hi everyone,
im a senior student from china, and this is my first essay.
please give me some advice, thanks!
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Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
Driving down in the Shenda Freeway, My families and I were going on a trip to Anshan, an industrial city located in the north of China. It was the early fall of 2006, the season when the maple tree leaves just turned red. This was supposed to be a family trip during the National Day Holiday, or more precisely: a mom-and-dad trip, since it was my parents who had always been talking about climbing the famous Qian Mountain, not me.
"Dad, when will we arrive in Anshan?" I asked impatiently. "In three hours" My dad replied, with some irresistible excitements in his voice. I sighed and opened the sunroof to get rid of the strong gasoline smell inside the car. Well, I have to admit that I used to be a nerd who only cared about study back then, so this kind of trip did not interest me that much. I was so upset because I didn't want to waste one more second on this boring trip, and all I was thinking about was going home. However, the powerful "Boom, Boom, Boom" sound coming from the aged-6-cylinder BMW M50 engine proved my idea impossible.
Sitting on the front seat, I turned on the radio and browsed the channels over and over again, but couldn't find one that really hit me. I turned off the radio disappointedly, found my iPod in my backpack and started to listen to my favorite Black Eyed Peas. Soon, I fell into sleep.
All of a sudden, a loud yell from my dad awakened me from my sweet dream: THE BRAKES ARE FAILING!!! Then I opened my eyes, only to find the aged BMW was running wild like a horse in the freeway, whisking in the crowded traffic. The speed of the car at that moment etched into my mind, 136mph. I panicked. And the next thing I remember is that my father tried hard to control the car as well as to avoid crashing other cars. Finally (although just in a few seconds, but it was like a year to me), he drove the car to the emergency lane, and shut the car down by pulling out the keys. By the time the car fully stopped, I sat on my seat still, crying (My tears couldn't help falling down, and I even didn't realize that I was crying then).
Later the day, after the mechanics fixed our car, we drove back home. During our way home, I asked myself:
What if the car didn't stop in this accident?
What if the car hit other cars in this accident?
What if I died?
After this accident occurred, I stopped my steps to really think about my life.
I had been living a home-and-school life for a very long time, and the only thing that mattered to me back then were scores and rankings. I actually thought this was exactly the right thing to do since I am a Chinese student (the truth is this is also what most Chinese students do in their lives). I had no feelings towards my friends and families. Every time my friends asked me to hand out, I declined them; Every time my families asked me to go on a family trip, I turned them down. I suddenly realized I had been such a selfish person for that long.
This accident had been an epiphany to me and totally changed my concepts of living a life. Now, I do not study 15 hours a day. After that accident, I tried hard to make up the scars that I've ever left in my friendships; I started to spend quality time with my friends and families; I hang out with my friends, and visit old neighbors and teachers more often; I travel all around the world with my backpack during my vacations instead of staying at home, study.
All of a sudden, I realized there are many things in my life worth me to value, more than those meaningless scores and rankings. Just as what David Nicholls said "Live each day as if it's your last", I now live each day in my life as if it's my last.
im a senior student from china, and this is my first essay.
please give me some advice, thanks!
---------------------------------------------------
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
Driving down in the Shenda Freeway, My families and I were going on a trip to Anshan, an industrial city located in the north of China. It was the early fall of 2006, the season when the maple tree leaves just turned red. This was supposed to be a family trip during the National Day Holiday, or more precisely: a mom-and-dad trip, since it was my parents who had always been talking about climbing the famous Qian Mountain, not me.
"Dad, when will we arrive in Anshan?" I asked impatiently. "In three hours" My dad replied, with some irresistible excitements in his voice. I sighed and opened the sunroof to get rid of the strong gasoline smell inside the car. Well, I have to admit that I used to be a nerd who only cared about study back then, so this kind of trip did not interest me that much. I was so upset because I didn't want to waste one more second on this boring trip, and all I was thinking about was going home. However, the powerful "Boom, Boom, Boom" sound coming from the aged-6-cylinder BMW M50 engine proved my idea impossible.
Sitting on the front seat, I turned on the radio and browsed the channels over and over again, but couldn't find one that really hit me. I turned off the radio disappointedly, found my iPod in my backpack and started to listen to my favorite Black Eyed Peas. Soon, I fell into sleep.
All of a sudden, a loud yell from my dad awakened me from my sweet dream: THE BRAKES ARE FAILING!!! Then I opened my eyes, only to find the aged BMW was running wild like a horse in the freeway, whisking in the crowded traffic. The speed of the car at that moment etched into my mind, 136mph. I panicked. And the next thing I remember is that my father tried hard to control the car as well as to avoid crashing other cars. Finally (although just in a few seconds, but it was like a year to me), he drove the car to the emergency lane, and shut the car down by pulling out the keys. By the time the car fully stopped, I sat on my seat still, crying (My tears couldn't help falling down, and I even didn't realize that I was crying then).
Later the day, after the mechanics fixed our car, we drove back home. During our way home, I asked myself:
What if the car didn't stop in this accident?
What if the car hit other cars in this accident?
What if I died?
After this accident occurred, I stopped my steps to really think about my life.
I had been living a home-and-school life for a very long time, and the only thing that mattered to me back then were scores and rankings. I actually thought this was exactly the right thing to do since I am a Chinese student (the truth is this is also what most Chinese students do in their lives). I had no feelings towards my friends and families. Every time my friends asked me to hand out, I declined them; Every time my families asked me to go on a family trip, I turned them down. I suddenly realized I had been such a selfish person for that long.
This accident had been an epiphany to me and totally changed my concepts of living a life. Now, I do not study 15 hours a day. After that accident, I tried hard to make up the scars that I've ever left in my friendships; I started to spend quality time with my friends and families; I hang out with my friends, and visit old neighbors and teachers more often; I travel all around the world with my backpack during my vacations instead of staying at home, study.
All of a sudden, I realized there are many things in my life worth me to value, more than those meaningless scores and rankings. Just as what David Nicholls said "Live each day as if it's your last", I now live each day in my life as if it's my last.
