Posts by NOkiaT

NOkiaT

Nov 25, 2008

Undergraduate / "what do you want to do when you grow up?" - UC Prompt 1 [7]

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

As my old wooden door slowly opens on a Sunday evening, it is not the Pizza Hut delivery man with my stuffed crust pizza (with melted cheese baked into the crust) for tonights football game, but rather the dreaded family reunion that occurs once a year. Numerous family members and relatives come pouring through that old wooden door, frantically ready to brag about their sons or daughters latest accolade or their acceptance to the top prestigious universities.

As family members enter that door, they are ready to pinch your soft delicate baby bottom cheeks, only releasing when there is some noticeable permanent damage. From the newly released fourth-generation iPod Nano to the Rolex Cellini Classic watch, relatives seemed to be equipped with the latest technology. About an hour in the reunion, Parents begin to brag about their sons or daughters latest achievements and relatives begin to criticize every single detail, as if you were a disfigured cow in a meat processing plant. "How come you are so small?" and "How well do you do in school?," are the typical questions that a child receives. As I was eating Banh Xeo: a crispy flaky dish that is the Vietnamese version of crepe, my abnormally tall and goofy like uncle approached me and asked a simple question, "So...what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Being a California born native, I wouldn't qualify as your typical beach blonde surfer who has an amazing set of washboard abs. I am a determined Vietnamese teenager who like most young Asian hopefuls, have parents that nag and constantly remind them of the importance of success and fortune. American society today instills a certain image, molding people to be someone they are not. Modern society, along with the media, paint a picture of an ideal life that consists of luxury and fortune. There are numerous careers that offer this luxury and fortune such as being a pharmacist or a lawyer. Yet those type of occupations interests my parents but do not interest me.

Throughout my years of experience and teachings, I have come to the realization that certain people have an innate passion and ambition to strive for a certain goal, despite the fact that it may not follow under societal norms. This very courage and determination that is displayed within these individuals is what I admire and seek. My family members competitiveness and definition of success has in a way molded my dreams and aspirations in life. Through my families eyes, the idea of success is determined by the amount of money and material things you gain. I for one believe true success is defined by the amount of knowledge, passion, and experience one gains to contribute to their growth for internal satisfication.

So, as my uncle approaches me and asks "what do you want to do when you grow up?" I realize that the amount of luxury and fortune a person experiences lasts only as long as the individual, yet internal satisifiscation lasts more than a lifetime.

NOkiaT

Nov 25, 2008

Undergraduate / sport called Badminton - my uc prompt 2 essay [5]

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Through my eyes and ears, I have seen countless time, devotion, and sweat devoted to this sport called Badminton. The yelling and disappointment that is exerted from my coach towards our performance doesn't spark despair in me, but rather a sense of inner determination to say the least. This powerful sense of determination to erase the past and prove to my coach and most importantly to myself, that the last game was a fluke. That this one game doesn't determine the future of the next.

During my early years of high school, the mere mention of Badminton sparked a chain of stereotypical thoughts. The thin fragile Badminton racket and the old decayed wooden 20 feet by 44 feet court didn't truly define what a sport is in my eyes. In my freshman year I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I first stepped on the old wooden floor gym on try-out day. The moment I stepped inside the gym, I was faced with a rather young disgruntled man who stared intensely at my eyes and I could feel that he meant business. In the beginning of my Badminton years, I was oblivious about what it took to be on a team. My skinny frame, lack of confidence, and absence of determination didn't show my lack of talent in my coach's eyes, but rather uniqueness. This was an opportunity for him and myself to mold me into not only a great Badminton player, but a great individual as well. From then on, my coach's determination to mold me and my fellow teammates to great individuals began. Time and time again, we were faced with a demanding schedule that consumed most of our lives. The countless hours we spent in the gym was to put us on a path to greatness. The time and devotion we put in this sport didn't seemed to go to waste since our record was 12-0. From then on I realized that my coach wasn't putting us on a path to greatness, but rather perfection.

