"I think you should join the Marching Band."
In freshman year of High School, I played the clarinet in the concert band. My friend Roldan had been pestering me since the 8th Grade to join the marching band. He told me about how much fun his brother Ronald had, and that their marching shows were "sick", is slang for "awesome." His explanations were vague, but the band had once marched a show set to the music of "Gladiator." This piqued my interest; I liked Gladiator, and I reasoned that any organization that also liked Gladiator must be pretty cool. I decided to join.
What Roldan had neglected to tell me about the time commitment. The band practiced beginning in the middle of the summer, and they devoted a full week to summer practice. During the school year, they practice every day of the week, except Wednesdays and Sundays. I balked; there was no way that I was going to give up my precious Saturdays to this organization. So, I quit.
I regretted my decision, and I told myself I wouldn't be able to handle the workload, and that I wouldn't learn how to march in time to perform the show. The truth is I was simply scared of pushing myself and being outside my comfort zone. Because, for most of my life until this point, I had simply coasted through life, never putting much effort into anything. And, whenever I attempted anything that might remotely challenge me, I ran away, and made up excuses to convince myself that I had made the right decision.
Only this time, I knew I had not made the right choice, and I could not bring myself to believe the excuses I told other people. I knew if I didn't correct my mistake, I would regret it, and I realized that if I continued to run from challenges, I would never achieve anything worthwhile in life. I rejoined the following year, and this time I was determined not to quit, no matter how uncomfortable or challenging the situation was.
Rejoining the band was one of the best decisions I have ever made; Marching Band turned out to be the most fulfilling experience of my life. Yes, it was hard, and yes, there were times when I considered quitting. But I stuck with it, and through Marching Band, I learned not the expect instant gratification, and realized that dedicating myself fully to something will result in an eventual payoff far more gratifying. I then applied this philosophy to the rest of my life; I took two AP Classes the following year, which challenged me like no class had before.
Marching Band has come to symbolize many things to me. My first foray into the organization represents who I used to be: insecure, lazy, and unwilling to push myself beyond what was necessary. Fittingly, it ended in failure. My second attempt represents the start of my transformation into who I am today. Because of the Marching Band, I am more confident, I accept the responsibilities placed upon me, whether in band or school, and I seek to challenge myself. I am not perfect, and I struggle, but now I try to better myself, and I have confidence in my ability to achieve my goals.
And... it all started with the Marching Band.
I originally wrote this for the UC apps, and I'm thinking about rewriting parts of it. Any thoughts?
You have a nice writing style! I think the reader will appreciate the authenticity of writing "pretty cool." Most people fill this sort of essay with unnecessary big words, but that is a mistake.
My friend Roldan A had been pestering me...----> chop out unecessary details in order to make writing powerful.
So, I quit. -----> I think you are going to write some excellent books during your life.
I regretted my decision; I had told myself I wouldn't be able to handle the workload, and that I wouldn't learn how to march in time to perform the show.
If you still have a few minutes of time available in your schedule every week, check out ef-contributor-page and help other people to write in the natural, authentic way that you write!!
