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Essays About Life-changing Experiences: 5 Examples

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

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

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

5 Essay Examples

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 Prompts for Essays About Life-changing Experiences

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

Essays about life-changing experiences: The Experience That Changed My Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

Essays about life-changing experiences: A Life-changing Quote

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

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Ideas for an Experience That Changed My Life Essay

By: Henrique Bertulino

Ideas for an Experience That Changed My Life Essay

A college essay provides you with a unique opportunity to reveal your personality creatively. For example, professors may ask you to describe an experience that changed my life essay. What an exciting topic!

Pick an Interesting and Unique Personal Experience

Create an introduction to hook the reader, paint a vivid picture, write a powerful conclusion, sample essay: my experience that changed my life, introduction, how to finalize an essay about a life-changing event.

However, to complete this academic assignment successfully, you must not only share a significant life experience but also ensure your essay is well-structured, interesting, easy to follow, and submitted on time. Read ahead for all the essential tips on writing a captivating essay about a good or bad experience that changed your life.

Steps for Writing a Memorable Essay About a Life-Changing Experience

The good news is that this essay topic gives you the freedom to write about anything you want. The main challenge is to ensure that it reveals your character's unique and strong sides and proves your ability to write and think critically about yourself. Here are some essential tips to get you started on writing a great essay:

Choosing a good topic is the first step to write high-quality and impressive research papers. It would help if you wrote about something that interests you instead of picking a theme that your readers would supposedly like to hear. After all, only your passion for the chosen topic can make the audience care about the experience you are describing. Here are some examples:

  • The first time traveling abroad
  • The day you visited an elderly home
  • A successful internship you've completed
  • Your move from one city/country to another
  • A meeting with your idol
  • A certain experience in high school

Ensure that your essay introduction can interest the readers and make them care about a particular life experience and its outcomes. For example, you can start your academic paper with memorable details from the experience climax and then go back to it chronologically in the main body. This way, the readers will want to read your essay to the last word.

Once you start writing the main body paragraphs, your goal is to hold the readers' attention. That is when adding some details comes in handy. They can be your most effective tool to convey the importance of an event and describe your emotions. For this section, you will need to use adjectives, as they are the means to create a memorable description. Here is a list of useful adjectives you may consider including when describing a situation:

adjectives

This element is crucial for any personal descriptive essay because it's all about your reflection on how a certain life experience changed you. A strong conclusion helps to set your academic assignment from the others. You can include the development of your character traits, such as compassion, leadership, and maturity. In other words, mention what makes the event you've experienced life-changing for you.

To get a better understanding of what it takes to write a great essay, let's take a look at a sample text provided by Dave, a college freshman:

An experience that changed my life is the COVID-19 pandemic. This event has happened unexpectedly and managed to affect the whole world, myself being no exception.

The coronavirus has taken many lives while forcing countries to go on lockdown and introduce a variety of preventive measures against contamination. Even though I was lucky enough not to lose any loved ones to the virus, living in New York has given me a taste of the massive changes caused by the COVID infection.

As a freshman year college student, I was expecting to have a lot of fun. However, instead of parties and social gatherings, my group mates and I have faced distance learning and strict lockdown measures. Yet, the first-year college students agreed to arrange a zoom call to get to know each other, and I have already managed to make some friends! Meeting them in person, as the lockdown measures softened, was a one-of-a-kind experience. Besides, I had more time to spend with my family members!

Studying online is also not easy. I feel like distance learning puts a lot more responsibility on the students' shoulders, requiring more motivation and self-discipline. After several tries, I have managed to come up with a strategy that allows me to be productive.

The lockdown also made me pay attention to those in need. Somehow, before the pandemic, I was rather numb to the issues going on in real life in the other parts of the world and even in my own country. However, nowadays, one of my strongest desires is to contribute to charitable organizations and become a volunteer for a cause I believe in whenever the situation allows.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected my lifestyle a lot. As an extrovert, I found self-isolation extremely challenging. However, the global situation has taught me that being flexible and knowing how to adapt is a crucial quality in today's world. I have become more empathic and have found a calling for improving the world. All these factors make the pandemic a truly life-changing experience for me.

