how to write a life changing event essay

Essays About Life-changing Experiences: 5 Examples

Discover our guide for writing essays about life-changing experiences that combine three different elements: narrative, description, and self-reflection. 

Each of us has gone through life-changing experiences that shaped us into the individuals we are today. Because of how powerful they are, these events make for fascinating topics in writing. This subject doesn’t only let us tell our life stories, and it also pushes us to evaluate our behavior and reflect on why an incident happened.

Attract your readers by creating an excellent introduction and choosing a unique or exciting encounter. Paint a picture of the events that describe your experience vividly and finish with a strong conclusion.

5 Essay Examples

1. long essay on experience that changed my life by prasanna, 2. life-changing events: personal experience by anonymous on studycorgi.com, 3. my example of a life-changing experience by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. life-changing experience: death essay by writer annie, 5. a life-changing experience during the holiday season by anonymous on studymoose.com, 1. life-changing experience: defined, 2. the experience that changed my life, 3. life-changing events and how they impact lives, 4. everyday events that change a person’s life, 5. the person who change my life, 6. books or movies that changed my life, 7. a life-changing quote.

“Experiences can be good and sometimes terrible that results in a positive or negative impact on one’s life. Life is full of many unexpected challenges and unknown turning points that will come along any time. People must learn and grow from every experience that they go through in life rather than losing yourself.”

In this essay, Prasanna discusses her father’s death as her most challenging life-changing experience. She was cheerful, immature, and carefree when her father was still alive. However, when her father left, she became the decision-maker of their family because her mother was unable to.

Prasanna mentions that she lost not only a father but also a friend, motivator, and mentor. That sad and unexpected experience turned her into an introverted, mature, and responsible head of the family. Ultimately, she thanks her father for making her a better person, and because of the devastating incident, she realizes who she can trust and how she should handle the real world. You might also be interested in these essays about choice .

“In life, certain experiences present challenges that change the way people relate to themselves and their families. Certain life events mark life-changing moments that alter lives either positively or negatively. It matters how people handle their relationships at such critical moments.”

This essay contains two life events that helped the author become a better person. These events taught them to trust and appreciate people, be responsible, and value family. The first event is when their best friend passes away, leading to stress, loss of appetite, and depression. The second circumstance happened when the author postponed their studies because they were afraid to grow up and be accountable for their decisions and actions.

The writer’s family showed them love, support, and understanding through these events. These events changed their behavior, attitude, and perspective on life and guided them to strengthen family relationships.

For help picking your next essay topic, check out our 20 engaging essay topics about family .

“I thought it was awkward because he looked and acted very professional. In that moment I thought to myself, ‘this person is going to have a great impact in my life!’. I was very curious to meet him and get a chance to show him my personality.”

This essay proves that you should always believe in yourself and not be afraid to try something new. The author recalls when they had many problems and met an extraordinary person who changed their life. 

When they were in sixth grade, the writer had life issues that caused them to be anxious about any future endeavor. The author then says they don’t usually open up to teachers because they fear their reactions. Then they met Mr. Salazar, a mentor who respects and values them, and the writer considers him their best friend.

“When the funeral was over and he was laid to rest, I had a feeling I can’t even describe. It was almost an empty feeling. I knew I had lost someone that could never be replaced.”

Annie never thought that she’d go through a life-changing experience until the sudden death of her father. Her thoughts and feelings are all over the place, and she has many unanswered questions. She says that although she will never wish for anyone to experience the same. However, her father’s passing improved her life in some ways.

Her mother remarried and introduced a new father figure, who was very kind to her. Living with her stepdad allowed her to explore and do things she thought she couldn’t. Annie still mourns the loss of her birth father, but she is also grateful to have a stepdad she can lean on. She gradually accepts that she can’t bring her birth father back.

“This story as a whole has really changed me and made me an even better person in life, I’m so thankful that this happened to me because now I have a greater appreciation for the little things in life.”

The essay shows how a simple interaction on a cold day in December can completely change a person’s view on life. It starts with the writer being asked a small favor of an older man with Alzheimer’s disease to help him find his car. This experience teaches the writer to be more observant and appreciative of the things they have. The author was inspired to spend more time with loved ones, especially their grandfather, who also has Alzheimer’s disease, as they learned never to take anything for granted.

7 Prompts for Essays About Life-changing Experiences

Everyone has their definition of a life-changing experience. But in general, it is an event or series of events profoundly altering a person’s thinking, feelings, and behavior. Use this prompt to explain your understanding of the topic and discuss how a simple action, decision, or encounter can change someone’s life. You might also be interested in these essays about yourself .

For this prompt, choose a specific memory that made you re-evaluate your views, values, and morals. Then, discuss the impact of this event on your life. For example, you can discuss losing a loved one, moving to another country, or starting a new school. Your conclusion must contain the main lessons you learned from the experience and how it can help the readers.

Various positive and negative life-changing experiences happen anytime and anywhere. Sometimes, you don’t notice them until they substantially disturb your everyday life. 

To begin your essay, interview people and ask about a momentous event that happened to them and how it influenced their way of living. Then, pick the most potent life-changing experience shared. Talk about what you’d do if you were in the same situation.

Some life-changing events include common things such as marriage, parenthood, divorce, job loss, and death. Research and discuss the most common experiences that transform a person’s life. Include real-life situations and any personal encounters for an intriguing essay.

It’s normal to meet other people, but connecting with someone who will significantly impact your life is a blessing. Use this prompt to discuss that particular person, such as a parent, close friend, or romantic partner. Share who they are and how you met them, and discuss what they did or said that made a big difference in your life. 

Movies like “The Truman Show” help change your viewpoint in life. They open our minds and provide ideas for dealing with our struggles. Share how you reached an epiphany by reading a book or watching a movie. Include if it’s because of a particular dialogue, character action, or scenes you can relate to.

While others use inspirational quotes for comfort and to avoid negative thinking, some find a quote that gives them the courage to make drastic changes to better their lives. For this prompt, search for well-known personalities who discovered a quote that motivated them to turn their life around.  Essay Tip: When editing for grammar, we also recommend spending time and effort to improve the readability score of your essay before publishing or submitting it.

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Life Changing Events: Personal Experience

If you are about to write a short narrative essay about something that changed your life forever, you’ve come to the right place! Check out our “childhood experience that changed my life” essay sample to get some ideas and inspiration for your paper.

Life Changing Event: Essay Introduction

Life changing experience: essay main body, life changing event: essay conclusion.

In life, certain experiences present challenges that change the way people relate to themselves and their families. Certain life events mark life-changing moments that alter lives either positively or negatively. It matters how people handle their relationships at such critical moments. 

Relationships, especially with family members, are the most important aspects of handling change. I have experienced life-changing events that turned me into a better person.

One such event occurred in my childhood, while the other occurred in adolescence. In both cases, my family was there to support and help me go through the tough times. Looking back at the influence of these events, I am always glad that my family was with me in overcoming the challenges. I am a better person because my family stood beside me and gave me strength and support in moments of weakness and helplessness.

The first event that had a remarkable impact on my life was the loss of a dear friend. This event changed my world and made me a better person. It taught me how to appreciate friends, family, and relationships. In childhood, I had a cousin who was my best friend.

Our friendship was so deep that we usually spent holidays and weekends visiting each other’s families. To my family, she was like one of the members. I was like one of her family members, too. We used to spend a lot of time together, playing, studying, traveling, and doing many other fun activities.

One day, while returning home from school, she got knocked down by a motorcyclist speeding off, trying to escape from a police officer. She was hit from behind and knocked her head on a large stone on the side of the road upon landing on the ground. When I received the news of the accident, I was devastated.

The morning after the accident, I visited her in the hospital and received the sad news that she was in a coma after suffering severe brain damage. I lost my appetite, could not sleep for weeks, and spent several nights crying and wishing she would be fine. She was in the hospital for six months. During that period, I became stressed and lost weight.

I missed school for many days, thus affecting my academics. Even though my family was also affected, the effect was greater on me because of our long-time friendship. Every day I woke up expecting to hear good news from my parents of her miraculous recovery, but that did not happen. As I became more depressed, I started to avoid social gatherings and experienced difficulty sleeping.

