A model of a city - Waterloo Computer Science Application - Question #3

3. Describe a situation where you were treated unfairly or witnessed someone else being treated unfairly. What did you do at the time and why? Would you do anything differently if the same situation occurred today? Has this event impacted or changed who you are now and if so, how? (900-character limit)

A few years ago, I was assigned a group project to create a model of a city. I had the most knowledge, so my groupmates contributed very little, leaving me to do almost all the work. Although I felt overwhelmed and frustrated, I didn't want to seem bossy, so I kept quiet and handled everything on my own. The pressure built up as my requests for help went ignored. After discussing it with my mom, she spoke to the teacher, who recognized my work and gave me the mark I believed my efforts merited, even though the project was unfinished. If this happened today, I would approach my groupmates directly and express how unfair their behavior was. This experience taught me the importance of standing up for myself, valuing my contributions, and no longer allowing others to take advantage of me. It made me more confident and assertive in advocating for myself and others.

I guess one of the major questions that the reviewer will ask himself after reading this is, "Why did you approach your mom instead of your teacher when this was happening?" It doesn't make sense for you to have told your mom and had her handle the situation, accepting an incomplete grade for the project without trying to resolve the situation on your own. You had 2 options at the time : (1) Talk to your group mates directly regarding their non participation in the project, or (2) you could have gone directly to your teacher to seek his assistance in gaining the group cooperation by supporting you as you encouraged the group to do their part. It would be best for your statement if you address these 2 options which you did not pursue in the revised response.