One of the top juggernaut teams in Badminton was Hoover high school. Both rival teams had an astonishing record, yet a win on CIF Championship day seemed inevitable. My newly acquired confidence and insurmountable determination to compete against these individuals gave me a fighting chance. But the clash between two teams filled with greatness ultimately fell into the favor of our rival team, Hoover. This game and the sport of badminton was the highlight of my development as an individual. Since I realize the feeling of disappointment and the power of determination. My newly acquired determination, confidence, and perseverance allowed me to not lose hope, to not underachieve, and give up. I didn't accomplish my sole task on this day which is to win, but rather lost. My coach always had a saying to never underachieve, "to get what you deserve." Only now do I truly understand that statement. I dedicate this essay to my coach - who is more than a coach in my eyes.

NOkiaT

Nov 27, 2008

Undergraduate / "what do you want to do when you grow up?" - UC Prompt 1 [7]

Alright I have fixed it. I have a question, is my essay good as it is or should I tweak it a bit. Thank you

NOkiaT

Nov 27, 2008

Undergraduate / "what do you want to do when you grow up?" - UC Prompt 1 [7]

Theres 2 paragraphs about my reflection. I think its a little cliche, can you point out the cliche parts?

NOkiaT

Nov 27, 2008

Undergraduate / sport called Badminton - my uc prompt 2 essay [5]

I have revised it, can someone other than Gloria read this? Yeah I understand the # 13 rule. Thank you Gloria for your help. Please give me harsh criticism.

Through my eyes and ears, I have seen countless time, devotion, and sweat devoted to this sport called badminton. The yelling and disappointment that is exerted from my coach towards our performance does not spark despair in me, but rather a sense of inner determination. This powerful sense of determination to erase the past and prove to my coach and most importantly to myself, that the last game was a fluke. That this one game does not determine the future of the next.

During my early years of high school, the mere mention of badminton sparked a chain of stereotypical thoughts. The thin fragile badminton racket and the old decayed wooden 20 feet by 44 feet court didn't truly define what a sport is in my eyes. In the beginning of my badminton years, I was oblivious about what it took to be on a team. My skinny frame, lack of confidence, and absence of determination didn't show my lack of talent in my coach's eyes, but rather uniqueness. This was an opportunity for him and myself to mold me into not only a great badminton player, but a great individual as well. From then on, my coach's determination to mold me and my fellow teammates to great individuals began. Time and time again, I was faced with a demanding schedule that consumed most of my life. The countless hours I spent in the gym was to put me on a path to greatness. The time and devotion I put in this sport didn't seemed to go to waste since our record was 12-0. From then on I realized that my coach wasn't putting us on a path to greatness, but rather perfection.

Losing always left me with a sour taste. Not being able to accomplish my task seem to leave me feeling unfulfilled and disappointed. During the CIF championship game, my team did not win, nor did it come remarkably close. Strangely enough, this loss did not give me a sense of disappointment or feeling unfulfilled. This loss however, seemed to give me the exact opposite feeling I once felt after losing a game. Despite the fact that my team fell short of it's goal, happiness and excitement permeated the recreation center.

Over the past few years, I have come to realize the importance of badminton in aiding my growth as an individual. I have come to realize that I always wanted to achieve a particular goal, yet I was oblivious about the accomplishments I have already done to achieve that goal. This was the true source of our happiness. The whole process of badminton was an adventure that left me with new found confidence, determination, and devotion. Before these traits were nonexistent but now, they are heightened at a whole new level that I would not have imagined. My coach always had a saying to never underachieve, "to get what you deserve." Though we did not win, we certainly did not underachieve. Only two teams can make it to CIF Championships.

NOkiaT

Nov 28, 2008

Undergraduate / sport called Badminton - my uc prompt 2 essay [5]

cool thanks, your opinion on grammar/syntax matters. ALright thanks, I'll try to find yours.

NOkiaT

Nov 28, 2008

Undergraduate / I am shedding tears - UC Prompt #1 Essay [5]

Pretty interesting example, I think it answers the first prompt well.
A slight grammar issue, but overall It was good

NOkiaT

Nov 29, 2008

Undergraduate / "what do you want to do when you grow up?" - UC Prompt 1 [7]

Hey gloria my friends says that

it doesnt really answer the prompt do u think so

also that it gives a pessimistic tone, that i hate my parents

NOkiaT

Nov 29, 2008

Undergraduate / I do not want what others want; my definition of success - UC Prompt essay [2]

Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

I enjoy seeing celebrities with the obsession to buy the latest designer brand, from the Louis Vuitton handbag to even a Louis Vuitton dog carrier that has a price tag that costs as much as a computer. All of this celebrity spending to buy these "much needed accessories," provides a sense of humor in me.

