Describe an extracurricular or work experience. (for Vanderbilt-supposed to be 200-400 words, mine is 335)
The incessant sound of the fryer buzzer quickly yanked me from my moments daze and brought me back to the greasy, messy reality that was my quaint little McDonalds. As I wearily looked up from the fry strewn floor to the empty lobby, that usually accompanied closing shifts, I noticed that the garbage in the lobby was over flowing. Too tired to care, I ignored the mess and trudged over to the fryer to lift the fries. It was a busy night at McDonald's. I was four hours into an eight-hour shift, wondering how I could keep working until 12 am and still pass my biology test the next morning. Nights like these at McDonald's took a particularly heavy toll on my body; sometimes in my drained state of mind I even considered quitting. I had only applied for the job in order to fund a trip to Costa Rica that I longed to take that summer. However, summer had come and gone and yet I still found my self at McDonald's four days out of the week.
Even though I had struggled to find a balance between my work and my academics, I had come to love my job. It took some time and effort, but soon I was able to switch seamlessly from Big Macs to biology. The part I love most about my job at McDonald's is that it fosters my need to keep learning. Even when you think you know everything there is to know about what your job entails, there is always more to learn. Learning how to make a Big Mac and how to operate the cash registers were simply the basics. It is skills such as patience and the ability to work under pressure that were the hardest to master.
When I applied to McDonald's I simply wanted a paycheck. However, now I am grateful for everything I have learned throughout my many months there. Somehow it has made all those long, late night shifts seem worthwhile.
The incessant sound of the fryer buzzer quickly yanked me from my moments daze and brought me back to the greasy, messy reality that was my quaint little McDonalds. As I wearily looked up from the fry strewn floor to the empty lobby, that usually accompanied closing shifts, I noticed that the garbage in the lobby was over flowing. Too tired to care, I ignored the mess and trudged over to the fryer to lift the fries. It was a busy night at McDonald's. I was four hours into an eight-hour shift, wondering how I could keep working until 12 am and still pass my biology test the next morning. Nights like these at McDonald's took a particularly heavy toll on my body; sometimes in my drained state of mind I even considered quitting. I had only applied for the job in order to fund a trip to Costa Rica that I longed to take that summer. However, summer had come and gone and yet I still found my self at McDonald's four days out of the week.
Even though I had struggled to find a balance between my work and my academics, I had come to love my job. It took some time and effort, but soon I was able to switch seamlessly from Big Macs to biology. The part I love most about my job at McDonald's is that it fosters my need to keep learning. Even when you think you know everything there is to know about what your job entails, there is always more to learn. Learning how to make a Big Mac and how to operate the cash registers were simply the basics. It is skills such as patience and the ability to work under pressure that were the hardest to master.
When I applied to McDonald's I simply wanted a paycheck. However, now I am grateful for everything I have learned throughout my many months there. Somehow it has made all those long, late night shifts seem worthwhile.
