After reading through my blog, I guess you won't deny that I don't cover or make myself look better than who I was. Now, I have one thing that I want to show you, but I only want to show to those who cared to read through my whole blog, because this required some patience and tolerance.
I had a really bad reputation when I was young:
I'll translate it for you.
Last week Vincent (My already abandoned English name) went back to Jim Bear for me. He left me a paper because I wasn't there. I saw it this morning, it is a GEPT High-Intermediate certificate. Since I didn't see him in person, I can't tell whether he was thanking me or for showing off?
GEPT stands for General English Proficiency Test. It is an authorized English examination in Taiwan, and can be viewed as an equivalent to TOEIC, IELTS, TOEFL... Some unis even viewed it as a graduation threshold, mostly only requiring Intermediate level. Vincent is only in Year 8 now, thus, I'm happy that he can work himself out to this stage, congratulations!
Vincent is a special kid. He likes to read, question since he was in Kindergarten, a very genius! He is in mathematically gifted class in SIES. He knows advanced probability calculation in Year 1, differentiating interests between banks. I was shocked by him at first, I can't lift his backpack when he was in year three because he borrowed books from library everyday, some of which I can't even understood! Economics for universities, statistics, autobiographys... he read everything. A few weeks ago Teacher Clyde told me he wrote an essay about environmental issue on Facebook using English. What a genius!
I admit that he is a "good" student. Good GPA, good hard-working, however, in terms of co-operating, his mature and overage make him unable to fit in with others. For me, he lacks a lot in my definition of a "good student": no pityness, no co-operating ability, bad relations with others, sometimes selfish, proud and too self-centered to talk to. That's not what education really means in my mind, nor is it a sign of a good student! I expect the next time when he comes to me, he won't only tell me about his scores, but what community services he had involved in, completed which kinds of difficult tasks through co-operating... I'm looking forward to it!
This one paragraph published when I was year nine was really a game-changer for me. Alongside the event that I described in my application, this was about the same time when I felt lost in school. I don't want to elaborate more about what I did in accord with this sincere opinion because if you found this link, you already read through my efforts, I want to say thank you to Uncle Stephen (the way we call the boss of my kindergarten-primary after school), for him served as a lighthouse in me being a better person.
Although in comparison with my fellow Taiwanese, I already committed relatively more time on the non-academic field while maintaining an acceptable GPA,a lot of hands-on experiences were separately used in other articles already so some of the titles below will not be written out.
Here is a rundown on what's going to be here:
1. My English Ability and its practical usages:
* Video Creating (NEW!)
* Scripts Translating (NEW!)
* Video Translating
2. Article Writer:
* Website performance
* School Magazine (NEW!)
3. Community Services (NEW!)
4. Summer Camps by Med Schools in Taiwan (NEW!)
1. My Practical English Usages
I understand that emphasizing my English ability to an American school is nonsense. However, it is one way to supplement my capability to use English, as well as demonstrating how I used my upper hand to assist others, or what it had sculptured me.
A. Video Creating
I started to record and upload my own video as early as 2011 when I was ten. Ever since then, 200 more videos, 2,000 subs and 1 million minutes play time joined me.
But stats never meant anything, right?
My First Dislike
The reason why I started to create videos was that I felt happy to express myself. It meant the longing for me to seek attention. From these video recording experiences, I went on to become one of our school's video and subtitle producer as well as one of the directors of the yearbook video supplement in year 9 and 12. I do not know why I like to talk. I was one of a kind, according to my primary school principal. In my primary school days, there would be a "talent day" and I remembered explicitly that when I was year two, I was called on stage to name the Qing emperors and their ruling years. However, I wasn't humble enough, and I expected all the claps. Not until I received my first dislike on youtube, then second, then third, did I learn my lesson. Of course, I have around 3,600 likes, with less than 700 dislikes. Why would I care for this 1/6 deviation then? But I was pissed. I couldn't understand why I, an innocent kid, got a dislike. I was a cute twelve-year-old. In my mind, when we gave out our opinions, the adult always cheered for us, encouraging us to speak out. It was until that day that I knew not everyone believed in the same ideology. There is partisan, there are stances, there are conflicts all over the place. I admit that I am not impartial at all. I have my own conservative stance, my own theory. But at least I can learn to not offend others. This was what filming youtube video taught me the most. B. Scripts Translating
I once helped Think Tesla Studio in translating their text-based game into mandarin. Their game has around 100K downloads and is an Editor's Choice.
