Stanford Supplement 1: Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.
As the only species thus far to have an aptitude to attain intelligence, shouldn't we as humans continuously strive towards excelling our respective individual intellects?
I've had a strange obsession with the sciences ever since I was a child. I would have strange dreams of the stars and space, gaze in wonderment at images of the macrocosm I could only fantasize about. Then after putting away the astronomy books, I would inquire about my grandfather's aliments and hop on the computer frantically searching for definitions and cures. My mother would always yell at me for the clutter of scattered around my room ranging from fantasies like Harry Potter to books from the realm of quantum physics such as The Holographic Universe.
Growing up as a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim, I was taught to pursue knowledge for more than monetary gain. Through analysis of my own religious and cultural history, I learned about the discoveries Muslims made in fields of modern medicine and mathematics. Furthermore, I realized that their contributions of algebra, advanced optics, and many more innovations, had been fueled by curiosity, faith, and desire for the betterment of society. It's my duty to follow in my forefathers footsteps and build upon their innovations.
Without proper intellectual development, we can't advance humankind for higher standards of living. By denying oneself the pursuit of education, one not only harms the advancement of mankind, but also squanders their gift of intellect. As a person blessed with resources, it's my obligation to pursue knowledge in any way I can and contribute to society in an appropriate manner.
Stanford Supplement 2: Write a letter to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.
Dear Roommate,
I've roomed with some strangers who are now my lifelong friends. I learned the importance of compromise and respect from my past rooming experiences because a roommate relationship is more transcendent than any friendship.
There'll be times when we will agree and disagree, bond and fight, good times and bad times, but I'm prepared to get us through the inevitable. As much as drama sucks, it's a part of life. Arguments break relationships down and compromise builds them back up to be stronger than ever before. Ideally, we learn from and about each other through our disagreements.
You'll probably be annoyed of me barging in and out of the room, but I hope you join me in my midnight snack runs to In-N-Out and then some 5:00 AM meditation and workout sessions. Sleeping gets boring, wouldn't you agree? There's so much to be done that it's hard to sleep! I can't remember a time when I slept past 9 except for days when I was jetlagged from my travels to Pakistan, but that's a story for another day. The fact that I don't sleep much makes sense because after all, my name means wakeful in Arabic.
My lifestyle isn't as tiring as it sounds. When I need to relax, I sit under the sky wondering about the expansion of the universe, dreaming of traveling in space, and planning how I'll get there. The idea of space travel always fascinates me even though I'm terrified of heights. I get nervous standing even a few feet of the ground, but this one time, I jumped off my cousin's roof into his pool. It was one small step for me, one giant leap for overcoming my fear.
My friends call me a story teller because I have tons of stories like that to share, but these are more than stories, they're memories. Over the next four years I hope to make many more memories with you.
See You Soon,
Sahir Noorani
Can someone give me feed back? Please and thank you (:
As the only species thus far to have an aptitude to attain intelligence, shouldn't we as humans continuously strive towards excelling our respective individual intellects?
I've had a strange obsession with the sciences ever since I was a child. I would have strange dreams of the stars and space, gaze in wonderment at images of the macrocosm I could only fantasize about. Then after putting away the astronomy books, I would inquire about my grandfather's aliments and hop on the computer frantically searching for definitions and cures. My mother would always yell at me for the clutter of scattered around my room ranging from fantasies like Harry Potter to books from the realm of quantum physics such as The Holographic Universe.
Growing up as a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim, I was taught to pursue knowledge for more than monetary gain. Through analysis of my own religious and cultural history, I learned about the discoveries Muslims made in fields of modern medicine and mathematics. Furthermore, I realized that their contributions of algebra, advanced optics, and many more innovations, had been fueled by curiosity, faith, and desire for the betterment of society. It's my duty to follow in my forefathers footsteps and build upon their innovations.
Without proper intellectual development, we can't advance humankind for higher standards of living. By denying oneself the pursuit of education, one not only harms the advancement of mankind, but also squanders their gift of intellect. As a person blessed with resources, it's my obligation to pursue knowledge in any way I can and contribute to society in an appropriate manner.
Stanford Supplement 2: Write a letter to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.
Dear Roommate,
I've roomed with some strangers who are now my lifelong friends. I learned the importance of compromise and respect from my past rooming experiences because a roommate relationship is more transcendent than any friendship.
There'll be times when we will agree and disagree, bond and fight, good times and bad times, but I'm prepared to get us through the inevitable. As much as drama sucks, it's a part of life. Arguments break relationships down and compromise builds them back up to be stronger than ever before. Ideally, we learn from and about each other through our disagreements.
You'll probably be annoyed of me barging in and out of the room, but I hope you join me in my midnight snack runs to In-N-Out and then some 5:00 AM meditation and workout sessions. Sleeping gets boring, wouldn't you agree? There's so much to be done that it's hard to sleep! I can't remember a time when I slept past 9 except for days when I was jetlagged from my travels to Pakistan, but that's a story for another day. The fact that I don't sleep much makes sense because after all, my name means wakeful in Arabic.
My lifestyle isn't as tiring as it sounds. When I need to relax, I sit under the sky wondering about the expansion of the universe, dreaming of traveling in space, and planning how I'll get there. The idea of space travel always fascinates me even though I'm terrified of heights. I get nervous standing even a few feet of the ground, but this one time, I jumped off my cousin's roof into his pool. It was one small step for me, one giant leap for overcoming my fear.
My friends call me a story teller because I have tons of stories like that to share, but these are more than stories, they're memories. Over the next four years I hope to make many more memories with you.
See You Soon,
Sahir Noorani
Can someone give me feed back? Please and thank you (:
