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Essay on Physical Science

Students are often asked to write an essay on Physical Science in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Physical Science

What is physical science.

Physical science is the study of non-living things. It helps us understand how energy and matter work. This field includes subjects like physics, chemistry, astronomy, and earth science. Scientists in this field use experiments to find out how the universe behaves.

Physics and Chemistry

Physics looks at how matter moves through space and time. It also studies forces and energy. Chemistry is about how different substances interact and change. Both subjects show us the basic rules that everything in the universe follows.

Earth Science and Astronomy

Earth science teaches us about our planet, including rocks, oceans, and the atmosphere. Astronomy takes us beyond Earth to study stars, planets, and galaxies. It tells us about the vastness of space and our place in it.

Why Study Physical Science?

Learning physical science is important because it explains how things work in the real world. It can lead to new inventions and help us solve problems. It also teaches us to be curious and ask questions about the world around us.

250 Words Essay on Physical Science

Branches of physical science.

There are four main branches. First, there is physics, which explains how objects move and the forces that act on them. Second, chemistry tells us about different substances and how they change when they mix. Third, astronomy is about stars, planets, and the universe. Last, Earth science studies our planet, including rocks, oceans, and the atmosphere.

Studying physical science is important because it helps us solve problems. For example, it can help us make new materials, like stronger metals for bridges. It also helps us understand natural events, like why volcanoes erupt. By knowing these things, we can build safer homes and predict weather better.

Experiments in Physical Science

Scientists do experiments to learn more about the world. They might mix chemicals to see what happens or drop balls from different heights to measure speed. These experiments help them find patterns in nature.

In short, physical science is a key part of understanding everything from tiny atoms to the vast universe. It helps us make new things and keep people safe. It’s a field full of exciting discoveries waiting for us to explore.

500 Words Essay on Physical Science

Physical Science is a branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, unlike the life sciences which focus on living things. It includes subjects like chemistry, physics, astronomy, and Earth science. These subjects help us understand how the universe works, from tiny atoms to vast galaxies.

Physics: The Basics of Motion and Energy

Chemistry: the science of substances.

Chemistry is the study of substances and the changes they undergo. It tells us what things are made of and how they can change into new things, like how ingredients mix to make a cake or how a rust forms on a bike. Chemists study atoms and molecules, which are tiny particles that make up everything around us. They also learn about reactions, which happen when substances combine or break apart.

Astronomy: Exploring the Universe

Astronomy is the science of space and everything in it, like stars, planets, and galaxies. It helps us understand where Earth fits in the universe. Astronomers use telescopes to look at stars millions of miles away. They learn about how stars are born, live, and die. They also search for new planets and try to find out if there could be life somewhere else in the universe.

Earth Science: Our Planet and Its Environment

Why is physical science important.

Physical Science is important because it explains how the world works and helps us solve problems. For example, by understanding chemistry and physics, we can make medicines that cure diseases. Through Earth science, we can predict natural disasters and save lives. Astronomy can help us navigate using stars and understand more about our place in the cosmos.

In conclusion, Physical Science is a key part of education because it helps us understand the universe from the smallest particle to the largest galaxy. It makes us curious about the world and teaches us to ask questions and find answers. This science is not just for scientists; it’s for everyone who looks at the sky and wonders, who mixes ingredients to bake, or who enjoys using technology that once was just a dream. Understanding the basics of Physical Science can lead to a future full of discoveries and innovations.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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The Importance Of Physical Sciences In Our Everyday Life

Physical science can be defined as the study of non-living material which is present in the natural environment and its properties. It comprises four broad areas namely, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy and Earth Sciences. Each of these areas has their own importance. But in this article, you will learn the importance of not just one, but all of the areas in general!

Intellectual value

The intellect can be developed through studying science. Apart from the development of the intellect, physical science also sets reasoning ability and logical reasoning in an individual. When we understand various concepts , it encourages us to analyse situations and make decisions wisely. The best way to inculcate all these values is to enrol in physics tuition . It will not only strengthen their scientific methods but also will lead to holistic development.

In particular, the sciences hones one’s skills in experimentation and exploration. Thus, we don’t stop at seeing things at face value, but constantly find new ways to discover more about the world.

