You know, the world is turned by people who know what they are doing and where they are going. But it really was discovered by people who did not know where they were going and weren’t afraid to venture into the unknown, take some risk with whimsical chance, brave the lack of certainty, but still eventually get somewhere.
And even today. There is still a lot more of the world, life and its burgeoning opportunities, to be explored.
It is okay not to know. Especially when you are young – because that is the only time you can still afford not to know.
Blessed are those who know what they want and where to go. Blessed are those too, who remain free to discover and experience everything anew.
You taught me not to be bitter about the past, but to realize how the past has impacted on me; you taught me not to state monotonously, but to describe; you taught me to believe in myself and give it a try even the chances are slim…
4. What should I do before coming to see you?
You assemble a 1-paged resume (don’t reduce font just to fit many things into one page, SNORE), write 10 things which you believe I ought to know (don’t be cute and don’t talk about really daft things; I am interested in YOU as a person beyond the resume and not another 10-points-of-shameless-achievements).
8. Please give me an invaluable piece of advice?
Know yourself. For an Asian kid, we are too used to being judged by our numbers and results and what not. But for once, someone is interested in YOU as a person, what your values are, what do you dream of at night, what are your aspirations. It takes time to recalibrate yourself, and stop yourself from writing your whole RESUME down as your admissions essay.
Saying that doesn’t detract the importance of grades and SAT scores. Those are necessary too.
At the end of 12 years of education: surely there must be some introspection, some thoughts, some reviewing, some emo-ing; use them but be careful not to get to involved in these emotions. Maybe the post-exams mood might give your thoughts some clarity, where it has failed before.
4. What is the maddest and proudest thing you have done in college?
I read close to 1000 books in 4 years (and 6 months prior to college). I read in the toilet, over breakfast, when speaking to friends, on the bus, while walking, under the blanket in the cold winter, on long interstate bus-journeys, when my friends were in my room playing bridge; I read everywhere and once walked into a pole while reading Charlotte Bronte’s Villette final paragraphs and wept, I know not for the grandeur of its ending or the pain of falling onto the floor flat, where I lay there and finished the last lines. I once took 3 English classes in a semester, and had to read 1 novel/play/book of poems per week for each course. What was I thinking? Zzzzz.
The universe however big, is only so extensive. Even at the mercy of fickle probability - when Chance eventually runs out of permutations and patience - verily our paths will converge. Time is the only thing we need.
