"Bing! Bong! Ding! Dong!" the morning bell rang. As I got up from the top bunk of my bunk bed at 4:30 am, got my bucket to go get water from the village stream, and ran to the school's outside shower with the intent of not being late for morning mass, a singular thought came to my mind: I was on my own. No more mommy to wake me up for school, no more daddy to make me my ham and cheese lunch sandwich, and no more older sister to remind me to finish my homework. At the time, I was too young to fully understand what the ring of the bell represented; however, hindsight has revealed to me that the first stroke of that bell illustrated my coming of age.
It's very peculiar for one to cite an event that occurred ten years into his life as the significant event that marked his transition from an innocent mindset to a more mature mindset. I hold the particular belief that a coming of age experience varies in time and nature for all individuals. My transition from childhood to adulthood at an extremely young age deviates from the norm, making it central to my identity.
The event above depicts the exceptional year I spent in a boarding school in Eastern Nigeria. In a matter of months, I left the setting of my second grade class where I was learning two column additions and completing multiplication tables in less than three minutes to a setting that required me to juggle 14 distinct subjects ranging from English to a language that was completely new to me, Igbo. For the first time, I had to wash my own clothes without the help of my parents and without the luxury of an efficient washer and dryer to get the job done.
Writing this essay has allowed me to recollect my thoughts and reminisce on how this particular experience has played a major role in my personal evolution. Firstly, living in a boarding school has allowed me to embrace a valiant attitude towards anything that requires traveling away from home or adapting to new situations and environments. Additionally, my stay in Eastern Nigeria has given me a sense of diligence in numerous aspects of everyday life. The boarding school illustrated a fast-paced method of teaching; having to take 14 different examinations at the end of each trimester is a testimony to the discipline and diligence I had to develop in order to cope with the school's rigorous education. The school's rigorous educational environment has instilled in me a sense of persistence that allows me to subsist in very demanding academic settings.
Furthermore, my ability to adapt to the innovative essence of the boarding school also shaped my cultural transformation in the eyes of my extended family. In Eastern Nigeria, living in a boarding school demonstrates the idea of self-reliance. Plus, the experience has really diversified my way of thinking in the American school system as my international experience has given me a distinct perception about prominent issues in our society such as the growing fear of overpopulation, the desire to create a sustainable environment, and the aspiration for universal health care. Moreover, the respect I gained from the Eastern Nigerian culture is fundamental to my coming of age, and is best demonstrated by my gained competence in the Igbo Language.
This prompt really altered my perception on the concept of coming of age. Before now, I had this idea that a coming of age experience was only associated with adults. My unconventional experience at the Nigerian boarding school really serves as the shift between my childlike mindset and my more mature mindset. I might have failed to show my appreciation for this adverse experience at the time, but I have come to realize that I own my complete character to this remarkable event.
It's very peculiar for one to cite an event that occurred ten years into his life as the significant event that marked his transition from an innocent mindset to a more mature mindset. I hold the particular belief that a coming of age experience varies in time and nature for all individuals. My transition from childhood to adulthood at an extremely young age deviates from the norm, making it central to my identity.
The event above depicts the exceptional year I spent in a boarding school in Eastern Nigeria. In a matter of months, I left the setting of my second grade class where I was learning two column additions and completing multiplication tables in less than three minutes to a setting that required me to juggle 14 distinct subjects ranging from English to a language that was completely new to me, Igbo. For the first time, I had to wash my own clothes without the help of my parents and without the luxury of an efficient washer and dryer to get the job done.
Writing this essay has allowed me to recollect my thoughts and reminisce on how this particular experience has played a major role in my personal evolution. Firstly, living in a boarding school has allowed me to embrace a valiant attitude towards anything that requires traveling away from home or adapting to new situations and environments. Additionally, my stay in Eastern Nigeria has given me a sense of diligence in numerous aspects of everyday life. The boarding school illustrated a fast-paced method of teaching; having to take 14 different examinations at the end of each trimester is a testimony to the discipline and diligence I had to develop in order to cope with the school's rigorous education. The school's rigorous educational environment has instilled in me a sense of persistence that allows me to subsist in very demanding academic settings.
Furthermore, my ability to adapt to the innovative essence of the boarding school also shaped my cultural transformation in the eyes of my extended family. In Eastern Nigeria, living in a boarding school demonstrates the idea of self-reliance. Plus, the experience has really diversified my way of thinking in the American school system as my international experience has given me a distinct perception about prominent issues in our society such as the growing fear of overpopulation, the desire to create a sustainable environment, and the aspiration for universal health care. Moreover, the respect I gained from the Eastern Nigerian culture is fundamental to my coming of age, and is best demonstrated by my gained competence in the Igbo Language.
This prompt really altered my perception on the concept of coming of age. Before now, I had this idea that a coming of age experience was only associated with adults. My unconventional experience at the Nigerian boarding school really serves as the shift between my childlike mindset and my more mature mindset. I might have failed to show my appreciation for this adverse experience at the time, but I have come to realize that I own my complete character to this remarkable event.
