Leaving Your Comfort Zone - Essay Example

?Tell us about an experience in which you left your comfort zone. How did this experience change you? I am the last born child in a family of five. Ihave a brother and a sister. Both of my parents are doctors. My dad is a neurosurgeon at King Georges Hospital while my mother is an anesthetist at the Valley hospital. This means their schedule is a busy one and I rarely spend time with them. My dad would come home once in a while but he’d get a call in the middle of night to go and attend to any emergency. At some point I felt like we were strangers with everyone at home. No one really seemed to connect with each other like families should do. As the last born I was left home alone as my brother and sister attended universities overseas. To compensate for the time they don’t spend with me, my parents bought me anything I needed. These include lots of toys, play stations and movies. They also gave me money whenever I asked for it. I guess it’s because they could not really give me the attention I needed that they bought me all these things. My brother and sister were rarely at home and when they were we rarely hanged out because they were way older than me. I become a spoilt kid who always had to have his way in everything he did. When I began attending school, I used to be so selfish with my things and I used to try and have my way in everything. I worked so hard in school so that no one could beat me in class. This was because I wanted to be the best and gain favors from my teachers. It reached a point where I didn’t really attend school to learn something but to just compete for grade and be on top of the class. My parents thought this was a very good thing. My dad once remarked, “Son, it seems you have my genes in you. I used to be on top of my class all the time. Keep up son!” I didn’t know how this was affecting my young life until one day when I came to class early in the morning. Just as usual I went and sat down at my desk. I never used to talk or play with my classmates. I usually thought of myself as the best and the others could not match me. As the teacher started to teach, I realized I had forgotten my stationary at home. I forgot to pack my pen, pencil and rubber in the morning. I decided to borrow my desk mate, a girl I had never said hello to since we joined school. She refused to give me. I borrowed all the kids around me and they all frowned and ignored me. It was then that I realized I had to get out of my comfort zone and change for the best. Moving out of this comfort zone was not easy. It required not only guts and commitment, but also at least some self-confidence. I read a few books on how to socialize and I remember seeing this Albert Einstein quote, ‘The definition of insanity is to continue to do the same things in the hope that those things will miraculously achieve a different result.” In other words it meant “Keep doing what you are doing and you will keep getting what you have been getting.” I had to do something here. My plan was to start treating everyone with the respect they needed and being mindful of others. I would greet my classmates whenever we meet in the eatery or along the pavements. At first most were shocked and thought I was planning something sinister but I explained myself. Soon I began making friends. Life seemed so good. At last, I had gotten out of my comfort zone and I was enjoying it! My parents are still busy but I have friends whom I can talk to and feel good whenever I am disoriented. It is very tempting to remain in our comfort zones. We all desire comfort. It’s human nature. However, too much comfort does not serve us well. An inability to step out of our comfort zone will profoundly limit our performance. Flexibility is vital and becoming more so. Change is everywhere. Yes, change can be frightening. Change confronts us with one of the most frightening of situations: the unknown. Although it is perfectly normal to be fearful of change, such a fear response can immobilize us. What are the unique qualities of Emory University, and the specific school(s) to which you are applying (Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Oxford College, or both), that make you want to become part of Emory University? In what ways do you hope to take advantage of the qualities you have identified? After a careful look at the universities I decided to apply for a place at Emory University and specifically Emory College of Arts and Sciences. This was after wide consultations with my family and friends who recommended me to Emory University. Emory College is known widely for its outstanding liberal arts college, professional schools and one of the Southeast’s leading health care systems. It is located in Atlanta, Georgia. One of the things that I felt was unique about Emory University is the unparalled architecture, upkeep and the general cleanliness. The place is spacious and so clean. The architecture is so unique, and steers away from the old Gothic style of the Ivy Leagues and other prestigious colleges. Many colleges may have the Gothic style but not many have the swirling modern marble stone-walled building that Emory has. The other thing that is unique about Emory College is the Emory Village. With everything under one roof one can conveniently study, have fun and get medication when sick. The village has the basics of what the students need. It has a CVS pharmacy, Starbucks, Cold Stone, Restaurants, a clothing store and a place to get haircuts. All these are attractive qualities that students need to have quality campus life at Emory College. Emory’s help with classes is done in a very unique way. If one has trouble, there is a writing center, where your paper can be edited. The professors are also very willing to help as may times as one may need them to. One can hire a tutor for free using Emory’s services. I also found the Learnlink a unique idea at Emory College. Learnlink organizes and directs much of what happens at Emory College. It has forum for classes. Here one can post questions about homework for other people or professor in the class to give answers. Similarly, one can post details about the many school clubs, dorm on goings, opus, grades and many other things. Random events organized by Emory, for instance about brilliants speakers like Salman Rushdie and private concerts, and the talks by Jimmy Carter all make Emory so unique. Write a letter to your first-year roommate at Babson. Tell him or her, what it will be like to live with you, why you chose Babson, and what you are looking forward to the most in college: My dear friend, It might surprise you that I call you "friend," but I think it is in order since I intend to live with you as a roommate at Babson College. I believe Babson is a good college and that is way I chose it as my choice of college. Coupled with learning facilities and the high quality of studies, I think by the time we graduate from Babson, we will be all round students. We would also be able to compete effectively in the job market and land on jobs. Babson also promotes the culture of oneness and that is why they are have made us to share rooms. We may not see the world from identical angles, but obviously we will have several things in common. It may be a love of a certain genre of music or even a sense of humour. Many students are obliged to share accommodation with another student while in college. This is the case with you and me. Sharing may seem awkward at first, but it may prove to be a very good experience. Firstly, if you have never shared with someone, you may have some difficulties adjusting. You may find that I am very different in character and I doesn't suit you as a companion. I know you are asking questions about me. For instance, will I be clean and tidy? Will I eat the same food or enjoy the same music? How should you react to my friends? And of course, there is the issue of telephone bills and shared expenses. For some people, the lack of privacy is the biggest challenge, while others may find their roommates over-sensitive or distant. I don’t know anything about your and I am as concerned as you are. It is essential that we try to try to understand each other and make living together more pleasant and even fun. Secondly, yes, fun, because there are many positive aspects to sharing. We will often be far away from our families and friends, and may experience loneliness and homesickness. We will also face new challenges in their studies. Sharing offers companionship to people who might otherwise have to face these problems alone. Furthermore, since college is not just about academic learning, sharing is an opportunity to develop communication skills so that a good atmosphere is established. Both of us will learn from each other about new interests and explore new activities. The most desirable feature, however, when living with someone else is respect for the other person's needs. Neither you nor I will be right all the time. Thirdly, I expect us to do a lot of things together. Both of us have dreams of what we want to achieve by the time we graduate from Babson College. I am hoping that we will nurture each other’s dreams towards achieving the best we can. We may be doing different courses at campus. We may even decide to join different clubs at college. And most of all we may be share different religious beliefs. This is a good thing since this will be a learning experience for both of us. You can teach me a bit about your religion and I can teach you about mine. This will make me a better a person in understanding and being able to tolerate other cultures and religions. Culture shocks are part of life and we all have to adapt to them. In conclusion, I think that there are more benefits than disadvantages in having you as my roommate, but it depends on us dealing with issues honestly and sensitively in order to make student life as happy as possible. Yours sincerely, Enrico Read More