maebeezy
Dec 1, 2009
Undergraduate / Life on the Stage- Common App Essay Topic of Choice [3]
This essay is a rough draft and needs a lot of work. Feel free to rip it apart. =]
Palms sweaty, heart pounding, I prepared to take the stage. I had rehearsed my lines until I was able to recite them as easily as I recite my own name. Practices had been three times a week for the past four months. As opening night inched closer, practices intensified until they were everyday at a grueling 6 hours at a time. I was ready. My only adversaries were the butterflies churning in my stomach. I forced myself to ignore them and, taking a deep breath, I stepped into the spotlight.
In my observation, life is much like a theatrical production in which we are the stars. We're given certain situations and, like seasoned actors, we're meant to bring them to life, while adding our own flair in the process. We are not only actors; we are the writers, directors, and critics of our lives. As writers, we plan the direction we want our lives to take. We set our goals high and hope to not only meet them, but soar past expectations and achieve something truly great. As directors, work to make our dreams a reality, experimenting with different methods, which sometimes succeed and sometimes fail. As critics, we tend to scrutinize the show we have put together, weeding out ineffective tactics and noting which strategies are successful. As a child, I knew I was the leading lady in my own life, but I naively thought that there were things that happened that I would simply have to live with. My father passed away when I was an infant, leaving my mother to tend to my sister and me by herself. Growing up in a single parent home was far from easy. I was forced to grow up quickly and learn to take care of myself. It was in these years I discovered my role as the director of my life. I realized that though certain things happened that were beyond my control, I had the power to take any adversity that came my way and turn it into something positive. In a way I'm glad my life played out the way it has. I work hard and challenge myself to make my life the best "show" it can be. Though it wasn't easy, growing up without a father made me a stronger person. At an early age, I learned the lesson that life isn't always fair, but it was my challenge to make the best of it. Like any actor worth her stuff, I overcame this hurdle and came out better for it.
William Shakespeare once said, "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven stages." Though we are all subject to the unpredictability of life, it comes down to what we make of what we are given. We try to prepare for life by learning basic skills in school, but no matter how hard you rehearse, once you're pushed into the spotlight, anything can happen. When things don't go according to plan, "the show must go on," as the saying goes. Like any good actor, you must improvise and make the best of the situation. Although I'm no world reknowned critic, when critiquing my life, I give it two thumbs up.
So yeah. Thanks for all your help. :)
This essay is a rough draft and needs a lot of work. Feel free to rip it apart. =]
Palms sweaty, heart pounding, I prepared to take the stage. I had rehearsed my lines until I was able to recite them as easily as I recite my own name. Practices had been three times a week for the past four months. As opening night inched closer, practices intensified until they were everyday at a grueling 6 hours at a time. I was ready. My only adversaries were the butterflies churning in my stomach. I forced myself to ignore them and, taking a deep breath, I stepped into the spotlight.
In my observation, life is much like a theatrical production in which we are the stars. We're given certain situations and, like seasoned actors, we're meant to bring them to life, while adding our own flair in the process. We are not only actors; we are the writers, directors, and critics of our lives. As writers, we plan the direction we want our lives to take. We set our goals high and hope to not only meet them, but soar past expectations and achieve something truly great. As directors, work to make our dreams a reality, experimenting with different methods, which sometimes succeed and sometimes fail. As critics, we tend to scrutinize the show we have put together, weeding out ineffective tactics and noting which strategies are successful. As a child, I knew I was the leading lady in my own life, but I naively thought that there were things that happened that I would simply have to live with. My father passed away when I was an infant, leaving my mother to tend to my sister and me by herself. Growing up in a single parent home was far from easy. I was forced to grow up quickly and learn to take care of myself. It was in these years I discovered my role as the director of my life. I realized that though certain things happened that were beyond my control, I had the power to take any adversity that came my way and turn it into something positive. In a way I'm glad my life played out the way it has. I work hard and challenge myself to make my life the best "show" it can be. Though it wasn't easy, growing up without a father made me a stronger person. At an early age, I learned the lesson that life isn't always fair, but it was my challenge to make the best of it. Like any actor worth her stuff, I overcame this hurdle and came out better for it.
William Shakespeare once said, "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven stages." Though we are all subject to the unpredictability of life, it comes down to what we make of what we are given. We try to prepare for life by learning basic skills in school, but no matter how hard you rehearse, once you're pushed into the spotlight, anything can happen. When things don't go according to plan, "the show must go on," as the saying goes. Like any good actor, you must improvise and make the best of the situation. Although I'm no world reknowned critic, when critiquing my life, I give it two thumbs up.
So yeah. Thanks for all your help. :)