significant events in your life essay

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Great Examples to Describe Important Life Events

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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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Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — Event — Significant Life Event

Significant Life Events: My Experience

• Categories: Event Personal Experience

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Words: 1074 |

Published: Mar 28, 2019

Words: 1074 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

An extraordinary life event (essay)

Works cited:.

• Gibbons, B. (2014). Romeo and Juliet. Cambridge University Press.
• Holland, P. (2002). Shakespeare Survey: Volume 49, Romeo and Juliet and its Afterlife. Cambridge University Press.
• Lerer, S. (2009). Shakespeare's Letters. Yale University Press.
• Shakespeare, W. (2004). Romeo and Juliet. Oxford University Press.
• Simpson, C. (2010). Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Greenwood Publishing Group.
• Smith, D. W. (1995). Friar Laurence's rashness in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare Quarterly, 46(2), 174-187.
• Stone, G. R. (1963). Friar Laurence and the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare Quarterly, 14(3), 331-344.
• Wells, S., & Orlin, L. (2014). Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide. Oxford University Press.
• Wilson, K. (2002). The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film. Cambridge University Press.
• Zender, K. (2015). Interpretive choices and consequences in productions of Romeo and Juliet. The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Philosophy, 249-260.

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An Important Event In Your Life (Essay Sample)

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Introduction

What experiences changed your life for the better (or worse)?

The sample paper below shares an author’s take on a memorable event (or two) that transpired in his own life. He describes how these experiences made him feel and what he took away from them. He emphasizes that even though these were brief moments from the past, he continues to apply the lessons he learned from them to this day.

Do you have a happy event from your own memory bank that you want to write about? Let us help you with your paper with our essay writing services .

An Important Event in Your Life Essay

We don’t really make it a point to remember every detail of our day. When the next day comes, the previous 24 hours become a blur. But if something unexpected or remarkable happens, it can be memorable for the rest of their lives.

I am sure that everyone has an event that is unforgettable, some so much so that they would rather forget the memory because it triggers old wounds. There are good memories that regularly make us happy when we talk about or share them with people. On a more positive note, there are events that teach a certain lesson and end up becoming a fundamental life conviction for someone.

Life has so many twists and turns. We don’t always know what’s around the corner. This paper seeks to narrate two important events that happened in my life, which continue to have a significant impact on me to this day.

Recalling a Significant Event in My Life

I remember spending 10 days in Missouri Relationship of Understudy Chamber’s late spring authority camp in 2005. I consider it one of my most life-shaping experiences. Those ten days were a series of the most helpful experiences of my journey.

The opportunity came through our Understudy Committee at school, which I joined during my senior year. When I first attended as a Level 1 camper, I was overpowered by other very dominant and outspoken campers. I didn’t know how I would fit in since I was slow to warm up around new individuals.

We were then assigned to one of 26 unique chambers. I was in Chamber ‘M’. That week transformed me from a new shy student board member to a person who was confident and assured, even in my first year in student council.

The most highly-awaited event that we mounted was the Olympics. Each chamber met up and took part in various recreations. This was the point at which our council first empowered me to step outside my comfort zone. I was able to discover, from that experience, how powerful collaboration can be, and how to best maximize people’s skill sets. A highlight of that day was also the show. Every committee performed their comedic version of a well-known song before the whole camp.

While I am, by nature, an intensely competitive person when motivated, I understood that night that it did not make a difference who won. All that mattered were the memories made and stories that would be told years from now.

Another Very Important Event

I also remember how I longed to ride a plane for the first time when I was in high school. I wanted to know how it felt to be suspended in mid-air and not have control over the trajectory. I also admired the structure of a plane. To me, it resembled an enormous hawk with its huge wings extended.

I finally got my chance one day. After entering the airport, purchasing a ticket, and checking in, I boarded the plane. The seats were very comfortable. We were taught how to put on our seatbelts and were instructed to do so before take-off. When the plane took off, several passengers shrieked in delight. A flight attendant distributed lemon juice to avoid nausea, which I eagerly accepted.

