Undergraduate / Alone at home. This is the Intro to a very personal UC admissions essay. [6]

Is it too depressing? Should I continue?

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

overcoming social anxiety

As a kid, no one was ever home. My dad moved permanently to utah following a mid-life crisis, my sister whom was much older, left for college when I was seven, and my mom who hated being at home, worked a night job. After school, my mom would take me home, and immediately leave for work. For a long time, my average day consisted of eating frozen dinners, watching judge judy and playing online arcade games. That didn't bother me too much. What hurt the most that there was absolutely no one to talk to. This prevented me from developing healthy social skills. At school, I would say whatever I was thinking, regardless of how rude or sensitive. After offending nearly everyone in the sixth grade, and being ostracized for it, I started avoiding talking all together. I reasoned that I wouldn't be criticized if I simply didn't talk.

My most significant challenge was overcoming social anxiety.