Failed college essay

College essays are difficult work

I wrote many attempts for college essays, but a lot are simply not not good enough. So I'm posting all the rejects on here. Just because they're bad college essays doesn't mean they're badly written. Well, some might be.

Here is one. I liked the story.

Life is a maze that everyone gets lost in at some point. Even if one is on their way home, the chance of getting lost is still possible. Well, it is for me anyways. I have never had a good sense of direction, but one event stands out even among my vast collection of navigational mishaps.

I was five and in preschool at the time. The day was perfect for an outing: sunny with a breeze.  The teacher decided to take advantage of the weather and take us out to a nearby park. On the way, I noticed how familiar my surroundings were. Then I remembered why it felt so familiar. It was one of the paths I often took to get home.

Excitedly, I ran to the front of the line and shared with the teacher, “I know this place! I live around here!”

Sweetly she replied, “Really? That’s great! We can visit it sometime.”

I thought she was humoring me, but asking would have only taken a minute. “We can go right now! My mom is home!” To my surprise, she agreed.           

I took the lead as the class followed me around and around. I knew the way; it was just a bit difficult to find, with all the excited chatter around me. But after ten minutes and no home to be seen, the mood changed. It was taking too long; my classmates were getting impatient. Some of them were complaining about how I was ruining their day and how they were getting too hot.  I willed myself to relax. Taking a deep breath, I glanced around and focused. I sensed it wasn’t far away, but the path eluded me. All the landmarks seemed so familiar and indistinguishable.  Soon I found my apartment; like a treasure hunt, I struck gold.

When I reached my home, I opened the door. My mom was watching TV.  I will never forget her expression as she watched all twenty of us troop in. She was quizzically shocked: mouth wide open and eyebrows sky-high with disbelief. Because our arrival was so unexpected, we had nothing on hand but popcorn. So, we ate popcorn for lunch. Afterwards, my classmates told me how much they enjoyed the trip. Even now, twelve years later, some still remember how much fun the trip had been. 

            Everyone gets lost at least once in his life. It isn’t a big deal. What is a big deal is how one finds their way again. I learned that if one believes in himself, he will find his way. Even though my classmates didn’t trust that I could find my house, I proved them wrong.  Although it is kind of ridiculous to get lost on the way to one’s own dwelling, I still managed to find my home. I never gave up, and I shouldn’t. Self-confidence and perseverance often bring rewards, and in the end, you may even have an interesting tale to share.