Utilitarian value

It’s no secret that having in-depth science knowledge can be very useful. Physical science plays an important role in technology, and it is what we have to thank for our modern inventions and conveniences. For example, the telephones that we use to exchange messages and the trains we take are a product of science in some way or the other.

To the aspiring inventor, physics knowledge is of paramount importance. Solving many problems of the world will require at least some – or a lot – of knowledge in physical sciences.

Aesthetic value

Physics and art may seem like such polar opposites, but to those in the know, you’ll find that many of the greatest scientists also created masterful artworks, and many of the world’s most famous artists were also scientists. Indeed, science helps us appreciate art and nature, especially in things like symmetry and proportion. The nights that astronomers spent gazing at the night sky gave birth to not just astronomy’s brilliant discoveries but also marvellous creations of art. If you want to see art in a different light, diving into the physical sciences may just give you a newfound appreciation. Who knows, it could also inspire you to even create your own works!

Vocational value

of science. For example, an economist can study the contribution of science for the economic development.

Physical science plays a vital role in the lives of everyone and holds magnificent importance. Therefore, science education is essential as it cultivates some crucial values in students. A science education allows you to think, ponder and analyse things more critically. Enrolling in JC physics tuition can help you develop such skills and excel in your coming exam.

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Just as the development of cosmology relied heavily on ideas from physics , especially Einstein’s general theory of relativity , so did theories of stellar structure and evolution depend on discoveries in atomic physics . These theories also offered a fundamental basis for chemistry by showing how the elements could have been synthesized in stars .

The idea that stars are formed by the condensation of gaseous clouds was part of the 19th-century nebular hypothesis ( see above ). The gravitational energy released by this condensation could be transformed into heat , but calculations by Hermann von Helmholtz and Lord Kelvin indicated that this process would provide energy to keep the Sun shining for only about 20 million years. Evidence from radiometric dating , starting with the work of the British physicist Ernest Rutherford in 1905, showed that Earth is several billion years old. Astrophysicists were perplexed: what source of energy has kept the Sun shining for such a long time?

In 1925 Cecilia Payne , a graduate student from Britain at Harvard College Observatory, analyzed the spectra of stars using statistical atomic theories that related them to temperature, density, and composition . She found that hydrogen and helium are the most abundant elements in stars, though this conclusion was not generally accepted until it was confirmed four years later by the noted American astronomer Henry Norris Russell . By this time Prout’s hypothesis that all the elements are compounds of hydrogen had been revived by physicists in a somewhat more elaborate form. The deviation of atomic weights from exact integer values (expressed as multiples of hydrogen) could be explained partly by the fact that some elements are mixtures of isotopes with different atomic weights and partly by Einstein’s relation between mass and energy, E = m c 2 (taking account of the binding energy of the forces that hold together the atomic nucleus). German physicist Werner Heisenberg proposed in 1932 that, whereas the hydrogen nucleus consists of just one proton , all heavier nuclei contain protons and neutrons . Since a proton can be changed into a neutron by fusing it with an electron , this meant that all the elements could be built up from protons and electrons—i.e., from hydrogen atoms .

In 1938 German-born physicist Hans Bethe proposed the first satisfactory theory of stellar energy generation based on the fusion of protons to form helium and heavier elements. He showed that once elements as heavy as carbon had been formed, a cycle of nuclear reactions could produce even heavier elements. Fusion of hydrogen into heavier elements would also provide enough energy to account for the Sun’s energy generation over a period of billions of years. Bethe’s theory was extended by Fred Hoyle , Edwin E. Salpeter, and William A. Fowler .

According to the theory of stellar evolution developed by Indian-born American astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and others, a star will become unstable after it has converted most of its hydrogen to helium and may go through stages of rapid expansion and contraction. If the star is much more massive than the Sun, it will explode violently, giving rise to a supernova . The explosion will synthesize heavier elements and spread them throughout the surrounding interstellar medium , where they provide the raw material for the formation of new stars and eventually of planets and living organisms.

After a supernova explosion, the remaining core of the star may collapse further under its own gravitational attraction to form a dense star composed mainly of neutrons. This so-called neutron star , predicted theoretically in the 1930s by astronomers Walter Baade and Fritz Zwicky , was first observed as pulsars (sources of rapid, very regular pulses of radio waves), discovered in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell.