After an hour, it was announced that we were about the land. It was so exciting to see the landscape from up in the clouds. When we touched down, I was even more eager to tour my destination. I left the airport happy and grateful. It was indeed one of the most unforgettable firsts of my life.

I have many more cherished life experiences, but these two top the list. What’s in your top two?

Regardless of how long ago they happened, our fond moments will always be in our core memory bank. They will bring to mind joy, nostalgia, and happiness; and we’ll remember them as if they just happened yesterday. Take time to revisit the significant events in your life today. Such things will inspire you to make more beautiful memories that will make for grand anecdotes one day. May your memories bring you joy, life, and peace.

Interesting Event In My Life (Short Essay Sample)

While I can think of many events that I can remember and narrate by heart, one stands out to me as an experience that taught me a very crucial life lesson.

During my freshman year, I had to move to a new school. The thought of making new friends excited me, but the idea that some of the students may not find me likable also made me extremely nervous.

On my first day, I kept my head down and focused on my school work, out of fear that I might make a mistake. Surprisingly, over the next few days, several people from class made the effort to befriend me. It gave me the confidence boost I needed to be myself around them.

These people eventually became like family to me, and we spent our free time together all the way until senior year. Parting ways for college was heartbreaking because we didn’t know when we would see each other again.

I will always be grateful for the moment these people initiated a friendship with me. Most people wouldn’t spare the new kid a second glance, but they took the leap of faith.

What Are Examples Of Life-Changing Events?

An important event in your life can range from light and funny to deep and profound. It could be the day you meet your best friend or the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. It could also be the day you chose your university or when you figured out what you want to focus on for your future. It could also be that summer you finally learned how to bake or when your parents surprised you with a graduation trip as a gift. On the other end of the spectrum, it could also revolve around the death of someone you held dearly to your heart, or when you stopped talking to a close friend for two years after falling out.

What Are 3 Important Life Events?

• Getting that pivotal grade that will bring up your total average is a momentous occasion for students as it makes graduating a certainty. It also marks a valuable accomplishment in your season of being a learner.
• Finishing university is a feat that changes you for the better because it fuels you towards an exciting yet unknown future. The fact that you are about to enter the real world as a prepared person is thrilling and nerve-wracking.
• The death of a loved one is a bittersweet experience because it will make you miss the dearly departed terribly. It is a time of understanding and embracing grief.

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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.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

What Are the Most Meaningful Moments of Your Life?

Researchers typify characteristics of moments people find the most meaningful..

Posted April 27, 2021 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• Meaningful memories tend to feature loved ones who people feel emotionally close to.
• Common themes of meaningful experiences include opening up to life, facing the precariousness of life, and countering negative events.
• People don't tend to rate work and career-related experiences as their most meaningful.

In Hirokazu Koreeda’s film “After Life” (1998), people are asked to select just one memory to take with them to the afterlife. In their paper, “Wonderful Life: Exploring Wonder in Meaningful Moments” (2017), Jacky van de Goor and her colleagues posed a similar question to a sample of a hundred people: “What if there is an afterlife. There, all your memories will be erased, except for one. Which memory do you choose to take with you to eternity?”

The sample included 50 men and 50 women from a wide variety of ages and professions. They all participated in personal development workshops and were asked to take 15 minutes to describe in writing, as if it were a story or a film fragment, the one memory they would select to take with them to the afterlife.

van de Goor and her colleagues supposed that being asked to choose only one memory that would then accompany the person to the afterlife may help disclose to the participants what is highly meaningful in their lives. It would also allow researchers to learn, from a new and unconventional perspective, what is meaningful to people.

Common Themes of Meaningful Experiences

The researchers found the following general characteristics typical of the replies they received:

• The main characters often described in the "stories" were people to which the participants were emotionally close (partners, children, parents, grandparents, close friends, etc.).
• When parents appeared, it was usually one parent rather than both.
• The stories described the events in different settings, but of all the stories, only one was set in the workplace.
• The emotions or values represented in the memories were usually positive, such as gratefulness, love, warmth, happiness , pride, peace, and trust.
• The researchers found that the stories could be collated into five main types:

Type A –Opening Up to Life: the meaningful event happens unintentionally, is new and surprising to the storyteller, leading her to learn, understand, or open up to something.

Type B–Facing the Precariousness of Life: In this type of story, unlike the previous one, the meaningful event occurs in a negative, demanding, or difficult setting (e.g., crisis, accident, death). However, as in the previous type, the event is unintentional and can be surprising. The positive content of the event (e.g., an insight, happy ending, emotional closeness) contrasts with the negative context in which it appears.

Type C–Celebrations: In this type of story, the meaningful event (e.g., a wedding; a birthday) is planned and created intentionally. Hence, the meaningful event isn’t surprising, although it differs from the ordinary. It often has to do with relationships with other people and is carried out in other people’s company.

Type D–Countering the Negative: As in the second type, events in this type of story are set in a negative context. But unlike stories of the second type, and like those of the third type, the difficult, dangerous, or demanding situations are countered by active and intentional actions, which as such aren't surprising. Here, too, events or actions may be relational (e.g., helping, soothing, healing).

Type E–Familiar Routines: These stories aren’t set in negative contexts and don’t relate to non-routine celebrations or extraordinary events. These stories have to do with ordinary, routine occurrences that happen repeatedly, but in the remembered incidence they are strongly sensed as special and valuable.

Perhaps you, the reader, may also want to ask yourself the question posed in the research and consider what one memory you would want to take to the afterlife. As for me, I couldn’t decide between several events or stories, all of them involving emotional closeness to a loved one.

Interpretations and Caveats About Meaningful Events

Here are some more thoughts on van de Goor and her colleagues’ research. First, it is noteworthy that hardly anyone in the sample mentioned meaningful moments that had to do with work and career . Perhaps, although we dedicate so many of our waking hours to work, sometimes sacrificing for its sake our personal relations, the results above may teach us something about what’s most important for us.

Second, it’s a pity that the researchers didn’t try to examine whether there are any differences in preferred memories among gender groups, age groups, social-economic groups, professional groups, etc.

Third, it would have been interesting to compare the replies to the researchers’ question to replies to another possible question, namely “What is the most meaningful event in your life?” The researchers relate the question they asked to meaningfulness, but it may be that the replies had to do with pleasant events mostly because people want to remain for eternity with a pleasant memory. If people were asked to describe just a meaningful event, replies may have also included negative meaningful experiences. It would be interesting to compare the replies to the researchers’ question with replies to other questions.

Finally, the authors themselves point at a possible problem in the research: the data was collected at workshops in which group dynamics and discussion themes might have influenced the replies. I think they are right. It may also be that the people who go to workshops in which questions such as the above are posed are more prone to presenting some types of replies rather than others (e.g., relationship-oriented replies rather than career-oriented replies).

Nevertheless, this remains an interesting and important question to pose to oneself and to others in order to learn, from a certain perspective, about what is meaningful in life to oneself and to other people.

Facebook /LinkedIn image: AlessandroBiascioli/Shutterstock

van de Goor, J., Sools, A. M., Westerhof, G. J., and. Bohlmeijer, E. T. 2017. Wonderful Life: Exploring Wonder in Meaningful Moments. Journal of Humanistic Psychology 60(2): 1–21. DOI: 10.1177/0022167817696837

Iddo Landau, Ph.D. , is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Haifa. He has written extensively on the meaning of life and is the author of Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World .

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Mentor texts

Telling Short, Memorable Stories From Your Life: ‘My Secret Pepsi Plot’

An invitation to students to tell a meaningful story in a limited number of words, with an example from The Times’s Lives column to help.

By Katherine Schulten

Our new Mentor Text series spotlights writing from The Times that students can learn from and emulate.

This entry, like several others we are publishing, focuses on an essay from The Times’s long-running Lives column to consider skills prized in narrative writing. We are starting with this genre to help support students participating in our 2020 Personal Narrative Essay Contest .

