Undergraduate / "The Road to Serfdom" Stanford Intellectual experience [6]

Ok...Is my ideas presented coherently? If not, where does it sound funny?

In the library, a friend insisted on me to read "Road to Serfdom", an "influential classical liberalism work by Hayek that is definitely mind-opening". When I opened the book, I was immediately engrossed. It was different from all the works about politics I had read previously. The theory of Hayek was not completely alien to me--many ideas I encountered before have their roots in his theory. What I find astonishing and engaging in this book was the amazing power of "systematic". I have always been interested in politics and love to read political editorials, attracted by their strong views and simple, yet, convincing arguments. But now I find them less attractive and far less convincing, because their length limits them from fully developing the idea. But the book on my lap, with a systematic structure, was able to expand the theory into almost all aspects of economic life and point out insightful facts from numerous angles to support the main theory. I recalled the various problems I encountered because of understanding politics merely through reading editorials: every editorial I read seemed equally convincing to me; when I talked about politics I quoted ideas from articles I read instead of forming my own; I cannot find flaws in those seemingly reasonable arguments even if I disagree with them. Suddenly it dawned on me: all these problems occurred because my understanding on politics is a collection of scattered thoughts accumulated from all the articles I read, while the mind of a true intellectual, like Hayek, should be a powerful systematic whole.

Undergraduate / My Travel Journal in Spain, and Take a Book to Paris - An Important book [2]

I usually divide my education into two types: schooling and self-education--primarily through avid reading. For a long time I had been fed tons of facts and formulas at school, but through reading I raise question or reflect upon the nature of facts. Among many books, the unique travelogues by Da Lin, i.e. A Close Look at US Society Series, My Travel Journal in Spain, and Take a Book to Paris, best illustrate the intellectual fruits brought by reading.

These books trace the author's journey in various countries, providing vivid descriptions of culture, local customs, historical accounts, as well as current issues in their societies. What distinguishes these books from other writings on travel, history or society is their comparative approach and non-judgmental attitude. Da Lin makes me realize that the world and human society are sustained by a multitude of ideologies and behaviors, each dictating their own "facts" and "truths" that derive from their cultural and historical background.

If facts are relative, what is the real fact we pursue? Does learning facts have any meaning? Da Lin indicates in his books that we should remain receptive like a sponge and respect diverse opinions, ideas and beliefs without rushing to judgment. Since nobody witnesses or experiences every fact, the best way to approach truth is to accommodate as more opinions as possible so that we can stand on the proximity to truth, the only method for modern people to verify truth.

This reading experience has completely changed me. Da Lin's books teach me the significance of tolerance and diversity. At school, I used to take it for granted that the facts described in the textbooks were unquestionably true. When I encounter views that were different from mine, I would take it as "wrong" and try to alter it. But nowadays, I seek a diversified environment to learn and interact with people. I like to read different types of books with contrasting ideologies, to surf various "weird" online forums and social groups. I also try to figure out the causes of such differences.

Recently I attended the Harvard Summit for Young Leaders in China. It immersed me in an exciting environment of cultural diversity and intellectual freedom. I participated in the heated debates between furious extreme rightists and stubborn "new leftists"，enjoyed chatting with seminar leaders from Africa about their growing up experience in those faraway countries, and had fun at the poker table by observing the different habits and demeanors of fellow Chinese from different provinces. The clashing of different ideas inspires further reflections, which form new ideas and ignite more debates. Sometimes I forget about my determination to be open-minded and try to convert others, but I always remind myself later what Da Lin's thoughtful books have taught me.

*Many thanks*

Undergraduate / "History--the past and beyond"Cornell Arts and Science why essay [NEW]

Please be critical...I welcome any comment~~I will be glad to read your essays to return the favor.

Growing up in China, I have been told that socialism is the best in the world. I was convinced, until I grew up and was convinced again democracy is the best. But as I read more editorials, I became more puzzled. They go around the same arguments, quoting the same social problems and political events over and over again, but none of them touches the fundamental problem. Everyone was equally convincing, and I got brainwashed after I read every article. When I argue with people about politics I quote fragments of ideas from random articles instead of forming my own new ideas. (How do you distinct the difference between quoting others and forming your own? It is the difference between a bad "intellectual conversation" and a good Model UN draft resolution)

But one day I ran into Hayek's Road to Selfdom. It brought me to late 19th to early 20th century, when the debate between socialism and democracy, planned economy and market economy occur mainly between intellectuals and had yet to transform into ideology wars between massive campaigns. They were systematical theories touching the nature of the regimes instead of superficial analysis of random events, and do not rush to accusations. The stack of books on my knees carries a real constructive debate, while New York Times and People's Daily carries a quarrel, or a street fight. Suddenly it dawned on me: what I have been lacking is an individual mind that I can make rational judgments myself, because my understanding on society and politics are fragments, accumulated from the sea of editorials and other articles I read. I have a sudden urge to read all the books and understand their arguments-by Karl Max, by George Orwell, by Hayek, by Keynes...