More massive stars may undergo a further stage of evolution beyond the neutron star: they may collapse to a black hole , in which the gravitational force is so strong that even light cannot escape. The black hole as a singularity in an idealized space-time universe was predicted from general relativity theory by German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild in 1916. Its role in stellar evolution was later described by American physicists J. Robert Oppenheimer and John Wheeler . Beginning in the 1970s, black holes were observed in X-ray sources and at the centre of some galaxies, particularly quasars .

This area of investigation, which lay relatively dormant through the first half of the 20th century, was revived by the stimulus of the Soviet and American space programs . In 1959 Luna 3 took the first picture of the Moon’s far side. Mariner 2 made the first planetary flyby when it passed Venus in 1962, and Mariner 4 was the first flyby to send back images when it flew by Mars in 1965. Since then, space probes have visited all the planets as well as some dwarf planets , asteroids , and comets , and 12 astronauts landed on the Moon as part of the Apollo program .

These solar-system missions yielded a wealth of complex information. A single example of the resulting change in ideas about the history of the solar system will have to suffice here. Before the first manned lunar landing in 1969, there were three competing hypotheses about the origin of the Moon : (1) formation in its present orbit simultaneously with Earth , as described in the nebular hypothesis; (2) formation elsewhere and subsequent capture by Earth; and (3) ejection from Earth by fission (popularly known theory that the Moon emanated from what is now the Pacific Ocean basin). Following the analysis of lunar samples and theoretical criticism of these hypotheses, lunar scientists came to the conclusion that none of them was satisfactory. Photographs of the surface of Mercury taken by the Mariner 10 spacecraft in 1974, however, showed that it is heavily cratered like the Moon’s surface. This finding, together with theoretical calculations by V.S. Safronov of the Soviet Union and George W. Wetherill of the United States on the formation of planets by accumulation (accretion or aggregation) of smaller solid bodies, suggested that Earth was also probably subject to heavy bombardment soon after its formation. In line with this, a theory proposed by the American astronomers William K. Hartmann and A.G.W. Cameron has become the most popular. According to their theory, Earth was struck by a Mars-sized object, and the force of the impact vaporized the outer parts of both bodies. The vapour thus produced remained in orbit around Earth and eventually condensed to form the Moon. Like the hypothesis proposed by Luis Alvarez that attributes the extinction of the dinosaurs to an asteroid impact, the Hartmann–Cameron theory seemed so bizarre that it could not have been taken seriously until compelling evidence became available.

In 1992 the first extrasolar planets were discovered around a pulsar . More than 4,000 planets have been discovered, many by the Kepler space telescope , which observes the slight dimming of a star when a planet passes in front of it. Many of these planets are unlike those seen in the solar system, and a few orbit within their star’s habitable zones , the orbital space where liquid water (and thus possibly life ) could survive on a planet’s surface.

During the years 1896–1932 the foundations of physics changed so radically that many observers describe this period as a scientific revolution comparable in depth, if not in scope, to the one that took place during the 16th and 17th centuries. The 20th-century revolution changed many of the ideas about space, time, mass , energy , atoms , light , force , determinism , and causality that had apparently been firmly established by Newtonian physics during the 18th and 19th centuries. Moreover, according to some interpretations, the new theories demolished the basic metaphysical assumption of earlier science that the entire physical world has a real existence and objective properties independent of human observation.

Closer examination of 19th-century physics shows that Newtonian ideas were already being undermined in many areas and that the program of mechanical explanation was openly challenged by several influential physicists toward the end of the century. Yet there was no agreement as to what the foundations of a new physics might be. Modern textbook writers and popularizers often try to identify specific paradoxes or puzzling experimental results—e.g., the failure to detect Earth’s absolute motion in the Michelson–Morley experiment —as anomalies that led physicists to propose new fundamental theories such as relativity . Historians of science have shown, however, that most of these anomalies did not directly cause the introduction of the theories that later resolved them. As with Copernicus’s introduction of heliocentric astronomy , the motivation seems to have been a desire to satisfy aesthetic principles of theory structure rooted in earlier views of the world rather than a need to account for the latest experiment or calculation.

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What Is the Most Memorable Concept You’ve Learned in Science Class, and How Did You Learn It?