Our Personal Narrative Essay Contest is inspired by The New York Times’s Lives column, which ran from 1996 to 2017 and featured “short, powerful stories about meaningful life experiences .”

The editor of the column once posted some advice on “How to Write a Lives Essay” to guide those who submitted to the column annually. Much of that advice applies to our contest as well.

For example, several points boil down to reminders to keep it simple, including tips like:

Don’t try to fit your whole life into one “Lives.”

Don’t try to tell the whole story.

Tell a small story — an evocative, particular moment.

Better to start from something very simple that you think is interesting (an incident, a person) and expand upon it, rather than a large idea that you then have to fit into a short essay. For example, start with “the day the Santa Claus in the mall asked me on a date” rather than “the state of affairs that is dating in an older age bracket.”

This advice is similar to advice often given to high school seniors writing college essays : You have only 650 words to show admissions officers something important, interesting or memorable about who you are and what matters to you. A list of awards you’ve won won’t do it, but an engaging story about making brownies with your stepbrother just might.

As you’ll see when you read the texts below, none of them try to tell the whole story of a life, but, instead, illuminate an important aspect of it through focus on one event or moment. Yet that one focus ripples out, and says so much more.

Before You Read

Use the sentence starter below to write for a few minutes about whatever comes to mind. You will return to this writing in the “Now Try This” section.

A moment I’ll never forget from my childhood is …

Mentor Text: ‘ My Secret Pepsi Plot ,’ a 2014 Essay From the Lives Column, by Boris Fishman

This essay describes a memory from when the writer was 10 years old and his family had just immigrated from the Soviet Union to Brooklyn. “In the Soviet Union, we were secretly wealthy, but we arrived in Brooklyn as paupers,” he writes.

Somehow, his family ends up with 24 Pepsi-Colas in their refrigerator. The story of what happens next is Mr. Fishman’s short, powerful story:

Around this time I learned that American supermarkets gave back 5 cents for every returned empty. (Some states, like Michigan, its very name like a granite monument, gave you 10 cents.) I decided I would return those cans and give the money to my parents. My secret — a surprise.

Read the essay, focusing on how Mr. Fishman anchors the whole story in this one goal he had at age 10 — to return the Pepsi cans and get money for them.

As you read, you might trace the structure of the story. What does each paragraph do? What does each add to the telling of this small story?

Then, consider these questions:

How do the first two paragraphs set the stage for the story and give some necessary background?

How does telling this story allow the writer to show readers a particular time and place through the eyes of a new immigrant?

How does he pull you into the action, minute by minute, in the three paragraphs that begin “On Saturday afternoon …”?

How is money a theme throughout, in both stated and implied ways? What other ideas recur?

What is the role of the last paragraph?

Now Try This: Find Your Own Short, Powerful Stories

Look back at the writing you did before reading the mentor text. What is strongest about it? Could it become a short essay like the one you just read? If so, what would you need to do to shape it?

What other small stories — or “evocative, particular moments” — from your life might make wonderful short essays?

In a 2010 lesson plan, “ Going Beyond Cliché: How to Write a Great College Essay ,” we suggest students first make a timeline of their lives, or of one period in their lives, brainstorming at least 20 events, big and small, that were significant to them for any reason.

You might try that, or you can brainstorm answers to this list of prompts — or both:

-A time I took a risk: -A time I learned something about myself: -A memory from childhood I think about often: -Something that happened to me that still makes me laugh: -Something very few people know about me: -Something I regret: -A time when I felt rejected: -Something I am really proud of: -Something that changed the way I think or look at the world: -How I am different from most people I know: -Some of my fears: -A time I felt truly satisfied: -A time I failed at something: -An object I own that tells a lot about me:

Once you’ve chosen a topic, you might try to free-write for 10 minutes or so, asking yourself as you go: What was most interesting or memorable about this? What images come to mind when you think about this topic? Do you picture a person, a scene, a place? Do you hear a conversation or a bit of music? Do you smell, taste or feel something?

Finally, if you are still stuck, we have a list of prompts from our site that can inspire narrative writing . Take a look and see if any of them spark ideas for you.

