jaewonhannahlee
Jan 3, 2010
Undergraduate / Caltech supplement: expressing interest, curiosity, or excitement about science [7]
Interest in math, science, or engineering manifests itself in many forms. Caltech professor and Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman (1918-1988) explained, "I'd make a motor, I'd make a gadget that would go off when something passed a photocell, I'd play around with selenium"; he was exploring his interest in science, as he put it, by "piddling around all the time." In a page, more or less, tell the Admissions Committee how you express your interest, curiosity, or excitement about math, science, or engineering.
"Please, Jae Won, can we go now?" my boyfriend asked with a big yawn. I didn't blame him; we had been sitting in a café inside the bookstore for three hours now. I took my eyes off the book I was reading - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene.
"Wait, let me just finish this page. I'm almost done," I answered back, irritated.
"Fine. I'm leaving. Have fun with your book, and oh, don't call me tonight, alright?" And he stormed out. I once again had gotten in a dispute with my boyfriend because of a book.
My interest in science and math is demonstrated through the books I carry around. Just by looking at me people usually can't tell that I am interested in majoring in chemistry. In their stereotypes, an Asian girl who wants to major in science is a nerd with thick glasses. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I am the direct opposite. My hair is neatly straightened out or curled every day; my nails are polished in light pink; and my outfits are almost always well styled.But inside my Michael Corrs shopper-bag, there would always be a thick book titled something along the line of How Things work: the Physics of Everyday Life..
While some people might think that science books are boring, I find them amazingly interesting. The first ever advanced science book I read was A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It read like a novel and provided me with ample information on what I wanted to know: the age of our planet, how cells work, how humans figured them out, etc. While reading this book, I learned that there are science-related books that are more than just formulas, examples, and practice questions. While reading Ernst Mayr's What Evolution Is, I was fascinated by Darwinian explanations of biology. Flipping through the pages of The Three Views on Creation and Evolution, I found myself marveling at the unusual intersection of science and religion. Ideas in The Selfish Gene captivated me by explaining social phenomena in terms of genes. These books drew me into the world of science.
Coming from a family that is almost completely bereft of science majors, I had to turn to books to satisfy my curiosities. I could ask my mother or father about the religious matters as they were so involved with church, and I could call my aunt who majored in interior design to ask for advice when redecorating my room. But no one was available to answer my inquiries on chemistry, physics, biology, or in fact, any field of science. Now books have become a teacher that teaches me more science than what I can learn in school. Although being so into those books has resulted in little disputes with my boyfriend, I cannot stop reading them. They are how I express my interest and curiosity in science that is hidden behind my flashy looks.
This is a rough draft! edits please? Thanks!
Interest in math, science, or engineering manifests itself in many forms. Caltech professor and Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman (1918-1988) explained, "I'd make a motor, I'd make a gadget that would go off when something passed a photocell, I'd play around with selenium"; he was exploring his interest in science, as he put it, by "piddling around all the time." In a page, more or less, tell the Admissions Committee how you express your interest, curiosity, or excitement about math, science, or engineering.
"Please, Jae Won, can we go now?" my boyfriend asked with a big yawn. I didn't blame him; we had been sitting in a café inside the bookstore for three hours now. I took my eyes off the book I was reading - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene.
"Wait, let me just finish this page. I'm almost done," I answered back, irritated.
"Fine. I'm leaving. Have fun with your book, and oh, don't call me tonight, alright?" And he stormed out. I once again had gotten in a dispute with my boyfriend because of a book.
My interest in science and math is demonstrated through the books I carry around. Just by looking at me people usually can't tell that I am interested in majoring in chemistry. In their stereotypes, an Asian girl who wants to major in science is a nerd with thick glasses. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I am the direct opposite. My hair is neatly straightened out or curled every day; my nails are polished in light pink; and my outfits are almost always well styled.But inside my Michael Corrs shopper-bag, there would always be a thick book titled something along the line of How Things work: the Physics of Everyday Life..
While some people might think that science books are boring, I find them amazingly interesting. The first ever advanced science book I read was A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. It read like a novel and provided me with ample information on what I wanted to know: the age of our planet, how cells work, how humans figured them out, etc. While reading this book, I learned that there are science-related books that are more than just formulas, examples, and practice questions. While reading Ernst Mayr's What Evolution Is, I was fascinated by Darwinian explanations of biology. Flipping through the pages of The Three Views on Creation and Evolution, I found myself marveling at the unusual intersection of science and religion. Ideas in The Selfish Gene captivated me by explaining social phenomena in terms of genes. These books drew me into the world of science.
Coming from a family that is almost completely bereft of science majors, I had to turn to books to satisfy my curiosities. I could ask my mother or father about the religious matters as they were so involved with church, and I could call my aunt who majored in interior design to ask for advice when redecorating my room. But no one was available to answer my inquiries on chemistry, physics, biology, or in fact, any field of science. Now books have become a teacher that teaches me more science than what I can learn in school. Although being so into those books has resulted in little disputes with my boyfriend, I cannot stop reading them. They are how I express my interest and curiosity in science that is hidden behind my flashy looks.
This is a rough draft! edits please? Thanks!