<p>There is no specific prompt for this, but i will also be using this for my UC personal statement: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?</p>
<p>I've been told that this was a very sensitive topic to talk about, and can either turnout to be very good or a disaster... please leave any comments/ suggested revisions! thanks :D</p>
<pre><code> THUD… I awoke confused and covered in blood. Hours later, the doctor shot seven surgical staples and five beams of electromagnetic radiation through my head, and delivered the crushing verdict: a fractured C2 vertebra. This diagnosis meant three months in a neck brace that would prevent me from attending school for the rest of my most crucial academic year.
During the first month, I gladly stayed at home. Yet, it wasn’t long before having absolutely nothing to do became tiresome. My parents were afraid that my academics would suffer, and for the first time, I understood the validity of their worry. My condition physically prevented my body from moving, and this immobility prevented me from attending school. I saw directly how my inability to move hindered my learning and progress. My inability reminded me of my unwillingness in the past. Back when I was able, I had chosen to neglect my studies. Now that I didn’t have a choice, I craved the opportunity to learn.
During the second month, my neck was only slightly better, but I jumped at the opportunity to do school work. Despite the pain, I focused on my studies. Because I couldn’t lower my head, my dad built me a stand that held books at eye level. I vowed to never be ungrateful for even simple abilities. Propelled by my newfound dedication, I saw how my new study habits led to a greater understanding of my subjects, which were previously an enigma. This understanding converted me into a dedicated worker. I found different ways to acquire new knowledge. The amount of knowledge I amassed directly correlated to the effort I put in, so I put forth all my energy into my studies. I now understood the importance of hard work for my future academic success.
During the final month, my neck was only eighty percent recovered but my brain was processing at one hundred and ten percent. With each improvement, I was grateful and willing to utilize more and more of my abilities to improve and advance in school. I became aware of how to actively learn, by practicing problems multiple times over, asking for clarifications when I was confused, reviewing mistakes I made, and reciting what I learned each day to help retain new information. My brain soaked up every bit of knowledge. I felt confident and was happily rewarded when I received exceptional scores on my AP tests, but what made me most proud was how I conquered my mental and physical apathy towards learning.
As a result of fracturing my neck, I became temporarily disabled. My physical inability to move forced me to see how I was previously wasting my capabilities. I see now that learning is an active process, where I must be diligent with my efforts. Now, despite any setbacks, I know that I have the will power, determination, and perseverance to make my intangible goals become realities.
</code></pre>