More Mentor Texts for Telling Short, Memorable Stories

While the entire Lives column is devoted to “short, powerful stories,” the pieces we chose below are especially student-friendly in terms of both their subject matter and the way the writers focus on “an evocative, particular moment.” Below each title, an excerpt from the piece.

“ How Ramen Got Me Through Adolescence ,” a 2014 Lives essay, by Veronique Greenwood

When I was in fifth grade, I developed an intense dislike of eating around other people. The cafeteria was a place of foul odors, gelatinous spills, horrific mixtures of chocolate pudding, fruit cocktail and ketchup consumed on dares, and I found myself fasting from breakfast, at about 6 in the morning, until 3:35, when I walked home through the woods from the bus stop. Each step up our hill, a narrow ridge in rural California, I fantasized about the big bowl of ramen I would make myself when I reached the top.

“ Charmed ," a 2015 Lives essay, by Laila Lalami

‘‘Wait,’’ I said. From my pocket I pulled out a brown suede pouch bearing the name of a little jeweler in Rabat, the kind of place you send your friends to and say, tell him I sent you. In the pouch was a necklace with a silver khamsa — a charm in the shape of an open palm.

“ Montana Soccer-Mom Moment ,” a 2010 essay from the Lives column, by Laura Munson

I live in northwest Montana, and I have a teenager, and my teenager plays sports. That means a lot of driving — over-the-Rocky-Mountains-and-back-in-one-day kind of driving. I think about Meriwether Lewis every time I cross the Continental Divide, usually with sleeping soccer players wearing headphones in the back of my Suburban. I want to say, “Can you imagine everything depending on your horse and your ability to dream of an ocean past the mountains?” But it isn’t worth the eye-rolling.

“ All the Single Ladies ," a 2014 essay from the Lives column, by Jen Doll

“Single ladies to the dance floor!” came the cry, a masculine voice urging us forward. Wedding guests parted, creating a narrow path for the train of unmarried women to parade through in their finery. But we single ladies no longer looked so fine as we had that morning. We were worn and tired, sweat beading down our necks, sand crunching unpleasantly in our shoes, which were wearing raw the backs of our heels. We should have been lying down in cool rooms elsewhere, but the wedding was not over. We were 28. We knew what was next.

“ Working the Reunion ,” a 2008 essay from the Lives column, by ZZ Packer

My residential college always hosted the 45th reunion, one of the most well attended, I suppose because you just might not be around for the 50th. To my eyes, these guys were the picture of old money. Although they may have mastered physics or appraised the sharp beauty of “King Lear” in school, at reunions they reminisced about football glories and practical jokes. I sometimes felt less like a Yale co-ed who happened to be black than a black waitress who happened to be bringing them an extra fork. But after their dinner we reunion workers would drink up all the leftover bottles of wine while cleaning the dining hall.

Related Questions for Any Short, Narrative Essay

What is the one small moment or event this piece focuses on? Why do you think the writer might have chosen it?

What do you learn about the writer and his or her world through this moment or event? How? What lines do this well? What is implied rather than stated?

How is the piece structured? What does each paragraph do? How does each contribute to the story?

Look closely at how the writer tells a complete story in a limited number of words. Where, in terms of time and place, does the story begin? Where does it end? How does the writer weave in necessary background even while keeping the action of the story moving forward?

What else do you notice or admire about this essay? What lessons might it have for your own writing?

• Testimonials

Your Life Is Golden: 50 Events You Could Explore in Your Own Memoir

October 16, 2017

Life is a wonderful gift, especially when you can look back on it! Do you have some memories that are truly joyous? Do they make you smile when you think of what happened? Or what about some memories that aren’t so pleasant? Do you also remember them and their effect on your life? Big and small, happy and sad, all the milestones and special events in your life have helped shape you into the wonderful person that you are today. And not only that, but the events in your life provide fertile ground for writing your own memoir. A memoir is a great way to preserve your stories and your legacy. However, if you’ve thought about writing your own memoir, chances are that you’ve also wondered what exactly you should write about. What should or could be included in your memoir?