One morning, just after breakfast, we received news that she had passed away. At that moment, a hot flush of blood flowed into my head, and I fainted. The long period of endless waiting had come to an end. That morning was one of the lowest moments. I was rushed to the hospital, and the doctors said I had collapsed due to sudden shock. The grieving period was excruciating.

However, my family stood by me and offered consolation. My family members provided emotional and physical support and helped me overcome the incident. The event had severe emotional effects. My mum spent most of her time comforting me. I could cope with the situation because my family understood what I was going through, were patient, listened to me, and offered psychological help.

My parents were not angry at me for missing school. They allowed me to stay home until I was ready to go back. It took four months of grieving to get over the death of my cousin and best friend. This incident changed my life and brought me closer to my family. I now appreciate relationships and more. As a result, I am more loving, caring, compassionate, and appreciative of the people in my life.

The other defining moment that changed me involved a disagreement with my parents regarding joining high school. When the time came for me to enter high school, I was not prepared and wanted to stay home for a year before joining. My parents were concerned that I would lose a year of schooling since, at my age, I was not ready for a job. They feared I would have nothing to do for an entire year.

The reasons for delaying my entry to high school were fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. I was not ready to enter a stage of life where I was expected to be responsible for my life and actions. I refused to talk to my parents and other family members because I felt that they were imposing their principles on me. The truth is that I was afraid to enter a phase that would require me to be responsible for my decisions and actions.

I avoided my parents and always ensured they never got a chance to question me. My decision changed when my dad confronted me. Our discussion focused on the reasons that were informing my decision. At first, I was unwilling to tell my dad the truth, but as the debate progressed, I had no choice but to open up to him. I was afraid that he would be disappointed with me.

However, he assured me that it was normal to experience fear and anxiety, especially when making a life-changing decision. He narrated a story about how he had reacted the same way when his dad asked him to move out of their family house to find a place to live after joining college. Throughout the entire experience, my family was very understanding.

They helped me to overcome the fear and anxiety of embracing responsibilities. That incident changed my life, attitudes, and perspectives regarding life. My family has always supported me during tough times. That incident improved my relationship with my family and introduced me to adulthood. Whenever I face a challenge, I discuss it openly with my family because of the awareness that they are always ready and willing to listen and offer assistance. 

My elder brother introduced me to high school life and offered numerous tips on adjusting to the new environment. My family is my greatest source of joy and happiness. This incident taught me responsibility, trust, humility, and the importance of family. The aforementioned events changed my life tremendously because they played a crucial role in molding me into a responsible, caring, and compassionate person.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how should i describe a life event in my essay that prepared me for college.

So I'm drafting my college essay and I've got this life event that really impacted me and I think it shows I'm ready for college. But how do I describe it in a way that's compelling and not just telling a story? Any advice from those who tackled something similar?

When you're describing a life event in your college essay, it's important to focus on reflection, rather than merely recounting the event. Think about how this experience has shaped your perspective, influenced your goals, or contributed to your character development.

Start by setting the scene to engage the reader, then swiftly move to express how this event was pivotal in your personal growth. Show rather than tell; for example, if you're writing about how you overcame a challenge, detail the steps you took and the resourcefulness or resilience you displayed with active descriptions and action rather than a passive explanation. You want to make it clear why this event makes you a strong candidate for college by connecting it to attributes like determination, leadership, or a passion for learning. Remember to close your essay by looking forward; explain how the event has prepared you for the challenges of college and beyond, and how it will inform your contributions to the college community.

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Defining Moments: Exploring the ‘Significant Experience’ Essay Prompt

In the span of our lives, we sometimes experience events that forever change who we are and turn us into something new well-being. These turning points have the power to alter us by shedding light on our core values, assumptions, and goals.

The “significant experience” essay prompts, a typical writing assignment that tests our ability to go into the depths of our personal story and portray the significance of a specific event or encounter, is a potent tool to capture and reflect on these deep events.

In this blog, let’s discover the essay prompt’s true meaning, “significant experience.” We will examine how you can write significant experience , some application essay ideas , and the approaches to successfully completing it.

Whether you are a student assigned to write a college entrance essay or a person seeking self-reflection, this blog will offer you insightful tips to help you negotiate the complexities of this essay prompt.

Let’s begin, but first, get to know about defining moments.

What are Defining Moments?

Defining moments are significant occasions or encounters that can form and define a person, group of people, culture, or even an entire era. These events leave a lasting impression, changing a person’s life path, forming identities, or determining the course of bigger entities.

Positive or bad defining moments can happen on a variety of scales. A life-changing decision, such as selecting a professional path, getting married, or taking on a significant challenge, might be a defining event on a personal level. Determining moments for organisations might include significant strategic choices, ground-breaking inventions, or significant failures that result in dramatic change.

These defining moments are important because they frequently exhibit traits of tenacity, character, and ideals. They push people or things to make decisions, take chances, and face their own strengths and flaws. Defining moments may put one’s determination to the test, requiring reflection and development. They can also operate as catalysts for individual or group development, bringing about changes in perspective, priorities, and course of action.

Additionally, pivotal events might have an impact beyond the people or organisations directly engaged. They have the power to motivate people, launch social movements, or alter the course of history, politics, or culture. Defined moments can leave a lasting imprint and contribute to communal awareness by influencing narratives and changing views.

Unveiling the Purpose of the ‘Significant Experience’ Essay Prompt

The “significant experience” essay prompt is among the application essay ideas given to students, particularly those seeking scholarships or college. This essay prompt is meant to inspire people to think about and share a particular experience that has profoundly impacted their life and shaped their personal development, beliefs, or objectives.

The essay prompt seeks to accomplish the following goals:

# Self-reflection

The prompt promotes contemplation and self-awareness by letting people dive into a memorable event. People are prompted to reflect in depth on their history and the occasions that have moulded them, promoting a deeper knowledge of their ideals, virtues, and flaws.

# Personal Development

The essay prompt challenges people to specify and explain how their major experience has influenced their personal development. It gives people a chance to show off their capacity to overcome obstacles, adapt to novel situations, and exhibit perseverance.

# Communication Abilities

Strong communication abilities are necessary when you write significant experience in your college entrance essay. Individuals can get practise speaking properly, structuring their ideas, and presenting them in a logical and interesting way by responding to the question.

# Character and Values Demonstration

The essay prompts allow a student to show who they are and what they stand for. People can demonstrate their integrity, compassion, tenacity, or other qualities that make them who they are by talking about the effects of a significant experience.

# Differentiating Oneself

The noteworthy experience essay prompt gives people an opportunity to stand out from other applicants in competitive situations like college or scholarship applications . It enables applicants to offer distinctive experiences and viewpoints, showcasing their distinctiveness and possible value to a given group or organisation.

Also read: Overcoming Obstacles: Using The ‘Challenge You’ve Faced’ Essay Prompt To Your Advantage

Effective Strategies for Crafting an Effective Essay

Planning carefully, reflecting deeply, and writing well is necessary to create a successful essay, especially one that responds to a “significant experience” challenge. Here are some tips to assist you in writing an engaging and effective essay:

• Think of the Experience: Take some time to seriously consider your big event and how it has affected your life. Think about the feelings, difficulties, and lessons you’ve learnt. Ask yourself why it was important and how it influenced your development, principles, or goals.
• Create a Main Theme: Decide on a main idea or statement that best captures the spirit of your memorable event. Your essay’s central subject will act as its compass and aid in giving it cohesion and focus. It could involve fortitude, sympathy, internal change, or any other pertinent quality.
• Create a Captivating Introduction: Your essay should begin with a strong introduction that captures the reader’s interest. You can utilise anecdotes, challenging questions, or evocative descriptions to create the scene and entice the reader into your tale. Indicate the experience’s importance and its main subject in clear terms.
• Give Context: Give the reader adequate background information to enable them to comprehend the setting of your noteworthy event. Give details about the situation’s surroundings, participants, and any other pertinent information.
• Craft a Compelling Story: Create an engaging tale by structuring your essay as a narrative and inviting the reader to share your memorable experience. Use dialogue, sensory elements, and descriptive language to make the tale come to life. Show, not tell, how the event has affected your life.
• Showcase Its Significance: After you’ve described the incident, consider its relevance and the lessons you learnt from it. Describe how it has affected your beliefs, objectives, or worldview. Reflections should be sincere and self-reflective.
• Highlight Your Personal Growth: Showcase your progress by emphasising how the noteworthy event has helped you grow personally. Talk about the difficulties you encountered, the steps you took to overcome them, and the abilities or traits you acquired as a result.
• Build a Link with the Future: Link your meaningful experience to your hopes and goals for the future. Describe how your future decisions, activities, or contributions to your community or field of interest will be impacted by the lessons you have learned and the values you have gained.
• Make Your Words and Examples Vivid: Making your essay memorable requires the use of vivid language, striking imagery, and precise examples. This makes your tale more relatable and powerful, and it also helps to interest the reader.
• Proofread Your Essay: After writing the first draft, edit and revise your essay. Verify your writing for grammatical, punctuation, and clarity faults. Make sure your essay makes sense and that you can clearly explain your thoughts.

