many different ways depending upon the experiences, values and aspirations of each individual.
In a concise narrative, describe your notion of "the good life." How will your undergraduate experience at the University of Florida prepare you to live "the good life"?
Essay: <START> I can still see it; I can still see his face: a face which days prior, was warm and full of joy; a face that could make anyone smile. A face that now only brings tears to my mother's eyes. A face that is now emotionless and cold, so very cold. It is the last image of the last memory I have of my brother, to which there will be no new memories, no new fun times to reminisce when we get old and visit each other on the holidays. The possibilities that lay in front of us just days before have all but vanished. It was all that was scurrying through my mind as I helped the pall-bearers carry him to his final resting place. All I have now to carry around is that last image of that last memory. But such a memory, that it now allows me to analyze my experience and find my own solution to the age-old question "What is the Good Life?"
Given the very short time on Earth, people strive to achieve their own unique version of the good life. Before you can achieve the good life, you must define it. In order to define it, you must define what it is not. If you were to ask my 13 year-old self "What is the Good Life?" you would have received a distorted answer along the lines of "obtaining wealth." The distorted part was not the answer itself, but my definition of wealth. What it meant to me then was no more than simple cash, cold hard money, but what it means to me now is far beyond that. What it means to me now is happiness. Not the fake-it-until-you-make-it kind of happiness, but the happiness that is bought with the acceptance of what you cannot control. The happiness that is bought with a career you love. To reach such happiness, I must first let go of the things I cannot control. I must accept the fact that I cannot control the randomness that is Gainesville weather, the traffic that is Archer Road, and more importantly, whether or not I get accepted into your University. The first half of acceptance I must complete on my own, but the second half is where the University of Florida will prepare me.
I must find a career that I love and if my current interests are of any help, the career would be in Microbiology. Such a topic fascinates and moves me to learn more of it and makes me question why so few Universities have it available as a major. It is what I wish to further my education in and one day, make a living in. Just the idea of researching and developing products that could help people overcome diseases and completing courses such as Immunology under Dr. Joseph Larkin just overwhelms me with happiness. This kind of happiness, true happiness, is what is needed to achieve the good life. <END>
Hello! I just joined this amazing website. It would be awesome if anyone would nit pick my essay and give any tips on it. I'm not to sure about the opening paragraph only because i don't really mention what i bring up later in the essay. If you think i should change anything please let me know. Also, I don't entirely feel confident that my essay fulfill the requirements to be considered a narrative so any feedback on that would be great. Thanks!