This was when the power of "systematical learning" first shed light on me. It is the foundation of independent mind, of expanded scope, of critical thinking, of all the innovations and developments. The true meaning of liberal arts education is not memorizing figures and facts-which is something we do often and take for granted. It is, by laying foundations, change the way we think and get us prepared for a life time pursuit of intellectual interest. And the true goal of learning history, by tracing back the important events of the past, is to understand the present and learn how to think about them. Each major event in history opens a new door, behind which is a gold mine of human wisdom. History is a sea of human wisdom, and I hope Cornell University's history major could help me navigate through it.

In freshmen and sophomore year, I would take introductory units, extending over as much fields as possible. Not only remembering figures and facts on textbooks and reading materials, but also hitting the library often and having in-depth discussions with the faculties. From junior year, I plan to participate in research programs, to combine what I learnt in classroom with practice and gain a deeper understanding. All the while I plan to extend my passion and experience in Model United Nations, since, as I mentioned above, cultivate innovation and creation.

Undergraduate / "A trip to a crampy book store"Stanford "an intellectual experience" [NEW]

OK..I am a Chinese science student who pick science in high school just because I don't want to be brain washed learning history and politics, feeling still living in Oceania in 1984. The problem is, I want to learn history or political science or sociology in college, but I don't have any intellectual experience related to liberal arts. This is the closes thing to "intellectual experience"...IS THIS RIDICULOUS OR OFF TOPIC??

STANFORD STUDENTS ARE WIDELY KNOWN TO POSSESS A SENSE OF INTELLECTUAL VITALITY.TELL US ABOUT AN IDEA OR AN EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE HAD THAT YOU FIND INTELLECTUALLY ENGAGING.

It was a cold winter afternoon, when the twilight was setting in. A friend took me to a tiny bookstore on a cramped space between a glamorous mall and a noisy hot-pot restaurant. It was dimly lit. I felt walking straight into the archive of a Chinese government department-fluorescent light that flashes every now and then, piles of dusty dated books with unattractive covers, colorful plastic stools that you can by with 8 RMB for three. I raised my eyebrow as my friend began dashing and searching between the shelves, stacking me book after book, "Here, you have to read this. And this." I sat down (the stool gave out an unwelcoming crack) and opened one on the top. It was The Road to Serfdom.

Growing up in China, I have been told that socialism is the best in the world. I was convinced, until I grew up and was convinced again democracy is the best. But as I read more editorials, I became more puzzled. All of them seemed right, but none seemed totally right. They go around the same arguments, quoting the same social problems and political events over and over again, but none of them touches the fundamental problem. Everyone was equally convincing, and I got brainwashed after I read every article. It did not take long for me to realize that my brain was washed more frequently than my hand. I did not have an independent stand point from which to make judgments. When I argue with people about politics I quote fragments of ideas from random articles instead of forming my own new ideas. (How do you distinct the difference between quoting others and forming your own? It is the difference between a bad "intellectual conversation" and a good Model UN draft resolution) The thought was frustrating.

But the books opened to me a brand new way to see things. They brought me to late 19th to early 20th century, when the debate between socialism and democracy, planned economy and market economy occur mainly between intellectuals and had yet to transform into ideology wars between massive campaigns. They were systematical theories touching the nature of the regimes instead of superficial analysis of random events, and do not rush to accusations. The stack of books on my knees carries a real constructive debate, while New York Times and People's Daily carries a quarrel, or a street fight. Suddenly it dawned on me: what I have been lacking is an individual mind that I can make rational judgments myself, because my understanding on society and politics are fragments, accumulated from the sea of editorials and other articles I read. I have a sudden urge to read all the books and understand their arguments-by Karl Max, by George Orwell, by Hayek, by Keynes, by...whom?

I don't even know who the major thinkers of the era are.
This was when the power of "systematical learning" first shed light on me. It is the foundation of independent mind, of expanded scope, of critical thinking, of all the innovations and developments. The true meaning of liberal arts education is not memorizing figures and facts-which is something we do often and take for granted. It is a laying of foundations and an expansion of scopes.

We stepped outside in the dry winter wind, watching the construction site across the street buzzing with action despite the night site. He said:" This is the world we know, isn't it? But there is something else outside this, outside our domain of knowledge that we may never know." "The books you showed me today did open a door to something new." "Yes, but there are thousands of such doors."

We turned again to the bookstore behind us and saw an ocean of unknown possibilities. We need guides to navigate through them...And I guess that's why we go to colleges.

Undergraduate / "Harajuku girl meets bling-bling" Stanford roommate essay [NEW]

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

Hi roommate! This is what I look like: a pale 5.5 feet skinny girl wearing huge old hoodies, tight jeans and black bowler hats or baseball caps. Harajuku style meets bling-bling. I like reading, especially books about unfamiliar countries and disciplines, and enjoy having "intellectual" conversations about politics and economics as well as gossiping and partying. I learnt painting in a studio for 12 years, and painting affects my life in all the tiny ways: I like doodling about cartoon figures of my friends and I, and they love it; my desk are covered with mountains of colorful origami that would one day transform into massive paper flower balls that can fit in nowhere (We can come up with a plan to decorate our room with them if you like them); I sketch a lot, and I believe you would show up a lot in my sketch book. I have been living in a 6-people dorm for years, so never worry about cleanness or other problem you might meet living with someone else. I have handled five! One more thing: Since I am not familiar with all the American social rules, I would behave weird sporadically in the first few weeks; trust me, I am NORMAL! And hopefully fun to live with. Give me some time and I will grow out of the weirdness. I am very sure that we could be good friends!

