prompt: 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.
In elementary school, my parents encouraged me to work through math books. I thought arithmetic was a game, enjoyed it, and pushed myself to understand the concepts better. What else could be easier than working out math problems? Nothing, so I thought. Growing up in North Hills, in a community with attentive parents and strong academic programs, my education took a charitable path. It was not a breeze, but my family, teachers, and peers motivated me to study hard; over the years, they showed me the value of new technology.
Although I did not realize the importance of taking an HGM entrance exam in second grade, looking back, I know that this opportunity greatly affected my life. That test allowed me to enter the Highly Gifted Magnet programs offered at Portola Middle School and North Hollywood High School. While family friends said that continuing the HGM program at North Hollywood was too difficult and stressful, I chose to go not only because the challenge was so intriguing, but also because it built a strong student community. Through this program, I also strengthened my interest in mathematics, and developed my fascination in the sciences.
With the rich academic experience I had at North Hollywood, it was with much frustration that I moved to another school for tenth grade. This was a challenge; I could not and had no idea how to deal with the anger of moving away from my friends and school. Moreover, the atmosphere was extremely different; I followed along, kept pace with my teachers, and watched how others worked around me. I realized that if I wanted to keep ahead, I had to study more on my own.
School activities helped me cope with the transition, and I began to think seriously about what I would do with my life. I diligently kept up with my schoolwork, and made new friends through clubs, youth groups, and sports. Using the Internet and a mobile phone, I solidified relationships with my friends, many of whom I could not see on a weekly basis. I learned to balance my time more efficiently, but I still spent several sleepless nights pondering over a new dilemma. I wanted to use my smarts to help other people; I wanted to become an engineer and use my hands profitably, but I was never sure what field to pursue.
Junior year proved much better. I entered classes that I enjoyed, I liked my new teachers, and I even had the time to take an additional programming class at the local college besides my normal classes. Taking that class, as well as another one in the summer, showed me that I had a real knack for computer science. Building Java applications was like solving math puzzles-pieces had to fit; otherwise, programs would not run and solutions would not appear. When the script ran smoothly, the possibilities became endless.
In the course of these events, I discovered my passion to study both computer science and computer engineering. I plan to delve deeper into these fields and find greater insight in their application. Just as I had been able to utilize technology to share thousands of ideas with other people over the years, I now want to allow many more to discover the immense possibilities of these tools. Combining my strength in mathematics and a desire for accuracy, I know I will have a meaningful life creating avenues towards this end.
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essay so far. a bit long. im working on cutting down and maybe revising the end. thanks for any advise.
In elementary school, my parents encouraged me to work through math books. I thought arithmetic was a game, enjoyed it, and pushed myself to understand the concepts better. What else could be easier than working out math problems? Nothing, so I thought. Growing up in North Hills, in a community with attentive parents and strong academic programs, my education took a charitable path. It was not a breeze, but my family, teachers, and peers motivated me to study hard; over the years, they showed me the value of new technology.
Although I did not realize the importance of taking an HGM entrance exam in second grade, looking back, I know that this opportunity greatly affected my life. That test allowed me to enter the Highly Gifted Magnet programs offered at Portola Middle School and North Hollywood High School. While family friends said that continuing the HGM program at North Hollywood was too difficult and stressful, I chose to go not only because the challenge was so intriguing, but also because it built a strong student community. Through this program, I also strengthened my interest in mathematics, and developed my fascination in the sciences.
With the rich academic experience I had at North Hollywood, it was with much frustration that I moved to another school for tenth grade. This was a challenge; I could not and had no idea how to deal with the anger of moving away from my friends and school. Moreover, the atmosphere was extremely different; I followed along, kept pace with my teachers, and watched how others worked around me. I realized that if I wanted to keep ahead, I had to study more on my own.
School activities helped me cope with the transition, and I began to think seriously about what I would do with my life. I diligently kept up with my schoolwork, and made new friends through clubs, youth groups, and sports. Using the Internet and a mobile phone, I solidified relationships with my friends, many of whom I could not see on a weekly basis. I learned to balance my time more efficiently, but I still spent several sleepless nights pondering over a new dilemma. I wanted to use my smarts to help other people; I wanted to become an engineer and use my hands profitably, but I was never sure what field to pursue.
Junior year proved much better. I entered classes that I enjoyed, I liked my new teachers, and I even had the time to take an additional programming class at the local college besides my normal classes. Taking that class, as well as another one in the summer, showed me that I had a real knack for computer science. Building Java applications was like solving math puzzles-pieces had to fit; otherwise, programs would not run and solutions would not appear. When the script ran smoothly, the possibilities became endless.
In the course of these events, I discovered my passion to study both computer science and computer engineering. I plan to delve deeper into these fields and find greater insight in their application. Just as I had been able to utilize technology to share thousands of ideas with other people over the years, I now want to allow many more to discover the immense possibilities of these tools. Combining my strength in mathematics and a desire for accuracy, I know I will have a meaningful life creating avenues towards this end.
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essay so far. a bit long. im working on cutting down and maybe revising the end. thanks for any advise.