I admit that I had the following reasons to choose this game:
1. Their game has a moderate fame. A bigger company or international ones will have their own employee dealing with linguistic variations. However, a game too small will not have an audience anyways. Their game clearly does not have a Chinese translator but is an "Editor's Choice", it suited my requirement.
2. I want to have my name somewhere in a famed game!
Simple as these little reasons, I took on the job.
It wasn't easy, however. There were over 2,000 lines waiting for me to translate, and I spent an entire month working as an external individual. The result was satisfying, and I got my name, as well as a sheep icon in the game.
Why did I decide to do this unpaid (except for fame benefits) job? For one, I wish that I can use my English ability on somewhere useful. Rather than writing my blogger which usually has lesser than 100 views, getting into a game is quicker and bigger.
For two, I enjoyed the feeling of being thanked.
I remembered some used to say, to serve is to expect for no return. That's nonsense. For me, no one expected nothing. Perhaps one doesn't expect for money or for a charity reputation, but they want that warmth when being thanked.
I was motivated by this warmth too. I used to went to nursing home and the elders always ask us to come back. I haven't quite had the time to do so, but I feel guilty. The one time I returned in year eleven, the elders still greet me warmly, as if I had never been away.
Needless to say, I enjoy helping people with tasks they aren't capable of performing.
2. School Magazine appearances.
I appeared on my school magazine a lot relatively. Our school magazine is by the school, not edited by students. There are four types of articles that will go on the book by students.
1. Reflection: When accomplishing something, usually competition, the school asks you to present them your reflection and how you believe others can do to also get that.
2. Column: When you are specialized at something, the school asks you to give out a tutorial on your advantage.
3. Literature: Our school has an annual literature competition. If you won, your piece will be published.
4. References: For example, when you make a speech to the public and it is something important, your speech might find its way to the magazine.
I have examples for each entry.
Reflection:
This entry was written when me and two other classmates won the Science-themed who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire game hosted by the school. It was, however, not that much worth referencing in my opinion.
(From 2017/07)
Column:
Straightforward as it was being said. I was the first person to do that in my school, and my school decided to host on-campus test shortly after they found out someone in their school can get full marks. My article was to stir up interest for potential students to try themselves out.
(From 2018/01)
Here, I want to specifically promote this issue:
This is the latest issue to date, OCTOBER 2018. This magazine has the following meanings:
1. I am handsome (oops)
2. I have a decent amount of positive recognition at school, enough that the school can select me as the cover star without worrying that half of the mags will be found torn apart in the recycle bin the next day.
3. I accomplished something worth putting aside the achievement of Basketball Varsity team which currently sits at top third in national ELO rank.
In fact, these are the last sixteen issues' covers.
It isn't common to feature "one individual", "with the name" on cover in my school.
Now, I want to highlight two articles in this issue, which will then conclude the unfinished "examples per entry".
Literature:
This was the novel entry that won me second place in our school's literature novel award. The first place was vacant. You may view the full novel (in Mandarin) here. (Or inside the school mag link above, of course.)
This novel was actually based on my own life story. It was surprisingly similar to my attached "La abdicacion" in my application form, just a longer Mandarin version. It talked about how a person with higher initial status need to cope for the lower end, unable to return and forced to settle inside his new vulgar life.
I loved to write these kinds of works, it probably reflected my mind of feeling special. I was waiting for any contact from any mysterious special agent to let me work in some high sci-fi organizations. Yet now, I can only start to give up there's such thing and learn to be ordinary.
Supplements
I was the featured speaker at the orientation this semester. My speech was then documented. I am terribly sorry that I couldn't write an essay about how I conquered my fear of public speaking and become more confident, because I was naturally born to love speaking in front of crowds.
3. Community Services.
I really wanted to start this session with a photo of me doing services, then, I was annoyed by the fact that I didn't document my services most of the time, so I had neither stats nor photos to prove myself.
I'll, therefore, start with this video.
I was a scout since I was year seven. In year eight, I was selected as the public practitioner of the batch, and I made this promotional video.
From this video, I can justify my continued usage of my "video and English" ability. Our club at that time had no one who can make a proper promotion video, hence, I took on the job. It is not that scout should not be camping in the wild and sit in intel rooms instead, just, when the time changed, scouts need someone who can adapt to the change, too.
This wasn't exactly a community service, just a service that I'm doing to a service club. The following, however, is a national service in a way, I guess?
These were from 2014's National Birthday of the Republic of China (please, no Taiwan China conflict now). Scouts like me were always honoured to be able to participate in such an event. I, myself, had always felt proud of my own country and thus, I took the challenge without a doubt.