By Caroline Crosson Gilpin

• Feb. 28, 2017

Have you ever had a science lesson that crystallized everything for you? From the concept to the hypothesis to the written lab? What was the lesson, and why did it work well for you?

In “ Andy Weir’s Best Seller ‘The Martian’ Gets a Classroom-Friendly Makeover ,” Alexandra Alter writes:

Apart from the four-letter words, “The Martian” is a science teacher’s dream text. It’s a gripping survival story that hinges on the hero’s ability to solve a series of complex problems, using his knowledge of physics, chemistry, astronomy and math, in order to stay alive on a hostile planet. (The Washington Post called the novel “an advertisement for the importance of STEM education.”) After getting dozens of inquiries from teachers, Mr. Weir, who describes himself as “a lifelong space nerd,” asked his publisher, Crown, if they could release a cleaned-up edition of the book. The novel was pretty easy to amend, by simply replacing the foul language with tamer words like “screwed,” “jerk” and “crap” (Mr. Weir said there were “occasional squabbles” when he tried to lobby the censors to keep some of the less offensive swear words in.) A kid-friendly version came out last year, and it is now being used to help teach science in classrooms around the country. At Synergy Quantum Academy, a public charter high school in South Los Angeles, students are conducting experiments based on the novel. In physics class, students will build miniature solar-powered cars, and during astronomy next month, they will try to grow potatoes as Watney did, using a chamber modeled on NASA’s Lunar Plant Growth Chamber.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Have you had any science, physics, astronomy or math lessons like the ones in the article? If so, what did you think of them? If not, do you wish your school would offer them?

— Do you wish more science classes used nonfiction books or articles, novels, movies or videos to engage students in lessons? Why or why not?

— What elements make science learning easy and enjoyable for you, and why?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

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Understanding Science

How science REALLY works...

• Understanding Science 101

An overview

To understand what ​​ science is, just look around you. What do you see? Perhaps your hand on the mouse, a computer screen, papers, ballpoint pens, the family cat, the sun shining through the window …. Science is, in one sense, our knowledge of all that — all the stuff that is in the universe, including the tiniest subatomic particles in a single atom of the metal in your computer’s circuits, the nuclear reactions that formed the immense ball of gas that is our sun, and the complex chemical interactions and electrical fluctuations within your own body that allow you to read and understand these words. But science is not just a collection of knowledge. Just as importantly, science is also a reliable process by which we learn about all that stuff in the universe. And science is different from many other ways of learning because of the way it is done. Science relies on ​​ testing ideas with ​​ evidence gathered from the ​​ natural world . This website will help you learn more about science as a process of learning about the natural world and access the parts of science that affect your life.

Science helps to satisfy the natural curiosity with which we are all born: Why is the sky blue? How did the leopard get its spots? What is a solar eclipse? With science, we can answer such questions without resorting to magical explanations. And science can lead to technological advances, as well as helping us learn about enormously important and useful topics, such as our health, the environment, and natural hazards. Without science, the modern world would not be modern at all. Still, we have so much to learn. Millions of scientists all over the world are working to solve different parts of the puzzle of how the universe works, peering into its nooks and crannies and deploying their microscopes, telescopes, and other tools to unravel its secrets.

Science is complex and multi-faceted, but the most important characteristics of science are straightforward:

• Science is a way of learning about what is in the natural world, how the natural world works, and how the natural world got to be the way it is. It is not simply a collection of facts ; rather it is a path to understanding.
• Science focuses exclusively on the natural world and does not deal with supernatural explanations.
• Although scientists work in many different ways, all science relies on testing ideas by figuring out what expectations are generated by an idea and making observations to find out whether those expectations hold true.
• Accepted scientific ideas are reliable because they have been subjected to rigorous testing. But, as new evidence is acquired and new perspectives emerge, these ideas can be revised.
• Science is a community endeavor. It relies on a system of checks and balances, which helps ensure that science moves in the direction of greater accuracy and understanding. This system is facilitated by diversity within the scientific community, which offers a broad range of perspectives on scientific ideas.

To many, science may seem like an arcane, ivory-towered institution — but that impression is based on a misunderstanding of science. In fact:

• Science affects your life everyday in all sorts of different ways.
• Science can be fun and is accessible to everyone.
• You are probably already using scientific thinking in your everyday life – maybe without even knowing it.
• Anyone can “do” science by investigating questions scientifically.

