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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!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Essay Guide
• Thesis Guide
• Student Tips

How to Write a Personal Challenge Essay (with Examples)

A personal challenge essay offers a singular chance for introspection and personal development. It gives you a chance to consider your past, face difficulties, and demonstrate your tenacity. This essay structure enables you to communicate your ideas and experiences with others, regardless of whether you’ve overcome hardship, dealt with a tricky circumstance, or chased an audacious goal. You’ll walk you through the phases of writing an engaging personal challenge essay in this in-depth guide, complete with samples that demonstrate the procedure.

Understanding the Personal Challenge Essay

The Personal challenges in life as a student essay asks you to describe an instance or time in your life when you had to overcome challenges, setbacks, or barriers. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your resilience, your capacity to face adversity, and the lessons you’ve picked up along the road. This kind of article necessitates reflection, sincerity, and skillful narrative.

Selecting a Meaningful Challenge

It’s important to pick the correct challenge to write about. Think about Personal challenges in life as a student essay that profoundly influenced your development, principles, or attitude on life. It can have been an obstacle you overcame in your studies, relationships, sense of self, or any other area of your life. The task should have personal significance for you and provide information that your audience can relate to.

Structuring Your Personal Challenge Essay

To effectively portray your experiences, feelings, and growth, writing an engaging personal challenge essay involves careful thought and a well-organized format. The following steps will show you how to organize your essay such that it presents a logical and interesting story:

Introduction:

Beginning your essay with an attention-grabbing hook that draws the reader in and highlights the topic of the difficulty you’ll be exploring is a good idea. This might be a provocative inquiry, a moving saying, a detailed account, or a first-hand account associated with your issue.

Background & Context:

Make sure the reader has all the background knowledge they need to comprehend your dilemma. Describe the context, surroundings, and any other pertinent information that establishes the scene for your narrative. Additionally, you have the choice to ask for assistance from PhD thesis writing help if you run into difficulties when writing the background and context of your thesis or dissertation or if you are unsure owing to a lack of experience. They can offer helpful assistance to improve the caliber of your work.

The Challenge:

Describe the challenge in detail in a portion of your essay. When describing the challenges, difficulties, or setbacks you encountered, be descriptive and in-depth.

Your Reaction and Result:

Write about how you responded to the challenge in this part. What steps have you taken? Did you make crucial decisions, prepare a plan, or ask for assistance? Be sure to emphasize your ability to solve problems, tenacity, and any other traits that may have helped you overcome the obstacle.

Growth and Reflection:

Consider the encounter and share what you took away from it. What effects did the challenge have on your emotions, mind, and possibly even body? What new understandings did you get about who you are, your values, or your outlook on life? Describe how you overcame the obstacle to grow personally, discover yourself, or alter your perspective.

Takeaways & Lessons:

The exact lessons you took away from overcoming the obstacle should be highlighted. What priceless knowledge, abilities, or traits did you acquire as a result? Describe how these teachings have shaped your current behavior, choices, or attitude in life.

Conclusion:

Writing a compelling conclusion that connects everything can help you to conclude your essay. Write a summary of your shared journey, highlighting your personal development and new perspectives.

Include a Call to Action (Optional):

Depending on the nature of your issue, you might want to include a call to action that prompts the reader to reflect on their own issues, take action, or adopt a particular attitude.

After you’ve finished writing the essay, take some time to review and make any necessary changes. Check that the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your writing are correct, as well as the flow.

Maintain You’re Authentic Voice Throughout the Essay:

While it’s crucial to follow a structured methodology, don’t forget to preserve your authentic voice. Remain sincere, honest, and personal in your writing. Your unique perspective and emotions will lend greater authenticity to your writing and make it more compelling. By adhering to the instructions outlined in this comprehensive guide, you’ll effectively organize your personal challenge essay. This approach will skillfully lead your readers through your journey, captivating their attention and leaving a memorable impression. Furthermore, if you find it challenging to maintain a systematic approach, consider seeking assistance from master thesis writing help. Their expertise can aid you in completing your work with precision and coherence.

Don’ts and Dos

Be upfront and honest when discussing your experiences. Do emphasize your development and lessons acquired. To keep the reader’s attention, employ colorful language and descriptions. Don’t make up or embellish details. Instead of blaming others for the difficulty, concentrate on your solution. Choose a challenge that had a significant influence rather than one that was inconsequential.

Examples of Personal Challenge Essays

Following are the Personal challenge essay examples:

Overcoming Academic Challenges:

Navigating the challenges we face in life essay can be a transformative journey that leads to personal growth and self-discovery. A prime example of this is when I confronted a series of academic setbacks. I realized that my ingrained fear of failing was standing in the way of my development. I, however, resisted allowing this fear to direct my course. I started a quest for self-improvement with pure tenacity. I reached out for guidance and support, shedding light on the power of seeking assistance when needed.

Overcoming Fear:

For instance, I had always been terrified of public speaking, but I had to face my phobia to present in front of a large crowd. I overcame my anxiety about public speaking over time with practice and confidence, and I also acquired speaking abilities that I still use today.

Dealing with Personal Loss:

Losing a loved one was a difficult emotional experience that altered my outlook on relationships and life. I learned the value of cherishing moments and helping others in need through my grief and contemplation.

Examples of challenges you have overcome as a student essay

I have encountered a range of challenges as a student, which has pushed my perseverance, adaptability, and resilience to the test. Even though they occasionally proved to be challenging, these obstacles ultimately helped me become a better and more capable individual. Here are a few instances of obstacles I overcame in my academic career:

Time Management Challenges:

Juggling schoolwork, assignments, extracurricular activities, and personal obligations can be difficult. There were times when I struggled to adequately manage my time, which resulted in missed deadlines and frustration. To overcome this difficulty, I started adopting time management strategies like making a thorough calendar, establishing priorities, and breaking work down into smaller, more manageable pieces. I became more organized about my obligations over time, which led to increased productivity and decreased stress. Furthermore, many students pursuing careers in the medical field face similarly demanding schedules that make it challenging to meet deadlines. In such cases, they often turn to nursing research paper writing services to ensure the quality and timeliness of their assignments.

Academic Setbacks:

It was demoralizing to experience academic setbacks, such as earning lower grades than expected. I decided to take advantage of these setbacks as chances for improvement rather than giving in to self-doubt. I requested input from my lecturers, made note of my weaknesses, and put focused study techniques into practice. I was able to improve my academic performance and regain my confidence by persevering and being willing to learn from my failures.

Language Barrier:

Navigating English as a second language introduced a unique set of challenges, especially in terms of effective communication and the completion of writing assignments. In essays and presentations, I often encountered hurdles in articulating my thoughts coherently and concisely. To overcome this hurdle, I actively expanded my vocabulary, engaged in consistent reading and writing exercises, and actively sought input from peers and professors. Furthermore, this drive to enhance my linguistic abilities not only improved my communication skills but also bolstered my confidence in expressing myself in academic and professional settings. My determination to conquer these language-related challenges demonstrates my commitment to growth and adaptability, qualities that I believe would make me a strong candidate for the Harvard Scholarship Essay .

Dynamics of Group Projects:

Due to the various work habits, schedules, and perspectives held by the group members, collaborative projects have occasionally proven to be difficult. I adopted efficient communication techniques, such as active listening and open discussion, to handle these circumstances. By praising each team member’s abilities and accomplishments, I helped to create a more effective and pleasant working atmosphere.

Personal Well-Being and Health:

It can be difficult to maintain a good balance between your personal needs and your academic obligations. I have occasionally overlooked my needs, which has resulted in burnout and a decline in drive. I gave exercise, wholesome eating, and regular breaks top priority since I understood how important self-care was. This all-encompassing strategy not only increased my general well-being but also sharpened my attention and increased my output. These examples collectively constitute my challenges in life as a student essay. They serve as valuable lessons that offer insights on how to navigate and overcome various situations.

How to Revise and Improve Your Essay

For instance, if you are given a topic such as “Essay on Environmental Problems and Their Solutions” and you’re not well-versed in it, it’s advisable to invest time in research. This will enable you to create quality content for your essay. After writing your personal challenge essay, it’s essential to engage in the editing and revision process. Ensure that your essay flows logically and that your ideas are well-organized. Edit for clarity, grammar, and punctuation. If you’re seeking a comprehensive perspective, consider seeking feedback from peers, professors, or mentors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final thoughts.

Writing a personal challenge essay offers you the chance to share your unique journey and inspire others through your resilience and progress you can create an engaging tale that engrosses your readers by choosing a pertinent challenge, using a solid essay structure, and remaining honest. It’s crucial to remember that your essay about a personal issue demonstrates both your capacity for self-reflection and personal development in addition to your capacity for overcoming challenges. For those who face challenges in managing their academic tasks, there are online homework writing services available that can provide valuable assistance and support.

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How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example

April 17, 2023

At some point, most college-bound students are tasked with writing an overcoming challenges essay. The prompt crops up in various forms, as a supplemental short essay about overcoming a challenge, and in as the main essay itself.

Some students may feel inclined to write about a dramatic experience (say, spotting a grizzly bear outside the kitchen window), mistaking the drama of the moment for a significant challenge. Others may get to work, only to realize they don’t have much to say about the time they got a C in P.E. (that dreaded frisbee unit). Students who’ve overcome unspeakable difficulties, like a death in the family, may find that reducing the tragedy to 650 words feels insufficient, or worse—as if they’re attempting to profit from suffering. One or two students may stare down the blank computer screen as their entire existence shrinks to the size of a 12-point font. Should they write about the challenge of writing about the challenge of writing an overcoming challenges essay??

Don’t worry. Focusing first on how to tackle the essay will help any student decide what they should write about. In fact, how the essay is written will also prove more influential than the challenge itself in determining the strength of the essay.

Decoding the Prompt

Let’s take a look at the overcoming challenges essay question included among the seven 2023-24 Common App Essay Prompts :

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?

Notice how the prompt places an immediate emphasis on the “lessons we take,” rather than on the obstacles themselves, or any potential success. This is because the challenge itself often says less about the student than the way the student chose to tackle it, or the way they now reflect on it. In other words, obstacles often come at us randomly; it’s our personal response to the circumstances which reveals something of who we are.

While studying a prompt for clues, it’s helpful to think from the perspective of the admissions officer (the essay reader). What can they glean from an overcoming challenges essay?  A lot, actually. A thoughtfully written essay may tell them about the student’s personality, as well as things like problem-solving techniques, rigor, persistence, creativity, and courage. These insights can work to prove to the admissions officers that the student has what it takes to overcome challenges in college, too. These future challenges may range from the inevitable academic obstacles that occur with heavy courseloads, to social and moral challenges that arise as college students form their adult identities.

Picking Your Topic: A Brainstorming Activity

With the question of identity in mind, let’s now approach the overcoming challenges essay backwards, by brainstorming the final message the student wants it to contain.

For this three-part exercise, the student will first set a five-minute timer. With the clock ticking, they’ll jot down character traits, values, and any descriptive words or terms that say something about who they are. If stumped, change perspective. The student may imagine what their best friends, parents, coaches and siblings would say. (For example, tenacious , logical , scientific , peacemaker .) Even mild criticism can be helpful, as long as it’s not cruel. While a student’s brother may call him a “perfectionist,” perhaps this word will trigger other relevant words, like persistent and detail-oriented.

Next, the student will set the timer for another five minutes, pull out a second sheet of paper, and jot down any challenges, obstacles, setbacks, failures, and achievements that come to mind. Don’t hold back here or overanalyze. (For example: underdog at state swim meet , getting lost on the family hike , petitioning for a school compost system …)

Lastly, the student will place the two pages side by side, and draw lines between the items on the list wherever connections occur. One student may draw lines between persistent , curious , gamer , passionate about electronics , and saved the day during the power outage. Another set of lines might connect caring, observant, creative thinker , and helped sister leave abusive cult . Whatever ideas are sparked here, the goal is to identify which challenges will demonstrate something essential about the student to an admissions officer.

Topics to Avoid

The internet is rife with advice on what not to write when writing an overcoming challenges essay. Yet this advice can be confusing, or downright hypocritical. For instance, some may advise against writing about death. Yet a student who lost their father at an early age may be capable of writing a poignant essay about their search for an alternative father figure, and how they found one in their soccer coach.

I suggest avoiding guides on what not to write until after the student has done a thorough round of brainstorming. Otherwise, they risk censoring themselves too early, and may reject a promising idea. Once they’ve narrowed down their list to three ideas or less, they may want to check our guide on College Application Essay Topics to Avoid .

The reason why certain types of overcoming challenges essays miss the mark is that they emphasize the wrong aspect of the experience, which turns the topic into a cliché. While it’s generally a good idea to avoid trivial topics (again, that C in P.E.), any topic has the potential to be compelling, if it’s animated through personal opinions, insight, and description. Details bring an experience to life. Structure and reflection make an essay convincing. In other words, how the story is told will determine whether or not the topic is worth writing about.

So, rather than avoid specific topics, consider avoiding these scenarios: if you can’t show the essay to your best friend or grandmother, it’s probably not ready to show a college admissions officer. If you must write a clichéd topic, don’t choose a typical structure.

Techniques to Hone

Techniques that animate an overcoming challenges essay are the same ones used in storytelling. Think setting, visuals, sounds, dialogue, physical sensations, and feelings. “Showing” instead of “telling.” Crafting the essay with these inner and external details will bring the challenge to life, and catch the reader’s attention.

Another technique which works well when trying to avoid the trappings of cliché involve subverting the reader’s expectations. In storytelling terms, this is a plot twist. The student who got a C in P.E. may actually have a stellar essay on their hands, if they can break away from the “bad grade” trope (working harder to improve their grade). Perhaps this student’s story is actually about how, while sitting on the bleachers and not participating in the game, they found themselves watching the frisbee spin through the air, and realized they had a deep interest in the movement of astronomical bodies.

Some of the strongest overcoming challenges essays demonstrate what students have learned about themselves, rather than what they’ve learned about the obstacle they confronted. These essays may show how the student has come to see themselves differently, or how they’ve decided to change, thanks to the challenge they faced. These essays work because the reflection is natural and even profound, based on the student’s self-awareness.

Writing the Overcoming Challenges Essay, or Drafts, Drafts, Drafts

Everyone writes differently, some by outlining (never a bad idea), some by free-styling (good for capturing sensations and memories), some by lighting a candle—but don’t procrastinate too much. The only “must” is to revise. After a first draft, the student should begin to look for several things:

1) Clarity and Detail. Is the challenge recounted with precision? Is it personal?

2) Structure. Consider mapping the structure, to visualize it better. Does the structure suit the story? Can it be changed for clarity, or to keep the reader more engaged?

3) Cliché. Identify words, sentences, and ideas that are dull or repetitive. Mark them up, and in the next draft, find ways to rewrite, subvert, condense, and delete.

4) Lesson Learned. Has the student reflected adequately on the lesson they learned from overcoming a challenge? To add more reflection, students might ask themselves what they have felt and thought about the experience since. Would they do something differently, if faced with the same challenge? Has their understanding of the experience evolved over time?

By the final draft, the experience and the reflection should feel equally weighted. To get there, it may take five or six drafts.

