Undergraduate / Rice Admissions Essay - My love of gathering knowledge [5]

So here it is... any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated

"Once you stop learning, you start dying" - Albert Einstein

A Teacher to Myself

I never fully understood the teenage platitude that is, "school sucks".
Advancing through years of primary and secondary school, I couldn't help but hear the complaints of students and their bemoaning of the public schooling system. "It's so much work and we're stuck here every day!" my friends would whine, putting emphasis on every word in an effort to exaggerate secondary school to a point where it was comparative to the rigidity of a state prison. "Don't you think so?"

"Not really..." I would reply with an awkward smile and a facial expression that showed I was bracing for their judgment of my opinion. It was my belief that learning new things was one of the most precious activities a human being could undertake. When my friends were taken aback by my peculiar answer I did not bother to explain myself, for years of that same dialogue had taught me that explaining the reason for my fondness for learning was a task of great difficulty. Understanding this, I kept my leisurely pursuit of gathering knowledge to myself.

Whether it was Geography, Biology or Mathematics, I always strived to discover the answer to every question- Why did this volcano form here? How do fish breathe? What is the quickest way to solve this quadratic equation? Each fresh assignment that came my way I viewed as an opportunity to exercise my habit while my peers regarded them as "unjust penances", and with each new assignment I got more and more addicted to finding answers. Eventually, my hobby evolved to take on a more practical application; while I still enjoyed learning theory, I as much loved to experience teaching myself new pastimes. I learned various skills such as juggling, graphic design, skateboarding and drumming out of simple curiosity as to how they were performed. While some may think gaining knowledge on a certain subject area or skill is a chore, I do it because, in the simplest of explanations, I love it.

This perspective is what I will bring to Rice University. I am an autodidact, meaning I am a teacher to myself. I view learning as a valuable, enjoyable activity and, even though my point of view may be misunderstood by those around me, I will never stop. For once you stop learning, you start dying.

Undergraduate / Maps are pieces of art waiting to be conceptualized - this is why I love Geography; favorite subject [4]

Columbia Short answer! Please tell us what subject has been your favorite and why?

I do not consider maps to be simple objects used for representing the features of an area. Nor do I believe they are mere two dimensional delineations for the only purpose of telling you where 'X marks the spot'. Maps, to me, are pieces of art waiting to be conceptualized. When I examine one, I experience what I see. Skinny bands of blue on paper are now whitewater rapids. Contour lines drawn on green patches alter into undulating mountain topography. Yellow blotches of ink transform into beaches before my very eyes. Map reading allows me to exercise my imagination in the same way a good book would and this is why I love to study Geography.

Undergraduate / 'social activist and servant'; What I would take from and contribute to Penn [9]

Considering both the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying and the unique aspects of the University of Pennsylvania, what do you hope to learn from and contribute to the Penn community? (Please answer in one page, approximately 500 words.)

Ever since I was first instructed to open a Biology textbook, I have been spellbound by the complexity of how organisms function-- how minuscule molecules called enzymes converted the random junk food I ate every weekend into useful stores of energy or how the microscopic substructures of DNA fitted together perfectly to form the unique genetic masterpiece that is a human being. Through a first-class education in Biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts and Sciences, I hope to gain a greater understanding of the elaborate way in which living beings operate. It is also an exciting prospect to have the chance to conduct scientific research at one of the approximately two hundred independent biochemically-oriented research laboratories on the University of Pennsylvania campus.

Aside from my main academic goals, I am positive that I will be able to thrive on the UPenn campus; I will be exposed to a multitude of avenues in which to solidify my identity. I can see myself becoming a contributor to the satirical 'Pennsylvania Punchbowl'--in an effort to exercise my wit and practice my love of comedic entertainment-- or going full throttle and joining 'Simply Chaos' or another of UPenn's admirable comedy clubs. I see a chance for integration and networking with peers from my region through the Caribbean-American Student Association which, through being a member, would simultaneously allow me the opportunity to keep in touch with my Caribbean roots while studying in a foreign country. Also, I would be allowed to learn new forms of sport that I never would have experienced on my tiny Caribbean island-- such as American Football or Extreme Frisbee-- through taking part in UPenn's Recreational Sporting Divisions. Essentially, UPenn's large roster of student groups would open the doors to self discovery, ensuring I leave as an individual with an identity shaped by various aspects of university life.

However, I understand that university is not a one way street. I plan to contribute back to the Penn community through a number of student service groups. For instance, I seek to exercise my desire of helping others by joining the cause of Penn's community service organizations such as the Habitat for Humanity or the Alternate Spring Break. Also, as an avid environmental advocate, the Penn Environmental Group would supply the ideal opportunity for me to assist the movement to raise awareness of global environmental issues among the campus population.

In conclusion, I expect to make the most out of my four years at the University of Pennsylvania-- through carrying out key research with my peers at the School of Arts and Sciences, developing my identity by dabbling in the multitude of UPenn's various clubs and organizations and becoming a social activist and servant by contributing back to the Penn community. With this in mind, I plan to leave Penn as an effective product of its first rate academics, numerous co-curricular opportunities and excellent civic action divisions.

Undergraduate / 'your optimism is sickeningly overwhelming' - Brown - A group that has shaped you [5]

We all exist within communities or groups of various sizes, origins, and purposes; pick one and tell us why it is important to you, and how it has shaped you.

"Matthew, your optimism is sickeningly overwhelming"
My friend stated this out of the blue, two seconds after I convinced her to stop panicking about whether or not she did well on her SAT. Like my friend, many people share the opinion that I am an optimist- someone who's always looking on the bright side. Of course, I wholeheartedly agree, for my belief has always been 'worrying doesn't solve anything.'

This is a mentality that I have had for as long as I can remember, and I have my family to thank for that. Largely, my close-knit familial unit is the reason for my innate optimism. As a child, my father always told me 'son, anything is possible', my mom regularly repeated the words of Plato, 'no human thing is of serious importance' and my grandmother- who is a sickeningly overwhelming optimist herself- served as an exemplar to me. My family has directly influenced me with these positive perspectives and they continue to be my supporting rock as time goes on.