Where to begin?

Here are some places you may want to start your investigation:

• What is science? Find out what makes science science .
• How does it work? Probe the nuts and bolts of the process of science .
• Why is it important? Learn how science affects your life everyday and how you can apply an understanding of the nature of science in your everyday life.

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How to Write the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay + Examples

What’s covered:.

• What is the Overcoming Challenges Essay?
• Real Overcoming Challenges Essay Prompts
• How to Choose a Topic
• Writing Tips

Overcoming Challenges Essay Examples

• Where to Get Your Essay Edited

While any college essay can be intimidating, the Overcoming Challenges prompt often worries students the most. Those students who’ve been lucky enough not to experience trauma tend to assume they have nothing worth saying. On the other hand, students who’ve overcome larger obstacles may be hesitant to talk about them.

Regardless of your particular circumstances, there are steps you can take to make the essay writing process simpler. Here are our top tips for writing the overcoming challenges essay successfully.

What is the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay?

The overcoming challenges prompt shows up frequently in both main application essays (like the Common App) and supplemental essays. Because supplemental essays allow students to provide schools with additional information, applicants should be sure that the subject matter they choose to write about differs from what’s in their main essay.

Students often assume the overcoming challenges essay requires them to detail past traumas. While you can certainly write about an experience that’s had a profound effect on your life, it’s important to remember that colleges aren’t evaluating students based on the seriousness of the obstacle they overcame.

On the contrary, the goal of this essay is to show admissions officers that you have the intelligence and fortitude to handle any challenges that come your way. After all, college serves as an introduction to adult life, and schools want to know that the students they admit are up to the task. 

Real “Overcoming Challenges” Essay Prompts

To help you understand what the “Overcoming Challenges” essay looks like, here are a couple sample prompts.

Currently, the Common Application asks students to answer the following prompt in 650 words or less:

“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

For the past several years, MIT has prompted students to write 200 to 250 words on the following:

“Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?”

In both cases, the prompts explicitly ask for your response to the challenge. The event itself isn’t as important as how it pushed you to grow.

How to Choose a Topic for an Essay on Overcoming Challenges

When it comes to finding the best topic for your overcoming challenges essays, there’s no right answer. The word “challenge” is ambiguous and could be used to reference a wide range of situations from prevailing over a bully to getting over your lifelong stage fright to appear in a school musical. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when selecting an essay subject.

1. Avoid trivial or common topics

While there aren’t many hard-and-fast rules for choosing an essay topic, students should avoid overdone topics.

These include:

• Working hard in a challenging class
• Overcoming a sports injury
• Moving schools or immigrating to the US
• Tragedy (divorce, death, abuse)

Admissions officers have read numerous essays on the subject, so it’s harder for you to stand out (see our full list of cliché college essay topics to avoid ). If events like these were truly formative to you, you can still choose to write about them, but you’ll need to be as personal as possible. 

It’s also ideal if you have a less traditional storyline for a cliché topic; for example, if your sports injury led you to discover a new passion, that would be a more unique story than detailing how you overcame your injury and got back in the game.

Similarly, students may not want to write about an obstacle that admissions committees could perceive as low stakes, such as getting a B on a test, or getting into a small fight with a friend. The goal of this essay is to illustrate how you respond to adversity, so the topic you pick should’ve been at least impactful on your personal growth.

2. Pick challenges that demonstrate qualities you want to highlight

Students often mistakenly assume they need to have experienced exceptional circumstances like poverty, an abusive parent, or cancer to write a good essay. The truth is that the best topics will allow you to highlight specific personal qualities and share more about who you are. The essay should be less about the challenge itself, and more about how you responded to it.

Ask yourself what personality traits you want to emphasize, and see what’s missing in your application. Maybe you want to highlight your adaptability, for example, but that isn’t clearly expressed in your application. In this case, you might write about a challenge that put your adaptability to the test, or shaped you to become more adaptable.