Overcoming Challenges Essay Sample

The Happiness Hotline

First there were reports. Then we were told to stop socializing, go inside, wait. Covid struck. Everyone knows what ensued. It probably looked different from where we were all (separately) standing, even though we faced the same thing. Those first weeks, I stood at my bedroom window. It was dark by early evening in Oregon. The weirdest part—after the fact that we were collectively sharing the loneliest experience of our lives—was the silence.

… it was really quiet.

So quiet, I could hear my mom sigh downstairs. (So quiet, I couldn’t remember if I’d hummed aloud, or if I’d just heard myself in my head.) When I looked out the window, I could hear the stoplight at the end of our street. Green to yellow. Click.

Before going on, you should know three things. First, this is not a Covid essay. This is about melancholy, and the “sadness that has taken on lightness,” to quote Italo Calvino. Second, from my bedroom window, I can see down a row of oak trees, past the hospital, to my friend Carlo’s house. Third, Carlo is a jazz singer. Maybe that sounds pretentious, a freshman kid being a jazz singer, but that’s Carlo, and I wouldn’t be me without Carlo being Carlo. He’s someone who appreciates the unhinged rhythm of a Charlie Parker tune. He’s an extrovert who can bring introverts like me out of my shell. He convinced me to learn trombone, and together we riff in the after-school jazz club.

In the first month of the pandemic, we called each other nightly to talk rap albums, school stuff. At Carlo’s house, he could hear a white-crowned sparrow. He could also hear his parents talking numbers behind the bathroom door. The death toll was mounting. The cost of living was going up too. As the month wore on, I began to hear something else in our calls, in the way Carlo paused, or forgot what he was saying. Carlo was scared. He felt sad, isolated, and without his bright energy, I too, felt utterly alone.

Overcoming Challenges Essay Sample (Continued)

After some dark days, I realized that to help ourselves we needed to help others. It was pretty obvious the more I thought about it. People are social creatures, supposedly, even introverts. Maybe our neighbors needed to remember the noisiness of life.

We built a happiness hotline. That sounds fancy, though essentially, we provided three-way calls on my parents’ landline. The harder part involved making flyers and putting them up around town, in places people were still going. Grocery stores, the post office. We made a TikTok account, and then—the phone rang. Our first caller.

For months, if you called in, you could talk to us about your days in lockdown. People went really deep about the meaning of life, and we had to learn on the spot how to respond. I’d become a journalist and a therapist before becoming a sophomore. After chatting, the caller would request a song, and if we knew how to play it, we would. If not, we improvised.

Now we’re seniors in high school. Carlo visits the hospital with band members. As for myself, I’ve been working on a community music book, compiling our callers’ favorite tunes. I don’t want to forget how important it felt to make these connections. Our callers taught me that loneliness is a bit like a virus, a bit like a song. Even when it stops it can come back to haunt you, as a new variant or an old refrain. Still, sadness can take on lightness when voices call through the dark: sparrows, friends, strangers. I learned I’m good at listening into the silence. Listening isn’t only a passive stance, but an open line of receiving.

Analysis of the Overcoming Challenges Essay Sample

This student uses their musical passion to infuse the essay with vivid detail. There’s a focus on sound throughout, from the bird to the stoplight. Then there are the callers, and the clever way the student conceived of breaking through the silence. The narrator’s voice sharpens the piece further, elevating a clichéd Covid essay to a personal story of self-discovery.

In fact, the essay briefly breaks with structure to tell the reader that this is not a Covid essay. Although techniques like this should be used sparingly, it works here by grabbing the reader’s attention. It also allows the student to organize their thoughts on the page, before moving the plot along.

Outwardly, the student is overcoming the challenge of loneliness in a time of quarantine. Yet there seems to be an inner, unspoken challenge as well, that of coming to terms with the student’s introverted personality. The essay’s reflection occurs in the final paragraph, making the essay experience-heavy. However, clues woven throughout point to the reflection that will come. Details like the Italo Calvino quote hint at the later understanding of how to alleviate loneliness. While some readers might prefer more development, the various themes are threaded throughout, which makes for a satisfying ending.

A Last Word on the Short Essay About Overcoming Challenges

The short essay about overcoming a challenge requires the same steps as a longer one. To write it, follow the same brainstorming activity, then focus more on condensing and summarizing the experience. Students who’ve already written a longer overcoming challenges essay can approach the short essay about overcoming a challenge by streamlining. Instead of deleting all the extra bits, keep two interesting details that will flavor the essay with something memorable and unique.

• College Essay

Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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One Expert’s Advice to Help You Write a Strong Overcoming Adversity Essay

Learn how to pick the right adversity story and write an impressive overcoming adversity essay

Whether you’re working on college or scholarship applications, you’re bound to come across the overcoming adversity essay sooner or later. While every type of college application essay is unique, the overcoming adversity essay presents particular challenges for students.

What’s the best way to talk about the adversity in your life? What if you come off as too whiny? What if you don’t have any significant obstacles to write about? Will you be at a disadvantage?

Every year, my students ask me how to tackle this tricky part of their college applications. Luckily for you, I’ve developed a fool-proof approach for writing the overcoming adversity essay , and I’m eager to share it.

Keep reading to learn why the adversity essay is important, how to choose the best topic, and how to write an impactful overcoming adversity essay.

Why the overcoming adversity essay is important

When colleges ask you to write a personal hardship essay, what are they trying to learn? Many students think they’re trying to find and admit the applicants who have faced the most adversity. Not true! Trust me, the adversity essay is NOT a competition to see who has it worse. 

The purpose of the overcoming adversity essay is to reveal how you respond to difficult situations. Think about it. College is hard—not everyone has what it takes to succeed. Colleges want to accept students who have the skills and resilience to persevere through the adversity they’re bound to face.

So when an admissions officer reads your adversity essay, they’re trying to answer these questions:

• How do you manage stress?
• How do you attempt to resolve adversity?
• How do you reflect on the challenges you face?
• How do you apply lessons to your life?

If you can successfully answer these questions, you’ll write a stand-out overcoming adversity essay. 

Not sure how to recognize an overcoming adversity essay prompt? Here are a few examples.

The Common App

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?

The University of Miami

Considering your ability to control your own motivation and behavior, how have past experiences helped build your courage and resilience to persist in the face of academic and life challenges so that, once these storms pass, you can emerge in continued pursuit of your goals?

The University of California 

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

How to select the best story for your overcoming adversity essay

Choosing what to write your overcoming adversity essay about can be a challenge. The hardest things you’ve faced in life might not actually be the best topics. So I always encourage students to brainstorm lots of ideas before committing to one.

Here’s what I suggest. Sit down with a family member or close friend. Write a list of all the adversity you’ve faced—big and small. From challenging school projects to your parents divorce to the death of a family member, add everything you can think of to your list.

Next, you’ll want to remember and record how you reacted to each of the obstacles on your list. What were you thinking? What actions did you take?

To choose your adversity essay story, you’ll actually focus on your reactions list. Search for the instances when you showed impressive grit, strength, resilience, and problem-solving skills. These are the best stories to use for your overcoming adversity essay.

Weak topics for your adversity essay

As you’re selecting which topic to write about, beware of choosing a story that falls into one of these categories.

• Adversity you faced due to COVID or virtual learning—everyone dealt with these circumstances, so it’s not a unique topic and won’t help you stand out.
• Obstacles you dealt with in elementary or middle school—it’s a bit too outdated. Find a more recent instance of your grit and resilience.
• Interpersonal struggles you had with a teacher or coach—these essays can come off like you don’t get along well with adults, which isn’t the impression you want to give.

Strong topics for your adversity essay

Any story that shows your maturity and problem-solving skills is a good choice for your overcoming adversity essay. Even so, there are few topics that might be better options for you than others, depending on your circumstances.

• Ongoing obstacles you’re still facing but you’re handling well—important if this obstacle will carry on into college.
• Adversity that interfered with your academic achievement—important if you had a GPA dip you’d like to explain.
• Something that will resonate with the school you’re applying to or the career you’re pursuing—important if adversity drove you to choose a specific type of school or major.

How to write an impressive overcoming adversity essay

Now we’ve arrived at my fool-proof overcoming adversity essay formula. Once you’ve chosen the right story that demonstrates your resilience, just apply this formula to create a memorable adversity essay.

This formula is simple. It’s all about crafting a narrative. Remember, you’re telling the story of when you faced an obstacle. So you want it to sound like a real story, not a school report. 

Here is the five-step formula to writing the perfect overcoming adversity essay.

• Introduce the obstacle or adversity
• Describe your emotional response
• Discuss the actions you took to face the problem
• Share the outcome of the situation
• Reveal what you learned from the experience

See? It’s a piece of cake. Now let’s see how it looks applied to an adversity story. 

• The adversity: My family moved across the country between my sophomore and junior year.
• Emotional response: I was devastated to lose my friends and scared to start over in a new place.
• Actions taken: I scheduled regular talks and virtual hang outs with my old friends to ensure we’d stay in touch. Then I pushed myself to join two clubs at the beginning of the school year.
• Outcome: I stayed connected with friends from home. And even though it was intimidating to make new friends, putting myself out there helped me quickly meet people who shared my interests. I felt less alone and adjusted to my new environment sooner than I expected.
• Lessons learned: I am stronger and more adaptable than I thought I was. I am capable of thriving in new places and creating a new community for myself wherever I go.

With extremely little effort, I made a strong outline for an adversity essay using this formula. You can do the same! 

Dos and don’ts for your overcoming adversity essay

The formula will take you a long way in structuring your adversity essay, but here are a few additional tips and tricks to make sure your writing is outstanding.

• Don’t try to garner sympathy or pity —be honest about what happened, but remember your purpose isn’t to make the reader feel bad for you.
• Do maintain a positive and upbeat tone throughout your adversity essay.
• Don’t spend too much time describing the problem —keep it brief and to the point.
• Do focus the majority of the essay on how you responded to and resolved the obstacle.  
• Don’t forget to include the outcome and the lessons you learned —self reflection is impressive to application readers.
• Do connect what you learned with your future in college or in your chosen career.

Remember, one of the great things about the overcoming adversity essay is that you’re telling a story. You’re not making an argument or delivering an informational report. Once you have your story and the structure in place, have fun with the rest!

Final thoughts about the overcoming adversity essay 

I’ll never say writing a college application essay is easy. But hopefully I’ve convinced you that the overcoming adversity essay isn’t as intimidating as it seems. In fact, I hope you have an enjoyable time writing your adversity essay and celebrating your resilience. Be proud of yourself. You are amazing!

I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts and concerns about the overcoming adversity essay? Drop a comment below, and I’ll be happy to address them.

Dr. Leslie Tucker College Consultant

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, overcoming a challenge essay examples.

I'm working on writing a 'overcoming a challenge' essay for one of my college applications. Does anyone have any examples or advice on how to approach this type of essay? I'd really appreciate some guidance here!

How's it going! Here are a few pointers on how to approach this kind of essay:

1. Choose a significant challenge: Select an experience that was truly challenging for you, and not just a minor inconvenience. The challenge could be personal, academic, or related to an extracurricular activity. It should be something that genuinely impacted your life and required you to grow in order to overcome it.

2. Be specific and descriptive: Detail the challenge and provide context for the reader. Use vivid language to paint a picture of the situation, sharing how you felt and what you were going through at the time. This will help the reader understand the significance of the challenge and empathize with you.

3. Focus on your response and growth: When describing how you overcame the challenge, emphasize the steps you took and the strategies you employed. Explain what you learned from the experience and how it changed you. Show how you grew as a person and developed new skills or perspectives as a result of facing the challenge.

4. Highlight your resilience: Illustrate your resilience by describing how you persevered through difficulties and setbacks. Show how you were able to adapt and find solutions, even when the path was not clear. This will demonstrate your determination and ability to withstand adversity.

5. Share lessons you learned: Consider the broader implications of your experience. What life lessons did you learn from this challenge? How has it shaped your understanding of yourself and the world around you? By reflecting on these lessons, you can provide a meaningful conclusion that showcases your growth.

For example, let's say you faced a significant health issue during high school. You might start by describing the day you were diagnosed, how it affected your daily life, and the challenges you faced in maintaining your grades and extracurricular activities. Then, you could discuss the steps you took to manage your health, such as adopting new routines, finding resources, and learning to prioritize your well-being. You would explain how the experience taught you about resilience, self-advocacy, and the importance of health and wellness in your life. Finally, you might connect this personal growth to your future endeavors, explaining how this experience has prepared you to overcome obstacles and seize opportunities in college and beyond.

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How to Answer "Describe a Challenge And How You Overcame It"

What the Interviewer Wants to Know

• How to Answer 'What Was Your Biggest Challenge?'

Examples of the Best Answers

Tips for giving the best response, what not to say, possible follow-up questions, frequently asked questions (faqs).

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When someone applies for an entry-level position, a typical job interview question they might be asked is how they’ve handled significant obstacles in the past. If you are currently in high school or college and lack work experience, interviewers may phrase this question as, “Tell me about the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a student.”

These challenges might be academic or personal—there is a wide gamut of situations you might choose to share. Perhaps you were tasked with completing an important team project, but your teammates bailed at the last minute. Maybe you were an officer in an extracurricular or service organization tasked with organizing a major fundraising project. Or, like many students today, you might have struggled to balance your classwork with the demands of a necessary part-time or full-time job.

More important than the challenge is how you handled it: Use this as an opportunity to highlight strengths that would be helpful on the job, such as persistence, communication skills, and time management abilities.

Learn how to answer interview questions about challenges, what to say when you respond, and review examples of the best responses.

Key Takeaways

• List the interpersonal or people skills that empowered you to overcome challenges as a student, and highlight these in your response.
• Ideally, use your answer to persuade your interviewer that you would readily accept challenges to grow your skills and contribute productively to their workplace.
• Use the STAR interview response technique to create a unique, illustrative example that the interviewer will remember when it comes time to make a hiring decision.

This question is a way for interviewers to get a sense of how you tackle problems and adversity. They are also interested in your level of self-motivation. Are you an individual who actively seeks new challenges in order to develop your skills and gain knowledge and experience? Or are you someone who passively avoids difficult situations until they arise?

If possible, share examples that demonstrate to your interviewer how you are a person who embraces challenges.

How to Answer 'What Was Your Biggest Challenge?'

Be honest. It’s tempting to toss back a humble brag as a response, e.g., “My biggest challenge was that I’m such a perfectionist!” Don’t do this. Everyone has flaws and areas for improvement. By pretending you don’t, you force the hiring manager to assume you’re either lying or not self-aware. Neither makes a good impression.

Focus on challenges you’ve conquered. By the same token, now is not the time to present yourself in an unflattering light. There’s no need to share challenges you’re still actively trying to resolve. For instance, if you currently have trouble keeping your cool in stressful situations, don’t tell the hiring manager you tend to freak out when the pressure is high. Instead, look for examples that show how you faced a challenge and overcame it. So, for instance, if you used to feel stressed before presentations, talk about how you solved the problem by taking a public speaking course and creating a schedule that allowed you to prepare ahead of time.

