Post by tosney on Sept 23, 2011 18:47:34 GMT -5
So, I've gotten mixed reviews on this essay, so I wanted some third-party feedback.
One question: is it okay to refer to the essay question directly? I usually consider it bad form but I don't know how else to get my message across.
Topic: Florida State University is more than just a world-class academic institution preparing you for a future career. We are a caring community of well-rounded individuals who embrace leadership, learning, service, and global awareness. With this in mind, which of these characteristics appeal most to you, and why?
Essay:
I’ve loved books since before I could read. I would place a heavy text in my lap, sniff at the aged scent of the pages, and slowly turn them, taking in the intricate shapes of the letters and beautifully aligned paragraphs. That habit of skimming through mass amounts of information has stuck with me, except now I can actually understand it. I’m interested in the fascinating and the weird - obscure history mysteries we don’t touch on in class or the quirks of the human brain in psychology. Popular Science and Discovery litter my house.
The truth is, I had difficulty choosing between three causes close to my heart for this essay. I eventually realized that a goal of global awareness and my involvement in service both stem from my love of learning. My curiosity about the world has led me from the library to Thailand, and I'm always eager to learn about other cultures through research, asking questions, and even watching movies from foreign countries. My interest in understanding and helping others has brought me to a position as president of the school's Junior Civitan Service Club.
I know that if I hold onto it and allow it to show me a path, curiosity and eagerness to learn will lead me to have a full and interesting life - I hope to experience as much as possible. Even if I can’t always explore the world physically, I can do so through books. When interested in a topic, I harness the information power of the Internet and the non-fiction section in the library to become a small expert in the subject. I can tell anyone far more than they need to know on things like the Salem Witch Trials and Myers-Briggs personality theory. If not even the complexities of the world are not enough to satisfy my craving for understanding, I explore what has not been thought of through creative writing, my biggest passion.
I believe writers are, at heart, learners. Curiosity about the world, the brain to notice everything odd about it, and the imagination to see what it could be, drive the creative writer. In order to write, anything interesting, or even that which seems at first irrelevant, is absorbed and finitely inspected. Ideas pile up, each screaming to be taken out and further analyzed. Finally, the build up of information, ideas, and wonders in my head are released through carefully crafted sentences.
Learning has brought me full circle. I hope to one day, through my own stories, inspire another child like myself to fall in love with this glorious world and let their curiosity take them far.
One question: is it okay to refer to the essay question directly? I usually consider it bad form but I don't know how else to get my message across.
Topic: Florida State University is more than just a world-class academic institution preparing you for a future career. We are a caring community of well-rounded individuals who embrace leadership, learning, service, and global awareness. With this in mind, which of these characteristics appeal most to you, and why?
Essay:
I’ve loved books since before I could read. I would place a heavy text in my lap, sniff at the aged scent of the pages, and slowly turn them, taking in the intricate shapes of the letters and beautifully aligned paragraphs. That habit of skimming through mass amounts of information has stuck with me, except now I can actually understand it. I’m interested in the fascinating and the weird - obscure history mysteries we don’t touch on in class or the quirks of the human brain in psychology. Popular Science and Discovery litter my house.
The truth is, I had difficulty choosing between three causes close to my heart for this essay. I eventually realized that a goal of global awareness and my involvement in service both stem from my love of learning. My curiosity about the world has led me from the library to Thailand, and I'm always eager to learn about other cultures through research, asking questions, and even watching movies from foreign countries. My interest in understanding and helping others has brought me to a position as president of the school's Junior Civitan Service Club.
I know that if I hold onto it and allow it to show me a path, curiosity and eagerness to learn will lead me to have a full and interesting life - I hope to experience as much as possible. Even if I can’t always explore the world physically, I can do so through books. When interested in a topic, I harness the information power of the Internet and the non-fiction section in the library to become a small expert in the subject. I can tell anyone far more than they need to know on things like the Salem Witch Trials and Myers-Briggs personality theory. If not even the complexities of the world are not enough to satisfy my craving for understanding, I explore what has not been thought of through creative writing, my biggest passion.
I believe writers are, at heart, learners. Curiosity about the world, the brain to notice everything odd about it, and the imagination to see what it could be, drive the creative writer. In order to write, anything interesting, or even that which seems at first irrelevant, is absorbed and finitely inspected. Ideas pile up, each screaming to be taken out and further analyzed. Finally, the build up of information, ideas, and wonders in my head are released through carefully crafted sentences.
Learning has brought me full circle. I hope to one day, through my own stories, inspire another child like myself to fall in love with this glorious world and let their curiosity take them far.