College Admissions Essay: What Makes Me Who I Am

Everyone around me always likes to comment on how physically weak I am. About how I’m “such a nerd” and how I should “grow up.” They don’t seem to care about anything else. It’s a cultural thing, really; I’m a white, American male in an American classroom. I’m supposed to be physically active, love sports, etc. But personally? I could never do that. It’s just not who I am. My parents have pretty similar opinions. They grew up in a time when the nerd was becoming a common thing, and when it was still considered “dumb” to be one. Thanks to the popular culture of the day, physical activity and prowess are things they hound me on and make fun of me for at every opportunity. Personally, though, intense physical activity feels pointless and painful, I find sports to be exercises in pointlessness, and I'd rather be programming, reading, or drawing. I find those who build their lives and personalities around these things to be boring and annoying, and I don't care what they think. …show more content…
When it’s a few people giving me grief or laughing at me for something, it’s pretty much fine. I’ve dealt with bullies before, and I can deal with it again. That’d be fine. It’s not, though; it’s the entire surrounding culture. Everywhere but Computer Science, everyone around me does it, and sometimes I have to wonder sometimes: have I really made the right choice? It’s something that’s echoed in my head throughout my entire life, and it’s not one I’ve managed to answer yet. Yeah, I don’t like trying to be strong or fast or good looking, but in the end, I’m only one person standing against a tide of many, and it’s everyone else that controls the world around me, my very existence. If the culture decides I’m not worthy, then It’s the odds of a billion to