Hey EF,
Here is my response for UVA's favorite word supplement essay. I think that it needs a bit of reorganizing, but I don't really know where to begin, so any help with that would be appreciated.
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Years of rowing have conditioned my mind and body to explode at the drop of a word. It's not a very complex one; how could a word that requires so much voluntary brainpower to analyze cause such an instinctive reaction? Maybe the word could have been anything - maybe I could be ready to shatter all inhibitions with an utterance of "pizza." However unintrinsic my relationship is with this key of mine, by the time it is spoken, I am ready. That moment is the culmination of all of my hard work; it is the test of my work ethic, physical ability, and mental fortitude. No matter what has happened, this word tells me that there is nothing more I can do to prepare. I have trained and practiced for hours into the night for this chance, and all that is left to be done is to ignite the flame. This kind of mindset has seeped into other areas of my life as well. Before my teacher calls this word at the start of an exam, I sit with my sharpened pencil clutched in my sweaty hand, ready to flip the page and pounce on the first question. I yell this word over and over watching the Redskins wide receiver snag the ball and traverse the field to score the winning touchdown. Anyone who knows me is well aware that the only word that can bring me from 0 to 60 in a second is "Go."
Here is my response for UVA's favorite word supplement essay. I think that it needs a bit of reorganizing, but I don't really know where to begin, so any help with that would be appreciated.
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Years of rowing have conditioned my mind and body to explode at the drop of a word. It's not a very complex one; how could a word that requires so much voluntary brainpower to analyze cause such an instinctive reaction? Maybe the word could have been anything - maybe I could be ready to shatter all inhibitions with an utterance of "pizza." However unintrinsic my relationship is with this key of mine, by the time it is spoken, I am ready. That moment is the culmination of all of my hard work; it is the test of my work ethic, physical ability, and mental fortitude. No matter what has happened, this word tells me that there is nothing more I can do to prepare. I have trained and practiced for hours into the night for this chance, and all that is left to be done is to ignite the flame. This kind of mindset has seeped into other areas of my life as well. Before my teacher calls this word at the start of an exam, I sit with my sharpened pencil clutched in my sweaty hand, ready to flip the page and pounce on the first question. I yell this word over and over watching the Redskins wide receiver snag the ball and traverse the field to score the winning touchdown. Anyone who knows me is well aware that the only word that can bring me from 0 to 60 in a second is "Go."