It’s important to remember that your essay should be real and honest, allowing for the expression of your viewpoint and voice. By using these techniques, you can write an essay that conveys the importance of your experience and leaves the reader with a lasting impression.

Also Read: The Value Of The Right Advice In College Admissions: Guiding Your Path To Success

Examples and Inspiration

Let’s take a look at examples of some significant essay prompts related to application essay ideas that can you consider for practising:

Example 1: Overcoming My Fear of Public Speaking

I experienced a debilitating fear of speaking in public during my high school years. Every time I had to present a project or speak in front of my classmates, my hands would sweat profusely, my heart would race, and my words would get jumbled up. However, I knew that confronting this fear was crucial for my personal growth and future success.

To tackle my fear, I enrolled in a public speaking course and made a commitment to work through it. I finally conquered my fear through constant practice, preparation, and determination, delivering polished and confident presentations. The experience taught me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone and the value of hard work.

Key Takeaways:

• Conquering one’s fears can lead to self-improvement and personal growth.
• Hard work and dedication can yield great results.

Example 2: Finding My Passion for Community Service

While in college, I was constantly searching for opportunities to make a difference in the community. Then, I stumbled upon a local non-profit organization whose mission was to assist underprivileged youth. After signing up to volunteer, I was immediately struck by the children’s joy and enthusiasm, and I knew right then that community service was my passion.

Over time, I became more involved with the organization and even started my own initiative to raise funds and awareness for their cause. Through this experience, I learned the power of community service and how helping others can bring meaning and fulfilment to one’s life.

• Finding one’s passion and purpose is crucial for personal fulfilment.
• Assisting others brings happiness to both the helper and the beneficiaries.

Example 3: Getting through Adversity

Unexpected difficulties and barriers might come along in life, and how we respond to them shapes who we are. In my instance, I had to step up and assume additional obligations due to a challenging family circumstance. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and unsure, but I knew I had to get the courage to keep going. I was able to conquer these obstacles with courage and dedication, coming out stronger and more resilient than before. This incident taught me the value of tenacity and the necessity of depending on our inner strength while facing challenges.

Key conclusions

• We can be defined by how we respond to hardship.
• The importance of tenacity and inner fortitude.

Summing It Up

To sum up, the “significant experience” essay prompts offer a potent forum for people to consider and discuss the pivotal events that have affected their life. Through this introspective practice, one develops self-awareness, clarity of purpose, and a better comprehension of their values and ambitions. These pieces promote self-improvement, resiliency, and the cultivation of a growth mindset. People can engage with others, arouse empathy, and create lasting connections by creating fascinating tales around these important experiences. Accepting the chance to think back on our defining experiences gives us the ability to draw lessons from the past, appreciate the present, and sculpt a future that is in line with our true selves.

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Here is an example of a college essay question that demands you discuss challenges and how you overcame them:

“Describe a significant hardship or obstacle you have faced in your life. How did you confront and overcome it? What did you learn from this experience, and how has it shaped you as an individual?”

  Essay Answer:

I can clearly remember the heartbreaking day my family learned of my father’s cancer diagnosis. We were surprised and terrified as the word resonated across the space. Our lives were abruptly flipped upside down, and the difficulties we encountered felt insurmountable. But this struggle turned into a turning point that put my fortitude to the test, gave me priceless life lessons, and helped me become the person I am today.

I had to stand strong for my family while we dealt with my father’s illness. I assumed obligations that were above my years, helping with housework, scheduling appointments, and offering emotional support. It was difficult to juggle my academic obligations with my newly acquired duties, but I refused to let my situation define who I was. I turned to my passion for studying for comfort, utilising it as a way to manage my emotions and keep things in perspective.

A mindset change was necessary to overcome this adversity. I chose to concentrate on our happy and grateful times rather than dwell on the bad. I came to understand how crucial it is to treasure each special moment and look for the positive aspects of even the most trying circumstances. With this new perspective, I was able to develop resilience because I approached each obstacle with tenacity and a firm conviction that we could conquer it.

My father’s sickness taught me the value of compassion and empathy. Seeing his fortitude and bravery in the face of suffering motivated me to be compassionate to those going through similar struggles. I started a support group at my school to offer a secure environment for kids going through various difficulties. My grasp of the human experience has grown due to this event, and I now desire to guide people through their own difficulties.

The journey we went on together as a family taught me the importance of harmony and unwavering love. In the course of supporting one another through the highs and lows of the treatment process, we developed an unbreakable friendship. My mother became my pillar of strength, exhibiting unflinching fortitude and giving me the conviction that love and support could overcome even the most difficult challenges.

This struggle has completely changed who I am. I’ve come out with a greater capacity for empathy, a fortitude that helps me move ahead, and a profound understanding of how fleeting life is. Additionally, having personally seen the positive effects of caring and committed professionals on the lives of patients and their families has strengthened my desire to pursue a career in healthcare.

This well-written essay answer shows how the student encountered a huge challenge, overcame it with tenacity and persistence, gained important lessons, and was moulded by the encounter. It demonstrates the growth and development that resulted from conquering the challenge by incorporating personal tales, thoughts, and a link to future objectives. When replying to a similar prompt, keep in mind that your essay should reflect your individual experiences and writing style.

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Tricks of Writing a Life Changing Event Essay

There are a lot of different events in the life of any person. Some of them are important. Others you cannot remember the next day.

However, there are such events (or even the only one) that you will remember for the rest of your life, since after this incident your existence will never be the same.

So, you have to write a life changing event essay. You have to describe something that influenced you greatly. Actually, it is a wonderful topic, and your life changing event essay can score the highest grade. However, if you take this task lightly, you can spoil everything.

By the way, the main idea of your life changing event essays can be not so sophisticated. You do not have to think about some incredible things that might have happened to you. In your life changing event essay you can describe quite an ordinary event, but you have to make it in an unusual way. Further we will talk about it.

• So, your life changing event essays should begin with a background or a short story. You have to drive the readers smoothly to the essence of your paper, to the event that affected your life.
• Then, you can pass to the description of what has happened. In this part of your life changing event essay try to give as much details as possible. Think of some similes, original epithets.
• After that, in your life changing event essay, you should explain those particular effects that this event had on you. Tell why it was important; what you understood or realized later; describe your life before and after this event.

The main trick about writing such life changing event essay is your honesty and inspiration. Do not make up stories that did not actually take place in your life. Even an event that seems to be trivial at a glance can be introduced in an amazing way.

By the way, besides the tips on writing a life changing event essay, you can find helpful information on completing any other assignment on this web-site. So, if you fail to write an essay on Malcolm X or a knight essay, do not hesitate to use this source.

Life Experience Essay: How to Write a Brilliant Paper

A life experience essay combines the elements of narration, description, and self-reflection. Such a paper has to focus on a single event that had a significant impact on a person’s worldview and values.

Writing an essay about life experience prompts students to do the following:

• evaluate their behavior in specific situations critically;
• analyze their life and find significant moments;
• see connections between some crucial events;
• tell the story of their lives.

You may struggle with such papers, not knowing how to structure them. So, here are valuable tips for writing essays about experience in life. Hopefully, they will help you with your task. Don’t forget to bookmark our website in case you need any assignment assistance.

• 📅 Picking One
• ⏳ Essay Topics

📅 Picking One Life Experience

Many people struggle with such essay writing because they don’t know what events to choose from. Almost any person had a memorable moment at least once. Yet, it might be challenging to share it with someone else, especially in a narrative essay on a life-changing experience.

