jabbsdht
Dec 22, 2009
Undergraduate / Essay on making observations -Common app essay (just looking for a quick review) [4]
Hey guys, i wrote this essay and haven't gotten it peer-reviewed but i think its fine. I'm just asking for any glaring mistakes, and basically what you think of it. i chose the "topic of your choice"
Observational Study
The pavement crackled under my sneakers as I strolled through my neighborhood. Leaves raked along the ground, blown by a silent wind. The cool night kept me alert but I stayed cozy under a light jacket. I left my problems, pressure, and work behind for a few minutes as I walked alone. I kept my mind on my senses, feeling my rubber soles meet road, watching yellow streetlights illuminate a small portion of the road, feeling cool air enter my lungs, but exiting warm, tasting a recent dinner linger in my mouth, and listening to the silence of the night. It was so quiet, I imagined hearing the clouds as they floated along the sky.
I began to wonder how this scene would look if we, humans, were different. For instance, what if we could see more than visible light with the naked eye? The night sky might be brighter with stars burning the color of ultraviolet light. My imagination began to spread. I started to list the senses that we have, the senses we could have, and their alternatives. If evolution had taken a single deviation, how would life be on such an alien planet?
I fall into my thoughts in any situation, whether it be strolling in my neighborhood thinking about my sense of sight, sitting in the passenger seat observing relative speeds between cars and trees, or walking along the beach watching the simple harmonic motion of waves. One of my favorite places to lose myself is Six Flags. Every time a screaming car rushes by I listen to the Doppler effect. Every time a roller coaster is let go at the top of the hill, I think of the Conservation of Energy. Every time a person is slung inside a giant hamster ball connected to two poles by rubber, I think of Tension force.
Noticing detail and expanding upon it can be thought of as an hobby of mine. It started in the virtual world of video games. Since the creation of games, video game developers have been stretching the limitations of the latest technology to render their interactive imaginations. Each year I was awed be newer graphical capabilities. I marveled over better looking characters, environments, and animations. As computer graphics began to look like and compete with real life images, my awe spilled over to reality, and thus I began to appreciate nature's beauty.
When speaking of nature, I not only mean forests, animals, and mountains. I also refer to humanity, all things man-made, and everything else encompassed in the universe, and possibly beyond. In this sense, nature is undescribable in its beauty. Nature's hidden traits and qualities yearn to be found and appreciated. Humanity's goal, I believe, is to travel to the depths of the universe and understand the inner workings of nature.
Hey guys, i wrote this essay and haven't gotten it peer-reviewed but i think its fine. I'm just asking for any glaring mistakes, and basically what you think of it. i chose the "topic of your choice"
Observational Study
The pavement crackled under my sneakers as I strolled through my neighborhood. Leaves raked along the ground, blown by a silent wind. The cool night kept me alert but I stayed cozy under a light jacket. I left my problems, pressure, and work behind for a few minutes as I walked alone. I kept my mind on my senses, feeling my rubber soles meet road, watching yellow streetlights illuminate a small portion of the road, feeling cool air enter my lungs, but exiting warm, tasting a recent dinner linger in my mouth, and listening to the silence of the night. It was so quiet, I imagined hearing the clouds as they floated along the sky.
I began to wonder how this scene would look if we, humans, were different. For instance, what if we could see more than visible light with the naked eye? The night sky might be brighter with stars burning the color of ultraviolet light. My imagination began to spread. I started to list the senses that we have, the senses we could have, and their alternatives. If evolution had taken a single deviation, how would life be on such an alien planet?
I fall into my thoughts in any situation, whether it be strolling in my neighborhood thinking about my sense of sight, sitting in the passenger seat observing relative speeds between cars and trees, or walking along the beach watching the simple harmonic motion of waves. One of my favorite places to lose myself is Six Flags. Every time a screaming car rushes by I listen to the Doppler effect. Every time a roller coaster is let go at the top of the hill, I think of the Conservation of Energy. Every time a person is slung inside a giant hamster ball connected to two poles by rubber, I think of Tension force.
Noticing detail and expanding upon it can be thought of as an hobby of mine. It started in the virtual world of video games. Since the creation of games, video game developers have been stretching the limitations of the latest technology to render their interactive imaginations. Each year I was awed be newer graphical capabilities. I marveled over better looking characters, environments, and animations. As computer graphics began to look like and compete with real life images, my awe spilled over to reality, and thus I began to appreciate nature's beauty.
When speaking of nature, I not only mean forests, animals, and mountains. I also refer to humanity, all things man-made, and everything else encompassed in the universe, and possibly beyond. In this sense, nature is undescribable in its beauty. Nature's hidden traits and qualities yearn to be found and appreciated. Humanity's goal, I believe, is to travel to the depths of the universe and understand the inner workings of nature.