I watched as he walked down the street until he saw a car. He then proceeded to steal it, run over a bunch of people, and become involved in a high speed police chase. After a little while, he gave up and pulled over, but then proceeded to take out his gun and fight the police until they eventually put him down. And then he stopped playing Grand Theft Auto.
But why was he playing GTA on a school night in the first place? It was because he had, once again, forgotten he had homework. He had a planner, but that didn't do any good because he couldn't find anything in his disorganized backpack anyway. So once again, I found him doing nothing, while his grades were slowly declining. I didn't understand it. He is actually smart, with an IQ in the 120's, but how was he still struggling to get a 2.5 GPA? All his parents and teachers believed in him, or else they wouldn't have recommended he sign up for his first advanced class. But still, why were his grades so bad? I realized, it had nothing to do with attention span, or anything like that. It was his priorities that were screwed up. He began in middle school not really caring, and of course, all those bad habits came with him into High School. As a result, as everyone is looking for which Universities to go to, he is stuck looking at Community Colleges.
Seeing that he was depressed, I decided to have a talk with him. I told him that "Yes. You did screw up. But you can still change. Of course, not many places will be interested in you now, but if you can actually raise your grades and show you are willing to try, maybe some places you had never expected will have to look a second time at you. They will see that you have improved. Just remember that just because it's senior year, it doesn't mean theres nothing left for you. You should never give up because you never know what will be waiting for you if you just man up, take some responsibility for your short comings, and most importantly, change."
Friday, October 18, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Personal Statement Rough Draft
About 11 years ago, when I was 7 years old, I had just began learning how to play the piano by ear. I was learning how to play songs simply by listening to them over and over until I could play a song exactly like the recording. I thought I was only doing it for fun and there was nothing much to it. But one day, my mom and I went to Costco. While we were shopping, I came across a display keyboard, and decided to sit down and fiddle around on it. After a couple minutes of playing, i turned around to find a crowd of people watching me play! That was when I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.
I continued playing the piano, and when I was in second grade, my parents decided it was time to sign me up for lessons so I could learn how to read music. I hadn't realized what I was missing until I had finally learned how to play a song without having to listen to it a dozen times first. Some of my most stressful memories were preparing for recitals, but ever since my first recital, hearing people applause after you play makes all the stress and nervousness worth it. Though piano can occasionally stress me out, some of my happiest memories have occurred when I was playing the piano. I remember every day when I would come home after school, I would practice for 1 to 2 hours. Every day while I was playing, my dog, Spunky, would always curl up underneath the piano bench and fall asleep. It was very encouraging to be able to lull someone to sleep (even if it was a 14 year old dog).
Music has also helped me get through some hard times in my life. My piano became more than just a piece of wood that made different sounds. It became an emotional outlet as well. Halfway through my sophomore year, my parents got a divorce. As if that process wasn't hard enough, a little over 6 months later, on the day after Thanksgiving, my dog, who was a part of my first memories, had a stroke in the middle of the night and we had to put him down because he was literally brain dead. I remember throughout that entire year (even just after my parents got divorced) just locking myself in my room and plugging my headphones into my keyboard, and just letting everything, all my sadness and frustrations, come out of my fingertips. My piano was to me, what a therapist is to someone else. Sure I tried all that stuff too, but as an introvert, I found it much more therapeutic to just be alone in my room with a keyboard and my thoughts. The piano was great for me, as an emotional outlet, but unfortunately, sometimes I would be too caught up in my music and forget to do my homework, or study, and as a result, my grades began to decline.
Of course, I do not only associate my music with sadness. It has also given me many opportunities that I am grateful for. It's crazy to think that as a result of a decision I made in the 1st Grade, I have competed in 2 WSTMA state competitions and festivals, became a member of my school's Jazz Band, been given the opportunity to play the piano at The Mission Church, and recently, been offered a job teaching piano to 2 kids (so far). Music is my passion, and I hope to pursue a career in either Performing Arts, Composing, or Teaching.
I continued playing the piano, and when I was in second grade, my parents decided it was time to sign me up for lessons so I could learn how to read music. I hadn't realized what I was missing until I had finally learned how to play a song without having to listen to it a dozen times first. Some of my most stressful memories were preparing for recitals, but ever since my first recital, hearing people applause after you play makes all the stress and nervousness worth it. Though piano can occasionally stress me out, some of my happiest memories have occurred when I was playing the piano. I remember every day when I would come home after school, I would practice for 1 to 2 hours. Every day while I was playing, my dog, Spunky, would always curl up underneath the piano bench and fall asleep. It was very encouraging to be able to lull someone to sleep (even if it was a 14 year old dog).
Music has also helped me get through some hard times in my life. My piano became more than just a piece of wood that made different sounds. It became an emotional outlet as well. Halfway through my sophomore year, my parents got a divorce. As if that process wasn't hard enough, a little over 6 months later, on the day after Thanksgiving, my dog, who was a part of my first memories, had a stroke in the middle of the night and we had to put him down because he was literally brain dead. I remember throughout that entire year (even just after my parents got divorced) just locking myself in my room and plugging my headphones into my keyboard, and just letting everything, all my sadness and frustrations, come out of my fingertips. My piano was to me, what a therapist is to someone else. Sure I tried all that stuff too, but as an introvert, I found it much more therapeutic to just be alone in my room with a keyboard and my thoughts. The piano was great for me, as an emotional outlet, but unfortunately, sometimes I would be too caught up in my music and forget to do my homework, or study, and as a result, my grades began to decline.
Of course, I do not only associate my music with sadness. It has also given me many opportunities that I am grateful for. It's crazy to think that as a result of a decision I made in the 1st Grade, I have competed in 2 WSTMA state competitions and festivals, became a member of my school's Jazz Band, been given the opportunity to play the piano at The Mission Church, and recently, been offered a job teaching piano to 2 kids (so far). Music is my passion, and I hope to pursue a career in either Performing Arts, Composing, or Teaching.
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