To find the right event for your essay, here are the essential preliminary steps that you need to take:

• Choose a memory to reflect in your essay. Think of any past event that made you reevaluate your views about other people or your values and moral principles. For example, you can describe an encounter with an exciting person that influenced you. Alternatively, think about discussing a situation when you had to make a moral choice. Make sure the event is indeed significant for you and will impress the readers.
• Describe the settings. It is essential to let the readers dive into the atmosphere you experienced. Introduce the background. Talk about the time and location of the event and describe your feelings. The more detail you provide, the more empathetic your reader will be. And in case some of the writing doesn’t seem to come together well enough, don’t hesitate to use a sentence changer to mix things up.
• Analyze the impact of the event on your life. Compare and contrast your views and values before and after this event. How did the experience influence your life? What did you learn from it? The analysis is probably an essential part of your life experience essay. So, make sure your ideas are concise and clear enough.
• Evaluate your experience. Finally, determine how this experience can help you or your readers. Highlight the key lessons you gained from the event you are describing in your essay. Give the audience valuable suggestions.

🌱 Life Experience Essay: Key Tips

Having chosen the most memorable experience, you can start writing your essay. It’s a common creative task for college or high school students. Usually, such papers require to reflect on their life while telling a story with a moral. You have to explain how one significant event in the past affected or even changed you.

Before composing your paper, it is essential to plan it properly. Here are some tips on how to do that:

• Decide whether the chosen topic is compelling.

Before starting structuring your essay, make sure you selected a great event. Here is a trick for you. Answer the following questions to evaluate your topic:

• Did I learn something from that experience?
• Did it significantly change my life?
• Can I apply the knowledge I gained in the future?
• Can I somehow educate the readers talking about this event?

If you answered YES, congratulations, you have a great topic. If your answers are NO, consider choosing another event to talk about.

• Order the events logically.

While talking about your life-changing experience, it is essential to list the events in a logical order. Before writing your essay, outline. Decide on what you will tell first, what should be mentioned next, and how to conclude the paper. A logical structure will help the readers not to get overwhelmed with your thoughts.

• Details matter.

For the readers, every detail might play a tremendous role. So, make sure you don’t forget to mention any essential turn of events. But be careful. Don’t overdo it. Include only vital and most vivid details in your essay about experience in life.

Several strategies will help you with that:

• A catchy intro is a key to a successful essay on life experience. Start your paper with an attention-getter or a sentence that can make your reader interested. For this purpose, you can use a quote or a paradoxical statement that shows how two conflicting ideas can co-exist. Turn on your imagination. The more exciting your first paragraph is – the highest chances to catch your readers’ attention are.
• Explain your choice. No doubt, every person gets into a life-changing experience. So, impress your readers with your idea. Prove to them that your experience is worth sharing. Only if you introduce your concepts dynamically and effectively, your essay will be indeed fascinating.
• Make your experience essay well balanced. It is also vital for you to find and maintain the balance between narrative and self-reflection. On the one hand, your paper has to describe an event accurately. As has been said before, you need to explain what happened and how it happened. On the other hand, you also need to analyze the impact the event’s experience had on you. So, make sure that your paper includes both: narrative and self-reflection.
• Compose a memorable conclusion. The conclusion of your essay has to explain how experience can be applied. In other words, you need to show what you learned from the event. Explain how the knowledge you gained can affect your decisions in the future. Also, show your readers what they can learn from your life lesson.

See how it all can be accomplished in a life experience essay example below:

⏳ Life Experience Essay: Topics

Now you can approach an essay on a life experience that profoundly influenced you. Such a paper allows you to demonstrate your creativity and writing skills. So, try to be natural, and this mindset will help you write a great essay about yourself .

We prepared a list of life experience topics that will help you start:

• How I conquered my fear . Were you afraid of something but found the courage to overcome your fears ? Isn’t it a perfect topic for an essay about experience in life? Introduce your fear. Explain how you conquered it. Describe how your life changed after it. Who knows, maybe you will inspire somebody else to deal with their fears.
• A failure that made me stronger. Unsurprisingly, everybody fails. But have you ever been in a situation when your failure motivated you to improve? Describe this experience and tell the reader how you felt about it. Share your insight into overcoming failures with the audience! 
• How I met the love of my life. This topic is relevant to those having a boyfriend or a girlfriend who tremendously changed their lives. Are you one of them? Then consider writing about your life before and after you’ve met the love of your life. Did you change your habits ? Did you improve? Tell the reader more about that in your experience essay.
• The most memorable experience of my childhood. We start our character formation in early childhood. So, maybe there was an incredibly significant event in your childhood that impacted your personal development. Analyze this experience and present your thoughts in the essay.
• My first public performance. Well, public performances are a nightmare for some people. Therefore, the first appearance on the stage might become a life-changing and unforgettable experience. Do you have something fascinating to share about your first performance? Consider selecting this topic, then.
• The most meaningful conversation I have ever had. Sometimes conversations can be pretty shallow. Sometimes, however, a talk might become the most memorable experience in your life. Have you ever had such a conversation? With whom? What was the topic of discussion? How did your perception of life or set of values transform after that talk? 
• A fascinating journey . Are you a fan of traveling? Then you have probably been on numerous trips . But have you ever been on a journey that significantly impacted your life? What country did you visit? What did you see or learn that impressed you most? How has your perception of life changed after that journey?
• A piece of art that impressed me a lot. It’s no wonder that art has a tremendous power. Sometimes, a piece of art may turn an individual’s life upside down. Has it ever happened to you? What influenced you: a book, a movie, a painting ? What were your feelings and emotions?
• My first award. Are you a professional athlete, an outstanding singer, or a successful dancer? Then, you probably have numerous medals, cups, and certificates. But do you remember that unforgettable moment when you came to the stage to receive your first award? What was your way until that first award? How did you feel when you finally got it? What did you learn from that life-changing experience? 
• Significant event that had a positive impact on my life .
• An unforgettable visit to Africa .
• Describe what makes you want to travel .
• The experience of my first job at a rehabilitation center.
• Discuss how a university degree became a driver of positive changes in your life.  
• The day I experimented on challenging gender norms.  
• Give details about your leadership experience .
• My experience of winning the fight by losing it .
• Analyze your experience of adopting a pet.  
• Describe your experience with English course and how it influenced your everyday life.  
• My experience of learning to ride a bicycle .
• Examine the influence of a specific culture on your life.
• How I bought my first laptop .
• Spend twelve hours without smartphone and describe your experience.  
• An unforgettable experience of becoming a mom.
• Analyze your experience with writing class and how it helped you to master writing in different styles.  
• Discuss your experience of mysophobia and its impact on your life.  
• The positive effect of art and dance movement therapy on my mental health.
• Explain how you managed to resolve a conflict with your friend.
• A defining event from my childhood.
• Describe the challenges you faced at high school.
• Tell about your experience as a volunteer.  
• Discuss your experience of working in a contact center .
• Transformation of my life values after the lockdown.  
• The lessons I’ve learned being a Walmart employee .
• Explain how mindfulness practice improved the quality of your life.
• Personal experience of work with children with autism .
• Describe the day you experienced a culture shock .
• Tell about your experience of asking for help and results you obtained.
• Give details about the worst job you’ve ever worked at.
• My experience of covert conflict and how I managed to resolve it.
• My trip to Yellowstone National Park. 
• Depict your last visit to the amusement park .
• The educational experiences that influenced my career goals.

Thank you for reading our article! We hope our tips were helpful. Don’t forget to leave a comment and share the page with your friends.

This might be interesting for you:

• School Days Essay: How to Describe a Memorable Event
• Growing Up Essay: Great Ideas for Your College Assignment
• Childhood Memories Essay: Brilliant Writing Ideas
• Writing Essay about Someone Who Has Made an Impact on Your Life
• Excellent Remembering a Person Essay: Free Writing Guidelines
• How to Write a Personal Experience Essay With Sample Papers: Virginia Kearney, Owlcation Education
• An Experience That Changed My Life Essay: Cram
• Strategies for Essay Writing: Harvard College Writing Center
• Basic Essay and Paragraph Format: Utah Valley University Writing Center
• Elements of a Personal Essay: Brigham Young University – Idaho
• Life Changing Experience Essay: Bartleby
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Essay Samples on Life Changing Experience

Speaking of topics that you may consider as a student, there is a lot to choose from. It can be your college experience or volunteering work that you have done that became a life-changing experience or something that you have seen or understood as a child. In either case, see our free life changing experience essay example to see how you can shape your thoughts correctly and follow the structure of academic writing. It must have a strong introduction with a hook, at least two body paragraphs, and a conclusion part that sums up all the ideas and thoughts that you have outlined in your paper. Just be yourself and think about what has inspired you in life or what events have helped to shape who you are.

