Hi guys. I was trying to make this essay flow like a narrative so it would be more relatable but I think I might have gotten off topic. What do you think of the essay? Do you think I answered the prompt?
Prompt: For nearly 125 years, Illinois Tech students have been inspired to create, innovate, and find new ways to solve tough problems. Tell us which academic areas inspire you?
Essay: Anticipation, excitement, and euphoria. These are the emotions that race through my mind when I finish writing the code for a program and hit the compile button. A flurry of thoughts rush through my head, more than I could even process. Will my program work? What if Java crashes? Have I saved in the last three hours? It's as if my brain is attempting to compile my own emotions and thoughts when I hit that button. After this roller coaster ride of emotions it's finally time for the moment of truth. I want those two words to appear on the screen more than anything, I want them to let me know that everything's alright. But I don't see those two words on the screen, not yet. What I see on the screen is "error". I'm greeted by rows and rows of my code defiled by yellow lines. This word doesn't phase me, not anymore. It's simply a part of the process, the hardest and most time consuming part. I crack my fingers, readjust my glasses and gaze at that bright, fluorescent screen. I pore over every ounce of code, counting the spaces, checking the cases, and verifying the statements. It takes me hours to finish debugging this program.
"It'll all be worth it once I see those two letters" I think to myself in an attempt to keep my spirits high.
Once again, it was time for the moment of truth. I could feel the excitement coming over me, my hands shaking as my cursor hovered over the "compile" button. I pushed down gently with my index finger and waited. I waited for those two words to grace me with their presence. But they do not. Instead I'm greeted with those same yellow streaks as before, highlighting my every mistake. I repeat the painstakingly time consuming process of debugging over the course of an hour and a half. This goes on for a few more days until I get everything right.
This time I know that the program is ready. My hand is as steady as a rock. My cursor hovers over the compile button and my index finger pushes down once again. The ride begins once more, however, this time I'm prepared. I know I counted the spaces. I know I checked the cases. And I know that I verified the statements. I'm cool, calm, and collected this time. My mind mimics the computer in front of me, smoothly compiling everything. Then the two magic words appear: "Compilation Complete". I let out a smile and can feel the joy oozing back into me. This is the moment I had been waiting for, this is what made it all worth it. This moment felt so amazing not only because the program worked but because it was the culmination of all of my favorite subjects. I was greatly inspired by the critical thinking we had to use in math class, the objectivity we learned in Science class, and the creativity that we were issued in English class. Each one of these elements came into play when I was writing my code. And ultimately that is why computer programming inspires me. When I finish a program and it works, I get to feel the joy of utilizing math, science, and English all at once. I can't get that feeling anywhere else.
Danyal, the essay is asking you to discuss an academic area that inspires you. In this case, the academic area you want to specifically mention and discuss us computer programming. You ended up discussing the activity of computer programming instead of the field. So you need to revise the essay. The essence of your interest in the field is there, you just stated it in the wrong manner. So you just need to make a few revisions that will allow you to mention that you are inspired by the field of computer programming and why. That is when you can make specific mention of the activity that you described in your current essay. Doing so will help you align the prompt and use the original work that you wrote as well.
