Usually this question would evoke some long thinking- what did I really do during my summer? And usually this question would be answered by a defeaning silence. But oddly enough, this summer has been fairly productive, and I look back with a big smile!
I was able to visit my Korean friend JS whom I haven’t seen in 6 years. She showed me many aspects of Korean culture (though I don’t know how she found out about my love of studying culture- have you been stalking me, JS?) To list just a few: Gyeongbokgung Palace, theme bars which are everywhere in Seoul, and Korea’s love of soccer, depicted as gingerbread cookies at Coex mall.
I also visited my relatives in Taiwan, and there I had some cultural immersion as well (I really cant run away from culture). I visited Buddhist temples and night markets (Taiwan night markets are among the best in the world).
Unfortunately, my overseas vacation flew by faster than I would have liked; I blinked, and then I found myself sitting in an airplane seat. My internship at the NIH followed in quick succession.
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| My mentor (left) and I pose for a picture during the poster session. |
The NIH familiarized me with lab techniques, scientific thinking, and life in research. I now realize that research is a beautiful paradox of characteristics! Research is a job that one must do as a hobby; that means being creative and up-to-date, and allowing yourself to be overtaken by the scientific spirit. (Question everything!, I say. There can never be too many questions!) Most importantly, research is full of successes and failures, and researchers must always be open-minded about adjusting their hypotheses to fit current data.
And so as summer closes, and college looms ahead, I will keep my mind open and flexible about whatever I learn in the future. Johns Hopkins, I thus entrust you to forge my mind over the next four years! But somehow, I’m still stuck in the past.
Nothing can really kill the feeling of uncertainty that comes with leaving the past behind. For us graduates, that feeling comes with anticipation. What will happen to my friends and family? Will college be all I expected, and more? And similarly, seniors must be feeling the same uncertainty, but with more anxiety than graduates. Where should I go? What should I do? What do I want to do? Hopefully, these tips will quell some anxiety among the seniors:
1. Find and enlarge your passionWow, ok, I’m sure this definitely eliminated my nostalgia for the past. As graduates move onto college, they each leave behind some kind of tie to their high school. I guess mine is networking. As I go through college, you will definitely be hearing more from me, and I hope you find my experiences to be useful in some way.
Everyone is passionate about something! It could be anything from food and culture to science and technology. And if you haven’t discovered your passion yet, it’s not too late. Take courses that you’re interested in, get involved outside of school, or read articles and books about topics that you enjoy. Perhaps something will outrage, humble or inspire you!
I became interested in public health out of frustration at the lack of communication between science and the public. At the same time, I was humbled into realizing that science is nothing if it ignores destitute members of our society.
If you already have a passion, I encourage you to explore tangents. Maybe there’s a subject that you’ve never thought about before (for me, it was biophysics- what is that? you might ask.)
2. Be open-minded
College essays can be really boring if you don’t have anything to say. So a good thing to have is a free mind. Over the next few months, browse through your prompts, and be on the lookout for daily inspiration (a good way to do this is to blog!) Most importantly, throw away your preconceptions about any college; those wont help you at all.
I’ll start by saying that Johns Hopkins is not just for aspiring-doctors, and no, BME is not the only major! (I’m not a BME major, to emphasize that point.) Hopkins has a large variety of majors and minors, including things like Classics and Biophysics, subjects I’ve never paid attention to until now. What goes hand-in-hand with that statement is that you do not have to be a science major to get into Hopkins. The Early Decision admits for the Class of 2014 went fairly evenly into Engineering, Natural sciences and Humanities/Social sciences.
You should also be flexible, and allow your interests to change during the application process. It’s ok to be interested in many things, so long as you explain your interests clearly. (But don’t jump around. Have you ever read a jumpy essay? It’s terrible.)
3. Don’t be shy! <--- awww...
When writing college applications, you should give as much relevant information as possible. If you’ve won any awards, describe them; if you have a short resume, send it; if you’ve played an instrument at a recital or something, send a video. You can even request an interview!
Make whoever is reading your application feel as if he just has to meet you, but never assume that he already has. Write with excitement, as exciting people are much more interesting. The easiest way to do this is to write about your passions, and write about what you know! Biggest mistake I’ve ever made in writing was writing about what I don’t know (cant pull off southern accents, darn it.)
4. Be yourself
Yes, be outgoing, but don’t make a new character for yourself. A phony-sounding essay is a weak essay. Your college essays should sound like you, and not like Albert Einstein or Jay-Z. (Though, it would be interesting to see admission’s reaction to a rap submission, haha!)
5. Familiarize yourself with colleges
There are several ways to do this: you could visit campuses; browse the schools’ websites; or talk with alumni. If you visit campuses, make sure to ask yourself if you can imagine living there for four years. Information sessions are nice, but I’d place more emphasis on asking questions; Hopkins’s info sessions are fairly informal and dedicated to Q&A. In comparision, some colleges have horrible information sessions that seem to pretty much read off their college websites (cough, UPenn, cough).
College websites contain a wealth of information. From application specifics to areas of study to student-run groups, college websites can help you identify what you like about each college. This is your chance to tailor your next four years. One novel thing that Hopkins has is Hopkins Interactive, a very useful website run by students that covers a multitude of subjects: dorms, majors, life at Hopkins, etc.
Chat with alumni from your high school (hint hint hint), or alumni from the college. They can explain their experiences, and help you visualize yourself at the school.
6. Get to know the area
Some colleges are located near or in cities. Hopkins, for example, is located in downtown Baltimore. When I applied, I considered things that seem so random: is there a body of water around? (I love water scenery); can I enjoy a Friday night out in the city? (YES!)
Hopkins has these “zen gardens,” as I like to call them, and I could totally see myself spending a quiet afternoon there. I’d love to familiarize myself with the sound of water, the texture of grass, and the sight of leafy green; forget about those alkynes and transmembrane proteins. Mmm… that sounds so tempting, why am I not on campus RIGHT NOW? Sad face.
Another thing to consider are opportunities. Being in Maryland and close to DC, Hopkins is nicely situated to encourage work experience in addition to academic study. Pre-med students may intern at the National Institutes of Health; Pre-law students may work on Capitol Hill; Anthro/Archeology students can intern at the Smithsonian (yes, they do research there).
7. Be on the lookout for special programs/scholarships
Not all of us can pay for college, so scholarships are helpful. Stay informed by visiting your high school’s career center- they can provide information of scholarships that you can apply to.
You may also be interested in doing something specific in college- like doing research into whatever topic you want! Some schools (I think JHU, UNC and Duke) have special programs that will enable you to pursue research as an undergraduate. Hopkins has one called the Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which basically boils down to funding for whatever you want to research, no matter how many research ideas you come up with. Go ahead and write a documentary; travel the world in search of clues to ancient cultures; conduct life-saving clinical trials… the possibilities are endless!
8. Be organized and ask for help
The worst thing to do is procrastinate. DON’T PROCRASTINATE. And equally worse is not getting your essays proofread. Don’t misspell the university’s name, and please don’t make kindergarten errors like leaving out the “u” in beautiful (believe me, if happens >.<) Most importantly, find a good location to write your apps. You really don't want to get interrupted in the middle of an essay.
So as long as you take things step by step, you'll be successful! College apps really aren’t that terrifying! (At least not as terrifying as summer ending X.x)
Always here to help,
Shiwen 詩文