What Experiences Have Shaped My Life

What experiences have shaped your life? Life is a tapestry woven from the threads of experiences — each moment, encounter, and challenge contributing to the person we become. As I reflect on the experiences that have shaped my life, I am reminded of the transformative...

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The Moment That Changed Everything: an Unpredictable Nature of Life

Life is an unpredictable journey, marked by various milestones and experiences that shape our paths. Among these, there are moments that stand out as pivotal, forever altering the course of our lives. These moments are often unexpected, yet their impact is profound. In this essay,...

An Unforgettable Day: A Chapter Etched in the Tapestry of My Life

Life is composed of a tapestry of moments, each weaving a unique story that contributes to the fabric of our existence. Among these moments, there are days that stand out as unforgettable, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and memories. This essay chronicles one...

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An Important Event in My Life: a Reflection

Life is a series of moments that shape our journey, but some events leave an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. Among the myriad experiences, one event stands out as a pivotal moment that altered the course of my life. This essay delves into...

A Turning Point: An Event That Changed My Life Forever

Life is an unpredictable journey, shaped by a series of experiences that mold our character and perspective. Among these experiences, there are pivotal events that stand out as turning points, forever altering the course of our lives. This essay recounts an event that profoundly impacted...

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My Memorable Experience and How It Has Shaped My Perspective

Life is an array of moments, some fleeting and some etched into our memories forever. Among these moments, there are those that stand out, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. In this narrative essay, I delve into a memorable experience that has...

A Life Lesson I Have Learned and How It Continues to Shape Me

Life is a continuous journey of learning, filled with moments that impart wisdom and shape our perspectives. Some lessons are gentle whispers, while others are profound experiences that leave an everlasting imprint. In this narrative essay, I will share a significant life lesson that I...

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A Life Changing Experience: The Transformative Power of Challenges

Life is a journey filled with moments that shape our perspectives, redefine our priorities, and ultimately change the course of our existence. A life-changing experience is one that leaves an indelible mark, altering our beliefs, values, and the way we perceive the world around us....

A Life-Changing Experience About Respect and Being Respectful

In this short essay about respect I will share my life-changing experience that shown me the importance of respect between people. It was during the ceremony which I had at the school. As I hurried across the quad from my dorm room, the excitement of...

"A Whisper Of AIDS" By Mary Fisher: The Life-Changing Experience

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Our Life Experiences: Who We Are

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The Potential Father Figures in Stevenson's Treasure Island

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The Fictional Recreation of Vasco Da Gama's Trip

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The Lessons Applied to Experiences Learned from Rich Dad, Poor Dad

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My Life Changing Experience of Losing My Old Job and Changing Careers

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Life Changing Moment that Encouraged Me to Help People Suffering from Cancer

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Best topics on Life Changing Experience

1. What Experiences Have Shaped My Life

2. The Moment That Changed Everything: an Unpredictable Nature of Life

3. An Unforgettable Day: A Chapter Etched in the Tapestry of My Life

4. An Important Event in My Life: a Reflection

5. A Turning Point: An Event That Changed My Life Forever

6. My Memorable Experience and How It Has Shaped My Perspective

7. A Life Lesson I Have Learned and How It Continues to Shape Me

8. A Life Changing Experience: The Transformative Power of Challenges

9. A Life-Changing Experience About Respect and Being Respectful

10. “A Whisper Of AIDS” By Mary Fisher: The Life-Changing Experience

11. Our Life Experiences: Who We Are

12. The Potential Father Figures in Stevenson’s Treasure Island

13. The Fictional Recreation of Vasco Da Gama’s Trip

14. The Lessons Applied to Experiences Learned from Rich Dad, Poor Dad

15. My Life Changing Experience of Losing My Old Job and Changing Careers

• Career Goals
• Perseverance

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Narrative Essay On A Life Changing Event

Recently, writing a narrative essay on a life changing moment had become a very popular assignment in schools, universities, and colleges. Some people will say that this is not a big deal, but for others, it will be rather challenging to create a paper on a life changing event, simply due to reason that most of us don't know how to write about our lives, especially of it must be written in an interesting for the reader way.

Narrative essay on a life changing moment this is not a simple task. This type of work itself is one of the most challenging types of essay, because most of time, this work should describe the personal attitude to any problem, and it is not always possible to refer to sources.

But it is worth noting that creating a narrative essay on a life changing event is very useful for students because such written work helps them to develop imagination and ability to express their personal opinion.

How to cope with assignment? For those who find writing a life changing event essay a daunting task, or maybe argumentative essay about social media , it will be interesting to read this article further because here you will learn some tips on how to cope with this task with ease.

How Should Look a Rough Plan of Your Work?

For those who are wondering “how to write an essay about an event that changed my life” we have compiled the following structure that will help you to understand how to write a life changing moment essay correctly.

The “introduction” and “conclusion” are first and last paragraphs of a narrative essay about life changing moment. The first paragraph or first part of text introduces your topic to reader, leads them into main body of the text and presents main ideas that are described in your work. Don't make your introduction too long! It is more than enough to make it one or two paragraphs long, the main idea here is to interest the reader and make him want to read the rest of your descriptive essay about nature .

The main part demands more attention. It can have the following structure:

• Situation - the reasoning, situation-argument, argument-reasoning, and so on, and in this case, you must first state the idea and then explain it.
• Opposite structure (facts-conclusion), assumes that a student will describe situation or the facts, and conclude them afterward.
• The thesis and a few arguments (facts). In this case, you choose main idea and confirm it with multiple proofs (examples); the thesis may be stated either in the beginning or after provided arguments.

Ideally, one thesis should be confirmed by at least two arguments because one fact may seem unconvincing to reader, while three would overload the text and you may make speech paper too long.

• Final clause.

In conclusion, as a rule, a student sums up all of the ideas that were stated in the essay on something that changed your life. The author summarizes the work together with the reader. It is important to ensure that conclusions were not far-fetched and did not arise from “nowhere” so you should include a logical summary that the reader would understand after getting acquainted with the main part of your work.

Where to Start?

It is best to start the writing process from the main part of the text because it is often much easier to write the introduction and conclusion after the work is done and you are confident that your paper is logical and understandable to the reader. You can easily  pay for an essay , but if you have taken care of a detailed plan, you can write your work starting from any point because it should be equally simple.

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Great Examples to Describe Important Life Events

Table of Contents

There may be times when you’ll be asked to  describe a significant event in your life . It could be for a school writing assignment or a college application essay. But some life moments can be so precious and overwhelming that it’s difficult to put them into words. If you find yourself stuck on what to write, don’t worry. This article is here to help you out.

Today we’ll share some tips with you on how to describe important life experiences. We’ll also review some great examples that you can refer to. Let’s get into it!

What Life Events Can You Talk About?

There are so many life-changing moments that you can talk about in your essay. If you haven’t been given a topic, here are some event examples you can consider discussing:

• Your first day at work
• An event that you love celebrating (e.g., a birthday, Independence Day, Christmas, an anniversary)
• The day you met the love of your life.
• A happy or memorable family event. (Wedding of a sibling, death of a family member, family birthday party, parents’ wedding anniversary, buying a house)
• The time you had an intense argument with a person
• A fight you had with a close friend
• The day of your graduation from high school or college.
• A memorable childhood event (e.g., a special birthday, starting school, moving home, a special trip, the birth of a sibling)
• When your first child was born

How Do You Describe a Significant Event in Your Life?

Answer the 5ws (what, who, when, where, why).

Before you start telling your story, it’s essential to get your facts in order. In order to do that, it can be helpful to answer the 5Ws:

• What happened?
• Who were the people involved?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it occur?
• Why was the event special?

By answering these questions, you can better organize your thoughts and structure the narrative you want to tell in your essay or text.

Get into the details.

Describing an event is all about going into the details. You want to help readers to visualize it as clearly as possible . Do your best to remember details like what the place looked like, the weather, what people were wearing, the atmosphere, and so on.

