If there has been and obstacle in your life, explain the circumstances. UCF APPLICATION ESSAY

the impact of various obstacles on your life

I've noticed that when people talk about obstacles, they talk about the superficial and external difficulties that come across their lives. People tend to focus on how they are affected by what others do to them and how this doesn't let them progress to achieve something. Whenever I had a disagreement with someone, I never blamed it on myself. I focused on what that other person was saying or doing that offended me. This made me react in a poor manner that didn't let me manage the situation to fix my problems. Through time and experience, I assimilated that I had to solve my own internal obstacles before focusing on others. The importance of self-eassurance and having emotional control is by far one of the most precious aspect someone can posses. After several conflicts that I've encountered with the different relationships in my life, I've come to realize that putting myself in the shoe of others, listening to what they have to say and letting my selfishness aside helped me control my feelings and gave me a different perspective that allowed me to have the assertiveness and self confidence to solve any type of conflict that I encountered. Realizing this has given me the tools to establish better relationships, becoming more tolerant and opening myself to others.

Sam, I know that you are trying to think outside the box here in order to create a unique and memorable response to the prompt. The problem is that you made the response so easy going and generalized in discussion that it became a forgettable presentation instead. The essay doesn't stand out because there is nothing noteworthy presented. Perhaps you were trying to say that the obstacle in your life was yourself? In which case, you need to better explain what you mean by that. When was a specific time that you actually portrayed yourself as the very obstacle you had to overcome?

You need specifics in order to create a scenario that the reviewer might be able to remember even after reading a hundred other essays on the same topic in one day. Consider the word count and try to lengthen the essay in a manner relevant to the discussion you wish to present. Stop being general in presentation and go for specifics. Go for being memorable in a unique way. Don't discuss how others approach their discussion of this essay prompt. It sounds like you are trying to tell the reviewer how to do his job.

Offering yourself up as the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome indicates that you have come to a heightened sense of maturity and responsibility. You should focus on that because the whole point of the obstacle prompt is to provide the reviewer with an insight as to how you handle difficulties and if you are capable of overcoming possible difficulties during your college life.