College Essay #8 - Stanford

8. What single adjective do you think would be most frequently used to describe you by those who know you best? Briefly explain. (Stanford)

Before the last chemistry test of the year, I opened my locker only to find that my chemistry notebook was missing. I looked around for it everywhere. I looked in the lost and found, in other people’s locker, in my room, in my dorm, above and under the locker banks, but it was nowhere to be found. I was stressing out about this point in time. I was not doing amazingly well in Chemistry and my notes were my life in that class. I had everything written down. What the teacher said … actually everything the teacher said, pretty much word for word (what? I learn better when everything is written down), what I thought I needed to work on, the practice problems, everything. I needed that book. Even with it I wasn’t able to get a decent grade, how could I possibly pass without that book. If you’re thinking, “why didn’t she just read the textbook?” Well I can’t read the 100 pages of the textbook one-day before the test, now can I? I approached my best friends and told them that I lost my chemistry notebook. I explained that I had it in my locker the day before and it was no longer there. They looked at each other and started laughing. Perplexed by this, I asked them what was so funny. They explained that it was bound to happen someday. Apparently, someone must have stolen my notebook out of my locker to use it. Apparently, I had everything written down and it was a good thing for those that weren’t that great of a note taker. Taken aback by this, I went on to find my book elsewhere. I was not ready to believe that someone stole my notebook to use it to study for his or her test. That was just plain and simple inhumane. I gave up after an hour and went on reading that 100 pages of text in the book.

I opened my locker after the worst of the chemistry-test-storm had passed, only to find that my book was placed back into my locker. I was shocked. That was not a coincidence, and my friends were right. When it came time to telling them that I had my notebook had been returned, my friends told me that I was an organized individual and people knew that and must have taken the unlocked locker to their advantage.

Those who know me best would say I’m a bundle of adjectives, but the word that describes me the best would definitely have to be: organized. I’m a person who has to have everything in order to do something. Whether it is before taking a test, in my room, my cupboard, or my toiletries, I need everything in place otherwise I feel something will go astray. I think that I need to be organized because I need to take control. Being organized means that you know where everything is, which means that you can gain access to those things easily. For example, sometimes when my cupboard gets too messy, I take everything out and color code it. I need to know where everything is and have to have it in a place where I can gain quick access. I try to make these minor things in my life very simple, so I don’t have to waste time dealing with these types of things.