Undergraduate / Obstacles in the road - Need assistance with UCF Prompt [6]

Prompt is the bump in the road. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Sometimes we are the bump in the road. I had always done well in school, until last year. Eleventh grade was certainly not my best year academically, but it was a huge year in terms of personal growth and realization. I just wish that realization would have occurred before I had to see the disappointment on my mom's face when she opened the mail containing my final report card. While I don't know whether my slip in grades was due to a lacksidasical effort or just being too cool for school, I do now know that those behaviors have consequences, whether it be having to retake a class, losing a good student driving discount or seeing that look. I have realized to achieve my goals, I first have to identify want they are and then work feverishly to obtain them. My experience has taught me to learn from my mistakes and avoid repeating them. I am going to have to work hard in my senior year and put forth a serious effort into my studies in order to undue the damage I myself did to my GPA. I've also learned the sense of self-satisfaction that you feel when you've put forth your best effort is the feeling I want to have and is the one thing no one can take away from you. The road of life will contain many bumps and I plan to plow right over them by putting forth my best effort in all of my endeavors.

Undergraduate / Family influence - violence essay [14]

Prompt is how family has influenced who you are.

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Violence was never tolerated in our family, but still I learned quite early growing up as a twin that you have to fight for what you want and what you believe in. Imagine growing up having a twin brother who was smarter, faster and stronger. My brother was identified as being gifted in kindergarten, I was not. Jared has always had thirty pounds and three inches on me. This, of course, made the constant wrestling that went on a challenge, but not impossible. At first blush, you might think this would cause some conflict as the natural tendency is to be constantly compared to your twin counterpart.

However, I think I've turned Jared's gift into my own. I have always had to try a little harder whether it be academically or on the sports field to keep up with him, which has helped shape the person I am today. I've learned to celebrate the differences in people and appreciate the fact that everyone has something unique to bring to the table. I've learned that being creative and caring is just as important, if not more so, as being the first to finish a test or a lap around the track. My brother is and will always be my bestfriend and I will always be grateful to him for giving me the incentive to be the best me I can be and for setting the bar so high. I believe the foundation I established as a person growing up will serve me well as a student at the University of central Florida and life in general.