avery33
Jan 12, 2021
Undergraduate / Overcoming a static mindset [2]
"
How would your friends, family, and/or community members describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are proud of and why"
Growing up in a middle class family with many of my needs and wants tended to, I developed a victim mentality, where I blamed my challenges on others around me. It was easier for me to believe my place in the world was a box in which I was contained, subject to my circumstances, instead of accepting responsibility for my actions.
When I tried out for the junior basketball team, I was a self assured child who felt entitled to make the team, despite being much smaller and less trained than my teammates. I was shocked to hear from the coach upon the end of the last try out that I had not made the team. I simply could not rationalize how this could have happened- I had wanted it so bad! In an attempt to understand, I had sought out the coach, who invited me to attend the practices as a red shirt. Although it stung my pride, I attended the practices, as the one player who "didn't make the team". Additionally, I scorekept during home games. It wasn't necessarily growing my skills as a player that I was proud of, but it was the ability to change my mindset. If I had maintained the victim mentality, I would have gone about the rest of my basketballball career feeling sorry for myself, but instead, I took on a mindset of growth which allowed me to learn from my mistakes. This is a lesson that is applicable to all areas of life, which is why others would describe me as hardworking and passionate to learn.
15 words over limit.
Do I address both aspects of the prompt well enough?
Does the experience I described being proud about have enough significance for this subject?
Does the first part provide valid justification for why I developed the initial mindset?
I am a first time poster, so if I have unknowingly violated any rules please let me know!
Thank you in advance
"
Tell us about who you are.
How would your friends, family, and/or community members describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are proud of and why"
Growing up in a middle class family with many of my needs and wants tended to, I developed a victim mentality, where I blamed my challenges on others around me. It was easier for me to believe my place in the world was a box in which I was contained, subject to my circumstances, instead of accepting responsibility for my actions.
When I tried out for the junior basketball team, I was a self assured child who felt entitled to make the team, despite being much smaller and less trained than my teammates. I was shocked to hear from the coach upon the end of the last try out that I had not made the team. I simply could not rationalize how this could have happened- I had wanted it so bad! In an attempt to understand, I had sought out the coach, who invited me to attend the practices as a red shirt. Although it stung my pride, I attended the practices, as the one player who "didn't make the team". Additionally, I scorekept during home games. It wasn't necessarily growing my skills as a player that I was proud of, but it was the ability to change my mindset. If I had maintained the victim mentality, I would have gone about the rest of my basketballball career feeling sorry for myself, but instead, I took on a mindset of growth which allowed me to learn from my mistakes. This is a lesson that is applicable to all areas of life, which is why others would describe me as hardworking and passionate to learn.
15 words over limit.
Do I address both aspects of the prompt well enough?
Does the experience I described being proud about have enough significance for this subject?
Does the first part provide valid justification for why I developed the initial mindset?
I am a first time poster, so if I have unknowingly violated any rules please let me know!
Thank you in advance