Here are some examples of good topics we’ve seen over the years:

• Not having a coach for a sports team and becoming one yourself
• Helping a parent through a serious health issue
• Trying to get the school track dedicated to a coach
• Having to switch your Model UN position last-minute

Tips for Writing an Essay About Overcoming Challenges

Once you’ve selected a topic for your essays, it’s time to sit down and write. For best results, make sure your essay focuses on your efforts to tackle an obstacle rather than the problem itself. Additionally, you could avoid essay writing pitfalls by doing the following:

1. Choose an original essay structure

If you want your overcoming challenges essay to attract attention, aim to break away from more traditional structures. Most of these essays start by describing an unsuccessful attempt at a goal and then explain the steps the writer took to master the challenge. 

You can stand out by choosing a challenge you’re still working on overcoming, or focus on a mental or emotional challenge that spans multiple activities or events. For example, you might discuss your fear of public speaking and how that impacted your ability to coach your brother’s Little League team and run for Student Council. 

You can also choose a challenge that can be narrated in the moment, such as being put on the spot to teach a yoga class. These challenges can make particularly engaging essays, as you get to experience the writer’s thoughts and emotions as they unfold.

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to have succeeded in your goal for this essay. Maybe you ran for an election and lost, or maybe you proposed a measure to the school board that wasn’t passed. It’s still possible to write a strong essay about topics like these as long as you focus on your personal growth. In fact, these may make for even stronger essays since they are more unconventional topics.

2. Focus on the internal

When writing about past experiences, you may be tempted to spend too much time describing specific people and events. With an Overcoming Challenges essay though, the goal is to focus on your thoughts and feelings.

For example, rather than detail all the steps you took to become a better public speaker, use the majority of your essay to describe your mental state as you embarked on the journey to achieving your goals. Were you excited, scared, anxious, or hopeful? Don’t be afraid to let the reader in on your innermost emotions and thoughts during this process.

3. Share what you learned 

An Overcoming Challenges essay should leave the reader with a clear understanding of what you learned on your journey, be it physical, mental, or emotional. There’s no need to explicitly say “this experience taught me X,” but your essay should at least implicitly share any lessons you learned. This can be done through your actions and in-the-moment reflections. Remember that the goal is to show admissions committees why your experiences make you a great candidate for admission. 

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the g arb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This essay is an excellent example because the writer turns an everyday challenge—starting a fire—into an exploration of her identity. The writer was once “a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes,” but has since traded her love of the outdoors for a love of music, writing, and reading. 

The story begins in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. One of the essay’s biggest strengths is its use of imagery. We can easily visualize the writer’s childhood and the present day. For instance, she states that she “rubbed and rubbed [the twigs] until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers.”

The writing has an extremely literary quality, particularly with its wordplay. The writer reappropriates words and meanings, and even appeals to the senses: “My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.” She later uses a parallelism to cleverly juxtapose her changed interests: “instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano.”

One of the essay’s main areas of improvement is its overemphasis on the “story” and lack of emphasis on the reflection. The second to last paragraph about changing perspective is crucial to the essay, as it ties the anecdote to larger lessons in the writer’s life. She states that she hasn’t changed, but has only shifted perspective. Yet, we don’t get a good sense of where this realization comes from and how it impacts her life going forward. 

The end of the essay offers a satisfying return to the fire imagery, and highlights the writer’s passion—the one thing that has remained constant in her life.

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

While the writer didn’t succeed in getting the track dedicated to Coach Stark, their essay is certainly successful in showing their willingness to push themselves and take initiative.

The essay opens with a quote from Coach Stark that later comes full circle at the end of the essay. We learn about Stark’s impact and the motivation for trying to get the track dedicated to him.

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The essay goes on to explain how the writer overcame their apprehension of public speaking, and likens the process of submitting an appeal to the school board to running a race. This metaphor makes the writing more engaging and allows us to feel the student’s emotions.

While the student didn’t ultimately succeed in getting the track dedicated, we learn about their resilience and initiative: I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Overall, this essay is well-done. It demonstrates growth despite failing to meet a goal, which is a unique essay structure. The running metaphor and full-circle intro/ending also elevate the writing in this essay.

Where to Get Your Overcoming Challenges Essay Edited

The Overcoming Challenges essay is one of the trickier supplemental prompts, so it’s important to get feedback on your drafts. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Home / Essay Samples / Education / Physical Education / What I Learned in Physical Education: From Basketball to Yoga

What I Learned in Physical Education: From Basketball to Yoga

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• Topic: Personal Statement , Physical Education , Physical Exercise

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