Undergraduate / 'I value every moment I have each day' - Stanford Supplement - Letter to Roomate [2]

I am working on my supplement for Stanford and would appreciate some feedback on my short answers! Please help!

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.

The opening lines of Eminem's song "Lose Yourself" sum up how I live my life: "Look! If you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it? Or just let it slip?" I value every moment I have each day and never let a second go to waste. People say my red hair is where I get all my energy from, but I believe it comes from my drive to get the most out of life. My passion of traveling has influenced my life and the trajectory of my education and life goals. I have many goals for myself, and one of my favorite things is when I can cross something off of my bucket list! I am not much of a morning person, so I tend to have multiple alarm clocks to wake me. Being an only child has helped me to become more independent, but it has also provided me with time to myself to just relax. I love being active throughout the day, but I enjoy having some time to chill as well. I am somewhat indecisive, especially when it comes to food; however, I'm always up for eating Mexican. Music defines my life. Country music is my obsession, so don't be surprised if you see me wearing my cowboy boots! I've long desired to learn how to play the guitar, mainly so I can accompany my attempts of singing on key. I love playing and watching sports, it brings out my competitive side. I like to have a clean living environment, although my mom sometimes refers to my piles as a "messy-organization". I'm a 5'2'' ball of energy who loves making new friends. I love capturing the world through the lens of my camera. The little things in life make me laugh and smiling faces make my day. I can't wait to meet you!

Sincerely, Alex

Undergraduate / 'My trip to China to learn about the Chinese culture' Stanford Intellectual Vitality [3]

Intellectual vitality question for Stanford. PLEASE HELP!
Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.

As I sat in Mr. Stephany's 8th grade World History class, I began to wonder what my life would be like if I had grown up with the parenting style of a Tiger Mom. "No sleepovers, no TV, nothing lower than an A" Mr. Stephany exclaimed to my class. Wow, what kind of culture do these people live in, I thought to myself. My interest in China sparked as I studied Chinese history and culture for an entire year. I immediately became fascinated with the customs associated with China, as well as the unique language spoken there.

At my school, the studying of foreign languages begins in kindergarten. After learning Spanish for 7 years, I opted to expose myself to a new language by studying French. As I completed Advanced Honors French III my sophomore year, I contemplated continuing French for another year or yet again expanding my knowledge of a language. While talking with my advisor, I received the news that Mandarin Chinese would be offered as a foreign language for the upcoming year. Decision made-Chinese here I come!

Excitement poured over me as I heard the woman in the front of the room say, "Ni hao xuéshēng, wo jiao Lin Lao Shi. Hello students, I am teacher Lin. At this moment, I knew my passion for China would be taken to an entire new level. To my surprise, learning to read, write, and speak this language of characters came very easily to me. I found memorizing the characters simple, mainly because I am a visual learner. Towards the end of my junior year, my teacher spoke of a summer program that travels to China. As an avid traveler with a passion for learning about different cultures, I jumped on opportunity. After applying and being accepted to Confucius Institute program, I began preparing myself for my journey to China. As an educational program, I lived at Chinese school for two weeks, attended language classes three times a day, and took part in traditional Chinese activities twice a day. My trip to China gave me a firsthand experience of the culture I fell in love with 5 years ago. My interest in China continues to grow, and I hope one day I can return to China to learn even more about the 1.3 billion people living in this diverse country.