Choose the right descriptive words.

Words can go a long way to evoke emotions that can lead to memories. Do your best to choose appropriate and powerful words to describe events in your content.

Use an online writing tool.

If you’re still stuck on how to describe your topic, you can always get the help of online writing tools. The INK Event Description Generator is one of the best tools you can use to provide vivid and well-thought-out descriptions. It’s powered by AI technology, and it can generate text for you in a matter of seconds. There’s even an option for you to pick the tone of writing. You should definitely give it a try!

Example 1: When I Got Into My Dream University

I still remember it like it was yesterday. My nerves were all over the place, my hands were sweating, and I felt my heart beating so fast. It was Friday, and the college admission results were scheduled to be posted. My sister and I sat on the sofa, constantly refreshing the web page. She kept encouraging me every second, smiling with love on her face. My anxiety was not calming down any time soon.

Finally, my name popped on the page. A feeling of relief and tremendous joy washed over me. We were jumping up and down the coach, screaming like little girls. It was a life-changing moment I will never forget. That was the day I got one step close to my dreams and studying the course I wanted.

Example 2: Wedding of My Little Sister

It was three years ago when I saw my little sister walking down the aisle. The church was filled with daisies, her favorite flower. My mom sat beside me, and she couldn’t stop crying.

The church doors opened, and she walked through wearing the most beautiful white dress with a trail as long as the day. I couldn’t help but shed a river of tears when I saw her walk in. My little sister has always been my best friend, my partner in crime. And seeing her all grown up and ready to start her own family made my heart melt. I felt joyful and sad at the same time. But I knew she was embarking on her new journey, and my only wish was that she lived a long and happy life. 

Example 3: A camping trip with the family

My family and I first began going on camping trips when I was five years old. We would usually do it over the summer. My favorite part about camping was building a fire and roasting marshmallows. My dad once made french fries on the fire in a frying pan. It was so cool! I remember the feeling of being surrounded by my family and the smell of roasting hot fries on the fire. Every night before bed, I would lie awake and stare up at the stars. Those were simpler times. Now I’m 21, and I miss those days so much. I would often come to our old camping spot just to reminisce. I will forever hold those fun camping memories close to my heart.

To describe a significant event in your life, you need to take a trip down memory lane. Think about as many details as you can about a particular memory. It needs to be descriptive and interesting . This is no easy feat, so take your time and think of that moment in detail.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Narrative Essay Sample: The Events That Changed My Lifestyle

Everybody has certain events that change their lifestyle, but for me, it was two major events that really changed the course of my life.

Well, let's start at the very beginning. When I was little I always thought about everything, and my parents said that I had a very big vocabulary and that I always thought long and hard about things. But I thought about the most though was what I was going to get to become a big sister.  I would sit all day praying for God to bless me with a little sister.

Well, I remember coming home from school one day in  kindergarten, and my mom was in the bathtub when she said “ come here  Arlee I have to tell you something.”  I ran into the room full of excitement just knowing what she was going to tell me. So she sat me down and she showed me a little picture, and I looked at the picture and asked what it was, and she said said “see that little dot, that's going to be your new sibling”.” we don't know if it is a boy or a girl yet but you're going to be a big sister”.

Most of my mom's pregnancy was very exciting, I was anticipating the birth of my sibling so badly and I couldn't wait to find out the gender, and when I finally did I was so happy. We contemplated over tons of names, the most popular being Ruby Kate, but in the end, we ended up just naming her Addee Claire.

I remember that day she was born like the back of my hand. We had to wake up at 4:30  And I remember the nanny being on TV And then having to rush off to the hospital. My mom had to stay in the hospital for a few days so I got to stay with my grandma and grandpa. On the first night, my cousin Peyton spent the night too and we went and had furs for dinner.  The next day we went up to the hospital and saw my little sister and we both got to hold her. She was beautiful. She was just the most pretty baby I  had ever seen, with a cute little pink bow right at the top of her head. That same night my cousin Gracie came over to spend the night with me and my grandma and grandpa are to keep me company.  The next day after that my grandma took me home.  

After addee was born everything was really good until one day it wasn't. My mom began to lose her hair and have body aches that were terrible. My dad took her to several doctors who all said the same thing, they didn't know what she had. They said it wasn't cancer but they didn't know what she had. They tested her for all sorts of things such as lupus, fibromyalgia, and other things too. They ended up saying that she did have fibromyalgia, and some other autoimmune disease but they still don't know exactly what it is yet.

A little bit after finding all of this out though, we got some pretty good news. My dad had a friend of his who knew a lady who couldn't quite take care of her little baby girl anymore. I was really excited to find out that we were going to have her stay with us for a while. Her name was Greenlee, she was very sweet. But I knew we couldn't keep her forever, and eventually, we had to give her to some of her relatives. My sister began going to all of the visitations my mom would get with Greenlee and they became pretty close.  But she doesn't quite remember her now. I actually remember once  Addee had told me she wanted a little sister just like Greenlee.  And after some discussion, we realized we wanted twins, so We immediately began to pray every day for twins. And it wasn't but five years later before I became pregnant again.  

I remember that day perfectly as well. I was sitting on the couch in our living room with my sister reading a book when I decided to go ask my mom what a word meant from the book that I didn't understand. When I walked in she called me over and told me the wonderful news. She said  I was going to be a big sister again. All I remember is just running in the living room crying because I was so excited to be a sister again. It was like the greatest moment of my life. 

We contemplated way more names this time considering we were waiting to find out the gender till the day of birth. Everyone said it was going to be a boy and my mom thought so too but I wanted another sister so I wasn't too happy about this idea at all. I  had told my mom I hoped she had twins, but she said because of her autoimmune stuff and the fact that she was 42 and had already had two cesexshons it was already going to be a high-risk pregnancy  .  and it was, she had to have the baby in Dallas instead of in sulfur springs where we were born.

I later found out that my mom wanted to have twins when she was a teenager but changed her mind, and  I also found out that I would have had another sibling before Addee but my mom had a miscarriage.   We went through the whole pregnancy just wondering the gender of the baby, me wanting a girl, everybody else wanting a boy. The day the baby was born my sister was sick and had to wear a mask so when we finally got to see the baby and found out it was a girl  (who we named Aynslee Grace) she kept tugging on my sister's mask and kept sticking her tongue out at her. 

Those events changed my life because they helped shape me into the person I am today and brought a lot of responsibility into my life. For example, becoming a big sister allowed me to learn skills such as patience, and many others that I can use when I become a parent myself.   Also, my mom having her autoimmune disease brought me different responsibilities, for both like having to watch my sisters on my mom’s really bad days and other things too. But those two events greatly changed my life for the better. And wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Life Changing Experience — A Reflection of the Life Changing Experience in My Life

A Reflection of The Life Changing Experience in My Life

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Published: Aug 14, 2018

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Life-changing experience

Works cited.

• Brown, D. (2010). The First-Day-of-Work Experience: A Review of Research and Recommendations. Journal of Management, 36(1), 176-217.
• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.
• Heskett, J. (2002). The Culture Cycle: How to Shape the Unseen Force that Transforms Performance. Financial Times Prentice Hall.
• Jackson, P., & Delehanty, H. (2012). Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success. Penguin Books.
• Katz, D., & Kahn, R. L. (1978). The Social Psychology of Organizations (2nd ed.). Wiley.
• Kjerulf, A. (2012). Happy Hour is 9 to 5: How to Love Your Job, Love Your Life and Kick Butt at Work. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
• Levy, P. E., & Williams, J. R. (2004). The Social Context of Performance Appraisal: A Review and Framework for the Future. Journal of Management, 30(6), 881-905.
• Pink, D. H. (2009). Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books.
• Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., & Campbell, T. T. (2019). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson.
• Vallerand, R. J., Blanchard, C., Mageau, G. A., Koestner, R., Ratelle, C., Léonard, M., Gagné, M., & Marsolais, J. (2003). Les passions de l'âme: On obsessive and harmonious passion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(4), 756-767.

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16 Most Life-Changing Experiences People Go Through (Examples)

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On our life’s journey, we go through many experiences and moments that could change our lives forever. These life-changing experiences can either be positive or negative, and they could make our existence here better or worse.

