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Occidental Supplements (Why?/Interests/Idiosyncrasy)


josephuong 2 / 6  
Nov 13, 2012   #1
I'd appreciate some feedback for these essays. Thanks in advance.

There are thousands of colleges and universities. Why are you applying to Occidental? In your opinion, what distinguishes it from your other choices?
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Former Occidental President Ted Mitchell once said that Oxy is an institution of "intimate scale and infinite scope," a statement that embodies everything that I seek in higher education.

The intimate scale of Oxy's campus lends itself nicely to a learning environment that fosters a close relationship between student and professor. In high school, many of my classes were quite large, so it was hard to have thought-provoking discussions. I received much of the material through lectures, which I find generally lend themselves to rote memorization rather than critical thinking. On the other hand, small classes lend themselves to discussing ideas, a method of learning that I find to be the most effective for me because I enjoy the challenge of thinking about ideas on a deeper level. At Oxy, I can trust that my classes will foster engaging discussions, knowing that I can more readily access professors as a resource and trade ideas with fellow classmates.

Oxy is a school whose scope lies not in the physical size of its campus, but in the resources that it affords its students. I firmly believe that Study Abroad can help me gain the international experience that is important in becoming better rounded as a world citizen. I also feel Oxy's large scale through the privilege to design my own major, which would allow me the freedom to pursue wherever my interests will take me. Although Oxy's "infinite scope" refers to Oxy's large-scale resources like Study Abroad, I also think Oxy's infinite scope is also in its location. I find that Oxy's location near downtown L.A. is optimal because it is located in a communal setting near a large metropolis. I've always wanted to live near a center of culture, where there's always great musicians playing or a new restaurant to try. At the same time, though, Oxy's immediate surroundings are comfortable and homey, giving a sense of community. Indeed, Oxy is truly where I belong.

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While we realize your interests may change in college, what are your current academic and intellectual curiosities?
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I get a certain joy from reaching an understanding about the culture around me. Naturally, English has always been my favorite subject in school not just because I enjoy reading and analyzing works of literature, but also because the thinking I do in English fosters an understanding of the culture that surrounds me.

Words have always fascinated me with their ability to say one thing and also have underlying meanings. My appreciation for words grew when I read Oedipus Rex. In Oedipus Rex, I saw the beginnings of modern day works that I'd enjoyed in a story about how one man's hubris leads him to his own ultimate downfall. The Wire, one of my favorite dramas, is similar in that characters that have the hubris to challenge an institution, whether it's the drug trade or the politics of Baltimore, are ultimately struck down. It amazes me that Greek authors laid down this blueprint so long ago and that this framework lives on in great works of art today. I also see structural elements of classic tragedy in my favorite kind of music: hip-hop. Like the orator of a Greek tragedy, hip-hop MCs tell stories that can reflect anything from crack cocaine epidemics to his own life in the inner city. Greek tragedies are thousands of years old, but their stories live on through the art they have influenced.

My desire to explore the world through words also lends itself to why I love journalism. In the classroom, I analyze ancient texts, but as a journalist, I have a responsibility to reflect the events that happen in the community that I'm a part of. Through words, I can piece together not only my understanding of the past, but also my understanding of my direct surroundings.

My appreciation for what words can do transcends an interest in texts - it's a desire to understand the people, the society, and the culture that surrounds me. I hope to further my understanding of the present world through my appreciation for works of the past.

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Identify and describe a personal habit or idiosyncrasy - of any nature - that helps define you.
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My older siblings are 9 and 19 years older than I am, and they often tell me I'm an old man. There's some truth to that - my posture is quite terrible, and while most people today listen to mp3s on their iPods, I have a record collection that includes albums by Led Zeppelin, The Who, and other bands your dad listens to. I prefer vinyl to mp3s simply for the pure pleasure I get from the listening experience.

I enter a certain state of euphoria whenever I'm in a record store. I cherish the little victories in life, so I get incredibly giddy whenever I find a gem after flipping through records for hours, whether it's an original Art Blakey pressing or a rare Roots single. More so than actually finding things to buy, though, my favorite parts about record hunting are simply being surrounded by music and the physical act of thumbing through old dusty LPs. Growing up in the age of the iPod and mp3s, I'd always been fascinated by vinyl. Maybe it was something about the disc's size - an iPod stays the same weight no matter how many tens of thousands of songs are loaded on it, but the weight of a crate of albums can be felt in every gatefold sleeve that's stacked in it. As someone who loves music, I take more pride in the collection of records that I can hold more than I do the intangible mp3 files that have collected in my computer. What I really love about vinyl, though, is the ceremonious nature of listening to it - taking this big disc out of its sleeve, laying it on the platter, then picking up the needle and putting it on the disc to hear the crackles of the vinyl's age.

Growing up in an era of digitalization, I feel that people in my generation don't get enough credit for appreciating mediums of a past era. Many people my age have tired of the impersonality of digital media, so we seek out things like vinyl records and Polaroids - no touchpad or tablet will be able to replicate the ephemeral feeling of flipping through a stack of records or an old photo album.

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sevbrown 1 / 4 1  
Nov 25, 2012   #2
i realllly like all of them!
the one about your current intellectual curiosities could be better though! you describe a lot about the books, which tends to get a bit dull.

also the very last one you say, "and other bands your dad listens to." i dont like the whole "you" part of it, try to fix it.

other than that i think all of them are pretty great!
id love your feedback on my essays :D you seem to have a lot of knowledge about what your'e talking about
OP josephuong 2 / 6  
Dec 15, 2012   #3
oh oops... haha i didn't see your feedback until just now. it was actually due a couple days after i posted this thread, and funnily enough, i changed the things you mentioned! i was a bit too precious with the books and such in the intellectual curiosity essay so i toned that down a little, and i changed that dad rock sentence almost entirely.

i'll be sure to take a look at your essays. thanks so much for your feedback!


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