Regarding my attitude on my country and to authority, I once wrote this:
I always like to criticize my school and my country. However, I am the one that loved my country and my school the most, even though by loving my country doesn't mean I love the ruler, too. I hate it to change its name without majority consent as well.
History is always inherited. If we decided to rename R.O.C as Taiwan, then our ancestor all lost their means to fight for preserving us this great land. Hence, when I said "two sides of the strait shalt not be separated", I wasn't dreaming for a position in the PRC government. I was just too nostalgic of our history. It was so heavy, so real that only partisans with zero pityness would let go.
It was because of this that I went on to do many things and speak for the government's stances even when disobeying is a trend among youngsters.
Now, enough national services, about services "to the poor", I wasn't quite involved. Here's one.
This photo was when we go on the streets to get people donating their receipts out because, in Taiwan, receipts may turn into cash through a lottery process.
I also went to clean the beach, clean streets numerous times, perhaps dozens, but I didn't take any photo of me cleaning things because I didn't do this so I can present them up here.
This photo was when my class went to the zoo to volunteering in assisting logistic affairs. My job was to be a guide who can present both in English and Mandarin at the entrance where maps are distributed. I found some interesting facts, including when exactly would the panda ticket runs out, how to judge if one is looking for maps and cannot find it, and so on. It was fun and meaningful.
Overall, I don't judge community services as a burden. In contrary, it gave me lots of chances to try and learn interesting skills. If not doing these community services, I would be too afraid to try anything, fearing consequences. Thus, it was me who benefited from doing these. I didn't go to resolve poverty or saved someone's life. However, the spirit of serving had rooted inside me and that's what it all worthed.
4. Medical Camps by med schools.
A medical camp is a place where we learn how to be a doctor. The biggest difference on paper is that you get to wear the doctor's outfit and take photos like above. However, I also learnt how to do CPR, install foley on, install NG, perform intravenous, and read EKG technical wise; Additionally, I did some lab sessions to understand more about macrobiotics and parasites, for example, here's a photo of me with E.Coli:
The importance of medical camp is that it told me what I can expect when being a doctor, what doctors need to do and test my capability from some very entry-level skills taught in the camp.
Medical camp, however, wasn't all science discussions. We also talked about some controversial topics related to the field of medicines and practical operations, for example, DNR, duplicates, and so on. Here is a photo of me and my bud Tony on giving out our initial conclusion after twenty minutes of discussions.
Joining in this kind of camp made the word "doctor" came alive, and I can understand more clearly why I want to get into this field. I found it interesting to discover bad guys and use my knowledge to try to conquer. It is like solving puzzles with life-at-stake. I loved this kind of combat.
I remembered reading an article titled "How I ate my weight in Burritos and got into ***". I was particularly fascinated by this quote:
I definitely could have “done more” in high school. But the point is that I really didn’t need to [...] the strongest part of my college application was the fact that I made it my application.You don’t have to do anything in particular to get into Hopkins, and the difference between me right now and me before *** proves why I got in, and why I deserve to be here.
Looking at this quote, I was relieved. I really thought that in order to have a chance to be admitted, I must write everything biologically, and I need to probably do poking frogs or cutting ribs all the time to "show my interest and potential in this biology field". However, now I am assured that you care about who I am in or outside my potential field of major, instead of just looking at my GPAs in biology or special accolades.
I am grateful for this. To repay, I want to tell you more about me, because I know that my words matter for you, and I feel respected even before I began applying.
They say that Asians "in monsoon Asia" are mostly book nerds, that's probably true.
I, myself, however, don't like people who always study and even "study for exams" during P.E. That's way over normalcy. If I am graded based on the number of notes I took, I'll likely have a 1.0 GPA.
That doesn't mean I don't learn with effort. When you live with cats, you learn to play cool; when you stay with dogs, you learn to play ball. I consider myself a moderate learner, mitigating this "do nothing but study" culture to a more healthy and balanced attitude. This is one reason I consider I'm more qualified than most of the fellow Taiwanese applicant. For most local students, they don't have as wealthy and deep-developed extracurricular experience while having a decent GPA (they'll usually only have one); for other international school counterparts, they, unless taking calculus and record A+, will not learn more than us local students in late year 11.
" Although these documents seem unrelated to my possible major, it illustrates some essential abilities that I possessed to master a heavy STEM-based program, especially, in an ELA way, meaning that I can combine and flourish in both."
If you are really desperate for a TL;DR, MUN made me.
But that's far from sufficient. I'll prove why exact this ELA event can justify my STEM latent.
