This past summer, I went to India all by myself (while still 16, yay for traveling minors).
I decided to respond to UC Prompt #2 with a narrative about my experiences on the trip:
"2.Tell us about a quality/accomplishment/experience that is important to you. What about this makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?"
I feel like I'm sounding too contrived and... forced in this essay. any feedback would be great!
Main idea: how I value independence and my tolerance/appreciation of diversity+foreign cultures.
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I stepped into the LAX international terminal for what had to be at least the tenth time in my life, yet for once I was very anxious. I was only two hours away from taking my first international trip - flying solo. Thus far in life, I had always had my parents nagging me to look after the suitcases and hold on to my passport. The prospect of complete independence this time around was scary and exhilarating; I would be free to decide by myself when to sleep, what to eat, who to meet and how to get around. Looking around the airport, I relished idea of soon becoming one of those frenzied people vibrantly rushing about. Soon enough, I began what became the most exciting and eye-opening trip of my sixteen years. Along the course of two practically sleepless days, I displayed my confidence, independence and international awareness to the fullest.
The moment I settled into my seat, I couldn't hold back my anticipation. Rather than spending my ten-hour flight snoozing like my elderly neighbor, I wanted to take full advantage of the cultural diversity offered right on my personal seat screen. I spent the first few hours watching Korean movies, listening to my favorite Japanese pop artist, and loudly reciting words in Italian from the flight's language-learning program. Upon arriving in Singapore for a daylong stopover, I set out to make the most of every hour I had. When grabbing a breakfast of Indonesian coffee, I chatted with the shop owner about our unusual experiences with airport food. I signed myself up for a city tour and felt an extreme sense of accomplishment when showing my passport to the lady at the check-in counter. The entire day, I felt a sense of responsibility and worldliness that gave me a massive boost of energy. From my new South African and Australian friends, I picked up some very useful slang terms. In Little India, the wrinkled old woman in the chutney shop struck up a conversation with me in Hindi, so I obliged heartily with broken words. In a mere ten hours or so, I had made strong friendships, learned new languages, and managed to hold on to all my bearings. Finally, I could say that I had seen diversity and cultural chaos up close - and it was beautiful.
In a lot of ways, the trip was my personal precursor to college. I had never before felt so uninhibited, yet matured at the same time. In the next four years, I will have to be just as self-reliant as I was on my way to India. If I can ask for directions in a foreign country, I'll be able to handle getting to my first classes of the year. Spending a whole day in Singapore with people from all around the globe that I had just met prepared me for the diversity that is so integral in today's educational society. I had always expressed the desire to be independent and experience a convergence of different - and I was finally able to do so. Next year, when I go to college, my life is going to change drastically. I will have freedom, but serious responsibility along with it. But I feel ready to accept and take on that change with optimism and confidence in my ability to be self-reliant and understand different ideas, cultures, and people.
I decided to respond to UC Prompt #2 with a narrative about my experiences on the trip:
"2.Tell us about a quality/accomplishment/experience that is important to you. What about this makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?"
I feel like I'm sounding too contrived and... forced in this essay. any feedback would be great!
Main idea: how I value independence and my tolerance/appreciation of diversity+foreign cultures.
----------------
I stepped into the LAX international terminal for what had to be at least the tenth time in my life, yet for once I was very anxious. I was only two hours away from taking my first international trip - flying solo. Thus far in life, I had always had my parents nagging me to look after the suitcases and hold on to my passport. The prospect of complete independence this time around was scary and exhilarating; I would be free to decide by myself when to sleep, what to eat, who to meet and how to get around. Looking around the airport, I relished idea of soon becoming one of those frenzied people vibrantly rushing about. Soon enough, I began what became the most exciting and eye-opening trip of my sixteen years. Along the course of two practically sleepless days, I displayed my confidence, independence and international awareness to the fullest.
The moment I settled into my seat, I couldn't hold back my anticipation. Rather than spending my ten-hour flight snoozing like my elderly neighbor, I wanted to take full advantage of the cultural diversity offered right on my personal seat screen. I spent the first few hours watching Korean movies, listening to my favorite Japanese pop artist, and loudly reciting words in Italian from the flight's language-learning program. Upon arriving in Singapore for a daylong stopover, I set out to make the most of every hour I had. When grabbing a breakfast of Indonesian coffee, I chatted with the shop owner about our unusual experiences with airport food. I signed myself up for a city tour and felt an extreme sense of accomplishment when showing my passport to the lady at the check-in counter. The entire day, I felt a sense of responsibility and worldliness that gave me a massive boost of energy. From my new South African and Australian friends, I picked up some very useful slang terms. In Little India, the wrinkled old woman in the chutney shop struck up a conversation with me in Hindi, so I obliged heartily with broken words. In a mere ten hours or so, I had made strong friendships, learned new languages, and managed to hold on to all my bearings. Finally, I could say that I had seen diversity and cultural chaos up close - and it was beautiful.
In a lot of ways, the trip was my personal precursor to college. I had never before felt so uninhibited, yet matured at the same time. In the next four years, I will have to be just as self-reliant as I was on my way to India. If I can ask for directions in a foreign country, I'll be able to handle getting to my first classes of the year. Spending a whole day in Singapore with people from all around the globe that I had just met prepared me for the diversity that is so integral in today's educational society. I had always expressed the desire to be independent and experience a convergence of different - and I was finally able to do so. Next year, when I go to college, my life is going to change drastically. I will have freedom, but serious responsibility along with it. But I feel ready to accept and take on that change with optimism and confidence in my ability to be self-reliant and understand different ideas, cultures, and people.
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