As seen by the title of the thread, this is my first college essay, and I have no idea what I’m doing. So, you know, take that into account.
I chose the common app question #1: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
I think my essay falls under “experience.”
Wiping the sweat off my brow, I stepped out of the car, my nerves tingling
with anticipation. This is it, I said to myself. I was nervous, of course, but
I knew that I had trained long and hard to get here, and I deserved it. All of
those hours slaving away on the sweaty blue mats were finally culminating
into what would soon be a single moment of glory; I was about to become a
black belt.
<pre><code>I had begun karate lessons at the age of seven, and I had enjoyed
</code></pre>
the grace and elegance of the sport from the beginning. A combination of
floridity and force, each punch and kick from the higher belts made me yearn
for the next level. I often daydreamed about the day when I could
roundhouse above my head and smash the punching bags backwards into the
wall. As I went from yellow belt to green belt, and then from green belt to
purple belt, I saw my dream becoming a reality.
<pre><code>In the middle of each of our everyday lessons, the instructor would
</code></pre>
sit down with us and tell us stories and repeat proverbs in order to attempt
to instill a sense of righteousness, honor and morality into us. I often would
only half-hear the advice because I was so eager to get back onto the mats,
but as the years progressed, I developed a deep sense of what was right,
and often felt great waves of guilt when I told even the smallest lies.
<pre><code>Feeling all of my past experiences pushing me forward into the
</code></pre>
building, I stepped in and walked slowly over to where the rest of the soon to
be black belts stood. We all sat down and the ceremony began. The head
of the school, a sixth-degree black belt, stood up and began to call out
names. I sat in a state of absolute suspense, waiting for him to entice me
forward. When I heard William Censored, my heart came close to
stopping. Stumbling forward with a half-grin on my face amidst heavy
clapping from the audience, I gazed at my instructors face as he tied the
belt around my waist. I was finally a black belt. The realization of the
enormity of the situation suddenly struck me as I sat back down among the
other ecstatic students. I could now instruct; I was no longer purely a
student.
<pre><code>I have carried on this role of being an instructor into other facets of
</code></pre>
my life; I tutor students in writing as well as help others in mathematics and
chemistry. It is why I chose to work on a multivariable calculus project with
my father, despite the difficulty of the material. And, it is the reason why I
constantly strive to be a better person; I owe Karate a great deal.
P.S. Sorry about the weird format, I just copy pasted it and decided to make it a bit more readable by making it sort of double spaced.