When I accepted my offer of admission to City College, I made the decision to move to my family’s empty apartment in the Lower East Side in hopes that it’d make my commute easier, and it was also my desire to pursue personal freedom. The idea of “Family is Community” just came to me one morning, when I started missing how my life used to be. I lived with my family in Queens, and it made me realize how much my life changed after I gained my independence. Did it really make me happy? It was at this moment that I realized the true importance of coming home to family.

Writing my essay was relatively easy, because it seemed like the idea just came to me. I noticed that when there is a writing assignment, I can’t just sit down and decide: “I will start to write.” It needs to be the perfect moment, perfect setting, and when my head is in the right place. And one thing is, I need to get as close to the deadline as possible in order to achieve the best outcomes. Maybe it’s the way my brain is wired, or maybe it’s because of my ADHD. However, I always realized that I work better under pressure. And when I’m as close to the deadline possible, it gives me that pressure and my brain becomes “automatic” in a way.

One thing I like about my writing is the straightforwardness of it. I believe I included good sensory details but also kept it simple so that the reader could understand it. The type of style I like too. Simple and straight to the point. Reading things that are complicated, includes words that no one uses in day to day life, and just have that “literature” feel to it makes me lose all my interest. But there is a way to keep a writing interesting without including all of those big words and confusing details. Maybe for a writer, or someone majoring in English, they may disagree with what I say. That’s completely fine with me. But as a Psychology major, I like to just get my point across and tell my story without complicating things. I believe everyone’s writing styles are different, and that’s completely acceptable. This is what I prefer and I will stick with this, as long as I fulfill all the requirements of the rubric and interest the reader, that is all that matters to me.

Overall, I think I am satisfied with my essay. I believe the topic is unique. When people think of “community”, I don’t think the word “Family” usually comes up. They usually think of specific hobbies or interests. Like “Art Community”, “Walking Community”, whatever that comes to mind. Uniqueness is important to me, and I usually try to think outside the box and just something that’s “different” from the rest.

I designed this image using AI. It highlights how conflict occurs in family, and how tomorrow is always a new day. This is an important point that I tried to get across on my essay. Family is the only “community” where you can have conflict, and tomorrow you will be a family all over again. It shows the importance of family, offering unconditional love and support no matter what. No one else other than your own family is able to give you that. It also shows navigating challenges, and how it is okay in a family and how conflict is vital for a family to thrive.