"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth."(John F. Kennedy) Independence is not only important to me, but it is essential. For as long as I can remember the idea of self-sustainability has been important to me. Asking for help, even if needed is a challenging task not because I am too proud, but I don't always believe that I actually need it. A large part of learning to become more independent began when I was just a kid on a swim team.
At competitions, it was my responsibility to warm-up and be on time for my race. Sure, I missed a few events over the years but I have learned through determination that I do not have to rely on other people. During my middle school years at a small private school, the teachers taught us to be self-regulating when it comes to turning in homework, writing essays, and studying for big tests. Although I was not completely aware of this during these three years, moving on to a public high school quickly made it apparent to me. When a teacher would assign an essay, twenty different hands would shoot up. Half would ask if we should double space the paper and the other half would ask simple questions varying from what font should we use and how long should it be. The whole time I would sit there throwing ideas for the essay down on paper. I knew basic essay format and if I really did not know something about the format, I could usually figure it out myself or I could ask a friend instead of wasting everyone's time in class.
Outside of school, being independent has been extremely helpful. One thing that absolutely fascinates me is computers. Whether it be software or hardware, I could never learn enough about them. During my sophomore year, I did extensive searching on the internet about computer hardware and learned way more than I thought I could. At the end of the school year, I used this knowledge to build a computer from scratch by myself. On the software side, I have learned to use many different programs mostly focusing on graphic design and 3D modeling. I took this hobby and created my own business where I would make people logos and 3D animations and get paid for it. Over the years, I have developed the skill to be able to find resources that I can effectively learn from. If I need to know how to these experiences have taught me that I can do anything as long as I try.
At competitions, it was my responsibility to warm-up and be on time for my race. Sure, I missed a few events over the years but I have learned through determination that I do not have to rely on other people. During my middle school years at a small private school, the teachers taught us to be self-regulating when it comes to turning in homework, writing essays, and studying for big tests. Although I was not completely aware of this during these three years, moving on to a public high school quickly made it apparent to me. When a teacher would assign an essay, twenty different hands would shoot up. Half would ask if we should double space the paper and the other half would ask simple questions varying from what font should we use and how long should it be. The whole time I would sit there throwing ideas for the essay down on paper. I knew basic essay format and if I really did not know something about the format, I could usually figure it out myself or I could ask a friend instead of wasting everyone's time in class.
Outside of school, being independent has been extremely helpful. One thing that absolutely fascinates me is computers. Whether it be software or hardware, I could never learn enough about them. During my sophomore year, I did extensive searching on the internet about computer hardware and learned way more than I thought I could. At the end of the school year, I used this knowledge to build a computer from scratch by myself. On the software side, I have learned to use many different programs mostly focusing on graphic design and 3D modeling. I took this hobby and created my own business where I would make people logos and 3D animations and get paid for it. Over the years, I have developed the skill to be able to find resources that I can effectively learn from. If I need to know how to these experiences have taught me that I can do anything as long as I try.