"In no more than 500 words, tell me about the activities and interests which you believe best represent the values and beliefs you hold strongly to."

Listening to music is not only the greatest pleasure for me, but it also represents the values and beliefs I hold strongly to. Having listened to purely classical music for the last four years, it has somehow shaped me into the person that I am now. In the world of classical music, variations are aplenty, either in rhythm, tone, pitch, or amplitude. It is this spectacular array of constant changes in each classical piece that best represents the value I believe in, that is, change is the only thing that is constant.

Therefore, I am not one who will end up in that same train of thought, mood, or attitude for long. Perhaps that is not a really bad thing after all. However, it does not mean that I will be changed for long. Just like many of the well-loved pieces, the changes also follow an order. It is the repetition of the string of well-harmonised notes that allow us to enjoy what is known as music. Yes, the repetition is sometimes very much emphasised. Of course, repetition only applies for the good parts. Hence, this addition to my value; that is, not only is change inevitable for the betterment of oneself, one has to know which new changes he will write down in himself, and which new changes that are unsuitable for himself and thus, to forget that abomination of a change. This situation can be found in nature too. The mutation of genes is a very random event, but out of the hundreds, or even thousands of bad mutations, one of them will bound to be one which will improve the species, perhaps allowing future generations to have enhanced stamina, or efficient metabolic processes.

Another activity that will represent the belief I hold strongly to is playing hockey, the cca that I am in, coincidentally. In hockey, not only are the skills required, it requires the disciplined physical training of oneself so that he can cope with the demands of the game. Hence, just like in real life, perhaps school, we have to do our best when we come together to discuss groupwork and contribute what each of us is capable of, dependent on our abilities and talent. However, that is not enough. Before we can come together to discuss, we need to do our own independent research and have to reach a certain level of maturity before we can be prepared to share our findings.

In conclusion, I believe the values and beliefs I have in life can be found in a two-pronged approach, one through music, and the other through sports. With this, the likelihood of an all-rounded person is much more likely than one who speaks about music all day, or one who only has sports on his mind. Of course, I have other values and beliefs that might not find a counterpart in any activity at all. Nevertheless, values and beliefs are very crucial in our lives, and it is advisable to spend time with oneself and think through how best to live life, not only for ourselves, but for others too.