A life-changing experience is any  event that alters your way of thinking , your feelings, well-being, relationships, and behavior. It is a moment that profoundly changes you and your life by shaping you into the person you become, opening or closing doors for opportunities, affecting your quality of life, and modifying the course of your life, sometimes forever.

In this post, we shall give examples of the common most life-changing events people go through. Read on…

READ ALSO: 10 Ways to Turn Your Life Around at Any Age (20s, 30s, 40s, and Beyond)

Examples of the Most Life-Changing Experiences People Go Through

• Traveling to a new country or city

Not many things will change you as much as travel does. As such, it is no wonder that traveling to a new country or city is an example of the most life-changing experiences many people have had. 

Whether you travel at a young age or when you are older, visiting new places can affect you in various ways, often positively but sometimes negatively.

For example, traveling to a foreign country is an experience that changes you and your life by exposing you to new places, people, and cultures, helping you gain a new perspective, and promoting your personal growth. 

However, if you get robbed, harassed,  fall ill , get stranded or lost, find bad weather, or have some other bad experience while traveling, it can become one of the negative moments that change your life.

READ ALSO: Island Hopping in Thailand: Exploring the Must-Visit Islands

• Going to college

Being in college is one of the most life-changing experiences. Since most people go to college straight from high school, this is the in-between stage where you are not just an adolescent but you aren’t fully an adult either.

Many things that could  define your path in life  can happen during this period. For example, you choose a degree, thus your desired career; you meet new people who may or may not be the wrong kinds of people; you may fall in love, and you also make many good and bad decisions.

Additionally, going to college is an example of the most life-changing experiences people go through because you gain a lot of new skills from your classes, activities, struggles, and by interacting with others. These skills can come in handy in the future .

• Moving out of your parent’s house

Leaving home is a common rite of passage and one of the most life-changing experiences for many people. You will never be the same person after moving out of your parent’s house to  live on your own , with roommates, or with a romantic partner.

For most people, moving out of their parent’s house is the first step in embracing adulthood. It is a life-changing event because it is only after leaving the nest to be on your own that you will know what the real world is actually like. 

You have to become more responsible and self-sufficient, but you also have more freedom to do the things you couldn’t do under your parent’s roof.

READ ALSO: 8 Signs You Are Ready to Buy a House

• Falling in love

Everyone wishes they could find love. However, falling in love is an example of the most life-changing experiences many people go through. It can transform you and your life positively or negatively.

For instance, falling in love with someone who loves you back is a life-changing moment because it will make you happy , help you see the world differently, and make you more caring and empathetic.

Falling in love may also make you think of the future more often and boost your motivation to work harder on becoming a better version of yourself .

However, falling in love with the wrong person or someone who doesn’t love you back can also be a life-changing experience. You may feel rejected, tolerate things you shouldn’t, or try to change who you are just because you are in love with someone.

READ ALSO: 10 Signs You Are Blinded by Love, Why, Disadvantages, and How to Stop

• Getting married

Falling in love and dating are easy; getting married is a whole other thing, and it is an example of the most life-changing experiences that many people go through.

Marriage changes how you view yourself and your spouse, as well as the situations you go through in life.

Your life may become more fulfilling as you now have someone to share experiences and  be completely vulnerable with; you get a new set of relatives and friends; you could reap some financial benefits, and you can start a family.

Marriage is one of the most life-changing experiences for many because no matter how independent or self-reliant you are, you no longer should make decisions without thinking about how they will affect your partner first. You have someone else to consider in your plans.

For some people, marriage could be a negative life-changing experience. For instance, if they discover some hidden negative qualities of their spouse, such as being abusive, having  bad money habits , being a glutton, chronic cheating, being lazy, having a tendency to hold grudges, being  a bad parent , being envious of your success, etc.

• Having a baby

Whether you are married or not, in your teens or older, having a baby is one of the most life-changing experiences. For most people, especially married couples, a baby is a reason to celebrate and it often strengthens the relationship.

Your life may change now that there are more people to love, take care of, and consider when making decisions and plans, but for the most part, having a baby while married is just one of the expected natural progressions of the relationship.

For many teenage moms and other unprepared mothers, having a baby can change your life completely, sometimes negatively. It could result in you having to drop out of school, being disowned by your parents, getting married early, resenting your child for limiting you, having to start working early, having increased stress levels, and missing out on things that other people your age are doing.

Even if one decides not to keep the baby and give it up for adoption, it would still be a life-changing decision for them and the child.

However, having a baby can still be a positive life-changing moment for some teenage parents and other people who get kids while not ready. It could motivate you to  get your life together , work harder at school or in the workplace to be better, not be promiscuous, be more responsible, and change the kinds of people you hang out with.

READ ALSO: 14 Best Things to Do When Your Life Sucks (Why It Happens)

• Achieving success

Becoming successful at a particular thing is an example of the most life-changing experiences people go through. It could be success involving gaining power such as in politics, achieving your goals at work, becoming rich like after winning the lottery, or being famous such as on social media.

Achieving success is a life-changing event because it enables you to change your lifestyle, motivates you to try even harder, introduces you to new kinds of people, raises your status in society, reduces anxiety and stress about finances, and also makes you start to think and act differently.

Success also changes the way other people treat you, from fans and receptionists to bank managers and more. It can open opportunities that were closed before.

For some people, success can be a life-changing experience that transforms them negatively. It may change their personality and behaviors. For instance, they could become arrogant and rude or they may develop bad habits they couldn’t afford to have while they had no money.

Success can also ruin your existing relationships, affect your privacy and anonymity, and expose you to more people with bad intentions , some who may even try to kill you for your money or due to envy.

READ ALSO: 10 Things You Have to Sacrifice to Be Successful (the Cost of Success)

• Listening to a motivational speaker

Hearing another person’s life story can be a life-changing experience, for example, listening to motivational speakers on TED and other similar talks.

You can learn from other people’s struggles and how they dealt with the obstacles that could have kept them stuck, relate to these people’s experiences, and get the inspiration and motivation to change your life and outlook from the advice they give.

• Death of a loved one

Loss of loved ones through death is an example of the negative life-changing experiences many of us must go through at some point. Besides the grief that may last forever, a lot of things could change about you and your life.

The death of a loved one can make you develop the ability to be self-reliant and more resilient. It can make you love and appreciate your remaining family and friends more.

Additionally, the loss of a loved one can help you know the people who truly care through the support they provide .

Death could also change your perspective as you realize how short and valuable life really is. If you lose too many loved ones, you may become desensitized to death as you begin to  accept death and dying  as a part of life.

• The end of a relationship

Heartbreak is an example of the most life-changing experiences people go through. No matter if it was a breakup with someone you were dating or a divorce, these life-changing events can transform you in positive and negative ways, whether you are the one who initiated the ending of the relationship or not.

For instance, going through the pain of a breakup or divorce can result in a change in your way of thinking about relationships or a particular gender, make you feel lost and hopeless, fill you with  regrets , affect your sense of  self-worth , and may even alter your entire personality.

However, heartbreak doesn’t only change your life in negative ways. It can be a positive life-changing experience, especially if you were the one to initiate the end of the relationship.

Even while feeling the pain of the breakup, you may realize that you deserve better and feel motivated to reinvent yourself. Later, when you have moved on, you will confirm that  time really does heal all wounds , and you may meet the right person for you.

• Loss of a job

Most people experience having to  cope with a job loss  at some point in their lifetime. Getting fired, being laid off, and resigning from a job are examples of the most life-changing experiences people go through.

Losing a job, especially when you have no plans for what to do next, can be a devastating experience. It could affect your sense of self, how you think about the future, as well as  your mental, emotional, and physical health .

However, losing a job can be the best thing to ever happen to you sometimes. It could make you discover your strengths and weaknesses, force you out of your comfort zone, and give you an opportunity to change your life.

Many people often discover what they are passionate about,  start businesses , and figure out their purpose after becoming unemployed; thus, job loss is not always a negative life-changing experience.

READ ALSO: 10 Signs It Is Time to Change Careers and Why

• Becoming ill

Learning you are ill is another example of the most life-changing experiences that many people go through, especially when it comes to terminal illnesses, chronic diseases, conditions that require surgery, and accidents.

You will always classify your life ‘before’ and ‘after’ the diagnosis or the life-changing event differently because nothing will ever be the same, even if you heal.

