Undergraduate / 'applying to jobs during college' -UC (why my accomplishment makes me proud) [3]

Hello! I have a rought draft of my uc prompt here and i would like to know if i need to add, take away, change anything in this essay? Any help or advice would be GREATLY appreciated! thank you! :)

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?

Living in a one bedroom apartment composed of three younger siblings ages 15, 11 and 10 has always been hectic. It became even more hectic once my father was the only parent running the house and supporting us in every way. By being born and raised in a family like this has definitely shaped who I am today and how I was able to make one of my best accomplishments.

My father is a man who puts his children before himself, if we need something he will get it for us, if we are sad he will care for us, if we are mad he will try to understand why. As a result, he ends up spending a great deal amount of money to provide four children with food, shelter, clothes and help pay for anything else that we need to live. Once I was about to start college I started to worry about how much my dad will have to spend in order to pay for my school supplies, books, clothes and any other financial fees I would need to pay for. Since I was a kid I would never like to ask my dad for money, I always felt bad because I knew he wouldn't have much to just give away and I would rather let him put it to good use. On the other hand, as college approached I figured I was going to have to ask my dad for money more than I wish I would have too.

Then, I began to think about applying to jobs during college so that I could pay for my own fees, books, food, clothes and anything else I would need. However, my dad didn't want me to have a job during my time in school. My dad feared that because I would have a job I would start to not have time for school in which would cause me to have bad grades. Nonetheless, I still applied for a job, but without telling my father. I ended up getting an email for an interview, then I got the job and I would be starting winter quarter. I told my dad I got a job on school campus and he didn't like it at first, he warned me that if I do bad in school he would want me to quit my job. I understood his concern, but I knew that I wouldn't allow myself to get to that point.

This leads to my accomplishment that is important to me. My accomplishment was getting a job to use my own money while also succeeding in school. Now days, I don't ask my dad to help me out with any financial issues because I have my own source of income and I can rely on myself. Also, it makes me feel proud that I can handle a part time job with being a part time student. Working at least 15 hours a week with at least 15 units per quarter was tough to get used to, but not impossible to get through. There were times where I was struggling to finish my homework or study, but I had to sacrifice time to do other errands and focus on what was important. When I wasn't working I was making sure I did homework/studying, and when I wasn't doing either of those my only reason would have to be that I was working. This has shaped me to be more independent and determined. By being independent I am able to get a little taste of the actual world in which the person who I have to rely on the most for anything will be I. I will have to rely on myself to make sure that I don't slack off and if I do, the only person I can blame is myself.

Undergraduate / "Why my intended major is math"- UC Promt #1 - feedback [2]

Hello! I would like any feedback if there are any changes i should make on this essay? what is right and what is wrong? thank you!

What is your intended major? Discuss how your interest in the subject developed and describe any experience you have had in the field - such as volunteer work, internships and employment, participation in student organizations and activities - and what you have gained from your involvement.

Ever since I could remember during elementary school people would ask me "What do you want to be when you grow up?". As a kid I didn't know what I wanted to be, it seemed that every time someone asked me that question I always had a different answer. My responses would go from a teacher, to a doctor, to a fashion model and even an astronaut. In the end, I never had a choice that I would stick to because I wanted to do everything and anything that seemed interesting. However, I always did have a passion for math.

Throughout elementary and middle school I was for the most part, good with math. In elementary school I would receive good grades on my math tests and in middle school I was enrolled in honors math every year. I never paid much attention to how great of an achievement it was to understand math and how it would affect me in the long run. As high school began I took geometry, algebra II, numerical analysis and AP Calculus AB. I received A's and B's in each one of these classes and surprisingly I enjoyed the time I spent learning math, doing math homework and receiving good grades on my tests. Then, college came along and for every UC and CSU I applied for I put my major down as aerospace engineering; a major that is impacted in about every single campus I applied too. Sadly enough, I didn't get accepted to any of the UCs and CSUs that I had really hoped to go to. Once I had to make my decision on a campus I choose Cal Poly Pomona so that I could transfer to aerospace engineering once I had all of the requirements to change my major. Yet, that all came to a halt once I realized what I wanted to major in; what I had a passion for.

I choose to be Mathematics major at Cal Poly Pomona and when I started to think about what I could do with my major, I started to realize that this is what I wanted to keep as my major. Math has continuously been interesting to me because you learn how deal with numbers in countless of ways in order to reach your answer. Math is like a language, you can't understand it fully without a good foundation in the subject. As a result, I want to help other students with the subject by becoming a teacher in the subject. I have had plenty of experience helping others whether its friends, family or even classmates with understanding math. I also have had my own experience of asking for help on math, so I know what they might be going through. I want to be that person that helps them get back on the road to success. After I finish helping others with math I end up having a huge feeling of accomplishment because once you understand how to do a math problem and get the answer right, you feel like you're on top of the world. To see their faces light up as they get the answer right is such a remarkable sight. Moreover, in my job I also have to deal with situations where being a math major comes in handy. For my job we have to set up rooms for groups that will be holding events and sometimes we have to calculate how many rows of chairs we will have to take out or how many we will have to put in. My coworkers always count on me to do the calculations quickly for they know I am good at math. It's a great feeling knowing that other people recognize what you're good at and appreciate what you can help them with. I still have yet to do an internship because most internships that I have wanted to apply for require a higher level of math, but by the end of this academic year I will without a doubt be applying for more than one internship. Math is such a versatile subject that I could get involved in about any career I want, but to get involved with students whom I know what they are struggling with, that's an experience that I want to be a part of.