UBC Entrance Essay on Unfamiliar Situation and Learning Outcomes - Airplane Engine Failure

Hi could you please comment and tell me whether this a good response to the question below? Thanks!

Explain how you responded to a problem and/or an unfamiliar situation. What did you do, what was the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience? (maximum 200 words)

AIRPLANE PROBLEM

Silence. That is the noise that I heard when my flight instructor decided to cut the engine mid-flight during what I thought to be a normal training session. He then proceeded to show me the different actions and procedures I had to follow to restart the engine and land as fast as possible. Being transfixed by nerves and stress knowing that I had to land a plane with an engine failure safely, I remembered only a tenth of what he was explaining to me. When my turn came, I froze and executed in a completely wrong way the procedure. He showed me once more, and I was able to execute the procedure properly. Back on the ground, we had a debrief of the flight. He then asked me why I didn't ask him for help the first time? I realized at that point, that asking for help, to your instructor or to anyone in a critical situation was always better than not saying anything. Furthermore, I realized that when I persevered to understand something when I didn't, such as an engine failure procedure, lead to me having more knowledge and becoming a safer and better pilot.

Dimitri, this is a very weak response to the prompt. The lesson learned is not impressive because there was no real situation wherein you failed with consequences and had to either come back from that failure or learn to move on from it with a better understanding of yourself. The situation you present is too controlled as there was an instructor involved and aside from not being able to complete the maneuver properly and being taught how to do it, there were no repercussions for you as a person, student, or participant. You need something stronger that shows how you handle a stressful situation. The stressful situation will explain to the reviewer about how you handle pressure and what sort of college student you might be. What he wants to know is whether or not you are already mature enough to be considered a serious college student.

You need a more serious life situation to discuss here. Something where you were not in control and there was no safety net to catch you when you made the mistake or failed at the task. That lack of a safety net is what will help you respond to the "What did you do, what was the outcome, and what did you learn" part of the prompt. If you click on the Similar Discussions [+] link, you will see similar prompt topics to your own. You can learn what kind of essay you need to write based on the writing of the other students. You should be able to use those samples to develop an impressive response of your own as I am sure you have the perfect life experience to share based on the situation requirements.