Look for opportunities to show you’re the best person for the job. When answering this or any job interview questions, your goal is to show the hiring manager you’re the best candidate for the position. That means  matching your qualifications to the job  and using your answers to show you’d be a good fit. For example, if the job listing specifies that the employer is seeking someone with good time management skills, you might talk about how you developed a system to help you juggle a challenging course load and a part-time job.

Here are sample interview answers you can edit to fit your personal experiences and background. Notice how these responses all demonstrate desirable soft skills that employers hope to find in their new hires.

Example Answer #1

My biggest challenge as a student was being as focused as possible. Sitting through the conventional lectures was sometimes difficult. My mind and body were always going, and I couldn't wait to get out of my seat, move around, share my thoughts, and interact with my peers. I handled it by focusing all my energy on listening and note-taking. It helped keep my mind busy and my body moving, and I also left with some great notes.

Why It Works:  This candidate demonstrates a good degree of self-knowledge in admitting that they struggled with listening in class. Nevertheless, they demonstrated they could successfully recognize their struggles and adapt to the classroom environment.

Relevant soft skills : Interpersonal communications, teamwork, adaptability, flexibility, and active problem-solving.   

Example Answer #2

My first year in school was when I faced my biggest challenge. I had never lived away from home before, and I experienced severe homesickness. I was almost defeated by it, and I had the opportunity to go home and attend a local college instead. However, I decided to try to overcome my homesickness, which I did by making a real effort to connect socially with new friends in my classes, my dorm, and a campus church group.

Why It Works:  This is a smart answer because the speaker shares what is a fairly common challenge for many students and then outlines the steps they took to overcome it.

Relevant soft skills : Self-motivation, problem-solving, personal initiative, and tenaciousness.  

Example Answer #3

Acquiring successful time management skills was the biggest challenge I faced as a student. It was an aspect of college life that I underestimated the significance of. Now that I am in the workforce, I continue to use the skills I gained, and I am always trying to improve on them as well.

Why It Works:  Here, the candidate chooses to focus on a single job skill that enables them to be a valuable and productive employee: time management. They also express their belief in continuous improvement.

Relevant soft skills: Time management, self-initiative, self-knowledge, problem-solving, and willingness to learn.

Example Answer #4

One of the biggest challenges during my first year of college was the volume of work. It was a big change from high school, and standards were also much higher. I tackled this in a few different ways: I looked for opportunities to start or join study groups, met with my professors for advice on where to focus my attention, and set up a structured schedule to make sure I was putting in the required time studying. This resulted in my maintaining a 3.8 GPA even though I was also working a part-time job to help pay for tuition.

Why It Works:  This answer effectively uses the STAR interview response technique to describe a past S ituation, explain the T ask or challenge involved, describe the A ction(s) taken, and present the positive R esult of the action.

Relevant soft skills: Strategic planning, problem-solving, personal initiative, communications, organization, and project management.     

Practice your answers . It’s a good idea to have a couple of answers in mind in case the interviewer nixes your first reply, or the interview goes in a direction you don’t anticipate. Regardless, you should devote some time to  practice interviews  before you meet with the hiring manager. Ask your school's career services office or a supportive friend to conduct  mock interviews  with you to get a feel for how to answer questions effectively and organically—and change tracks when necessary.

Emphasize relevant soft skills. Even if you don’t have much professional work experience, as a student you’ve probably developed many of the interpersonal or people skills that employers are thrilled to find in entry-level job candidates. Highlight the soft skills mentioned in the employer’s job posting, then allude to these in your answer. 

Be enthusiastic. Use your tone of voice and body language to express your confidence and willingness to accept the sort of challenges the job would present. Humor, judiciously used, can also work in your favor.

Don’t mention a significant challenge you failed.  Don’t mention an important failure (like flunking a class) or use any sort of example that would raise a red flag with your employer about your reliability, coachability, or work ethic (like, “I had to miss a lot of classes”).

Don’t make excuses.  When explaining a challenge, don’t make excuses for yourself or cast blame on an instructor or your classmates. Avoid negative statements like, “The professor expected too much.”

• Why should we hire you? -  Best Answers
• What is your greatest strength? -  Best Answers
• What are your goals for the future? -  Best Answers

How can I prepare for an interview when I don't have a lot of work experience?

Make a list of your top qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge or experience that match the requirements in the job description. Then think of examples of how you have demonstrated those attributes in jobs, internships, volunteer roles, extracurricular activities, academic projects, or school activities. You'll have examples of how you can succeed on the job ready to share with prospective employers.

What are behavioral interview questions?

Behavioral-based interview questions focus on how you handled work-related situations in the past. Your responses will help the interviewer learn about your behavior, personality, and character. When you don't have formal work experience, you can share examples from your classes, academic projects, extracurricular activities, and volunteering.

CareerOneStop. " Types of Interviews ."

Top 11 Toughest Writing Challenges And How To Overcome Them

This article contains everything you need to know about writing challenges, what causes them, and how to overcome them.

Writing is a lonely, mentally challenging, and sometimes grinding profession. Most of your time is spent in front of a screen, trying to put words together, while your brain is telling you, “Nobody would read this.”

On top of that, you’re expected to create a schedule, set rates, and find time for family and friends. Like Ernest Hemingway famously said ,

“Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.” Ernest Hemingway

How do you overcome countless writing challenges and keep your sanity at the same time? Well, there is an art to it, but in this post, you’ll learn:

• What writing challenges every writer faces
• What causes these obstacles
• How to overcome them

Let’s dive in!

How To Eliminate Online Distractions

How to overcome the feast and famine cycle, how to find time to write, how to overcome writer’s block, how i overcome a productivity slump, how to structure your articles, how to edit while feeling drained and bored, how to set attainable deadlines, how to research your work, how to overcome feeling socially isolated, how to overcome this writing challenge, how to get your creative juices flowing, final word on writing challenges, what is a creative writing prompt, what is creative writing and what are some examples, writing challenges infographic, 1. online distractions.

The biggest writing challenge for me is eliminating distractions for a few hours so I can get into a flow state and cultivate a habit of daily writing.

In this modern world, distractions are everywhere. I like separating them into two categories, offline and online distractions.

Offline distractions are easy to eliminate. Establish boundaries, and tell everyone in your house not to disturb you for the next few hours. Most people are reasonable and will respect your request.

Writing with kids in the house may be a challenge, but it comes down to timing. Aim to complete your deep work when they’re asleep, playing with their friends, or at school. Focus on the creative work while the house is quiet. Then, you can do any non-creative tasks, like answering emails, when they’re home and awake. Being a writer with children might mean early starts, late nights, or both.

The real challenge is removing online distractions. With so many social media platforms, you can’t keep track of them all. They draw your attention all over the place, and when it comes time to work, you find getting into that flow state impossible. A good web blocker like Freedom app can help.

Getting rid of online distractions requires a combination of discipline and tools to keep your core creative time distraction-free.

My ritual for eliminating online distractions is to close all the tabs I’m not using, like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even email. I put my phone in a drawer in the next room. However, even after taking these steps, I still feel tempted to open Facebook or YouTube, and this is where distraction-blocking tools, like Freedom App, come in.

It blocks the news feed of any social media platform. That stops users from getting into that zombie-like trance where you’re scrolling Facebook for what feels like five minutes, then you realize an hour went by.

Simply head over to the Chrome store, and you’ll find distraction-free extensions for YouTube, Facebook, and any other social media platform.

I highly recommend installing the distraction-free YouTube extension since writers need to do a lot of research and this sometimes requires this search tool. YouTube shows videos you might like on the right sidebar, and if you get distracted, you can easily waste hours watching videos.

Distraction-free YouTube blocks the sidebar on the right so you can watch what you need for research purposes then head to your favorite place to write. You will still need a modicum of self-control but all it takes is one looming deadline for you to see the error of your ways.

Read our guide to the best distraction-free writing apps .

2. The Feast And Famine Writing Cycle

The infamous feast and famine cycle is another major challenge to those making their living as a freelance writer.

A feast and famine cycle refers to balancing the act of writing with finding your next writing job. One month you might get a lot of work and beat your monthly income target, and another you won’t even come close. Consider this an opportunity rather than a challenge. 

Think of yourself as an employee of your company. Pay yourself a set salary that covers your expenses, and the money left over you either put into an emergency fund or invest back into your business.

This prevents you from going overboard with spending when times are good. Then when a famine rolls around, you have some money to fall back on while you get more clients.

This doesn’t tackle the root of the problem, however; it only treats the symptom. The other reason this poses such a challenge is during the feast period, many writers stop marketing and landing clients. When the inevitable famine comes, they have a lot of time to market their services, and this brings in a new flow of clients that leads to another feast.

Now that we know what causes a feast and famine challenge, the solution is obvious. Never stop marketing! Some ideal forms of marketing for writers include:

• Social media outreach
• Content marketing

Don’t stop once you’re busy because your lack of marketing might not show itself immediately, but in a few weeks or months, you’ll start to feel it. 

Set an hour or two aside every day and pitch your service to potential clients. Make it a habit, and if you don’t have time to pitch because you’re too busy, hire a virtual assistant to do it for you.

By constantly pitching your writing services to potential clients, you’ll never experience a feast and famine cycle again. Your workflow becomes predictable and reliable.

Check out our guide to the best writing jobs and also our list of side hustle ideas for writers .

3. No Time To Write

You’re a full-time writer. You spend your days tapping away at the keyboard while sipping piping hot coffee, right? For most writers, finding time to write is a chore since life has a habit of getting in the way. But that’s where budgeting your time comes in. When you want to get better at money management, you budget your money. So why not do the same with your time?

Once you’ve structured your day, look for times where you can improve or eliminate as this allows you to get some extra writing done. The first time I planned my week in advance was difficult, but I quickly got into a creative groove.

Another mindset shift you must make is that you don’t need a laptop or computer to start writing. You carry a smartphone, so if you don’t have access to your computer, whip out your phone and blog away. You can always send the file to your computer later.

4. Writer’s Block

Ernest Hemingway once said writer’s block is the most terrifying challenge he ever faced. You know the terror. You open a Google Doc or Microsoft Word document, then you stare at a blank screen having no idea where to start. It can be very daunting for many writers. For those just starting out, it can feel insurmountable.

You don’t have to go through that dreaded challenge every time you start working on a new project. The most common reason people experience writer’s block is that they judge their work before it’s time.

Many new writers working across different genres expect to write pure magic as soon as they touch a keyboard. Instead of writing then editing, they judge and throw out their first drafts. With this practice, you’ll obviously feel stuck because writing a perfect first draft of a new story is impossible. Your first draft will be terrible regardless of your writing skills. and that’s fine. You can always edit your draft later.

Once you understand and accept that your first draft will be poorly written, you won’t experience writer’s block anymore. Daily writing becomes a piece of cake.

When you start writing, don’t judge your work. Just write. No matter how horrible you think your writing is, don’t delete or edit it right away. That comes later.

5. Productivity Lulls

Some days, you feel tired and unproductive . The words will refuse to flow. You will find a voice in your head questioning every word you write. All writers experience this, and it’s a good thing. Slow days allow you to appreciate productive days when you can write a few thousand words in a blink of an eye.

Here are a few tricks you can use to make your unproductive days a bit more productive.

My three go-to techniques for increasing productivity are:

• Working out: creativity and exercise are interlinked
• A nice, long shower

Multiple studies show the benefits exercise provides your brain. It improves thinking power, sharpness, and motivation. In simple terms, exercise promotes the growth of a protein called BDNF, which is found to increase mood, improve learning and even protect your brain against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

After running around the neighborhood a few times, hop in the shower.

Do you notice that when you’re showering, unique and creative thoughts magically pop into your head? This is because you’re relaxed and stress-free. These creative opportunities are essential to being productive.

Last, avoid eating until you’ve reached a required word count. For example, have lunch only after you’ve written 2,000 words. This technique encourages you to give yourself a reward for completing a difficult task. You’ll also be more inspired because hunger is a strong motivator.

Read our guide to productivity for writers .

6. Self-Editing Your Work

One of the biggest fears most freelance writers face is posting or sending an article to a client that includes typos and other mistakes. After you’ve written a post without judging it, you can bet you’ll find typos and structural problems. You also need to decide which subheadings are relevant, entertaining, and eye-catching for readers versus knowing what to cut. That’s key whether you’re writing a short story, article, or a soon-to-be Amazon best-seller.

Editing is harder and more draining than writing itself because when you’re writing, you enter a flow state after a few minutes. Editing is a drag on mental energy, but love it or loathe it, it’s still an important part of the writing process.

Outlines can make your life ten times easier. When creating an outline, visualize yourself holding your reader’s hand and walking them through everything they need to know to fix whatever problem your article solves. 

After you’ve completed your outline, the rest is easy. You’ll feel like you’re just filling in the blanks since the structure of the post is already complete.

You can use index cards. A good outlining app can also help.

After you finish writing an article, put it into a good grammar checker first and fix any basic issues. Next, change the font and print the article. Why?

If you write in Arial and edit in a different font, the change tricks your brain into thinking you’re reading a different piece. You’ll be more likely to catch small errors. And printing your post on a sheet of paper prevents you from writing while you’re reading, which can interrupt the flow. Editing and writing are two very different processes and should be kept separate at all times. Instead, make a line under the mistake, then edit the document on your computer later.

I started doing this for my writing and have greatly reduced the number of mistakes in my articles, as did working with a professional editor.

Check out our self-editing guide .

7. Managing Deadlines

Many creatives dislike deadlines as they feel stifling and stressful. However, deadlines mean your clients want a piece of work by a set time. Missing them can result in a client terminating a contact. The potential for lost income can be a powerful motivator for the freelance writer.

It’s also important to realize that deadlines are should not just be imposed by clients. Deadlines are also important if you write for yourself. This is because shipping quality work consistently is key to earning a good living as a writer. You can’t earn from something you endlessly rewrite! While it may be difficult to start with, try setting yourself a deadline for every piece you work on, regardless of whether there is a client-imposed deadline also.

The first step in setting attainable deadlines is to break down your project into smaller chunks. For example, research,  outline, writing the first 1000 words, then the last 1000 words, and finally editing. Breaking things down not only makes tasks less daunting, but the consistency of regularly hitting smaller deadlines will increase your motivation and your productivity.

Next, review previous projects and notice past delays. Maybe your piece required more research or editing took longer than anticipated. Factor this into the time it takes to complete your next writing project. Never stop evaluating and updating your processes.

After you’ve written blog posts for a while, you’ll gain a feel for how long you take to research, write and edit a post. When you receive a writing project, instead of trying to finish it as soon as possible, give yourself enough time to complete your project.

Even if your client hasn’t given you a deadline for a post, set a deadline for scheduling, submitting, or publishing. This ensures you don’t rush your post because of a deadline and hand in mediocre work. We recommend using personal Kanban to manage writing projects.

Setting writing goals is a great way to get into a routine and change the way you think about deadlines. You could set goals around:

• Submissions
• Publications
• Projects e.g. NanoWriMo
• A daily word-count

8. Researching Your Work

You need a system for capturing ideas and reviewing them. Many new researchers like Evernote. That’s ok for clipping story ideas. The commonplace book as popularized by Ryan Holiday is popular too. However, I recommend using the Zettelkasten method for capturing ideas and reviewing them regularly. Essentially, summarise ideas as you happen upon them, interlink them using software or index cards and turn the results into work you publish.