The Strong and Weak Points of the Sample Essay

Dave's essay is a typical example of a college student's essay. But, even though the text is not bad, it isn't likely to receive the grade Dave's hoping for. However, this written work can be improved in a few simple steps.

But first, let's highlight the positive aspects of Dave's essay:

  • a powerful topic that is captivating and relatable
  • the presence of self-analysis
  • the description of qualities developed and improved throughout the experience

The elements that need to be improved include:

The introduction of Dave's essay doesn't make his work stand out, even though he selected a fascinating topic. Besides, it is too short and doesn't provide enough information to make the reader relate to the author. An improved version of the introduction could look like this:

My life-changing experience started in November 2019 and is still taking place. It is an event that affected not only me but also you, your neighbors, and even the people living on the other side of the ocean - nearly every person's life. Today, I will be giving you an insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has turned my worldview upside-down.

Would you be interested in finding out what happened to the author? That's the power of a well-written introduction in action!

Dave does a great job describing his experience, using adjectives, and assessing the situation from different perspectives. However, the main body of his essay is not specific enough. Some examples of this issue are:

  • "Meeting them in person ... was a one-of-a-kind experience."
  • "After several tries, I have managed to come up with a strategy."
  • "Become a volunteer for a cause I believe in."

These are all awesome pieces of information. However, they do not reveal the details. How did the meet-up with the group mates go? What is Dave's strategy for productivity? What is the cause he believes in? All this information would help the reader connect with the author and relate to their experience. Here is one example of a concise experience description:

Seeing how vulnerable elderly people are in the face of the pandemic, I have realized that I have never been sensitive enough when it comes to the older generation. I got inspired by the idea of volunteering in old people's homes whenever I get a chance to do so. This idea is dear to my heart and makes me believe I can become a better person and make a difference in the world by helping those in need.

Such a paragraph reveals what kind of person Dave is, what he has learned, and describes his future plans, making his written work stand out.

The conclusion written by Dave is good. However, to make it even more masterful, it would be great to include a memorable element, such as this sentence:

I am a believer that light can be found even in the darkest times - we just have to keep our eyes wide open.

It is a beautiful metaphor that is relevant to the topic and demonstrates the author's poetic side.

Personal experiences are perfect for academic writing, but choosing the right one and adding emotional honesty can be out of the comfort zone for many students. You need to brainstorm possible ideas and reflect on an important life experience to impress readers.

Don't forget to check the grammar and proofread your essay to find and fix all minor and major mistakes. If you have any difficulties, think about entrusting this task to a qualified and reputable writing service , such as Studybay!

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an advice that changed my life essay

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Jhaywhale Jones

I basically came online to find information on how to write about 'events that changed your life.' Yes, it is an assignment. After reading this, I have many ideas and much more information on how to direct the story's narrative.

Essays are usually very complex, and they don't come easy to me. So, I find it pretty confusing to describe any event that may have changed my life. I already have issues talking about something like that. However, I do look forward to improving my writing skills.

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An Experience That Changed My Life Essay | Life Changing Experiences, Long and Short Essays on Life Changing Experiences

October 1, 2021 by Prasanna

Experience That Changed My Life Essay: It is rightly said that ‘Experience is the best teacher.’ Experience teaches a lot more things. Life gives you many experiences and certain experiences in your life can impact you a lot. In life we all have faced some or the other experience that has changed the way we perceive things. Through these life lessons we can learn a lot about ourselves and how strong we can be in difficult situations and circumstances.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long Essay on Experience that Changed My Life 500 Words in English

Sometimes things are out of our control and we can’t do anything about it. Experiences can be good and sometimes terrible that results in a positive or negative impact on one’s life. Life is full of many unexpected challenges and unknown turning points that will come along any time. People must learn and grow from every experience that they go through in life rather than losing yourself. Change is a part of life. Life gives many experiences almost every day.

