This the common app prompt: Describe a challenging situation you've faced. Briefly state the situation, how you responded and why, would you have done anything differently, has it affected or shaped who you are today? Any feedback would be extremely helpful, thank you! I am currently at 280 words and need to be at 250. Please let me know where I can shorten this a little.
My issues with mayonnaise began at the age of four, I was introduced to a completely new and terrifyingly different culture: American culture. My mother and I had only lived in the U.S. for two years and I did not know a single word of English. Having just begun a new job, my mother had no choice but to take me to a nanny.
To this day I can picture Nanny perfectly. She barely stood at 5 feet and was round with hair as white as snow. However, every day spent under her care came lunchtime; the most dreadful part of the day. Nanny would list the available ingredients for my sandwich and I - unable to comprehend what she was saying and afraid I would upset her - would stand in the kitchen shaking my head "no" to everything except mayonnaise. So for months I ate two slices of bread slathered with a thick layer of mayonnaise in between and nothing else. After eating mayonnaise for what felt like an eternity, I have not been able to come in contact with it ever since.
Adapting to a different culture is one the most difficult challenges I have encountered. The mayonnaise sandwich is only one example of the many hardships I faced while becoming accustomed to the American way of life. When outside of my home and away from the customs my mother implemented, I came in contact with an unknown world of strange customs and an unknown language. Adapting to the new culture took tremendous courage and I feel fortunate to be a melting pot of cultures and to be able to experience the best of both worlds.
My issues with mayonnaise began at the age of four, I was introduced to a completely new and terrifyingly different culture: American culture. My mother and I had only lived in the U.S. for two years and I did not know a single word of English. Having just begun a new job, my mother had no choice but to take me to a nanny.
To this day I can picture Nanny perfectly. She barely stood at 5 feet and was round with hair as white as snow. However, every day spent under her care came lunchtime; the most dreadful part of the day. Nanny would list the available ingredients for my sandwich and I - unable to comprehend what she was saying and afraid I would upset her - would stand in the kitchen shaking my head "no" to everything except mayonnaise. So for months I ate two slices of bread slathered with a thick layer of mayonnaise in between and nothing else. After eating mayonnaise for what felt like an eternity, I have not been able to come in contact with it ever since.
Adapting to a different culture is one the most difficult challenges I have encountered. The mayonnaise sandwich is only one example of the many hardships I faced while becoming accustomed to the American way of life. When outside of my home and away from the customs my mother implemented, I came in contact with an unknown world of strange customs and an unknown language. Adapting to the new culture took tremendous courage and I feel fortunate to be a melting pot of cultures and to be able to experience the best of both worlds.
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