Researching and structuring blog posts, articles, and book chapters is sometimes a struggle for writers. After all, how can sit down to write if you suddenly have to stop to research a location, fact, figure, or story idea? This challenge is particularly stressful if you’re writing non-fiction or freelancing.

Read our guide to the Zettelkasten Method or check out my interview with Sacha Fast about this method

9. Isolation and Loneliness

Creative writing is a lonely profession, after all writers spend a lot of time alone with their ideas and words. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make time to socialize with friends and family and meet new people.

Socializing is a skill. Like any other skill, you can improve it or lose it. If you’re spending all day indoors working on creative writing projects and you don’t emphasize socializing, don’t expect to maintain your social skills. An argument could even be made that strong social skills will help you write more engaging content.

As a writer, you must prioritize what’s important to you. Since we’re social creatures, socializing should be up there with food and water. But few writers prioritize it.

So instead of watching Netflix or browsing the internet after you’ve completed your work for the day, try something new. Go to a networking event for writers, take up a new hobby like dancing, surfing, or martial arts. These are all interesting ways of making friends with people who share your interests.

By getting out and about and talking to different people, you will also get a broader understanding of what other people are interested in. How they talk and interact with each other, etc.. All of this will help you become a better writer, whether you are creating fiction or writing freelance.

Check out our guide for lonely writers .

10. Feeling Like Your Work Isn’t Good Enough

It’s common for many new writers to work on a story or article, then get it ready to publish only to decide, “I need to improve it a little.” That’s fine for a bit, but too much revising and self-editing can rapidly degenerate into procrastination and perfectionism. You need to finish and submit your work if only to get feedback. Sometimes rejection and criticism are what we need to grow as a writer, not another round shadow boxing with our own self-doubt.

Commit to submitting and publishing a set amount of creative work each week, month, or year. Get feedback from a professional editor if you find yourself reworking the same pieces endlessly. As Stephen King famously said:

Write the the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Stephen King

Read our guide to conquering these types of writing fears .

11. Stifled Creativity 

It’s normal to sometimes feel unproductive Similarly, feeling creatively dry is a common writing challenge. It’s particularly pertinent if you’re engaged in creative writing, like a short story or a novel. But you can take a few steps to get your creative juices for story ideas flowing again.

There are several ways of getting into a creative headspace. Some include;

• Watching a new movie
• Reading a great writing book
• Listening to a podcast about writing
• Socializing with old friends or make new ones

The activities above all do one thing. They take your mind off your writing challenge and let your subconscious do the work.

Did you ever notice you never get an amazing idea while you’re actively thinking about how to solve a problem? Great ideas come when you’re doing something totally unrelated like watching TV or talking to a friend or family member.

Use this knowledge to your advantage. Next time you face a creative writing challenge, take your conscious mind off the problem and allow your subconscious to find a solution.

If you still need help, read our guide to self-care for writers .

If you face challenges while writing, don’t worry. The blank page is sometimes intimidating. So, spend more time creating than consuming, particularly across genres. That’ll get your creative juices flowing.

Then, get into the habit of working on story ideas until they’re ready to publish. When in doubt, set an hour or two aside each day to focus on your work without interruption. The journey towards writing a 50,000-word novel starts with 500 words a day. Those writing sessions quickly stack up on top of each other.

If you’ve time left at the end of the day, take an online writing course . Thanks to the internet, you can easily learn from top-tier writers without spending thousands of dollars or traveling. That’ll help you improve your writing skills. With a few simple tricks and techniques, you can kiss all these common writing challenges goodbye.

FAQs About The Toughest Writing Challenges

A creative writing prompt is a project like a short story or poetry challenge. Prior to tackling the challenge,  know the purpose of the writing challenge, which writing style to use, and who the audience is.

Creative writing is any form of writing that goes outside the bounds of academic, journalistic, and technical writing. NaNoWriMo is an organization that promotes creative writing by holding short story and poetry challenges around the world. Other examples of creative writing include flash fiction and poetry.

Writing is a tough gig.

Perhaps you’re working on that difficult first draft, but you’re struggling with self-belief?

Maybe you’ve been playing with an idea for months, but deep down you know it’s not good enough.

Or perhaps you want to turn a hobby into a professional career that pays the bills, but you’re not sure how to do it?

Even if you’re a more accomplished writer or someone who’s finished a book or works with paying clients, it can take years to gain the confidence needed to become a professional writer.

These are common challenges, which anyone who wants to become a writer faces.

I wanted to learn more about these common writing challenges so last year, I asked 22 top authors and writers one question:

What was your greatest writing or creative challenge and how did you overcome it?

Now, I’ve put together the best answers in this writing infographic.

Save it, Pin it, share it!

21 Best ‘Describe a Challenge You Faced and How You Overcame It’ Examples

Answering behavioral interview questions can be tricky if you are unsure of their purpose. For example, when a potential employer asks you to describe a challenge you overcame, they want to see how you deal with pressure, setbacks, failures, and unexpected challenges.

A stellar answer will tell them about your problem-solving skills and critical thinking ability. Let’s review some tips for excellent answers, pitfalls to avoid, and look at 21 fantastic example answers.

5 Tips for Crafting Your Best Answer

• Use a professional or work-related story if you can
• Try to include a relevant story that can apply to the job position
• Emphasize what you learned from the challenging situation
• Keep the interview answer simple and concise
• Be humble but proud of your accomplishments

5 Mistakes to Avoid

• Do not say that you have never had to overcome any challenges
• Avoid too much detail
• Do not use your answer to blame someone else for a previous issue
• Stay away from stories with negative outcomes
• Avoid retelling the story as you being superior to others

How to Answer: STAR Format

When answering common interview questions, the hiring manager hopes your answer gives them a deeper look into your work abilities. Using the proven STAR technique will provide a good example that includes all the key elements they are looking for in an easy-to-follow layout.

The STAR method uses four vital elements, which include:

S: Situation – Start with the simple circumstances as the base for the answer. Were you on a team project and facing a short deadline?

T: Task – What was your part or role in the circumstances? Were you the individual responsible for delivering products to a client?

A: Action – What course of action did you take to solve the original problem? Specify your steps and not that of the team.

R: Result – End your answer with a positive outcome. Did you achieve what you set out to do, or what did you learn from the problem that you can use next time?

Take a look at these real example answers and see how you can prepare for any tough interview questions in your next interview.

Example #1: Filling a Role You Never Held Before

At my first job, I worked as the on-site customer service rep for the store. I was right out of school and did not have any customer service experience until this point. I answered phone and email concerns, forwarded complaints to specific departments, and tried to find workable resolutions.

Even though I was new to handling customer problems, especially in a busy, high-stress store, I learned how to think quickly and empathize with the clients so that they were satisfied with the end results.

Example #2: Fixing the Mistakes of a Coworker Who Was Fired

Working on the production floor at my previous job presented a significant challenge one time. A coworker was let go due to a lack of quality work, and there was a pile of incomplete orders and customer invoices with mistakes that needed fixing.

Because we were both assigned to the same production team, I had to fix the mistakes and clean up the unfinished orders. Although it was stressful and many of the orders were under a tight schedule, I successfully completed the task while balancing my production duties with careful time management.

Example #3: Having to Fire a Coworker

I was in a tough situation at my last job as the shift supervisor. I always try to have a good relationship with everyone at work for a more harmonious environment. Unfortunately, HR approached me to fire one of my coworkers because of some disciplinary issues.

This circumstance was a difficult time for me at first since I had never been the bearer of bad news before. Thankfully, after discussing company procedures and policies with Human Resources, I came up with a plan to let my coworker go as empathetically as possible. Although I do not want to deal with that problem again, I believe I am more knowledgeable on what it takes to get that kind of job done tactfully and professionally.

Example #4: Deal with a Cash Till Shortage Problem

Working as a cashier on the night shift at my previous job posed some challenges. My shift was short at cash-out every evening for an entire week. In addition, management was beginning to suspect employee theft, so I investigated the problem.

I did not want to start blaming coworkers, but I had to find the cause of the shortage before our company lost any more money. After sitting down with everyone on the night shift and going through till receipts, I discovered that one woman working with us had terrible eyesight and mistakenly entered in wrong codes and price counts.

Thankfully, I caught the problem early, she started wearing proper prescription glasses while on shift, and there was no further cash till shortage issues.

Example #5: Act as the Liaison Between Two Disgruntled Coworkers

Even though I was not a supervisor in my previous role, the management team asked me to act as a liaison between two coworkers that had personal issues because I had close personal relationships with both of them.

Although I had no previous conflict resolution training, my employer’s HR team helped me prepare to work effectively with both coworkers. As a result, I see now how having a familiar acquaintance was more productive for diffusing a sensitive situation than having the management team intervene alone.

Example #6: Learn a New Skill to Keep Your Job

When I was working as an administrative assistant, we had a change in ownership. The new management team had their own ideas about what each employee’s current role and duties should entail. After going through my job description, they decided that my position was ineffective and outdated.

The new owners gave me a chance to take some evening classes to obtain my license to sell insurance in the office and take a job on the floor rather than getting laid off. Although it was stressful to face a looming job loss, I decided to pursue the certification and completed it successfully to keep employment.

Example #7: Manage a Sales Team During Company-Wide Layoffs

Working as a sales team manager during the recession was a tough time for everyone. Our organization was going through company-wide layoffs, which had a detrimental effect on the remaining employee’s confidence and job satisfaction.

I could see how the anxiety and stress affected our monthly sales, and I had to find a way to turn it around. So, I took the initiative to talk to management about integrating some no-cost morale-boosting things to incorporate at work to help with everyone’s outlook. Thankfully, by including things like a monthly potluck and casual-dress Fridays, the employees started to enjoy working at the office more and spending time with each other, and our sales improved again.

Example #8: Accept a Promotion When Up Against a Coworker Who Was a Close Friend

One tough situation I faced at my last position was when our supervisor retired and his job was up for grabs. The company conducted an in-house job interview first before looking outside the organization, and consequently, both myself and my coworker applied for the position. The complication was that this coworker was also my close friend.

After two rounds of interviews with the hiring manager, they offered me the promotion to shift supervisor, much to my friend’s disappointment. However, this circumstance gave me insight into being professional and empathetic to coworkers. Although my friend was not happy about being passed over, they eventually accepted that I was the better choice for that particular job, and we have a good working relationship to this day.

Example #9: Being in Charge of Finding Cost-Cutting Measures for the Office

As part of my job as the district manager, my boss came to me for help in finding cost-cutting measures for the office. Although I did not have much accounting and budgeting experience, I embraced this new task and began searching our company processes and procedures for any inefficiencies.

In only two weeks, I distinguished three separate areas where our office could save money. From changing suppliers and distribution companies to allowing employees to take unpaid time off, I decreased our district budget by 12%.

Example #10: Make an Ethical Decision at Work Regarding Some Current Work Practices

Working at a public relations firm presented the biggest challenge that I have faced during my career so far. After working there for only one year, I found that some of my coworkers were making unethical decisions regarding our company’s business practices because of pressure from clients.

Once a client approached me to perform the same favors, I had to decide if my job was worth going against my principles. Eventually, I chose to follow my morals, and although the client was not pleased with my decision, it brought unfair company practices to light with our management team, forcing a positive change for all our staff.

Example #11: Being an Ineffective Manager of a Retail Store

Although it is hard for me to discuss now, I was an ineffective retail store manager years ago. It was my first role in management, and I had outdated ideas of my duties. As a result, my subordinates did not respect me, and there was a high turnaround rate for the first six months of me overseeing the team.

Eventually, the district manager came to me with concerns about my actions and how to handle the employees. By seeking further training and remaining open to better management practices, I was thankfully able to adjust my view and how I dealt with the team on the floor. This way, everyone was happier and more productive.

Example #12: Letting Pride Get in the Way of Asking for Help

At my previous position, I had the chance to take on other jobs during our slow season. Unfortunately, the one task they asked me to handle was an action I was unfamiliar with before. Because I was still pretty new to the job, I felt intimidated and nervous about asking for help since I didn’t want to look like I didn’t know what I was doing.

As a result, I did not complete the task according to how the company wanted, and I ended up wasting more time since I had to redo it after my supervisor took me aside to go over the steps. I know now that it is always better to ask for clarification and ensure that I am on the right track to be more productive.

Example #13: Refusing to See How Much More You Could Learn at Your First Sales Position

I worked as part of a profitable sales team at my previous job. My team was terrific, and we achieved top sales status almost every quarter. However, because of this, anytime my supervisor came to me with a good idea on obtaining new clients, I would brush him off and disregard his advice.

After some time, the management group brought me in to discuss how I was not open to new ideas and was combative at work. At the time, my thought process felt like they singled me out, but now I realize that my disregard for learning new strategies limited my potential. So now, I try to take any ideas a coworker has as having the potential to help me improve.

Example #14: Being in Charge of Hiring a Third-Party Event Planner That Overbilled Your Company

My boss assigned me to hire a third-party event planner for our annual district conference. I spent a lot of time researching the available options and comparing quotes, finally deciding on a local small company to run our event.

Once the event was over and my company received the final bill, there was a significant discrepancy in some charges. There was a miscommunication between what they quoted and what services I chose for them to handle. Facing a more significant invoice than our limited budget allowed, I strategized and agreed with the event planner for a lesser amount, and also committed to using their services for our next event.

In the end, my company had a more manageable bill, and we kept a professional relationship open with a local company. I also learned more about communication skills and having contracts in writing ahead of time.

Example #15: An Angry Client Asked for Your Manager Who Was Not Available and Demanded a Solution

I remember the first time I was the only senior staff member on shift while our manager had to leave for a delivery. While he was gone, I took a phone call from an irate client who had a mistake in their order and demanded to talk to the manager.

Although I have some experience with angry customers, the process at our company was to let the manager handle these types of calls. However, since he was unavailable, the client wanted a solution now rather than waiting for a callback. Thankfully, I took a conflict resolution course the year before, and I could calm the client down and minimize their urgency. This way, my manager could talk to them later about a proper solution.

My manager was impressed with how I handled the call. Because of how effective my methods were, he ensured that every team player could take the conflict resolution course so they would also have the tools to handle this situation if he was not around.

Example #16: Completing Your Monthly Reports Incorrectly

I held a work experience position as an intern right out of school. Although it was only a short-term job, I was keen to try my hand at as many tasks as possible. But, unfortunately, I think I was in too much of a hurry to try and learn everything and missed an important part in my monthly reports.

My supervisor noticed the mistakes and brought them to my attention. Of course, I immediately felt ashamed. But with time, I realized that as long as I own up to my mistakes and make sure I do not continue them, I can learn from any negative situations.

Example #17: Repeatedly Clashing with a Team Member During Major Projects

I worked in a small team at my last place of employment. We oversaw all the accounts payable and receivables. Unfortunately, each month, a report was due that required important information from all four team members. I was consistently clashing with one coworker about generating the details for the document.

This conflict would continue each month, causing stress and time delays. Finally, after some consideration, I approached my supervisor to ask for help to diffuse the situation and figure out a resolution. I am glad I took the initiative because, after that, our supervisor was able to work with both of us to find a workable solution when it came to collecting the necessary data for our monthly reports.

