My Choices and Commitments Essay -- Personal Narrative Essay Example

In pondering what my life will be like when I am finished with college, I have to consider the rapid life-changing events and choices that I am facing now at the age of 17. In a short span of time I have had to make a decision about my future career and, based on that decision, choose where I would go to college. I realize that I am in a crucial part of my life now, and that the commitments I make today will drastically affect my status ten years from now. It's a known fact that the majority of teenagers' decisions are inadvertently made based on the order of their priorities. Priorities at age 17 are not the same as those that one will have at age 27 or older. Since no one has written instructions for perfect living, bad decisions and irresponsible errors are prominent. My past four years in high school have helped me learn from my mistakes and have also given me time to prioritize. Time management has allowed me to participate in school athletics and other extra curricular activities and still remain at the top of my class. Now that I am at the point where graduation is simply weeks away, I am beginning to feel pressure about the major decisions I have made and will make in the next few months of my life. Since I am already set as far as college plans, (I will be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), the major worries are yet to come. In the next four years of my life I will encounter a variety of diverse people, lifestyles, beliefs and cultures. Though not all of these experiences will be negative, I realize how important it is that I go to college with my standards, priorities, and morals secure. I know that how I choose to live, learn and succeed will directly impact the quality of the rest of ... ...h both my peers and the school administration and staff. This reputation came about because of choices I made years ago. My church youth group has been a wonderful way to learn about community service. Seeing others who are disadvantaged, ill or needy has taught me the importance of caring for others and to be thankful for my own good health and stable family situation. Through committing myself to these various activities, I have been able to help people, as well as help myself. I have learned the importance of teamwork, gained leadership skills, and learned how to humble myself to serve others. These interactions introduced opportunities that have helped prepare me for greater things. Ten years from now, I will be able to say that the hard work was worth it, the determination paid off, and that my priorities took me to the status that I aspired to achieve.