What Makes You Come Alive?
I don’t typically contemplate the question, ‘What makes you come alive?. Personally, This question was an enigma: I believed that I had no interests. In Hong Kong and most eastern nations, schools require sacrifice in that students must conform to a culture of strenuous labor. This ideology -in my opinion- restricts diversity and supports uniformity. While this may be true, I soon realized that my interests do not have to lead to a career. This realization led me to consider what I usually do during my free time and what I enjoy doing at school. Out of all my interests, the one that stood out to me was film making/editing, Insofar as I can mess around or make stupid things.
My first experience with media was during my freshman year. Although I enjoyed most aspects of media, I found myself gravitating towards the editing side of things. However, during my sophomore year, I decided to stop taking media courses. At that time, I believed that my interest in media would and could not translate into a career. I was so focused on a career choice that would make money or provide a stable living, that I completely disregarded what I truly wanted to do. I treated my interest as a mere hobby because it didn’t feel like work.
Whether you agree or disagree with my statement that the ideology of uniformity obstructs the realization of one’s interests, the fact that many are unable to follow their dreams remains an objective truth. However,the fact that I am unable to pursue a career in media has uncovered another interest. I want to understand why so many people are unable to identify their passion and capitalize on that passion.
Reflection
This prompt was my first College Writing assignment. At first, I had no idea what I was going to write about. I didn’t really have something I could say “I am have a passion for this thing and I will stop at nothing to do it”. In the end, I settled for writing about my perspective on the school system. However, as I was writing I soon came to a realization that I did have an interest. This realization excited me and I really did begin to enjoy writing about what makes me come alive . I wouldn’t say that this prompt was difficult or challenging.Although this essay is riddled with grammar mistakes, punctuation errors, and sub-par writing, I believe that it helped me develop as a writer and a human being.
Revision
The following comments are all the mistakes I made in my rough, and final, draft. As you can see, I made many mistakes ranging from grammar mistakes to sub-par writing. My many mistakes taught me to slow down and plan what I am going to write before writing.
College Writing Writer's Blog 
I really like your opening, your sense of voice is really strong in this writing. I also liked how you included your thoughts on uniformity in the essay. It really gives the reader a look into what you’re thinking. That was probably my favorite part of the essay. Overall, I feel like this was a great read that gave me insight into “what makes you come alive”.
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Wow, what an amazing piece. I am sorry to hear that you couldn’t pursue a career in media/ editing but I’m also proud to hear that it has not made you depressed but instead find another interest to focus on. As you realized that your interest couldn’t lead you to a career, you wanted to know why many other people couldn’t capitalize on their interests. I truly hope you can find an answer to this question as it also boggles my mind. Overall, I have learned a lot about you through this piece. ~nice soccer picture
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This is an excellent piece of writing because you’ve guided the readers on your journey with just a few paragraphs. It is unfortunate to hear that you focused on your career more than your interests, but most people do as well. Even though you didn’t follow up on your first interest, I hope you follow up on your newfound interest! Good luck!
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Amazing writing. I relate well to this piece because back in 9th grade, I wanted to pursue a career in music as a composer. But as I kept pursuing my goal, a thought lingered in my mind: is this plausible? Can I really be a successful composer while being financially stable at the same time? In an industry where only a few make it, it might be better to not chase my dream after all. But do hope you pursuing media as a hobby goes well! Because I know for sure that I still love music 🙂
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Hi Josh! After reading this, I really enjoyed reading this. I am sorry to hear that you could not pursue your interest in media. Something that I would look out for, however, is to make sure you check your grammar when you copy and paste into word press. Another thing would be to try and elaborate on it. It felt quite short to me and would loved if you had elaborated more.
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