<p>Ok so I found out that my priority deadline is today and so I have to submit a quick Common App essay for just one of my colleges. Please read and fix errors if you find any and leave me some reviews!</p>
<p>Prompt: Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.</p>
<p>Essay:
I was born and raised in Okinawa, a tiny island in southern Japan. I grew up by the ocean in a loving family consisting of me, my parents, and my younger brother. Now I live alone in the biggest city in the world.
The transition took place in the beginning of my sophomore year in high school. That summer, I had decided that I wanted to “go out and see the world.” My parents knew me to change my mind easily, so it took a while to convince them that I was serious. To show my dedication, I found, visited, and chose a school on my own. My parents were impressed as I had not tried so hard for anything before; they gladly send me out to Tokyo to live with my grandmother.
It was not easy. In my junior year in high school, I lived in a small apartment an hour away from school. I commuted by train, which was new to me as I was used to my mother driving me to and from school. I was not used to the crowded streets and trains. I often had to do my own laundry and cook my own meals as my grandmother was busy and got tired easily. I moved three times during the school year due to family issues, which made it difficult for me to feel comfortable and at home. The next year, I found an apartment on my own in the middle of Tokyo just five minutes away from my school by train. Since the beginning of senior year, I have been living alone, and I found out that balancing academics, extracurriculars, my social life, and housework is even tougher than it sounds.
However, moving to Tokyo was the best decision of my life. I have been growing mentally and emotionally since I moved here. My personality is a culmination of the characteristics that I have achieved from living in both Okinawa and in Tokyo. Until recently, I was very shy and was known as the “nice quiet girl.” Now, I am quiet but I speak up when I want to. I am known to be laid back and calm, but strict. People count on me to be responsible and creative - I am a “half-teacher” at school, given responsibilities and respect as well as teacher privileges (free coffee!). I’m still the girl that I was in middle school, the girl that mended friendships, brought home stray kittens, and drew weird pictures, except that now, I am also bold and independent. I have made invincible friendships, even with my teachers, while keeping those from Okinawa. I have learned to take charge of my own education - I now learn things not just for good grades but for my own knowledge. I have been participating in every extracurricular activity that has interested me, from sports to Robotics to volunteering as a teacher assistant. I am always open to new opportunities and eager to experience new things.
My family has realized these changes in me and that is why I now live alone. My parents still often treat me as their little kid, but I can see the genuine pride in their eyes when they talk about me to relatives and friends. Seeing them proud makes me the proudest child I could ever be, and it motivates me to be better in every aspect. Not many families allow their child to live alone in a city, let alone move out so early; it prides me that my family believes that I am mature enough to take care of myself. I also often forget - I am taking care of myself! And I am quite good at it. </p>
<p>I am not done growing, but I am now growing as an adult, and it is ever so exciting. </p>
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