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?
Pinned to the corkboard on my wall is an award I am especially proud of that reads: "______: Most Likely to be a Comedian". I received this award in the public speaking class I took in ninth grade. Had you told me at the beginning of the year that I would be winning this class superlative, I probably would have laughed. I began that year in class nervous about speaking in front of a group and concerned that people would laugh me. Little did I realize that this public speaking class would be an influential experience for me in high school.
During my first impromptu speech, I attempted to be funny. I was a little apprehensive about trying to be humorous as my dry humor often involved wordplay that some people do not understand. The last thing I wanted to do was stand in front of the class, discouraged that no one understood my joke. Surprisingly, my classmates laughed, and as I looked around the classroom I observed that everyone was genuinely enjoying the speech. This gave me the confidence for the rest of the year to continue being funny.
I will never forget some of the speeches I gave in my public speaking class. There was a stand-up comedy unit in the class, and the first joke I told during my routine is even now my favorite: I wrote "The World" on a sheet of paper, placed in on the floor, stood on top of the paper, and declared "I'm on top of the world." However, there were also times when my speeches were dull and my jokes not very humorous. This did not discourage me; I understood that one must be humble about his talents, for failure is bound to occur at sometime or another. I did not let one failed joke restrict me from attempting to deliver amusing speeches.
I realized that at the beginning I had focused too much on my fear of public speaking and had almost let that fear interfere with my natural personality. My classmates' laughter was a motivation for me to be confident and uphold my individuality, and I learned to apply that lesson outside of the classroom as well.
I would like to think that I have always had a good sense of humor, but after taking the public speaking class I also realized how meaningful humor is to my life. To see other people laugh or smile makes me happy. I like to utilize humor in various situations, like during a speech or when talking to friends, to just lighten the mood. I find that humor, when appropriate, makes almost any situation more pleasing and relaxing. At times, while working in a group, I notice some group members become nervous or stressed out; a simple humorous comment that creates laughter is all that it takes to bring a positive mood back to the group. Sometimes, when I am concerned with deadlines or tense about something, humor gives me the confidence and refreshment to focus on my task. From my experience in the public speaking class, I have found that the saying "Laugh and the world laughs with you" holds true.
The certificate I received in my public speaking class reads "Most Likely to be a Comedian", though that may be overstating my comedic talent. That being said, my ambition to be humorous and to make other people laugh has instilled a new confidence in me. It is highly unlikely that I will ever become a stand-up comedian, but as long as I can make someone laugh and smile, I am content being called a comedian.
Please be honest. It may be a little short, but that's because my other essay is quite long. If necessary, I can trim the first one a little. Thanks in advance!
I really like your personal statement. In the piles and piles of immigrant and community service essays (like mine, lol) this one makes the reader smile.
It seems a bit awkward to say "I received this superlative." However, maybe I'm just unfamiliar with the term, in which case please disregard this comment.
"Some people may not find this funny, but it does not bother me; that is my style of humor, and it effectively elicited laughter." This sounds a bit strange, too. I would advise you to cut this sentence out entirely because it comes across as a bit defensive. It also interrupts the flow of the piece.
" I have a tendency of telling jokes that no one other than me comprehends." I think you should cut this part out, too, because before you were talking about how happy you were that other people understood your humor. Now, you're going back on that. If you don't want to do that, maybe instead you can say "occasionally" instead of "I have a tendency of"
I think the rest of it looks really good!
I would appreciate it if you would comment on my essay as well. :)
The idea I got while reading this was that it would be great to make it a funny piece of writing about how the reader has a role to play in completing this process of fulfilling the prophecy about being a comedian.
Because of the topic, it has to have at least one joke. More importantly, I think it is possible to connect this with what you ARE certain about. How about we all agree that you certainly will play the role of comedian at least a few times, because why not, and now that that's settled we can maybe use a broad interpretation of what it means to be a comedian so that it applies to what you ARE sure about (regarding your professional/intellectual future)
"Laugh and the world laughs with you" holds true. this is sort of cliched, and I think you could come up with your own insights. Impress them with your own insights.
:-)