Example #18: After Spending Days on an Important Project, All the Data Was Lost 

I can remember a difficult work situation where I spent many days working on an important project for a new client. My supervisor wanted me to make sure that I met all the customer’s requests. I worked diligently on this project and was satisfied with my progress as I went through their items.

Unfortunately, we had a power surge at our office that took out our power, and my computer took on some damage from it. Within a second, all my hard work was gone. I immediately started to panic but realized that I had to think logically and formulate a plan. I contacted our IT department, and with some careful retracing to our backup server, I could recover most of my work so I could remain on task and complete the project on time.

Example #19: Being Very Driven During a Team Project, and Taking Over Too Much of the Responsibility

I enjoy working in teams, and with my last project, I was a little too enthusiastic when it came to taking on team tasks. So I started trying to handle as many items for the group as possible, believing that the more I did for the group, the better we would be.

Unfortunately, by doing this, I was not allowing each team member a great opportunity to use their strengths and abilities for the group’s benefit. As a result, I stretched myself too thin, and because I was completing too many things at once, I started making mistakes and missing deadlines. In the end, I realized that I could not do everything, and having a competent team to split tasks is the best solution for large projects.

Example #20: Having a Hard Time Following the Direction of Your Manager

Unfortunately, one difficult situation I encountered at my previous employer was when I was having a hard time following the direction of one of my managers. This individual would come to me with tasks that I didn’t feel were relevant to the project or they were not an efficient use of my time.

Consequently, because I did not always follow the directions given to me, I created a wedge between my manager and me that other coworkers noticed. After talking to the Human Resources department, I realized that ignoring or disregarding my manager’s directions was not the best solution. Thankfully, with the amazing group of people on staff, I learned how to accept guidance and when to ask for more clarification if I had concerns.

Example #21: Reacting When a Client Changed a Project Deadline

Thinking back, the biggest challenge I faced at work was when I was working for a prestigious client on a major project. This client was a long-term contract of our company, and I was new to working on their file. I began their new project last quarter and was well into many details when they came back and changed the deadline, moving it up by two weeks.

Once my manager notified me of the change, I started to panic since I didn’t think I would have enough time to complete the project before the due date. So, I talked to my supervisor and discussed some options to complete the job in a shorter time frame. I am glad I reached out because my supervisor assigned another person to help me with the project, and we had it done in time for the client, after all.

Answering behavioral questions is just the first step in the job interview process. One great way to ace an interview is preparing with sample answers that will wow potential employers.

Using details from specific situations will show an employer the best way you handle workplace challenges and if you will be the best fit for the job. In addition, past experiences can help a potential employer relate to you and show your best qualities, even when in stressful situations.

UC Essay Prompt 5: Take the Challenge

by j9robinson | May 1, 2016

University of California Personal Insight Question 5: Your Chance to Get Real and Personal

If you have faced hardships, share them.

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

If you are a high school student who has had to deal with some tough issues in your life or background, you should seriously consider writing about at least one of them in UC Essay Prompt 5 (also known as Personal Insight Question 5)

This is not whining or complaining.

In fact, students who have had to overcome or deal with obstacles in their life and managed to succeed in school despite those issues are highly desirable to almost all college and universities. And the UCs are no exception.

The beauty of having to write four shorter essays for the UC application is that you can share an intense personal issue in one of them (This one!), and still have three other essays where you can write about other more uplifting parts of your life, including your academic goals, your passions and other experiences.

Do not be ashamed if your family is poor, or is from a different culture, or has endured personal challenges, such as death, illness or disability.

There’s a strong chance that these very issues have helped shape and define who you are—in a positive way.

Sharing one of these personal challenges in this UC Essay Prompt 5 is your opportunity to showcase how you handled or managed it, and how it shaped or changed you somehow.

When you describe the challenge you faced, it might feel like a downer.

But don’t hold back. We need to understand what it was like for you to face that challenge, and feel what you felt even at your lowest point.

The key to writing about an intense, personal challenge is to describe it at the start of your essay, and then quickly shift into the steps you took to deal with it, how you felt, what you thought about it, and what your learned in the process—about yourself and life in general.

For those of you who come from relatively “average” or even privileged socio economic backgrounds, I know that you also can have faced intense, personal issues in as well.

Money often doesn’t shield us from challenges at home, at school, with friends or family. Sometimes, it can even make things worse.

You could have a mom addicted to painkillers, or a sibling who was autistic, or a stepfather who was abusive.

These can all be very real challenges in your life, and you could write about any of them for UC essay prompt 5.

I believe it’s important to share these stories with colleges and universities when possible so they can understand what you have been up against to get to where you are now: A young student with lots of real-life experience and grit (raw determination.)

Writing about a challenge from your background or family life also allows you to open up and share some of your feelings.

I believe this type of personal expression is one of the most powerful ways to connect with your reader, and in this case, those making the admissions decisions at the UC.

Since these UC essays are relatively short—under 350 words each—it’s critical to leave room for the positive side of whatever challenge you write about.

Note that this prompt asks for two things: to describe the challenge AND to explain how it “affected you academic achievement.”

Your challenge may have hurt your academic achievement at first, but there’s a good chance you used what you learned by dealing with that issue actually ended up helping your academic achievement somehow. If this is the case, include that!

Here’s a Sample Outline for UC Essay Prompt 5

• Describe the challenge. Ideally, start with a specific example of that issue so the reader can get a glimpse of what it’s like to be you. Give background on the challenge—briefly explain how it started, what it was, how you felt about it. (One to two paragraphs)
• Explain the steps you took to deal with it, and include how you thought about it. Share what you learned about yourself and the world in dealing with this challenge. Describe  how this challenge affected your schoolwork and academic performance and goals. End with how you plan to use what you learned about yourself—a personal quality or core value—to help you in your future goals. (One to two paragraphs)

Red Flag for UC Essay Prompt 5 : When you start describing the challenge, it’s easy to get caught up in describing everything about it and use all your space on that story. Make sure that at least half of your essay is about what you learned about that story! Otherwise, it’s just a story with no meaning.

When you are brainstorming your past to see what challenges you have faced, here are some other words for a challenge.

It doesn’t always have to be dramatic, tragic or sensational to be interesting enough to write about.

Types of challenges for UC Essay Prompt 5:

An obstacle: Something got in the way of something you wanted or a goal. It could an outside issue or influence, or something within you, such as a hang-up, flaw, disorder, disability, phobia, etc.

A life change: Something changed in your life, whether it was physical, such as a move from another country, or a change in your family life or structure, or an internal shift or change within yourself.

A hardship: Something in your background that made it difficult to feel “normal,” such as financial hardship, or physical or psychological security. A dad loses a job, a sibling has mental illness, or you experienced something that tried to hold you back.

To me, a challenge is anything that tried to make it harder for you to do what you wanted or needed.

Remember, you don’t need to have solved it or overcome it completely to write about.

It’s all about what you did to handle it.

And how you grew up a little in the process.

Here are some additional suggestions that the UC shared along with this UC Essay Prompt 5:

A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, “How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family?

The UC admissions office also shared this advice to help students brainstorm for UC Essay Prompt 5 in its Personal Insight Questions Guide for Freshman Applicants :

Have you had a difficult experience in your life? How did you get through it? What did you learn going through this experience? If you’re currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, “How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family?

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38 Comments

Okay, so I was considering writing about certain physical insecuritie(s) I have and how they negatively influenced me for a while. However, they didn’t affect my schoolwork, but evolving from my insecurity helped me see the world in a new light and change my perspective on people. Would this be an alright topic for this prompt? I feel as though my challenge didn’t affect me that much/may be TOO mundane of a topic.

It sounds like you are on the right track to me. Just be specific about sharing whatever your insecurities were so we understand what it was like to be in your shoes, and then quickly shift into how you dealt with them, and what you learned in the process. It’s not too mundane at all! Good luck. Janine

Hi, I have been thinking about writing an essay for this essay question, and I was wondering what were some risky topics that I shouldn’t talk about, if there are any? I want to write about my anxiety and how it has prevented me from going out there and taking more challenging classes and joining more clubs, but I’m not sure if this is something I should write about.

Hi Lauren, That’s the great question! I believe the most risky topics are those that are generic and dull. If you write about something that isn’t necessarily glowing or positive (about you), you can share that issue, but you MUST quickly and thoroughly also include how you handle it and the positive lessons you have learned from dealing with it. You don’t necessarily need to have completely gotten over your anxiety, but schools will want assurance that you have not let it stop you from being a productive, balanced student. Hope that helps! JR

Hi I was interested in this essay prompt as well . One way I wanted to express a challenge I faced was the overall expectations of my sister and other family members to be like her and yet took it as far as calling me stupid with some of the decisions I wanted to accomplish. I felt I could express this since my sister has now grown to become rather then a person who I felt once to be in their shadow and I mattered less to her if I didn’t succeed , to now understanding my true passions and desires on what I want to do with my life . I felt this was a good idea but I was wondering if I could get some feed back

I was interested in this essay prompt as well . One way I wanted to express a challenge I faced was the overall expectations of my sister and other family members to be like her and yet took it as far as calling me stupid with some of the decisions I wanted to accomplish. I felt I could express this since my sister has now grown to become rather then a person who I felt once to be in their shadow and I mattered less to her if I didn’t succeed , to now understanding my true passions and desires on what I want to do with my life . I felt this was a good idea but I was wondering if I could get some feed back

Hi, so for this prompt, I was thinking about either writing about the loss of my grandmother, who was always very supportive and and caring of me, has opened my eyes to see how you can lose someone so close to you in just a day and how you might have take advantage of them before, or about how getting my first job (Starbucks barista) has made me a much more outgoing and less shy of a person- it has a changed me in a way I couldn’t have imagined, I am more confident in myself and my communication skills have improved.

I believe you could write something awesome about either topic. However, I will say that over the years I have seen many students write about losing grandparents, so it’s a topic that’s a bit overdone. However, it all depends on what you have to say about it. Also, I’m bias toward writing about summer jobs or other employment. I think those make the best topics since they are everyday, yet say a lot about you simply that you WORK in the real world. If you write about Starbucks, think of a time you faced some type of “problem,” and you will have a little interesting story and then can go on to share how you dealt with it and what you learned. Good luck! I’ll take a tall latte with almond milk to go. haha. JR

Hi JR, thanks a lot for your reply. I have written my draft and I would love if you could take a look at it and share your thoughts. I zeroed in on the topic of Starbucks. I would greatly appreciate it!

I want to go for this prompt, but i don’t want to write something complicated. Rather I want to write about this period of time. How I got stressed of all the works I had to do to apply for college, distracted from things that matters, and how my family got me out of it. Is it too simple for this prompt? I feel like everyone in the world had gone through this, but it did changed my attitude and get me focus on the goal.

I was planning on choosing this question and writing about how I have experienced depression on my own terms and also through my mother and how it has led me to have failing grades in 2 courses (D’s and F’s) but then explaining how it has helped me grow and become a better student. Is this too much information or should I just include this in the additional comments section? Thanks so much!

What are your thoughts on writing about anxiety and fear of failure?

Hi, I am struggling with this insight question because I would like to write about my challenge recovering from sexual abuse and assault but I don’t know if it would be considered too personal.

If you believe you can write about this topic and turn it into an essay mainly about how you dealt with this issue and what you learned from it, I would say to go for it! I think personal essays are the most effective. Make sure to share what happened (the challenge), but quickly move into explaining how you dealt with it and what you learned. Good luck! JR

Hi, I wanted to go for this prompt but I’ve a lot of major problems that influenced me and have shown equal significance to helping me grow as a person. It’s hard for me to decide on the most significant one, can i write about more than 1?

My suggestion would be to start your essay featuring the main challenge you want to write about; the main one that will help you showcase how you handled it and what you learned. Then you can weave in any other related challenges, as long as they somehow support the main point you are making about yourself and what you learned. In general, always best to pick one topic to give your essay topic. Best of luck! JR

Thank you for such a great article! This website has been such great help

AJ, you are so welcome! Janine

Hi! I wanted to discuss my sexuality. I was the subject of many rumors in high school and other taunts concerning my sexuality and i wanted to discuss how i didn’t come to school for a while but then had a realization that others dont matter and i am who i am. Would this be okay, or is it too much of a sensitive topic

Hi Sana, it sounds as if your sexuality and dealing with bullying over it was defining for you. Anything you had to deal with usually will shape your values and who you are. I believe this could be a very effective topic to write about for this prompt. I would spend most of the space writing about how you handled the issue, what you learned in the process (about yourself, others and the world) and how it changed you in anyway. Sounds like you have already done a lot of thinking on this and most likely have a lot of interesting and meaningful things to say about it. Great question and good luck to you! Janine

I’m currently an incoming senior and really stressed about UC apps opening soon! I am torn between two topics for this prompt at the moment. The first topic is dealing with anxiety and the challenges that come with it, and how I was able to avoid it under certain circumstances and what I learned from the disability. The second topic is about my Filipino background and how growing up a different race in America has affected me and labeled me as “different.” I was wondering which of the two is the best choice. From other forums online, the anxiety topic is apparently too risky, while the race/culture topic is way too common. Any help appreciated! Thanks!

Hi Chelsea, I would need to know what other topics you are including in your other 2 UC prompts. I think you need to consider what each essay is saying about yourself, and how they balance out. You could write meaningful essays about your anxiety and/or your Filipino background. One is not inherently better than the other. It’s all what you say about them. Sorry if that doesn’t help you. You also could write about both and see which one feels more meaningful and adds something to your entire application. Good luck! Janine

For this question, I was thinking about writing that I ran for ASB and lost at the end. I want to talk about how it was an opportunity for me to face my fear of public speaking, but I wouldn’t be able to talk about how this affected my academics since the election didn’t really affect them (except I went through a period of intense stress so schoolwork was a bit tough on those days). Is it necessary to be able to answer that part of the question? I would appreciate your insight! Thanks!

Is a heartbreak or breakup considered a challenge?

Not recommended as a topic.

Can I write about finding your self identity?

Hi, I have a question. I wanted to try and answer this prompt by talking about my body issues and eating disorder, but I’m still currently struggling with that and I’m not sure how I would find the positive side of that. It’s a topic that’s really personal to me, and I want to talk about it but I’m not sure how to go about it.

Amazing series! Just want to drop by and say thank you for now:)

I wanted to write about how I had to deal with an alcoholic parent. My biggest issue is writing to much about my parent rather than I how I handled it. She is now 6 years sober I want to write that in there, but I keep struggling on shifting back to me.

Hello! Is witnessing a death of a child during my volunteer shift at a hospital considered a challenge? I wanted to write about how witnessing that bolstered determination to pursue medicine in school. My biggest issue is that it was more of an internal realization and not something that academically changed me.

Great advice! One question though: So basically I’m going to write about the time my ankle was dislocated, and how I have a yoga competition in 2 months. I would describe how I could have just walked away, but I tried, and I didn’t win though. The lesson I learned would be resilience, how anything is achievable through hard work, etc. What I’m worried about is: The essay didn’t answer the question of how it affects my academic achievement. What happened is true, but the reader might not believe it since it’s too stereotypical. What should I do? Can you please help me? Thanks so much.

