Undergraduate / Things that are extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self. [8]

possible princeton supplement:
tell me if it's an okay essay? i just changed the last three paragraphs or so. and does the quote fit well? oh and which one do you like better? the one above or this one?

prompt: Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation at the beginning of your essay.

"There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self." - Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard's Almanac)

As everyone hurriedly worked on his or her assignment, I began to negotiate with it. "Work with me, just work with me. We're both trying to accomplish the same goal!" Recognizing that my pleas took no effect, I initiated a stare down, as if I could miraculously transmit mental brain waves and control its twisted byzantine mind. Nothing. For an hour every day, I fixed my eyes on its blank white face: a smirk, though not visible, was readily perceived. After almost a week of hopeless glaring and irritated clacking, I acceded to defeat, for I could strike it anywhere, anytime, and tarnish its face until black marks covered it entirely yet still feel irrevocably conquered myself. Though I was always guaranteed physical victory, because it never struck back, it seemed to always keep success just beyond the reach of my mental capabilities. Such was the beginning of my relationship with computer programming.

It first brought about the destruction of an ideal. Having been a straight-A student all my life, I operated under the belief that hard work equaled achievement, for truthfully that was all I had ever known. To try and not succeed had been a foreign concept to me until I tried to learn and manipulate the Java language.

Java was an unanticipated challenge. The class was supposed to be easy, and for some, it was. However, what took others 30 minutes to complete took me days to accomplish. First, I denied the reality of struggling with an academic subject. When it could no longer be denied, I resented the fact and became angry that my brain could not pick up on this unfamiliar, inverted way of thinking. A semester had gone by before I finally began to accept the idea that Java does not come to me naturally. No matter how many rules of the Java language I memorized, I lacked the capability to translate that knowledge into successful programs.

This presumably discouraging realization was ironically relieving. I had escaped from my pride and impractical expectation. It was comforting to know that I am simply a human being, susceptible to weaknesses and limitations. No longer blinded by a frustrated ego, I realized I had been so focused on making Java my strength that I had overlooked my natural abilities. I had ceased to understand my weaknesses and employ my strengths.

After this realization, I tried a different approach to overcome Java. My inability to grasp the inverted thought process required in computer programming is my shortcoming, but my strong people skills are my strengths. Swallowing my pride, I sought out people who could best communicate their way of thinking to me. Examining others' problem solving techniques helped me pick up skills that worked for me and ignore others that didn't. With this new self-awareness, I found a way to conquer Java.

Java forced me to take the first steps of a long journey to understand myself, and from it, I've gained an introspective and self-accepting nature.

Scholarship / Presidential Scholars Essay: Losing my best friend. [2]

Describe a mistake you made or a challenge you faced. How did you respond to that mistake or challenge, and what did you learn from your experience?

it's a bit too long. and i think i spend too much time describing my mistake rather than discussing how i responded/learned from it.

any help would be greatly appreciated!

I am always busy. Sometimes it seems as if every second of my time is already taken. This was especially true during my junior year of high school. I was a student council officer, president of a library volunteer committee, publicity chair of the all-school musical, National Honor Society member, Chinese school student, etc. In short, I was constantly occupied. In the mist of this chaotic life, where everyday seemed 24 hours too short, I made an unforgettable mistake: I lost my best friend.

It started with a missed phone call, dragged on to sleepover rain checks, and ended with a broken friend.

I purposely missed her calls, knowing that I didn't have the time to talk yet too embarrassed to tell her so. I made up excuses to not hang out, and one day it became one excuse too many. She stopped calling. It took me a few months to notice and a few more months to feebly reach out to her. However, by then, I had lost my place in her life and felt the difficulty of trying to inject myself back in. So, I gave up, resumed my busy lifestyle, and immersed myself in all the schoolwork and extracurricular activities that had saturated my life. It wasn't until early this school year that I finally realized I wanted to make up for all the pain I had caused her and wanted her back in my life. It started with a simple, but sincere, message. From there, it evolved into a renewed friendship. While we don't see each other often, we text and call each other at least a few times a week to stay updated with each other's lives. But the story doesn't end here.

For the past year or so, my best friend has been depressed. Recently, the depression has become so unbearable that she attempted suicide. I'm thankful she's still alive and well, but I can't help but wonder if had I returned a few more calls last year, she would be walking down a different path of life today.

Sometimes people don't realize the difference they can make in other people's lives. That is no longer the case for me. All of my life, I have wanted to be a politician to serve people. But in the process of pursuing ambitious goals, I have forgotten about the most important thing: people.