College Admission Essay by Matthew R.

Matthew R. shared his college admission essay on how the abacus played a role in his development. As of January 2020, Matthew was admitted to Wesleyan University.

What Defines Me?

For as long as I can remember, others have defined me by the sport I’ve played since I was four; soccer. That is to be expected because it is a sport I love, a sport I have excelled in, and a sport that has consumed a good deal of my life. Although soccer has benefited my life tremendously, abacus has done so to a greater extent. Without the abacus, I would not be the soccer player or, more importantly, the person I am today.

Soccer and the abacus intersected at a very important period in my life. As a 7-year-old struggling to understand the basics of math my peers grasped so easily, I came to think of myself as intellectually inferior and was shy to participate in class. On the soccer field I was equally timid, intimidated by bigger and tougher kids. Afraid to assert myself and content staying back to defend, I was an ordinary player. And then my parents introduced me to the abacus. Abacus is its own artwork. One manipulates a row of beads to create numbers. The four bottom beads represent one unit, while the one on the upper deck represents five. Stacking the beads together creates greater numbers which are used to add, subtract, multiply and divide at lightning speed.

At first abacus was challenging. I couldn’t keep up with the agile fingers of my more experienced classmates and would be left behind wondering in an oblivion of beads. The exercises seemed silly. The beading patterns were confusing. This ancient technique seemed to be slowing me down.

But then it started to click. After months of struggle and practice, I began adding multiple numbers in rapid fire succession simply by manipulating the many beads through the methods that became second nature to me. I could now add numerous double-digit numbers within seconds of them being called out to me, quicker than my mom could even compute on her calculator. And then the magic happened. The abacus was removed from the equation and now I was solving problems in my head, visualizing the numbers while manipulating my fingers in an indiscreet manner to solve complex problems. I became a performer, wowing my classmates with virtually inhuman skills. My confidence grew. Math became effortless. I began focusing better. My grades shot up.

This confidence translated to the soccer field. I started asserting myself. Playing mostly with my classmates, I was no longer shy to demand the ball or to dribble it down the field full steam ahead until I was within range of my target. My performance on the field eventually led to me earning a spot on the top team in my club, on which I still play.

My growing confidence wasn't the only thing that helped my game. My new-found ability to concentrate, to focus on my coach’s instructions and to make quick decisions on the field are also attributable to the abacus. It also improved my ability to visualize the field and the game unfolding before me; invaluable skills in the game of soccer. Soccer is a complex, fast-moving chess game where the positioning, anticipation and movement of the players as a symbiotic unit is equally as important to a team’s success as a reliable scorer. I credit the abacus with my deep soccer iq. My innate talent helped me excel as a player at a young age. The abacus made me a more complete and well-rounded player, helping assure I retain my place on one of the top youth soccer teams in the country. It has also made me a more confident, focused and organized individual.

So yes, those who know me think of me as a soccer player. I spend a lot of time with it. But those who know me best understand that beneath it all, I have been shaped more by my abacus than by my soccer ball.