Hi people! I am finally done with my U chicago supplements, FINALYYYY!!!:)
Please be harsh with me and give me any quick feedbacks deadline is in 24 hours:(
My why chicago essay:
Question 1. How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to Chicago.
Word limit: one paragraph or two
"Read the SCAV HUNT list, if you roll on the floor laughing then you are a Chicago kid"
Those were the exact words a U Chicago student said when I asked him about the school. Of course, I googled the "SCAV HUNT list" immediately and I was faced with a humongous list of bizarre things. I did not, however, "roll on the floor laughing" as the student puts it explicitly. Instead, I was laughing my head off in my chair. I can't help but marvel at the level of intelligence needed to come up with things so outlandish and odd! A normal person (a sane one) sure can't think of all those ideas, so outwardly crazy and yet somewhat plausible. In a world filled with students from the same cookie-cutter educational system, a Chicago student is so delightfully recognizable and different. It was then that I made up my mind that I wanted to go to University of Chicago.
Robert Maynard Hutchins, who led Chicago from1929 to 1951, once said "Having fun is a form of intelligence." In my point of view, the SCAV HUNT is the epitome of that phrase. It takes a common idea of scavenger hunt and totally transforms it into such a spectacular version. The students have fun not in typical ways such as partying, but in a creative and unconventional way that sets University of Chicago apart. This reflects a lot about the school. I can see that the students are intellectuals; they think outside of the box and are never constrained by what the society deems normal. No doubt, U Chicago is a school known for hardworking and intelligent people, but it is also a school for people who know how to find joy in learning itself. This is what I want to do - learning just for learning's sake, adding a bit of creativity, and enjoying a college education unlike any other. I want to be part of a community so unique and special. I want to become an outstanding individual that is not bounded by the norm. I want to be a Chicago Kid.
My FIND X essay:
Today is New Year's Eve. As cliché as it may sound, I am doing up my New Year resolutions. I have all the typical things you can find in a New Year resolution: A new look, get into college, get in shape etc .However, the list just doesn't seem right. Something is definitely missing, and I can't put my finger on it. This is a New Year's Eve mystery. I am determined to find the missing item on my list, so let's called it X.
To successfully find X, I certainly can't go about investigating it aimlessly. To help solve this mystery is a list of suspects:
1) A heart of gratitude
I almost forgot about this. It is something that everyone assumes that they have, but in actuality not many people are thankful. This year, I was unfortunately one of them. To me, the cup seemed to be always half empty. Negative feelings such as anger and sadness tend to form a barrier around my heart of gratitude. I tend to take what I have for granted, and there are times where I feel like the universe revolves around me and the self-centred part of me surfaces. There are so many aspects in life to be thankful for. I could thank the sun for shining bright everyday; I could thank the air for being refreshing; and I could thank my mum for cooking me breakfast every day. If I could just take a moment and think about what the world has done for me, I will realise that my world has suddenly taken on a brighter colour and I feel like a happier person already. The cup is now half-filled.
2) Forgiveness
As the old saying goes, "Past is History, Future is a Mystery and Today is Gift and hence it is called the Present". Live the moment and not dwell in the past mistakes and hatred. Learning to forgive myself and forgive others is a difficult thing to do. Hatred is the kind of memory that stays the longest, because the trauma it created in the first place is so deep-rooted. Learning to forgive is what I should have done ages ago: whether it be learning to forgive a friend who had said hurtful words in the heat of an argument, or learning to forgive myself for underperforming in a major examination. Only when there is true forgiveness can I progress and move on.
3)Motivation
What is my goal in life? Last year it was acing my A level examinations, but what about this year? Every year I am faced with the same quest of finding my identity and my goal. Every year there is a different aim, usually a short term one. Despite these goals, I had difficulty actually achieving them. That is, until something finally struck a chord in me: What I need is motivation. Motivation is a form of adrenaline rush; it is something that drives me to wake up every day - and not because I've had enough sleep, but because I have something to look forward to. Motivation is an emotion; it is unpredictable. It can materialize into the thirst for knowledge, or it can take the form of desire for something. Motivation is a pre-requisite in life. Life will be meaningless without motivation.
So what is X? What is the missing element from my New Year resolution?
Maybe nothing is missing. Maybe X was simply that I needed this time to reflect on myself - and maybe I just solved the New Year's Eve mystery.
ps i want to know if my find x essay is too cliche? i think a lot of people actually use this to reflect on themselves as well?
THANK YOU FOR UR HELP
it definitely does not seem cliche, addressing the idea of new years was actually pretty creative. i enjoyed the why chicago essay , a good twist on a seemingly boring prompt. well done!
So i've emailed my english teacher my 'why Chicago' essay
and this is what he said:
"You took some thing about the University and addressed it (SCAV HUNT), and then all you talk about is how it is something "different/out of the box/creative". There is nothing descriptive about YOUR unique desire for a particular learning, community and future. No specific wishes of your own given. Your write up is actually quite decent, but if you want to be more special, it has to be something unique to you, i.e. not something else someone else can say too. So far, and especially in this essay, you are saying things which many other students can say too. "
Shld i heed his advice and rewrite?
I'm a little short of time...
what shld i do?
Thanks courtney!
I'm a little insecure abt my WHY X essay though, someone i asked to proofread just told me this:
Ok. I will be upfront. You should have prepared for this essay sooner.
1. The idea is cliche.
2. The essay doesn't talk much about you
3. It's not well written
I was like ouch! was it that bad?
