Prompt: MIT Supplement
How did you manage a situation or challenge that you didn’t expect? What did you learn from it? (225 words)
Essay
Perhaps it’s more or less expected to get stuck in code during a hackathon–I’ve done it thrice now, enough to have figured out what to do. The first time around I had to be the stronger one for my partner in code, but twice after I had to get through it alone. My sophomore hackathon taught me how.
Pick a spot where no one will see you (if you have access to the media center, go between the bookshelves or under a table, otherwise see about finding a secluded spot outside). Leave your computer out of your reach, and close your eyes. This part takes the most discipline.
When you’re ready, you can begin tracing the scribbles made from students past that you’ve spotted under the table, or drawing loops in the dirt patches with a stick, well-worn throughout the years. You weren’t the first, and likely won’t be the last, panicked kid to find themselves in that position. It’s not like when it’s only you in your room, unaware of the progress everyone else is making while leaving you in the dust; here, everyone feels it, too.
I remind myself that I am not alone, that this one outcome doesn’t define who I am, and that I’ll always do my best. Then I restructure most of my code with reckless abandon until it works.
Tips for Writing
- Write about something that is actually meaningful to you. Dramatizing something inconsequential to you will not feel rewarding to write, and will not be a very interesting read.
- But after making sure you’ve chosen something meaningful, write about it in any way you wish. You can always cut down, and ideas as well as a fitting presentation for them are the most challenging and important part of writing.
- 225 words is just enough to cover about a single idea. Keep the supplementals centered, but also diverse—there isn’t anywhere for you to submit your 650 word Commonapp for MIT, so capture multiple aspects of you!
- Have fun with it! If you’re feeling the flow of writing as you type out your story, then chances are you’re doing something right. Helps the writing process go by a lot quicker, too.