Great advice! One question though: So basically I’m going to write about the time my ankle was dislocated, and how I have a yoga competition in 2 months. I would describe how I could have just walked away, but I tried, and I didn’t win though. The lesson I learned would be resilience, how anything is achievable through hard work, etc. What I’m worried about is: The essay didn’t answer the question of how it affects my academic achievement. What happened is true, but the reader might not believe it since it’s too stereotypical. What should I do? Can you please help me? Thank you so much.

hi. thanks for this article, but i have a topic that’s considered kind of risky. should i write about having a learning disability if i have no accomodations? the UCs might ask about that and I really dont want to have to give them a copy of my terminated iep, but having an LD has been a really big part of my life and it feels dishonest not to disclose. what should i do?

Hi I want to use this question and I was thinking about writing my experience as a foster kid and how I got through it would that be a good topic?

Yes! I believe that must have been a very defining experience that shaped who you are–your core values. It’s a broad topic, so I would try to give it sharper focus by choosing one quality it helped you develop, and then think of smaller, everyday moments or experiences that you can share to make it personal. Good luck! Janine

Sorry that im late to the party, but I want to write about how I was affected by my high-functioning autism during my early childhood, but it didn’t affect my academics. What should I do?

Sorry, I am late but I feel that if I talk about being sexually assaulted at school it may get me in some trouble, or give off too much information.It affected my academics but I don’t know if I should risk it

I would imagine that this assault affected you deeply and that in dealing with it, the experience shaped you in a fundamental way. Yes, this topic could be very difficult to write about, but I think if you didn’t go into a lot of details (and just explain generally what happened and avoid names or other details) about the actual incident, and focused on how you handled it, how it affected you and how you have worked through it as best as possible, it could be a very impactful and meaningful essay. The key is to focus on what you learned from this experience and how it changed you or how you think about the world. I’m so sory this happened to you! JR

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Comprehensive Interview Guide: 60+ Professions Explored in Detail

Answers to “What Challenges Have You Overcome?”

By Biron Clark

Published: November 15, 2023

In a job interview, you’re likely to be asked, “What challenges or obstacles have you overcome?” Or, “What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome?” But what type of challenge should you describe? And do you need to pick a work example?

Coming up, I’ll share why employers ask interview questions about challenges and how to give a successful answer, with full answer examples.

Why Employers Ask You to Describe a Challenge You Have Overcome

Employers will ask you about an obstacle or challenge you’ve overcome, or for your biggest challenge, to make sure you’re comfortable handling adversity. They don’t want to hire people who have never been in a tough situation, or can’t provide an example of a time their life was difficult, because they’ll worry that you might panic and fold when the work gets tough for the first time. So telling them about a time you were successful in handling a challenge makes them feel like it’s lower-risk to hire you. And that’s important to employers.

Answering “What Challenges Have You Overcome?”

When you’re asked an interview question about a challenge you have overcome, you’ll likely have a few examples come to mind. You may think of work challenges, personal challenges, or school challenges. Yet, to give a clear and concise answer, I recommend you pick just one challenge. If you have prior work experience and can think of a job-related answer, then I recommend you do so. Employers will see a work situation as most relevant to their needs.

Yet, it’s possible to give great interview answers to this question by talking about a personal life challenge as well. So if you’re an entry-level job seeker or have one particular challenge that you feel you’re most proud of overcoming, then you can certainly share a personal story. While a personal life challenge may not be as relevant to the work you’ll do for a company, it can certainly make for an emotional, impressive story. And that means your situation/answer is more likely to be remembered by the interviewer. You can also ask the interviewer to clarify by saying, “Sure. Were you hoping to hear about a work challenge? Or a challenge from any part of life? A couple of examples come to mind so I thought to clarify before I answer.” No good interviewer will fault you for that. Just be ready to decide for yourself if they say, “Any challenge is fine.”

Watch: How to Answer “What is the Biggest Challenge You Have Overcome?”

How to answer “what is the biggest challenge you have overcome”.

Employers may also ask for the biggest challenge or obstacle you’ve had to overcome. It’s normal/acceptable to give a personal answer here. Still, if you’ve faced a substantial challenge at work, then I recommend mentioning that. This will help ensure your response shows that you’d be successful in this new job. When answering interview questions about past challenges, it’s important to show traits that employers want, such as:

• Ability to prioritize
• Ability to stay calm under pressure
• Communication
• Ability to take a step back and think/plan when you’re in a difficult situation

If you can mix a few of those traits into your answer, you’ll be more likely to get hired for this new job. However, if you feel that an answer from your personal life would be more compelling, you can share that. I’ll show an example of a personal answer and a job-related answer coming up soon, so keep reading.

Sample Interview Answers to “What Challenges Have You Overcome?”

Full example 1:.

One of the biggest work challenges I’ve overcome happened at my last job. Two team members were let go and I was left with the workload of three people. I fell behind and knew I couldn’t keep up in the long term, so I asked my manager for help. We came up with a solution that involved hiring, getting temporary help from another team, and streamlining our team’s processes to be more efficient, too. The experience taught me a lot in terms of communication and problem solving , and I think I’m even better prepared for the next problem or challenge I’ll face since I overcame that previous obstacle despite it feeling hopeless initially.

Full Example 2:

One of the greatest obstacles I’ve overcome was moving here to the United States when I was 10, without speaking the language fluently. I had to make new friends, learn the language, learn the culture, and adjust to a completely different way of life. One thing that made me successful was my natural curiosity and interest in learning. I’ve always been a good student, someone who reads and studies a lot, and someone who enjoys picking up new knowledge in general. I’ve taken that approach to learning new skills on the job, too, which I think has helped me get ahead in my personal and professional life and overcome obstacles or disadvantages.

Note that you can use the same type of answers above to describe the biggest challenge you’ve overcome if the hiring manager asks that instead. Also note that one example response above is a story about a work challenge, and one is a personal experience/problem. Find and choose the best example based on your background and the position you’re interviewing for. Both types of answers can be powerful and effective in the right scenario, if you overcame a challenge that shows the employer positive traits and life skills.

Obstacles Overcome: 15 Examples

To help you brainstorm more answer ideas for this question, here is a list of example obstacles you may have overcome:

1. Having to fix a coworker’s mistakes

Fixing the mistakes of another person at work could make for a great challenge you overcame. Maybe you were new in a role and asked to use your experience to redo the work of someone else. Or perhaps you had to step in to fix an emergency, such as an angry customer/client caused by the work of another person on your team. Or if you’re a recent graduate or still a student, maybe you had to fix a classmate’s work at the last minute on a group project. These all make good stories to tell, as you explain how you stayed calm and chose the right strategy to find a way out of the situation.

2. Having to hire one or more people in a short time

If you were a hiring manager under pressure to hire many employees in a short period, that’s also a great story to share, especially if your next job involves hiring/leading as well. Remember, the best answers to “tell me about a challenge you overcame” will demonstrate how you’ll be effective in this next job, too.

3. Filling in for a coworker who was fired

It can be tough on the entire team when a coworker quits, is fired, or is laid off. Showing how you dealt with an unexpectedly high workload by staying organized and handling the stress  can make a good story.

4. Having to fire or lay off workers

If you’ve been in a leadership role and were asked to fire or lay off workers, that can be incredibly difficult emotionally and mentally. This makes a good story and experience to share, and is a chance to demonstrate your communication and management skills.

5. Learning a new skill or adjusting your skillset to stay effective in your role

If your skills became outdated or needed an update, and you took on the challenge, either through continuing education, online courses, or asking for more training/learning opportunities at work, then consider sharing this in your interview answer. This could be a good way to show that you’re proactive in handling obstacles and that you are career-focused and driven, too.

6. Being short on cash after a shift, if you were a cashier or in another cash-handling role

If you ever worked as a cashier or in another role handling money, it can be incredibly stressful and difficult to be missing cash and have to explain that to your employer. This happened to me in my first job, a part-time cashier role while I was a student. I won’t explain the details, but through a clever scam someone pulled on me, I was nearly $100 short at the end of my shift. Over time, I was able to recover and get back to being in good standing with my employer, and I learned a lot from the experience. If you’ve experienced similar, this is something you could tell the interviewer to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and the ability to bounce back from adversity.

7. Any difficult ethical decisions you’ve had to make

If you were put in a tough spot in terms of making an ethical decision at a past company, or as a student, feel free to share that. Just make sure it’s something that won’t give this interviewer doubts about your character now. Only share this type of story with an employer if you’re sure it demonstrates that you’re ethical and honest, and did the right thing.

8. Resolving problems/disputes between coworkers

If you were working with two or more people who had a dispute and you helped solve it, this can be a great story to share… especially if this disagreement was harming the employer, and if working out the dispute helped the company.

9. Repeatedly clashing with a team member, or dealing with a team member who was difficult to work with

If you were stuck with a difficult person on your team and had to find ways to work with them, this can be something worth sharing to demonstrate how you’re able to communicate and problem-solve in your career.

10. Planning a complex event

Whether in your career, studies, or personal life, if you’ve planned out an important and complex event and faced challenges along the way, this can certainly make for a good story to share in the interview. You can demonstrate skills like organization , handling pressure and deadlines, working and coordinating with many different people on a project, etc.

11. Preparing for an important speech or presentation

Having to prepare a detailed speech or presentation in the past would also make a good obstacle to talk about in your job interview. For example, if you had never spoken in front of a large crowd before and had to give an important presentation under short notice, use that example to show employers how you prepared, how you practiced, and how you enjoy building new skills (the new skill in this case would be public speaking).

12. Dealing with an angry customer or client

Resolving an issue with an angry or abusive customer can be a challenge. If you faced this obstacle and were able to keep going, stay calm and polite, and resolve the issue, then this story would demonstrate many traits that employers want to see.

13. Losing data or work related to a project and having to redo it under a tight deadline

If you’ve ever worked on a project and lost some or all of the data with limited time to redo it, this could make for a fantastic story to tell the interviewer. Just make sure you’re sharing a story with a positive outcome, where you overcame the obstacle.

14. A difficult deadline you faced

If you’ve faced a challenging or seemingly impossible deadline, and somehow delivered the work on time, then this is going to be an impressive story to share.

15. Being asked to learn a new skill or step into a new area in your team or company

Sometimes, your employer will ask you to learn skills or step into a completely new area when you didn’t want or expect to. If you’ve done something like this successfully, it can make a great response to any questions about a work-related challenge you’ve faced. This type of transition can be difficult in terms of learning the skills, but also mentally/emotionally. And so discussing these things will demonstrate many positive traits that employers want and need.

Keep Your Answer to 60 Seconds or Less

Aim to keep your interview answer below 60 seconds. Practice at home by recording your answer on your smartphone if you need to verify the time. This guideline will keep you from sharing too much info or telling too long a story. This may also help you in deciding which example of an obstacle to share. If you’ve overcome a few obstacles and feel one situation would be difficult to describe in a minute, and the other would be better suited for this length of answer, then choose that. There’s a benefit to giving a clear, concise answer here, in terms of impressing the hiring manager. So pick a story that you can tell clearly and relatively quickly. This doesn’t mean you should rush your answer. Make sure to explain the situation clearly without skipping any important details. Just be aware of the time, since most hiring managers aren’t looking for answers that take a few minutes each. That makes the overall interview take too long.

Use the STAR Method to Keep Your Answer Organized

To keep your interview answer clear and brief when asked about a challenge you overcame, I recommend using the STAR method , which is short for:

This is how I recommend answering all sorts of behavioral questions (questions that begin with a phrase like “tell me about a time…”) Start with the overall situation you were in (were you working a job? studying? etc.) Next, describe the task at hand and the challenge you were confronted with. Then share the action you took to tackle the problem or obstacle. And explain why you took that action. Finally, describe the result , which should be a positive outcome, and possibly a lesson learned to better handle future situations. Always tell a story with a positive outcome. This will do a better job of impressing the hiring manager in response to any behavioral question.

Conclusion: How to Describe an Obstacle or Challenge You’ve Overcome

Next time you’re faced with an interview question like, “Describe a challenge you have overcome,” remember the tips above. Pick one specific example, always tell a story with a positive outcome and/or positive lesson learned, and keep your answer to this question brief (around one minute). If you do this, you’ll be one step closer to landing the job. And if you’re not sure whether the interviewer wants you to tell an example from your personal life or work life, ask. It’s better to clarify an interview question before answering than to give a less-than-ideal answer because you didn’t understand what the other person wanted. So take your time to understand the question first, ensure you know what the interviewer wants, and then share a significant challenge you overcame and how.

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50+ Challenging Essay Topics for Students Daring to Push Their Boundaries (with SAMPLES)

When given topics to choose from, most students usually – and understandably – go for easy ones. You can deal with them faster, with less effort, and then switch to another assignment or have a rest. However, sometimes, you just don't have a choice and must deal with a really hard topic no matter what.

Yet, there always are high-performers willing to rise up to the challenge and take a thornier path. For such people, a tough topic is not a bad fortune but a blessing. If you're one of such daring of valiant dreamers, this selection of difficult essay topics is precisely what you need. It is what the doctor ordered to get inspired and come up with an ambitious and pioneering topic of your own that will push your boundaries as a committed learner and impress the readers.

Moreover, not only can this collection prompt you what to write about but also will demonstrate how you could do that in the most proper and prominent way by providing free samples. They showcase the best writing practices and text structuring techniques, as well as innovative approaches to content presentation.

The last thing we'd like to stress out before you move on to the presented topics is the notion about our essay writing service and experienced authors who can help you embrace virtually any writing challenge in case you don't feel up to it.

Here we go:

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• InterviewPenguin.com – Your best job interview coach since 2011

Interview questions answered: Tell me about an obstacle you overcame

Life is not a walk in a park on Sunday afternoon. Each of us faces all kinds of obstacles in both personal and professional life. And while not all barriers can be crossed –sometimes we have to accept them and move on, it’s your attitude to overcoming obstacles that interests the interviewers.

Are you ready to make sacrifices when trying to achieve something in life? Can you step out of your comfort zone when situation demands it? Do you give up easily, or do you never give up ? And when you finally overcame the obstacle on your way, didn’t ten other obstacles appear in front of you?

Your answer to this question tells a lot about your personality. Hence it makes sense to ask it in almost any job interview. Before we look at 7 sample answers to this question, I also want to list a couple of alternative wordings of this question you may encounter while trying to get any great job:

• Think of a time you overcame a challenge or obstacle. Describe the experience in two to three sentences. (A typical question on many job application forms in the US.)
• Can you tell us about a time when you achieved something for yourself or for others by overcoming significant odds? (Popular in some big corporations in the US.)
• Tell us about a time when you wanted something so badly you were unstoppable in pursuing it? (A less common wording, but I have seen it a couple of times both in the interviews and on job applications).

Anyway , regardless of the chosen wording, they are always looking for the same things in your answer. Let’s have a look at some great sample answers.