An experience that changed my life was on 21st August 2004. One of my biggest life changing experiences was the time when I lost my father suddenly. Till that very day I was a very immature and jolly person. I don’t know what the worries were. I was the eldest one in my family. But as we lost the head of our family life took a new turning point in my life I had to take charge of all the decisions made which I had never done before. My mother was not in a state to understand anything. I started making big decisions even about finances, about our house and many more.

When my father died, my life had changed completely. I lost him in my own lap. He took his last breath and it was very heartbreaking. Accepting his loss was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do. It was very hard because it was unpredictable. I let all my emotions out, because I had to remember to take care of myself and my family too. Now it was the time for me to be more responsible.

His death made me an introvert, more responsible, think for myself and my family, and see things differently. Now that he is gone, I have to take charge of many things. My father was my counselor, my friend, my guidance, and most of all my motivator. I feel completely lonely without him.

I also experienced how people were falsely claiming that he is a family member of theirs and they will take care of me and my family, but two weeks after the cremation they were the same as before with no sympathy. I finally got a glimpse of the real world who are my real well wishers and who are not. Looking back at all of this I realized how important my father was to me. Now I am a more focused and responsible person. I still feel my father lives through me. Even though my father is gone he still guides me at each and every point of life. His death made me an introvert, think for myself and my family, and live life practically. I wish I could thank him for making me a better person. It was his inspirations which made me handle things in a proper way.

Short Essay on Experience that Changed My Life

According to me, experiences are very important to forge our personality over time. From very childhood I grew up in a nurturing and loving environment where I always felt safe and loved. My parents always made me feel important. I was a stubborn child. I used to throw tantrums if things didn’t go my way. I was a very demanding child as well, though my mother loved me unconditionally. My mother was very patient and compassionate and used to explain things so well to make me understand why things couldn’t always be how I wanted them to be. But as a child I never wanted to understand her preachings. But then once on a school trip to an orphanage totally changed my view towards life.

Orphanage is the place where the orphans (children who are homeless having no parents) are taken care of.

Once when I was in Grade 4 our school planned an educational trip to an orphanage institute.We were asked to bring whatever we wanted to donate. My mother gave me some of my old toys, clothes and some sweets. We collected a good amount of material to distribute.

As we entered the orphanage all the kids gathered in a hall. There were children of all ages. They strayed at us with eyes full of hope. We were asked to distribute the things and spent some time with them. They were so excited to receive these old things. In conversation with them we came to know that they have only two to three dresses to wear. One plate and a bowl for their food. Even the food served to them was always the same and limited. They don’t have many varieties of food to eat. They have toys in common to play with. These children don’t know the meaning of love, care and affection. They cannot demand for anything. The plight of every child was so miserable.I realised all my mistakes. I realised fortunate I am to receive all the luxury.

I never liked it when my parents reprimanded me for not studying properly, when I made blunders, when I didn’t listen to them but there was a concern behind every word that they said. They took care of me at every juncture of my lives no matter what their condition.

But I felt so sorry for these children because they are lacking all those words of care, anger, and love.

Visiting the orphanage is a life changing experience for me. From that day I started appreciating the little things in life. I never demanded for unexpected things. I feel like helping every needy person.

I also started understanding my mother’s preachings and with her help, over time, I learned how to deal with my emotions and situations and these experiences shaped my behavior and personality.

I feel extremely fortunate that I have parents with me and they provide me all the luxury. I am thankful to them.

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / The Best Advice I’ve Ever Received

The Best Advice I've Ever Received

  • Category: Life
  • Topic: Gratitude

Pages: 1 (422 words)

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Embracing Change and Growth

Applying the wisdom.

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