French novelist Anatole France wrote: "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." What don't you know?
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As a teenager, my answers to my parents often end up being "I don't know". What did you learn in school today? I don't know. What do you want to be when you grow up? I don't know. After a certain amount of this, my mother gets frustrated and sarcastically asks me, "Well, what DO you know?" The truth is, not much.
There have been tons of mistakes made in history which can be attributed to one thing: Hubris. There are countless examples of arrogant people through history who thought that they knew everything, yet made mistakes of drastic consequences. Did Napoleon know that his dominance would end if he invaded Russia? Did George W. Bush know that dismantling the Iraqi government would lead to endless years of unwinnable wars and conflict?
It is always important to keep in mind what you don't know. As a student and a scholar, the most important quality is a thirst for knowledge and betterment; having this thirst indicates that there are things yet unlearned. I want to make the list of things I don't know smaller every day. At the same time, I want to avoid falling in the traps of arrogance by believing I know everything. For example, I still do not know what it takes to be a scientist. My knowledge of complex compounds or molecular structures is still not at an acceptable level to become a researcher. I do not know exactly how hard I will have to work to reach my goal of achieving an Ivy League education. I do know that the only way to rectify the holes in my knowledge is to keep asking questions, and keep spending time to change those "I don't knows" into "Now I know".
My thirst for knowledge will be everlasting, and my entire life spent to learning something new every day. But for the time being, I believe that I should direct my learning toward something substantial, something of significance to me. At the prestigious Brown University, I believe that I can pursue this avenue of interest in chemistry towards a constructive career, where I can hopefully leave a meaningful impact through my work.
The essay is only about 250 words.. Do colleges care if you don't use all 500 words? I tried to add fillers, but they all sound dumb, and i figured that a college would rather a concise essay that cuts to the point, rather than one that drags on.
Thank you, Sean
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As a teenager, my answers to my parents often end up being "I don't know". What did you learn in school today? I don't know. What do you want to be when you grow up? I don't know. After a certain amount of this, my mother gets frustrated and sarcastically asks me, "Well, what DO you know?" The truth is, not much.
There have been tons of mistakes made in history which can be attributed to one thing: Hubris. There are countless examples of arrogant people through history who thought that they knew everything, yet made mistakes of drastic consequences. Did Napoleon know that his dominance would end if he invaded Russia? Did George W. Bush know that dismantling the Iraqi government would lead to endless years of unwinnable wars and conflict?
It is always important to keep in mind what you don't know. As a student and a scholar, the most important quality is a thirst for knowledge and betterment; having this thirst indicates that there are things yet unlearned. I want to make the list of things I don't know smaller every day. At the same time, I want to avoid falling in the traps of arrogance by believing I know everything. For example, I still do not know what it takes to be a scientist. My knowledge of complex compounds or molecular structures is still not at an acceptable level to become a researcher. I do not know exactly how hard I will have to work to reach my goal of achieving an Ivy League education. I do know that the only way to rectify the holes in my knowledge is to keep asking questions, and keep spending time to change those "I don't knows" into "Now I know".
My thirst for knowledge will be everlasting, and my entire life spent to learning something new every day. But for the time being, I believe that I should direct my learning toward something substantial, something of significance to me. At the prestigious Brown University, I believe that I can pursue this avenue of interest in chemistry towards a constructive career, where I can hopefully leave a meaningful impact through my work.
The essay is only about 250 words.. Do colleges care if you don't use all 500 words? I tried to add fillers, but they all sound dumb, and i figured that a college would rather a concise essay that cuts to the point, rather than one that drags on.
Thank you, Sean