KAIST 2023 Entrance essay
Please describe your dream and the efforts you have made so far to achieve it and your future plan for it. (within 2000 characters) (Required)
※ Please include your reason(s) for choosing KAIST in order to achieve your dream and the hardships that you expect to encounter in the process.
"Eat. Sleep. Game. Repeat." is the perfect phrase that depicts my childhood life. Yet as I grew older, I started to move away from it and think more about what I wanted to do in life. It wasn't long till the end of my senior year of high school. I started to realise that I was no longer the child I used to be and needed to look for something that provided me with a sense of purpose and fulfilment. So I began looking for new ways to create value from something I always loved, computers! I have always been intrigued by tech companies, namely Gojek and Tokopedia from Indonesia. It's inspiring how they utilise technology to make life easier. From then on, I was set in stone to build a tech startup that provides solutions towards social problems.
My search for online courses began as I surf around the internet, searching for one that will bring me a step closer to achieving my lifelong dream. That's when I stumbled upon CS50, the perfect entry-level computer science course since I have yet to have any prior programming experience. Taking this course has taught me the fundamentals and has given me a vivid portrayal of what I am going to learn. Currently, I am 4 weeks into it and I have never felt so excited to learn more about an area as I did doing the course.
Choosing the right university is a crucial decision that will help me realize my aspirations and dreams, so when I first heard about KAIST, it sparked my interest. I believe that KAIST's excellent computer science program, eminent faculty members, modern facilities as well as their vision in human-centric computing will not only provide me with all the necessary skills to excel in my chosen field but also lay a solid foundation for my future endeavours.
Moving out to a foreign country may be exciting but will also force me to step out of my comfort zone, like building friendships with the diverse community of students or not being able to cope with the language barrier. However, I believe that's the beauty of studying abroad, it allows you to gain new life experience and broadens your perspective.