7 sample answers to “Think of a time you overcame a challenge or obstacle. Describe the experience in two to three sentences” interview question

• I was super introverted as a child, which was a result of some traumatic experiences I had in my early childhood. It had a profound impact on both my relationships and professional career . I would just sit and listen in the meeting, often answering questions with silence, my eyes downcast. But I eventually found a courage to work with a psychologist, and to undergo a therapy. As I result I overcame my mental block , started to trust people again, and even started a relationship. It wasn’t an easy process, but I did not give up, and here I am, living quite a normal life now, and interviewing for a great job with you.
• My biggest obstacle was to get to vet school. I didn’t have best grades , because when I was younger I didn’t understand the importance they’d have on my future studies and career, and I wasn’t responsible enough to excel in school. I failed to get to a vet school two years in a row. Many people would give up and try something else, but I decided to follow my dream, though I knew I had to overcome significant odds. While not studying I tried to get experience from veterinary practices and zoos, because I believed it would help me in my application. This eventually turned out to be true. I got to vet school, earned my degree, and now I apply for a job with you.
• I do not like the word obstacle. In my opinion, most limitations and obstacles are self-imposed . One can reach as much as they imagine. It’s just about having ambition and dreaming big , regardless of what the others are saying. Sure, everyone is not born into a good family, having resources to study and to pursue their dreams. But even if you are lucky, just as I was, you still have to overcome your laziness , step out of your comfort zone, and stick with one thing long enough to succeed. That’s what I’ve been trying to do up to this point.
• My health was my biggest obstacle . I had bowel issues all my adolescent life, and also problems with food allergy and intolerance, and some related health issues. But I was brave enough to try different diets, though I faced an opposition form my family and also the doctors weren’t supportive of such drastic changes. Eventually I found out that vegan diet, based primarily on cooked vegetables and legumes, works best for me. I got rid of almost all health issues, and can finally function normally in my daily life. I can tell you it was super hard to switch to this diet, since I was addicted to sugar, coffee, and other things, but I wanted a better health so badly that I was unstoppable in pursuing it , and ready to overcome any obstacles on my way.

* May also interest you : 30 most common behavioral interview questions .

• I remember a good situation from my last job . We tried to develop an innovative mobile app, with a goal to help with screening for certain common diseases. But the project was very innovative, I didn’t have full support from the management, and they didn’t allocate sufficient budget for the project. Well, I could have just given up and moved on. But I didn’t do that. I pleaded with them, presented more and more arguments, because I knew that if we succeeded, we could have built the next big thing . Eventually I managed to convince the managers, and they extended the budget. We eventually didn’t succeed with our goal –the app wasn’t accurate enough to break into mainstream use. But I am still glad that I tried, and overcame an obstacle.
• To be honest, I haven’t overcome any huge obstacles yet in my life. I am lucky enough to be healthy, and to somehow thrive in most things I do. I know that some obstacles will come, later on, both in my personal and professional life. And I hope to be ready to face them. My goals and ambitions should drive me forward , and help me overcome the obstacles on my way. My life has been easy up to this point, but I know that things can turn around pretty quickly. I believe to be ready for such a turnaround.
• I carried the biggest obstacles within . My complexes and my prejudice helped me to open up to the world, to have some impact, and most importantly to live freely and happily . Just recently I learned the most important skill in life–if we can call it a skill–to live in a present moment . Giving my full attention to the activity I am doing–be it teaching, cooking, playing, anything, I am not anymore imprisoned by those thoughts … what other think about me , whether I am a success or a failure, etc. Now I understand that such questions aren’t important at all. Overcoming this obstacle was the most important thing in my life.

Open up about your problems and make a connection

It takes some courage to talk about your personal or childhood problems in an interview. Some traumas you experienced, demons you battled with, mental blocks you had to overcome.

If you have such courage, however, it can be a very powerful interview answer . First of all, each hiring manager will appreciate your honesty. Seeing how open you are while talking about your life, they won’t doubt the credibility of your other answers.

What’s more, they will certainly remember what you said. And it is important that they remember you once the interviews end, and they are deciding about the best candidate, or who moves into the next interview round.

* Special Tip: This isn’t the only difficult question you will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, dealing with ambiguity , and other situations that can happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

Employers like the never give up attitude

Maybe you failed in ten other interviews, but you are still here, trying your luck again. Or you did not get to the school of your choice. Instead of opting for a simple job and quick buck, you worked on your preparation, gained some valuable experience and tried again. You failed, but you failed better . Again it did not discourage you. Never giving up and wanting it badly, you eventually succeeded.

Working life is not easy. You will face conflicts, deadlines, sometimes seemingly unrealistic goals . Once you have the “never give up” attitude, however, you will continue even when others already quit. And that’s exactly what the employers love to hear.

* Do not forget to check also : How to dress for an interview? 5 things to consider when choosing clothes to wear.

Do not restrain from philosophical answers

One thing that is really missing in young generation, at least in my opinion, is creative thinking . Leading interviews, we hear the same answers each and every time, maybe with a slight adjustment here and there….

But what if you said that you did not believe in obstacles, that all limitations were self imposed ? Or when instead of obstacles you faced in work or school you talk about obstacles you carry within ? Or you may even say that you were lucky enough to face no big obstacles–with your place of birth, good upbringing, and love all around.

Interviewers do not expect such answers, but they are a clear indication that you can think outside of the box , and do not stick to the same way of thinking and doing as most people. And that’s not a bad impression to leave in the interviews, especially when you compete with many other people for a lone vacancy, and try to stand out from the pack. Keep it on your mind when thinking about your answer to this tricky question.

Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Check also 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions :

• Interview Success Package – Up to 10 premium answers to all interview questions. Get rid of the job search headaches, streamline your interview preparation, and ace your next interview.
• Who has impacted you the most in your career?
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The Challenges Of Writing An Essay – And How To Overcome Them!

• October 30, 2017
• Eleanor Blake

If you’re a humanities or Social Sciences student then you’ll be faced with the task of writing an essay more than once. But getting it right can be a struggle. In fact, a study found that 46 per cent of California State University’s freshers struggle with writing!

The whole process of writing an essay can be a bit messy. Where do I start? How do I avoid plagiarism? What should my plan include? So many obstacles to overcome.

This short guide should help with that.

Step 1: Talk to your lecturer

So, you’ve got your essay title and you’re ready to start. But start where  exactly? Well, you can start by getting the most out of that nine grand you pay per year of education. Have some one-on-one time with your lecturer!

Email them or go to see them during office hours. Find out what they want from your essay. This will give you an idea of what to include and stop you from wandering off-track.

Remember that your lecturer is an expert in the subject and they’re here to help. Don’t be afraid to ask! Talking to them could be the difference between a 2.1 and a first. Make a note of the advice that they give you so you don’t forget anything!

Step 2: Stop, drop and READ!

Reading a wealth of material is key before you even  think about a plan. Jot down notes as you read, or after scanning each chapter. Your notes should include evidence and arguments relevant to your essay.

If you find anything unique or particularly interesting that you think will add a bit of originality to your essay, make a note of that too. Spice it up a bit! But don’t include anything that you’re unsure of: your essay needs to be accurate for you to get a good mark.

Step 3: Pick out a path

After careful reading, it’s time to organise your thoughts into a coherent structure . You should have some idea of what points you are going to make, and in what order you are going to make them. Outline the structure of your essay on a side of A4. For example, write a subheading for each new paragraph and a brief description of what it will include.

Remember that you don’t have to live by this template. You’ll probably end up moving paragraphs around and altering points when you start writing. Still, having something to go off will make planning and writing less hair-grabbing in the long run.

Step 4: Plan

It’s time to get reading again. Yay!

Now is also the time to start planning in detail. Not so yay!

Refer to your former reading notes and the A4 guide you’ve laid out. You can use these alongside more reading to create a detailed, bullet-point plan. Make sure you keep a record of the book and page number where you found each piece of information; it’ll shorten the referencing process when you’re writing.

Step 5: Get writing

Now you’ve got a detailed plan to follow, writing up the essay should be a straightforward process. Remember that your plan isn’t gospel; you’re entitled to mix things up. Add something new or leave something out if you think it works better that way.

Make sure you input your footnotes as you write; it’ll be a pain if you have to retrace your steps at the end and you’ll end up in a fluster.

Step 6: Plagiarism is a doddle to dodge

Plagiarism is easy enough to avoid, but it can also have some pretty serious consequences .

Make sure you put everything into your own words. Take the information and make it your own, and you’ll be right as rain. Remember never to copy a phrase or sentence directly from a source unless you’re going to include it in your essay as a quote. In this case, use quotation marks and a footnote; make it crystal clear to the marker that it’s a quotation.

Step 7: Hack your proof-read

Proof-read your essay as much as you can before you submit it. That’s an order! In the world of academia, there’s nothing quite as embarrassing as realising you used ‘their’ instead of ‘there’ after handing over your essay to an academic.

Before you proof-read your essay, change the font of the text. This change in the text will help you to identify mistakes more easily. Don’t forget to change the font back when you’ve finished though!  Papyrus doesn’t exactly scream professionalism.

Inspiring Interns is an internship and graduate recruitment agency . To browse graduate jobs , click here. For senior digital and mobile jobs , please see Inspiring Search .

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biggest challenge essay

• Thread starter AO2010
• Start date May 7, 2012

• May 7, 2012

Elemental Alchemist

ADD is a pretty common story. I've seen countless threads in different website forums, asking if using ADD was a good excuse for grades/lack of EC's/Etc. If you feel like your ADD story really shows who you are by revealing all your deep, hidden emotions and hopes for the future and other inspirational whatnot AND you can make it stand out from the countless other ADD stories, then go for it. If this is a generic ADD/Overcame challenges story, I would: 1) Continue working on developing it and digging deeper into it to try and craft a truly vivid, revealing, but inspirational story from it OR 2) Just drop the ADD story and find something else, if available.  

Passable Paperweight

• May 8, 2012

I wish I were a dentist

I almost died once, but a lifeguard saved me. It was a pretty traumatic experience.  

Membership Revoked

Morsetlis said: I almost died once, but a lifeguard saved me. It was a pretty traumatic experience. Click to expand...

dmf2682 said: And now you live on an island! See, op, that's the kind of success story you need! Click to expand...

Full Member

the evil queen of numbers

ccrone said: .... That's the most challenging situation I've ever faced. It's 100% true and verifiable. My point is not to brag, or start some kind of "most challenging situation" contest. My point is this: your most challenging situation essay is going to be compared to the essays of people who have been through some of the most harrowing, life altering experiences imaginable. I hate the internet, because things get lost in translation. So, please believe me when I tell you that my intent is to be kind and empathetic when I say this: Do you really want your story of ADD to be read after my story of life, death, and incredible adversity? That experience was so horrible that my therapist was in tears.. Click to expand...

LizzyM said: The adversity essay is not a pissing contest to find and admit the people who have had the most hard luck. It is meant for students to show what coping skills they muster when dealing with a problem. You can be sure that problems will arise in medical school and adcoms would like to select students who are resiliant and who have healthy coping mechanisms. Click to expand...

circulus vitios

ccrone said: Do you really want your story of ADD to be read after my story of life, death, and incredible adversity? That experience was so horrible that my therapist was in tears. Click to expand...

circulus vitios said: Not everyone has had the "opportunity" to face great adversity. Click to expand...

pre med 2014

what is the biggest challenge essay? Is that a part of secondaries? Is it a question every medical school asks?  

pre med 2014 said: what is the biggest challenge essay? Is that a part of secondaries? Is it a question every medical school asks? Click to expand...

hmockingbird

I had a few "general" adversity questions and one that asked me specifically about coping mechanisms. I chose a medical thing that caused me to miss school but in all of those essays I focused more on coping mechanisms. One of the schools I interviewed with specifically asked me about the essay and asked me to elaborate more on my coping skills and support network. I agree that the point is to find students who are resilient, able to cope with stress, and going to be proactive about getting help in med school if they need it. I think you'd be fine talking about your ADD if you focused on your support network and the skills you used to overcome/live with your diagnosis, and what you learned from the experience. You don't need to be elaborate about the diagnosis or focus on how you were reluctant to get help at first.  

hmockingbird said: I had a few "general" adversity questions and one that asked me specifically about coping mechanisms. I chose a medical thing that caused me to miss school but in all of those essays I focused more on coping mechanisms. One of the schools I interviewed with specifically asked me about the essay and asked me to elaborate more on my coping skills and support network. I agree that the point is to find students who are resilient, able to cope with stress, and going to be proactive about getting help in med school if they need it. I think you'd be fine talking about your ADD if you focused on your support network and the skills you used to overcome/live with your diagnosis, and what you learned from the experience. You don't need to be elaborate about the diagnosis or focus on how you were reluctant to get help at first. Click to expand...

• May 11, 2012

Thank you for all of the constructive advice! Here is a rough outline of what I am thinking. What do you think? Anything I should add or remove? · Intro .o .Diagnosis junior year. Don’t give too much detail, focus on positives .o .Educated myself on ADD and ways to cope .o .Decided to take medication to help ​ · Copping skills learned .o .Exercise, sleep, healthy lifestyle .o .Regular schedule, structure .o .Set reminders .o .Positive thinking .o .Self-discipline .o .Self-awareness ​ · Support network .o .Parents .o .Advisor .o .Maintaining social life and friends .o .Professors when need help in classes ​ · Skills learned coping with ADD good overall life skills and can be applied to many other situations  

PingPongPro

I was gonna write something about my experience with living with ADHD, but got distracted. I am curious why you call it ADD and not ADHD. The (DSM-IV) groups all 3 subtypes under "ADHD". I dont think these are exactly "coping skills". ".o .Exercise, sleep, healthy lifestyle .o .Regular schedule, structure .o .Set reminders .o .Positive thinking .o .Self-discipline .o .Self-awareness "  

I've been extremely fortunate to not have had any exceptional challenges during my college years. Not even anything worth mentioning, really. Knock on wood! The only thing I can think of happened during high school and is embarrassingly not major either. I was devastated not making the varsity basketball team when I really deserved to. I worked even harder that summer and got bigger, etc and the coach noticed and I was moved up. Is this worth a shot? I just cannot think of anything else. My mother got ill when I was 12, but I feel that's too young to be worth mentioning as how I dealt with the illness at that time. What do you all think?  

no beans said: I've been extremely fortunate to not have had any exceptional challenges during my college years. Not even anything worth mentioning, really. Knock on wood! The only thing I can think of happened during high school and is embarrassingly not major either. I was devastated not making the varsity basketball team when I really deserved to. I worked even harder that summer and got bigger, etc and the coach noticed and I was moved up. Is this worth a shot? I just cannot think of anything else. My mother got ill when I was 12, but I feel that's too young to be worth mentioning as how I dealt with the illness at that time. What do you all think? Click to expand...

thlaxer said: Also, you don't necessarily need to write about a dramatic or life-changing event for these essays. I think I wrote about my experiences moving away from home for one of them.. yeah.. Click to expand...

