Freshman College Essay

I hail from a relatively small town in Pennsylvania where I am currently attending a parochial school with eighteen students in the graduating class of 2012, most of which I have known since preschool. Most would fear transferring to an unfamiliar place where one would have few if any acquaintances, but I am confident of my ability to blend in the campus community and make a valuable contribution to Pennsylvania State University. I believe one of my greatest assets is my ability to get along with others by embracing diversity. I do not make premature judgment and I make an effort to find the good qualities in every individual I meet and come to know.

I am well -liked and my popularity hinges on my kindness and compassions toward other people and sensitivity to their feelings. Although these aforementioned characteristics alone will not necessarily lend itself to a college life that will be easy and stress free, it will certainly assist in adapting to an environment which is quite different from that of which I have come to know. I realize and anticipate a life with tremendous pressures of academics, social life and countless difficult decisions; like choosing a major, a career, viable campus organizations as well as a set of, what may prove to be, life-long friends. I am sure there will be other personal trials and tribulations which beset one's college life; however I would like to think that my past education, life experiences and a course my mother paved have given me a well roundedness that cultivates genuine intellectual and personal discipline, which is a pre-requisite to acquiring higher knowledge.

I consider myself a person who focuses on individual as well as team contributions. As an athlete my achievements were not measured by statistics, but because I played with heart I made progress and significant improvements in my skills and abilities over the years. I believe I became the best I could be in the various sports of my choosing. And although my athleticism did not warrant many starting positions, much playing time nor will it yield any scholarships, I know I made an impact by practicing with intensity and making my teammates the best they could be in preparation for game day.

I realize I will need to become more independent as I enter college, and the discipline and life lessons instilled by my mother (and grandparents) will help me go far in life: both college and beyond. No indeed, I am not finished yet and although I have done well in my life thus far I know I am capable of achieving so much more with what I have to offer. I am looking forward to the wealth of opportunities for personal growth and development as I explore and navigate college life. I will embrace this new chapter of my life by anticipating and accepting the challenges that lie ahead that will, without a doubt, strengthen my mental faculties and emotional fibers.