<p>Does this work as a college essay? I have been having so much trouble writing them I dont know what to say! Please help me!</p>
<pre><code>I started crew in the summer before my senior year. I have only been rowing for a few months now but I know I will continue to row for as long as I can. I have never been very competitive but when I am in a race I give it my all, not only for me but for my teammates. Rowing has taught me a lot, not only about sports but about friendship, time management and learning techniques.
My favorite part of the day is going to practice, when I am at practice I can forget about all the things that bother me throughout the day. When I am on the water things like the tests I took that day dont seem as important, all the clubs I belong to dont matter and the stress of college applications vanish for those two hours. The only thing I think about is my stroke rate, the only thing I hear is the splash my oar makes as it plunges into the water and the only thing I feel is the mist spraying my face as my boat cuts through the once glass-like water. At practice I dont have to worry about anything, the only thing I need to focus on is improving my skills and becoming the best rower I can be.
Rowing is not the first sport I have done, I have been on my schools softball team, swim team and I helped organize and create our first fencing club. I love all those sports but none of them make me feel the way rowing does. I was always concerned about how good I was, and how much better everyone else was compared to me. I wanted to be the best, I was too focused on trying to beat the others that I did not enjoy the sport itself. I didnt try to master the basics, I just wanted to be stronger and faster, I ignored the fact that to become the best I had to focus on the little things. Rowing has taught me to slow down and focus on the basics, master those before I try to decrease my time and become the fastest. I still want to be the best but I am taking my time, I know that if I try to jump ahead all I am really doing is taking two steps back. For now I am focused on perfecting my stroke and understanding the fundamentals of rowing.
Of course there are downfalls to rowing, my hands have blisters the size of quarters on them, my legs are eternally in pain and my feet have started to smell due to excessive use of the community boat shoes. These are but mere inconveniences because the joy I feel when I am sitting in the boat overshadows all these minor problems to a point that I barely remember they exist. All the things that I have learned since I started rowing I have been able to apply to other aspects of my life. I have began to take my time when learning new things in school, mastering the basics is not just for sports but for math, english, history, russian, psychology, engineering and all the other classes I am taking this year. I have started to slow down and fully understand each lesson. I have also become more comfortable with asking for help, I finally realize that asking for help does not show weakness but shows strength. It allows everyone to see that although you do not understand you are willing to take time out and keep trying until the lesson clicks. I do not only ask teachers but my fellow students, I have found that although teachers and coaches are there for your help and are very knowledgeable my friends at school and rowing are going through the exact same experiences as I am and they are able to understand why I am having trouble because they have been in my situation too. Rowing is not just another sport, it is a part of my life. It helps me understand, I have learned so much in these few months and I would never give that up for anything.
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