Does my personality, like, ~~~shine~~through~~?(Ouch)

People say I am "harajuku meets bling-bling"...
What exactly is Bling-Bling?O___o"

Undergraduate / "Good Good Study Day Day Up"--Common Application Essay [2]

"Good Good Study Day Day Up" is a Chinglish(Chinese English) way Chinese socialists encourage their students to work hard and make progress everyday so...It's more of a life attitude.

This is a first draft, so there would be tons of grammar mistakes and incoherencies.

First I tried to write about my Model UN experience exposing my weaknesses and expressing a burning wish to improve. But my uncle in the US read it and said, "be shamless and compliment on yourself. Americans never say they are wrong. They only think about how to make themselves better".I was like WOW..

So the essay turned out like this(ta-da~)

Writing college admission essays gave me a chance I never had-to live through the highlights of my half high school years again. I am able to observe my life in an objective and analytical way, see the cause and effects, the connection and similarity between events. Here I start with my nickname, "Mom".

Each time my thumb scrolls over the text messages, I would spot some pieces beginning with "mom." About half of my schoolmates call me mom, and when their names pop up on the screen, their faces, personalities, and anecdotes flash into my mind. Fang, the chief editor of school magazine, was once blamed of procrastinating the publishing for two months. I played a hero who assumed and finished all works in 2 weeks, presenting a perfect outcome. Pot-pot, the conductor of the school orchestra, once gave me a midnight call when he was informed that a band from the US would come the next day to my school but his English did not suffice for communication. I ended up being the translator, the MC plus the assistant, running around with Pot-pot in shaky high heels, making sure everything smooth.

This is me-a teenage girl with a heroism complex. I invite challenges; they inspire me and spur me. I enjoy putting ideas into action, enjoy driven by passion, enjoy working with equally passionate friends and help them out whenever they are in trouble. In 11th grade I was elected the secretary general of our Model United Nations club. On this position I started a storm of campaigns. In the summer holiday we had a meeting planning our coming school year; the discussion and brain storming was a wonderful experience, and we soon constructed a two-page list of things we would do in the coming two months-posters, admitting new members, interviews, lectures, practice conferences... Lying on the bed that night with my head still storming with ideas, I constantly felt something what still lacking, and did not sort it out until midnight-a Gantt chart to keep us spurred and in track! I did not sleep that night learning project management, and the next morning each member in our club received a Microsoft Projector file in their mailbox. In retrospect I sense this Gantt chart signifies a transformation of our Model United Nations from a group of young people bonded by mutual interest and passion to a managed entrepreneurship working under schedules, each individual responsible for his or her own projects. Experimenting with various business management methods in our clubs enabled us to expand our club from 20 people to 200, to hold various training sessions every week and conferences every month, and most importantly, to balance various projects with our study-if working in Model UN affect our grades, we would be all doomed XoX...

In the club, I still play the "Mom's" part. Being responsible for weekly training sessions, I took full responsibilities on my trainees-I not only organized lectures, but also indulged in details of work like texting individuals after lectures offering one-on-one instructions. I was proud of it, but in retrospect the "Mom's way of working" in many cases is more of a limitation. Once, some new members in club were going to organize the first Model UN conference on their own, but I put my finger to their plan, as I usually did. I flipped over their 20 pages agenda-something us "older members" insisted them to make--and picked out at least ten problems. I should have stopped at this point, but I took the agenda home and went over each item. I could not prevent myself from rewriting it, which frustrated them. Later they came to me and said:" Mom, you are such overprotective. This way we will never grow. " and undid most of my corrections. That was when I discovered my own limitations: too easy to be absorbed by details like a single conference and neglect the bigger picture-to let each member grows in the team. Being the "Mom" did not authorize me to cross the boundaries of my own responsibilities and others' as soon as the project is divided, even if I was well-intended.

I had never thought that writing college essays could turn out to be a process of self-revelation. At first I tried to pile up my success stories, but later I came to realize that "why could I achieve this" and "what I could have achieved" taught me more than "what I have achieved" did. Now, as I thumb through hundreds of text messages beginning with "Mom" recording all the things we have done together, I could no stop thinking about all the possibilities: what if I have done things in the other way? What could make us more effective? More innovative? Milan Kundera told me:"No, it's not possible. We cannot test the other possibilities each time and compare the results. Our lives happen but once." But I have my own vision of "eternal return": I would, one day, find myself being the "mom" again; but in the time interval between now and that day, though retrospection and through learning new things, I would get myself prepared.

THE END

I am trying to sound very Chinese to show "diversity" in short answer and sound very American to "fit into American education" in personal statement..

So pleeeaase could anybody read my PS? I am very afraid that, although I tried my best to put my wits into the essay, Americans would be like ***...><#

I would appreciate ANY comments. Thank you thank you thank you~