Life Events

To get your creative juices flowing, here are 50 significant life events that you can use as inspiration for your own reflection and writing . I have grouped them into seven categories: school, family, work, life learning, hobbies, travel and history. For all of these life events, try to remember and think about what happened, who was involved, where it happened, when it happened, why it happened and how. Not every event on this list will be applicable to you, but a good number of them will. Just try to relax and enjoy your journey remembering many of the things you’ve done and experienced in this life. But take some notes if you can; it will help with your memoir writing later.

1. You attended school for the first time. 2. You made friends or a best friend at school. 3. You attended your favorite (or least favorite) class. 4. You got involved in a group or sport at school or after school. 5. You graduated from high school. 6. You graduated from college or university. 7. You took an important test.

Family, Friends and Relationships

8. You attended a significant family gathering. 9. You fought with a loved one or a family member. 10. You fell in love for the first time. 11. You met and fell in love with your future spouse. 12. You got engaged. 13. You got married. 14. You built a home life. 15. You had a baby, witnessed the birth of your child or adopted a child. 16. You added a pet to the family. 17. You got divorced. 18. You lost a loved one.

19. You got your first job and your first paycheck. 20. You got a promotion. 21. You achieved something significant at work. 22. You got fired or lost a job. 23. You opened a business or made an investment. 24. You retired.

Life Learning

25. You moved out of your family’s home. 26. You accomplished something that took a lot of effort. 27. You discovered something about yourself. 28. You earned an award. 29. You overcame an obstacle. 30. You dared to do something that others around you considered to be unconventional. 31. You learned to do certain things by yourself. 32. You experienced a big failure for the first time. 33. You did something that changed your perspective. 34. You did something important for someone else. 35. You experienced something that made you rethink what you were doing. 36. You met someone who had a big influence on you. 37. You experienced an important religious or philosophical moment. 38. You suffered from an illness or cared for someone with an illness.

39. You learned how to do your favorite hobby. 40. You discovered your life’s passions. 41. You attended an important event. 42. You got involved in a club or organization. 43. You discovered your favorite nature spot or a connection with nature.

44. You took a family vacation. 45. You moved to another house, city or country. 46. You took a road trip. 47. You took your first trip abroad. 48. You met someone on a trip who changed your perspective.

49. You became aware of what was happening in the world or your community. 50. You witnessed or participated in an important moment in American history, such as World War II or September 11.

Memoir Writing Made Easy 

Are you interested in writing your memoir, but don’t know where to start?  Our Memoir Writing Made Easy course is a step-by-step guide to help you generate story ideas and write with a style you can be proud of. Plus you can work at your own pace, whenever and wherever you want! The course is written for non-writers. Topics include: setting yourself up for writing success, writing styles and formats, editing, legal issues, publishing ideas and lots more!  Visit our Memoir Writing Made Easy webpage to learn more!

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Describe an important event in your life that you celebrated.

You should say:

• What the event was
• When it happened
• Who attended the event

And explain how you feel about the event

Step 1: Choose quickly any event in your life (Note: don’t spend too much time choosing).

Step 2: Make a basic outline for the answer (just abbreviated, write briefly). Think about the direction in which each idea will develop and good vocabulary to include.

Step 3: Speak at a moderate speed, paying attention to the conjugation of verbs, nouns, grammar, and pronunciation.

Basic outline

Sample Answer

I would love to tell you about one of the most important events in my life, which is my 18th birthday. 

By that time, I had just graduated from high school and was a freshman. This was such a  turning point  in my life – I had to leave my hometown behind to move to a new city where I knew almost no one. I was kinda  clueless  about my future without family and closest friends  by my side . 

And there came my birthday. Luckily it was on weekends so I decided to return home to celebrate it with people I loved. That event indeed  refreshed  me. Once again, I was surrounded by my family and friends whom I had always missed from far away. 