I enjoy watching television shows and websites based on celebrities. The clothes they wear and the food they eat, all seems to "fascinate" me and the American people. I'm not simply fascinated by celebrities, but rather fascinated by the American people's interest in celebrities. This is what I find humorous. The perfect and care free life that these celebrities live seems to cause obsession in the American people. Living in a city close to Los Angeles, my family and I are aware of the celebrity lifestyle. Unfortunately however, my parents have adopted this idea. That fame, luxury, and fortune that a celebrity has is the very definition of success. I'm not the type of person who would spend my money on a Louis Vuitton dog carrier or try to create an image similar to that of Brad Pitt. I tend to separate myself from this celebrity life.

During the holidays my relatives came to visit. My relatives always loved to visit California and it seems like they to try to imitate the celebrity lifestyle. As I was eating mashed potatoes for dinner, my tall and goofy uncle approaches me, asking a simple question, "what do you wanna be when you grow up?"

I love reading books like the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and watching shows like A Man Among Wolves on the National Geographic channel. I love educating and challenging myself through sports and everyday school work through my rigorous IB classes. I also adore the opportunity to prove someone wrong. Yet my idea of fun and satisfaction seems to be everything that the celebrity life is not.

Throughout my years of experience and teachings, I have come to the realization that certain people have an innate passion and ambition to strive for a certain goal, despite the fact that it may not follow under societal norms. This very courage and determination that is displayed within these individuals is what I have acquired. The celebrity world I am exposed to and my family member's definition of success, has in a way molded my dreams and aspirations in life. Through my family's and from what I have seen, society's eyes, the idea of success is determined by the amount of money and material things you gain. This idea of success has made me realize that I do not want to live this celebrity lifestyle. That fame and luxury is not what I aspire. I for one believe true success is defined by the amount of education, passion, and experience one gains to contribute to their growth for internal satisfaction. This is what I aspire to acccomplish.

So, as my uncle approaches me and asks "what do you want to do when you grow up?" I will simply give a little chuckle and say, myself.

NOkiaT

Nov 29, 2008

Undergraduate / "I love badminton" - UC prompt 2 essay [3]

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

I love the fast paced sport of badminton. Speed, power, and flexibility is required in this sport. Yet I encounter constant remarks that "badminton is not a sport" and "badminton does not take any skills," from my fellow peers. At my school badminton is condemned as "the Asian sport." Oddly enough I constantly find myself challenging these very people, disproving their previous thoughts about this sport.

As a child, I was the kid that was picked last (especially in basketball) in P.E. Not due to my physical incapability, but the Asian stereotype that surrounds me. My teammates perceived me to be a shy Asian nerd who spends most of his time hitting the books. These were the very opportunities I relished. Beating people in basketball and paintball was my ultimate opportunity to prove that I am not your average stereotype. But ironically now, I find myself playing a sport that is the epitome of "being Asian."

In the beginning of my badminton years, the team had lost a significant amount of talented seniors. During my sophmore year, many rival teams and friends believed that Mission Bay badminton was "doomed," and that we would be lucky to even make the playoffs. I took this opportunity to not only train that much harder in badminton, but prove to everyone, that my team's future is not gonna go down the drain. Ironically enough, my coach and my teammates seem to have that same inner fire, to prove everyone wrong. This sense of doubt and negativity prompted us to work that much harder and be that much better. Funny thing is that towards the end of the season my team had a near perfect record, 16-1 and was one of the 2 teams to make it to CIF Championships.

The sport of badminton in a way and my sophmore season defines the type of person that I am. I am a go getter, I love to disprove people's thoughts, and that I am much more than your average stereotype. Beginning of my sophmore year, there were numerous doubts that our season was gonna end in failure. We lacked talent and experience, but we did not lack heart and determination. Despite our handicaps, we shattered previous thoughts, proved people wrong, and most importantly proved that badminton is much more than your average stereotype.