Falling ill can be a moment that changes your life significantly by inhibiting your ability to go about your everyday tasks, causing financial difficulties , forcing you to make healthy lifestyle choices, changing your body, and shifting your outlook toward life.

• Near-death experiences

Besides life-threatening health conditions, there are many other near-death experiences you may have gone through, for example, a suicide attempt, an accident, an attempted murder, or a drug overdose.

Near-death experiences  are usually among the most life-changing events for many people who have ever been in such a situation.

Depending on what caused it, almost dying can make you gain a new sense of purpose, appreciate life more, be more careful,  adopt healthier habits , stop fearing death, and become more spiritual.

READ ALSO: 5 Reasons Why You Keep Seeing Angel Number 1111 (and What 11:11 Means)

• Unhealthy relationships

Whether it is your relationship with your parents, siblings, friends, and people at work or the one with your romantic partner, toxic relationships are one of the most life-changing experiences.

Unhealthy relationships can change how you view yourself, other people, and the world in general. For instance, they could lower your self-esteem, stress you out, isolate you, reduce your trust in others and yourself, and even  affect your physical health .

Being in a toxic relationship may change your personality completely.

Getting out of an unhealthy relationship could be a life-changing event as well. The experience could make you better at recognizing red flags in potential future partners or other people in your life, and you may also start to love and value yourself more,  put yourself first , and set boundaries.

However, you may still have some PTSD  from the experience that could be easily triggered even long after the toxic relationship ended.

READ ALSO: 11 Types of Toxic Friends: Signs and How to Deal with Them

• Failures and mistakes

Things don’t always go the way you hope they will; you will make mistakes and experience failures on your life’s journey. These failures and mistakes can become examples of life-changing experiences that affected you positively or negatively.

For example, failures and  mistakes can be positive  life-changing events if you use them to learn lessons, gain the motivation to do better next time, and redefine your goals. They could also make you appreciate success a lot more because you know how it feels not to get the desired results.

However, some people may see mistakes and failures as negative life-changing experiences and give up while wallowing in self-pity and blaming themselves instead of finding  ways to bounce back .

In recent years, extreme tourism is growing in popularity as more people want to try adrenaline-pumping adventures, domestically and internationally. The adventures and misadventures are examples of the most life-changing experiences as they can affect you positively or negatively.

For instance, going on successful adventures can be a positive life-changing experience because they will  make your life exciting and interesting , improve your motivation, and boost your confidence . You will feel like you are limitless.

On the other hand, if something goes wrong during your adventures, for example, an equipment malfunction, an injury, a kidnapping, an accident, robbery, getting stranded in the worst places, or some other unfortunate occurrence, the experiences can become negative life-changing events.

You may not look back at your adventures fondly or want to do something like that ever again.

READ ALSO: 30 Best Fall Activities: Fun Things to Do in Autumn

Final Thoughts

From losing a job, starting a new one, doing things that scare you, and having kids, to loss of loved ones and traveling the world, there are many life-changing moments people experience, some so small you may not realize they had such a profound effect on you and your life.

Although there are many more examples of the most life-changing experiences people go through on their life’s journey, these are some of the common ones.

These moments, events, and experiences can change your life forever for better or worse by altering your perspective, behaviors, feelings, body, and relationships.

Remember that how the above examples of life-changing experiences affect you often depends on the way you choose to view your situation. A life-changing event can be negative but have positive effects on you, or it can be positive but have adverse consequences.

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The One Method That Changes Your—and All Students’—Writing

Science-based writing methods can achieve dramatic results..

Posted May 14, 2024 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

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I remember spending hours commenting painstakingly on my students’ papers when I was a graduate student teaching in the Expository Writing Program at New York University. My students loved our classes, and they filled my sections and gave me terrific course evaluations. Yet I could see that their writing failed to change significantly over the course of the semester. I ended up feeling as if I should refund their money, haunted by the blunt instruments we had to teach writing.

As I’ve learned from directing five writing programs at three different universities, methods matter. When I reviewed comments on papers from instructors who taught in my programs, I discovered that the quantity and quality of comments on students’ papers made only a slight impact on writing outcomes. For instance, one notoriously lazy instructor took several weeks to return assignments and only used spelling and grammar checkers to automate comments. But his conscientious colleague made dozens of sharp observations about students’ arguments, paragraphs, and sentences. However, Mr. Conscientious’ students improved perhaps only 10% over Mr. Minimalist’s students. Even then, the differences stemmed from basic guidelines Mr. Conscientious insisted his students write to, which included providing context sentences at the outset of their essay introductions.

Educators have also poured resources into teaching writing, with increasing numbers of hours dedicated to teaching writing across primary, secondary, and higher education . Yet studies continue to find writing skills inadequate . In higher education, most universities require at least a year of writing-intensive courses, with many universities also requiring writing across the curriculum or writing in the disciplines to help preserve students’ writing skills. However, writing outcomes have remained mostly unchanged .

While pursuing my doctorate, I dedicated my research to figuring out how writing worked. As a graduate student also teaching part-time, I was an early convert to process writing. I also taught those ancient principles of logos, ethos, and pathos, as well as grammar and punctuation. Nevertheless, these frameworks only created a canvas for students’ writing. What was missing: how writers should handle words, sentence structure, and relationships between sentences.

Yet researchers published the beginnings of a science-based writing method over 30 years ago. George Gopen, Gregory Colomb, and Joseph Williams created a framework for identifying how to maximize the clarity, coherence, and continuity of writing. In particular, Gopen and Swan (1990) created a methodology for making scientific writing readable . This work should have been a revelation to anyone teaching in or directing a writing program. But, weirdly, comparatively few writing programs or faculty embraced this work, despite Williams, Colomb, and Gopen publishing both research and textbooks outlining the method and process.

Peculiarly, this framework—represented by Williams’ Style series of textbooks and Gopen’s reader expectation approach—failed to become standard in writing courses, likely because of two limitations. First, both Gopen and Williams hewed to a relativistic stance on writing methods, noting that rule-flouting often creates a memorable style. This stance created a raft of often-contradictory principles for writing. For example, Williams demonstrated that beginning sentences with There is or There are openings hijacked the clarity of sentences, then argued writers should use There is or There are to shunt important content into sentence emphasis positions, where readers recall content best. Second, these researchers failed to tie this writing framework to the wealth of data in psycholinguistics, cognitive neuroscience , or cognitive psychology on how our reading brains process written English. For instance, textbooks written by these three principal researchers avoid any mention of why emphasis positions exist at the ends of sentences and paragraphs—despite the concept clearly originating in the recency effect. This limitation may stem from the humanities’ long-held antipathy to the idea that writing is a product, rather than a process. Or even that science-based methods can help teachers and programs measure the effectiveness of writing, one reason why university First-Year Writing programs have failed to improve students’ writing in any measurable way.

Nevertheless, when you teach students how our reading brains work, you create a powerful method for rapidly improving their writing—in any course that requires writing and at all levels of education. Students can grasp how writing works as a system and assess the costs and benefits of decisions writers face, even as they choose their first words. This method also works powerfully to help students immediately understand how, for instance, paragraph heads leverage priming effects to shape readers’ understanding of paragraph content.

Using this method, I and my colleagues have helped students use a single writing assignment to secure hundreds of jobs, win millions in grant funding, and advance through the ranks in academia. However, we’ve also used the same method without modifications in elementary and secondary classrooms to bolster students’ writing by as much as three grade levels in a single year.

Perhaps the time has arrived for this well-kept secret to revolutionizing student writing outcomes to begin making inroads into more writing classrooms.

Gopen, G. D. and J. A. Swan (1990). "The Science of Scientific Writing." American Scientist 78(6): 550-558.

Gopen, George. The Sense of Structure: Writing from the Reader’s Perspective . Pearson, 2004.

Gopen, George. Expectations: Teaching Writing from the Reader’s Perspective . Pearson, 2004.

Williams, Joseph. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace . University of Chicago Press, 1995.

Williams, Joseph. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace . Harper Collins, 1994.

Williams, Joseph. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace . Longman, 2002.

Jane Yellowlees Douglas, Ph.D. , is a consultant on writing and organizations. She is also the author, with Maria B. Grant, MD, of The Biomedical Writer: What You Need to Succeed in Academic Medicine .

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