Personal essay(College)

Limitations…do we have limits to our abilities? A while ago, I realized that we do not unless we accept them. Most of the time society projects limitations onto us, and once we do not meet its expectations, we are judged. I was judged.

From first grade to fifth, I was studying at gymnasium, a school which primarily serves the rich and smart kids, and I didn’t meet the requirements. My parents were poor then but I was able to pass the entrance examination, so I was accepted. But because of my financial difficulties, children, their parents and teachers judged me harshly. The administration of the school community told me that I had to leave. At the age of twelve, I did not understand the judgment, but I realized that I had to accept it and take responsibility. I moved to another school, where I immediately started improving myself….

By the time I turned 18, I had been working hard to pass final exams and get into the best Russian Universities. Simultaneously I was running a small business, acting as a president of the school, helping parents with my physically challenged sister and helping my father renovate flats. On Sunday mornings I would wake up, go to a BBQ with my family and then to the Theater with friends. While I was working as hard as I could, I heard the same phrases repeatedly.

“You will never be accepted into any of your dream schools,”

“You are doing everything wrong,”

I was being judged again.

However, at my graduation party, I received my high school diploma. That night I was the subject of many thanks for my presidential work from students and the school administration. Furthermore, I met all the requirements to be enrolled in the Moscow State University, which had long been my dream. However, more importantly, for the first time, I realized that it was not "my" dream; it was rather “theirs”. 

I felt that it was time for me to challenge myself and go toward my own dream, get an American Education. I went to the U.S. high school representatives in Moscow and was accepted into an EF Academy in New York.  I bought tickets to America, packed my clothes and in three days was standing at JFK, waiting for a cab. I was alone in an entirely alien country – a place I had never been. I knew a little English. It was the first step in pursuing my own dream and the start of my new challenge as 18 years old.

In July, I started attending language classes, searched for tips on how to live in America and tried to complete my paperwork in order to set myself up in the US. I was getting used to living in Thornwood, NY despite the fact that I was having trouble learning English quickly enough.

Now, at 19, when I walk through the financial district, knowing the area very well, I feel like I have been here for years. I look forward to my parents visiting me, one day, here, at my home, to show them that their efforts were not wasted and to thank them for everything they have done and are doing for me.

Currently, I am writing this essay because I want to be accepted into one of the strongest colleges in the USA. After the experience, living independently, I realized that this is my dream. Actually, it is my goal.

Comparison essay

Nowadays, many people believe that children, who have parents will have a more promising future, than children from orphanage will. However, I believe that children with families can have as difficult life as children without them.  If we look at two main characters, Jeannette from The Glass Castle and Jerry from A Mother in Mannville, both have a difficult destiny, at their small age they had to participate like adults.  

Jeannette, physically, was born in a family with two parents, but mentally did not have them. Jerry did not have any parents; he was growing in the orphanage, completely along. Children participate in a similar way and face similar problems.   

Jeannette at the age of 4 found the way to overcome hunger and learned how cook for herself, even she faced many difficulties such as heavy water to carry, too high cooker, hot water and getting on fire once. “…to cook hot dogs, watching them swell and bob…”, and Jerry at the age of 12 was able to chop wood for several hours, without stopping “Then he began to chop…I suppose an hour and a half passed… An astonishing amount of solid wood had been cut.” He does so even better than many adults would do, I am sure better than many of us. So both of them can take care of themselves and do work, which many other children would never do.

Both children described as very calm characters. They do not panic or cry as many others would do, they just accept situation as it is and tries to do their best to make it better. When Jeannette was at hospital with many burns on her skin, she was not crying, she was answering on doctor’s questions very calmly and making jokes “Look, I’m half-mummy” as nothing dangerous happened . At a Mother in Mannville story the narrator started judging Jerry for his age and high, and Jerry’s answer was similar to the one that a middle-age men would give,  " Size don't matter, chopping wood,"… “I've been chopping wood at the orphanage a long time.", it is calm and not emotional.

Jeannette and Jerry got used to live without any authority and take responsibility for themselves, sometimes even for other people. When Jeannette was cooking hot dogs she would give some to Juju, hungry dog. “I stabbed one of the hot dogs with a fork and bent over and offered it to him.”. Jerry was called integrity when he refused money that he payed for a broken ax handle. He broke it by accident, but took responsibility and payed repair cost. ““I'll pay for it,” he said .  “I broke it. I brought the ax down careless.”“.

Hence, both children are strong characters that have different life situations, but share the way of participation in life and ability to take responsibility.