What happened was that we  had meaningful conversations . In these conversations, I  had a chance to  express all my feelings, like how homesick I was, and how lonely I felt when I was in a new environment. My parents and friends encouraged me a lot by saying that I  got their back  anywhere anytime. They would always  be there for me . 

From that moment on, I realized that I had grown up with much love and support. I felt bigger and stronger. Thanks to that, it can be difficult to stay away from them, but I feel like I can  stand on my own feet .

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18 Big Life Milestones to Celebrate & Reflect On

Updated 04/12/2024

Published 05/18/2020

Sarah Kessler

Contributing writer, editor

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

At times, life can feel like it goes on and on forever. At others, life feels like it passes by in the blink of an eye. Whether the days and years seem to drag on or race past, there are always markers along the way. 

Those markers are called milestones, and they allow us the ability to reflect on momentous events in life. And understanding life’s milestones can even help you live life to the fullest . 

Every person’s life is different and unique. But our lives are similar in many ways, too. We experience many of the same key milestones throughout our childhood, teen years, young adulthood, and beyond. 

Below, we’ll describe 18 of the biggest life milestones that you might want to celebrate and reflect back on. 

Jump ahead to these sections:

Childhood life milestones to celebrate, life milestones for adulthood and beyond.

Some of the most memorable milestones in life happen when we’re children. Even if we don’t remember these moments with perfect clarity later on, we often have our parents to help us reminisce. 

Childhood milestones and key life events define us and make us who we are. And while everyone experiences some unique and personal milestones, there are also some that almost everyone has in common. 

Here are some childhood milestones to look out for if you have kids, or to look back on from your own youth. 

1. Being born

It might seem strange to consider your birth a “milestone,” but it is, in fact, your very first one. And while we don’t remember the moment of our births, we might have family members who do. 

Often, moms and dads enjoy telling and retelling their child’s “birth story,” so often that it can start to feel like your own memory. Many people give gifts to a newborn baby and mother, which you might still have around, too. And, even if you’re no longer with your birth parents, the moment of your birth is a key milestone in your life. 

2. Learning how to walk and talk

Another milestone that you likely don’t remember is actually two events: learning how to walk, and learning how to talk. Everyone picks up these skills at a different pace. But generally, we’re walking by the age of one and talking by the age of two. 

If you’re still connected to the family members who were around at that time, you can ask them to tell you what it was like when you took your first steps or said your first words. If you’re lucky, someone might have even captured those precious moments on video or snapped a photo. 

3. Starting school

Once you’re walking and talking, it’s time to start learning about subjects like math and reading. Some people remember their very first day of preschool or kindergarten, while others might remember something later on. For example, maybe you remember your first time reading out loud in class, or the time you got a gold star for good behavior. 

4. Making a friend

Children often have a few friends before they start school. Maybe they met in daycare, or their parents arranged playdates for them where they got to know each other.

But starting school gives children the opportunity to choose their own friends for the very first time. And that typically leads to stronger connections and longer-lasting friendships. 

5. Experiencing failure and rejection

Some memories and milestones aren’t so pleasant. Often, the things we remember most are moments of pain, fear, or disappointment. As children, we have to deal with those emotions for the very first time. 

Going through failure—like failing a math assignment or getting detention—teaches us that we’re not perfect or invincible. And being rejected—not getting a valentine from our crush or an invitation to a classmate’s birthday party—teaches us that we don’t always get what we want. 

6. Dealing with the death of a pet

Many children first experience the pain of loss when a beloved pet passes away. The tragedy can be so heart-wrenching that some parents cover it up by saying the animal “ran away.” 

And whether it’s a goldfish, a rabbit , or the family dog, losing a pet for the first time is likely something you’ll remember forever. 

7. Finding something you’re good at

On the flip side of failure and rejection, most children find the areas where they excel relatively early on. It may be sports, music, or math and science. No matter what your skillset, finding what you’re naturally talented in can lead to a big boost in self-esteem. 

Finding something you’re good at also helps you develop new skills and join new social groups that will be with you throughout childhood, and even into adulthood. 