• May 13, 2012

I thought of another topic that might work well for this. About a month ago I had to get an HIV test for a visa application. So I went to Planned Parenthood just like I did that last time I had to get one for a visa. They have tests where they just give you a finger stick and take a few drops of blood. It gives results in about 20-30 minutes. The problem with these tests is that they give an occasional false positive, and I happen to be the one who got it. They said that this test was inconclusive if it was positive and I needed some more tests that where more accurate. So they took a blood sample and said it would take a week for the results to come back. I hadn’t engaged in any risky behavior that would expose me to HIV, and I knew that the test results needed to be verified with a more accurate test. But nonetheless sometimes bad things happen to good people, maybe there was just something I was forgetting about? It’s a pretty bad possibility to have hanging out in your head for a week. It gets even better. They call me 6 days after the test to come in and get my results. Someone comes and gets me and takes me back to the regional manager’s office. She comes in and starts her sentence off with “I hate to be the one to tell you this” but someone at the lab made a mistake with your test and we have to draw more blood and have another one done. So after they did a couple different tests to verify that the first one was indeed a false positive they gave me the results. I’m not sure if I would say this was my biggest challenge ever. But it was 8 pretty stressful and psychologically taxing days that I felt like I handed fairly well. I read about people who committed suicide after getting a positive on one of these test and turns out to be a false positive. Can’t say that I was suicidal or anywhere even close to it. But it was difficult because I had stay thinking positive knowing that I hadn’t done anything to get HIV, while at the same time preparing for the possibility I might actually have it. .Can I get some opinions about what people think of using this on my essay? .  

nabilesmail

Sorry to hijack but figured I might as well ask if my challenge story is appropriate. I was thinking about writing about my fitness. I was 100 lbs in HS at 5 ft 7 inches (helllllla scrawny) and spent hours upon hours on researching, lifting, and eating. I ate 5,000 calories a day (extremely hard for a guy my size) by drinking 1 gal of milk a day + full food. I would carry a half gallon of milk to school with me and finish it by the end of the school day along with 2-3 meals. Then once I got home I would repeat. I even took olive oil shots a couple of times (500 cal/shot, good for heart etc... (threw up on this one though so I stopped). It was a tough journey, but 3 years later I weigh 160 lbs and am confident in myself. This was my biggest challenge except for school (I was a bad student in HS so i went to community college. I couldn't get classes so I went to 3 different colleges at a time taking 18 units minimum so I could still transfer out in 2 years ( I even almost did it in 1!)  

AO2010 said: I thought of another topic that might work well for this. About a month ago I had to get an HIV test for a visa application. So I went to Planned Parenthood just like I did that last time I had to get one for a visa. They have tests where they just give you a finger stick and take a few drops of blood. It gives results in about 20-30 minutes. The problem with these tests is that they give an occasional false positive, and I happen to be the one who got it. They said that this test was inconclusive if it was positive and I needed some more tests that where more accurate. So they took a blood sample and said it would take a week for the results to come back. I hadn’t engaged in any risky behavior that would expose me to HIV, and I knew that the test results needed to be verified with a more accurate test. But nonetheless sometimes bad things happen to good people, maybe there was just something I was forgetting about? It’s a pretty bad possibility to have hanging out in your head for a week. It gets even better. They call me 6 days after the test to come in and get my results. Someone comes and gets me and takes me back to the regional manager’s office. She comes in and starts her sentence off with “I hate to be the one to tell you this” but someone at the lab made a mistake with your test and we have to draw more blood and have another one done. So after they did a couple different tests to verify that the first one was indeed a false positive they gave me the results. I’m not sure if I would say this was my biggest challenge ever. But it was 8 pretty stressful and psychologically taxing days that I felt like I handed fairly well. I read about people who committed suicide after getting a positive on one of these test and turns out to be a false positive. Can’t say that I was suicidal or anywhere even close to it. But it was difficult because I had stay thinking positive knowing that I hadn’t done anything to get HIV, while at the same time preparing for the possibility I might actually have it. .Can I get some opinions about what people think of using this on my essay? . Click to expand...

nabilesmail said: Sorry to hijack but figured I might as well ask if my challenge story is appropriate. I was thinking about writing about my fitness. I was 100 lbs in HS at 5 ft 7 inches (helllllla scrawny) and spent hours upon hours on researching, lifting, and eating. I ate 5,000 calories a day (extremely hard for a guy my size) by drinking 1 gal of milk a day + full food. I would carry a half gallon of milk to school with me and finish it by the end of the school day along with 2-3 meals. Then once I got home I would repeat. I even took olive oil shots a couple of times (500 cal/shot, good for heart etc... (threw up on this one though so I stopped). It was a tough journey, but 3 years later I weigh 160 lbs and am confident in myself. This was my biggest challenge except for school (I was a bad student in HS so i went to community college. I couldn't get classes so I went to 3 different colleges at a time taking 18 units minimum so I could still transfer out in 2 years ( I even almost did it in 1!) Click to expand...

Drrrrrr. Celty

Osteo dullahan.

PingPongPro said: I was gonna write something about my experience with living with ADHD, but got distracted. I am curious why you call it ADD and not ADHD. The (DSM-IV) groups all 3 subtypes under "ADHD". I dont think these are exactly "coping skills". ".o .Exercise, sleep, healthy lifestyle .o .Regular schedule, structure .o .Set reminders .o .Positive thinking .o .Self-discipline .o .Self-awareness " Click to expand...

serenade said: A lack of hyperactivity? It's like comparing depression to bipolar disorder, both are etiologically and biologically different things. Click to expand...

• May 15, 2012

LizzyM said: So your problem was that you were an adolescent 100 pound weakling and by stuffing yourself full of food and beverages, as well as physical activity, you gained 60 pounds while in HS. Do you have something more recent that demonstrates your emotional and mental stregth to deal with difficulties? Click to expand...

LizzyM said: Coping skills, people! Think short term challenges or difficulties. Have you ever had your mode of transportation (car, bike, knees) break down and need to scramble to do get things fixed and get around to places you needed to be? Have you been the object of a pickpocket and need to replace all your ID's? How did you prioritize and get through it. Double points if it happened in a country where you don't speak the language. Ever have a very difficult roommate situation? (I knew someone when I was in school who had a roommate who insisted on sleeping with all the lights on!) Ever have a friend who needed but refused to seek care for a physical or psychiatric problem? What coping skills did you use to deal with the situation? Ever get a phone call that a loved one was in the ICU? What coping skills did you use to get through the next few days/weeks? Click to expand...

dmf2682 said: So your point is this essay is used to find out more about applicants rather than differentiate between them? Click to expand...

LizzyM said: How do you roll with the punches? You are going to get knocked down in medical school? What are your coping skills? Do you go in your room, close the door and cry? Do you complain to your roommate? Do you call your parents and ask them to make things better? How do you solve your problems? Inquiring minds want to know. Click to expand...

Ashley1989 said: Im so glad that you posted this, I always thought of it as long term difficulties, never short term. Could you use several examples if they are short examples? What about if they were as a result of our irresponsibility, is it okay to use that example as long as we show that we made it right and coped? I'm thinking specifically when I turned 18 I spent a month backpacking through Europe with my friend, and the second month I was going to stay with my then boyfriend who was an exchange student in a certain non english speaking European country. A week into my month stay we got into a huge fight and he became very aggressive so I dumped a majority of my belongings in a dumpster, took what I could easily carry, got on a train, and left. I then spent the next week in a city on the opposite side of the country, walked people's dogs for dinner, helped out at a hostel to have a place to sleep at night, and was an emotional mess, heartbroken and such but I pushed through and found strength. I ended up being able to stay with several distant relatives until I left, but during that week I was 18, alone, broke, in a non English speaking country and had to find a few odd jobs and fend for myself. I also had to figure out what I was going to do and where I was going to go. I looked to change my flight but it was going to be so expensive and because I didn't have the money I wasn't going to be asking for my parents to pay for it. But I did what I needed to do, stayed safe, and had to go through a ton of stuff but learned a lot. Is that a bad example to use because I was irresponsible to leave the house? Click to expand...

LizzyM said: If a boyfriend is acting out, it is not irresponsible to leave the house; it is smart! I think that an adcom would admire your resourcefulness. Click to expand...

nabilesmail said: Thank you so much for this. This post was really enlightening on what they ment as a "challenge". I thought it was more about a BIG challenge you had and what you did to accomplish/get through it. Click to expand...

• May 22, 2012

LizzyM said: How do you roll with the punches? You are going to get knocked down in medical school. What are your coping skills? Do you go in your room, close the door and cry? Do you complain to your roommate? Do you call your parents and ask them to make things better? How do you solve your problems? Inquiring minds want to know. Click to expand...

Personally, I would be absolutely loathe to mention both depression AND cracking under academic stress on a med school application (especially since both happened within the last year before your applying).  

NightGod said: Personally, I would be absolutely loathe to mention both depression AND cracking under academic stress on a med school application (especially since both happened within the last year before your applying). Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback, it has been very helpful. I am just at a loss of what to write about. Seem like everything can be interpreted in a negative way. LizzyM said they want to see your coping skills and how deal with problems. I had a problem, realized it, got help, figured out how to solve, and will be able to recognize and deal with any similar problem in the future much better that I would if I had not had the problem. Can’t that be seen as a positive? Don’t they want people that are prepared to deal with challenges in medical school? I would guess that there are quite a few med students that put a lot of unnecessary pressure on themselves and don’t have good ways a relieving stress. Wouldn’t it be considered a good thing to know how to deal with it? LizzуM, could we get your opinion on this?  

AO2010 said: Thank you for the feedback, it has been very helpful. I am just at a loss of what to write about. Seem like everything can be interpreted in a negative way. LizzyM said they want to see your coping skills and how deal with problems. I had a problem, realized it, got help, figured out how to solve, and will be able to recognize and deal with any similar problem in the future much better that I would if I had not had the problem. Can’t that be seen as a positive? Don’t they want people that are prepared to deal with challenges in medical school? I would guess that there are quite a few med students that put a lot of unnecessary pressure on themselves and don’t have good ways a relieving stress. Wouldn’t it be considered a good thing to know how to deal with it? LizzуM, could we get your opinion on this? Click to expand...

• May 23, 2012

LizzyM said: So your problem was that you worked yourself to the verge of nervous breakdown? OK, so you had the good sense to reach out for help and made some behavior changes and developed some new habits but working to the point of mental/emotional/physical collapse is not seen as a good problem. Have you had a very short term problem, perhaps one that required coordinating the work of other people on your team with a disagreement on how to get the work done or how to manage deadlines? Ever have to negotiate a truce between/among roommates or cope with a friend who needed your help with a difficulty? Coping with an injury or with a sick relative is a popular topic. Tutoring or working with kids who don't "get it" easily and having to find new strategies to help them understand the material is another good one. tl;dr mental illness is the third rail. Avoid touching it at all cost. Click to expand...

LizzyM said: Could it be a way of weeding out people who have (or have had) big problems? Click to expand...

AO2010 said: Hadn't thought about that. I guess that it could be. Maybe I'll just try to put something together about trying to help my grandma who has a bit of a problem with prescription drugs. She's been an ongoing challenge for quite a while now. This seems a little safer than my other ideas. Click to expand...

• Aug 18, 2012

So who thinks I should include the following thing as most challenging! During the morning of my prom, my sister recommended me to get my eyebrows cleaned up a little. I hesitantly agreed, she took me to a salon and they PWNED MY EYEBROWS INTO CHICKEYEBROWS WTF, like seriously, I had girls complementing me saying my eyebrows were more perfect then theirs! But, I just upped my confidence and made jokes of it and all was well. Tux + chick eyebrows !  

• Aug 23, 2012

bump lol seriously considerin g this topic, I even wrote the essay already for UCI secondary, just need confirmation about it!  

nabilesmail said: So who thinks I should include the following thing as most challenging! During the morning of my prom, my sister recommended me to get my eyebrows cleaned up a little. I hesitantly agreed, she took me to a salon and they PWNED MY EYEBROWS INTO CHICKEYEBROWS WTF, like seriously, I had girls complementing me saying my eyebrows were more perfect then theirs! But, I just upped my confidence and made jokes of it and all was well. Tux + chick eyebrows ! Click to expand...

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One of my essays has the prompt: "what is your hardest challenge that you've had to overcome"

I really wanna write "well this essay is pretty hard" and just submit that.

Woolf Essay Prize 2024

The Woolf Essay Prize 2024 has now closed. Check back here in January 2025 for the 2025 competition!

In 1928, Virginia Woolf addressed the Newnham Arts Society on the Subject of ‘Women and Fiction’, and from this talk emerged her seminal text,  A Room of One’s Own . Newnham is very proud of its place in the history of women’s education, and we are delighted in the continuation of the Woolf Essay Prize.  A Room of One’s Own  raises a number of questions surrounding the place of women in society, culture, and education, and the competition allows students to contemplate these themes and ideas while developing the independent research and writing skills essential to university-level study.

This year, the Woolf Essay Prize is open to all Women in Year 12 (or equivalent), regardless of school or country. For more information, including the question list, word limit, and submission details, please consult the Information and Questions document. The deadline for submission is 09:00am BST on Monday 8th July 2024. For any queries not answered here, please contact [email protected].

The Woolf Essay Prize will run separately to our Essay Writing Masterclass Programme , which encompasses a variety of subject interests.

This prize may be of particular interest to those studying English Literature, History, Politics, Philosophy or Sociology, but we absolutely welcome entries from interested students studying any combination of subjects.

Find out more about  studying English Literature  at University of Cambridge

Meet  Shakespeare scholar Dr Bonnie Lander-Johnson

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Guest Essay

ChatGPT vs. Me: Who Will Write a Better Beach Read?

By Curtis Sittenfeld

Ms. Sittenfeld is the author of the novel “Romantic Comedy” and the forthcoming story collection “Show Don’t Tell.”

What makes a beach read a beach read? Is it an escapist subject matter? A frothy tone? Or is any book you read on a beach automatically a beach read?

I’m the author of seven novels and one short-story collection, and I have no idea what the answer is to these questions. But in an attempt to figure them out, I’ve agreed to participate in an experiment, and I hope you’ll join me.

I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite elements of summer, along with other topics I like to write about. Please vote on which items you would most want included in a summery short story — your ideal beach read — and submit your own suggestion, too. I’ll then write a story that includes the top three vote getters and two elements I choose from readers. And because it’s 2024 and life is now weird all the time, so will ChatGPT. Which will help us answer another pressing question: What’s the difference between human and machine writing?

Both stories will be the same length (1,000 words), and both will incorporate the same five prompts. ChatGPT, which will be told to write in my style, will complete its story in a few seconds; I’ll complete mine in a few weeks.

I’m curious about whether, in its current iteration, ChatGPT can write fiction I’d want to read or aspire to write. Can it write like me specifically? What does writing like me even mean? I’m one of the many fiction writers whose novels were used, without my permission and without compensation, to train ChatGPT. (I confess that I was offended in one way that five of my books were used and offended in a different way that two of them — the two that sold the least and received the worst reviews — weren’t.) Groups of fiction writers have sued OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, for copyright infringement. The New York Times has sued Microsoft and OpenAI over the use of copyrighted work.

So it may go without saying that in this contest, I’m rooting for myself; I’m Team Human, and I’m hoping to honorably defend my species. But as with the steel-driving John Henry and the chess-playing Garry Kasparov before me, the outcome is unknown in advance. Maybe fiction writers’ jobs are in danger, or maybe there’s some ineffable quality, similar to the transcendent quality of a beach read, that still separates a story told by a person from a story told by a computer.

Beach Read Ingredients (Take Your Pick):

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