8. Learning to drive

For many teenagers, learning how to drive and passing the driving exam is the first step towards adult independence. Once you have your driver’s license, you often feel a sense of freedom that you never had before. 

For that reason, most people remember studying for their driving exam, the moment they passed the exam, or where they went after they had their license to drive. 

Reaching adulthood opens the door for even more milestones. As a child, you’re beholden to the path set in front of you by your parents. But as an adult, you’re free to choose your own way. Still, there are some key milestones that most people experience. 

Here are the common milestones that many of us have in common. 

9. Leaving home

You might leave home as soon as you possibly can, or you might wait and save some money by living with your parents. But eventually, most people move out of the family home. And doing so is typically a memorable, momentous occasion. 

You might remember the homesickness you felt that first night, or how you forgot to bring your favorite pillow along with you. And parents also experience their kids leaving home as a major life milestone. 

10. Earning a paycheck

Getting a job and opening up that first paycheck is yet another big step towards adult independence. Whether you’re still receiving financial support from family or not, getting paid is a milestone in life that most people remember. 

You might not remember actually opening up that envelope, but you may remember going to the store with hard-earned cash in your pocket, or finally understanding the value of a dollar. 

11. Falling in love (and experiencing heartbreak)

Some people fall in love in their teen years, but many experience this milestone in early adulthood. Either way, your first love is typically followed by your first taste of heartbreak.

The milestone of falling in love and having your heart broken is one of the most painful events many people experience in early life. It falls in line with the milestone of experiencing rejection and failure, in that it teaches us resilience in the face of hardship. 

12. Making a major purchase

Once you’ve saved up enough of those paychecks, you can make your first major purchase. It might be a brand-new car or a flat-screen TV. Later on, you might make the decision to buy your very own home.

Those major purchases — especially your first one — are big milestones because they indicate a level of financial independence. You’re no longer dependent on others to get the things you want and need, and you can start making even more of your own decisions in life. 

13. Dealing with a loved one’s death

Many people first experience the death of a loved one when they’re still in childhood. But the majority of people face this milestone in adulthood.

Dealing with the death of a loved one forces us to learn coping methods we might not have needed before. It’s an important life milestone because it makes us think about death, including our own mortality. 

From hosting a memorial service to cooking their favorite food, doing something in memory of them may help you cope. If you're interested in unique ways to honor a loved one, you can consider a custom urn from a store like Foreverence  or even have a memorial diamond made from ashes with a company like  Eterneva .

14. Getting married

Not everyone gets married, but for those who do, it’s an important life milestone. You’ve found a person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and together, you say your vows. Whether you say them in front of a huge crowd, or just in front of a judge at the courthouse, it’s a moment you’ll always remember. 

15. Finding your own path in life

Just as you found things you were good at as a child, most people find their path in life as adults. You might find the things you value most (friends, family, health), and you might have found your dream job.

Ultimately, finding your path in life means deciding on the things that are most important to you. 

16. Having children

Just like with marriage, not everyone has children. If you do have a child, though, the moment your first child is born is a major life milestone. 

And the birth of each child after that is equally momentous. Having children can even readjust your path in life, changing what you value most and find most important. 

17. Retiring

Finally, you’ve reached the end of your employed life. For some, retirement is a welcomed event. You can finally step aside and enjoy some you-time. For others, it can lead to discontentment and boredom. 

But no matter how you view retirement, it’s a major milestone that marks one of the biggest changes in life. 

18. Reaching the end of life

The final milestone for every person is reaching the end of life. In old age, you might spend more time getting your affairs in order and reflecting back on the life you’ve led.

If you have ideas for your funeral, burial, or cremation , it’s time to lay those out for your family to follow through with. 

Looking Back on Life’s Milestones

As mentioned, not everyone experiences all of the milestones listed above. For example, not everyone gets married or has children. But we all experience major milestones in life that help us reflect on where we’ve been, who we’ve met, and what we’ve done. 

Categories:

• Relationships

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Describe a memorable event in your life - cue card # 669, ielts speaking part 2: ielts cue card/ candidate task card., describe a memorable event in your life..

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