How NOT to write a personal statement, the readers digest version.

I have been trying to prepare my application for grad school over the past few days. The personal statment has been giving me trouble although I think Ive finally got it. Take a look:

“The Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, Lao-Tzo. "Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" Neil Armstrong. "Keep on Truckin" Jerry Garcia. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", 18th century british playright. " These are quotes. Each step along the way matters, giving the journey depth and implication. For me, this journey towards a PhD in Biomedical sciences started with my freshman biology class at Montgomery High School. The path that unfolded from there is full of oddly shaped rocks, potholes, and a bit of shit on your right; Now it brought me to this essay you are reading today.

“Look! They are having an orgy!” My biology teacher, Mrs. Naryan exclaimed as she darted from one microscope to another. Excited, I rushed over to see what was going on. The slide in front of me was full of what seemed to be intertwined shapes. Almost impossible to distinguish where one entity stoped and another began, I began to wonder if it was safe to view this at school. I later found out that it was Algae which I saw in that microscope causing my own excitement to exponentially grow, like a baloon attached to an un attended hellium tank more than 3/4 of the way full. Neverless,as I delved into the depth of knowledge surrounding the various organisms and microorganisms that exist in our world that pond water put me in a state of awe because it was really like looking into an entire new world, and I wanted to learn more. Far from being quiescent, I learned early on about the enthusiasm and platonic passion my teacher possessed for science. I recall seeing the spark of excitement in her eye when she talked about cellular processes such as mitosis and the exuberance she had at every lab. Mrs. Naryan nurtured this excitement in me especially during quiet time, where we could occasionally play silent ball. I distinctly remember thinking to myself "this is what being a scientist is like, I can do this!". Unfortunately, I was thinking aloud and lost the game, but this is beside the point. I liked how the class challenged me to think while giving me a glimpse into how the world works. I believe that Mrs. Naryan’s enthusiasm helped me open the door to an exciting new world.

My interest in science continued to grow, like jacks bean stalk, throughout the rest of my High School career, ultimately pushing me up towards the clouds to the doorstep of "my major" at Gettysburg College. As I walked through the front doors, "my major" was still asleep within. However as I continued to walk inside, I knocked over some things on the ground which awoke "my major" from it's deep slumber on top of that oversized kitchen chair and proceeded to try and eat me. At college, I had two professors whose classes really charged my excitement and fascination to a whole new level. Not only did their classes intrigue me beyond others, but I also saw the love of science within them. I will clarify that this love was not between the two professors but their mutual love shared for a single thing, like how people are with kittens on the internet. I love kittens on the internet as well, you see, so just like that, a new fansite was born.

When looking at me as a candidate, I understand that you will look at my undergraduate grades. My GPA at Gettysburg College could have been higher and I want to address this. The biggest problem that I had during my college career was time management. I suffered a great deal from poor time management skills being that my cat fansite took a large portion of my time and this consequently caused my grades to be lower than what I know I am capable of. Since I know this weakness of mine, I have been working to improve my time management skills and placing greater emphasis on planning ahead.

If you choose to accept my application, I will assure you that I will not let you down. I am a hard working, persistent individual who wants to continue to grow in his love for science. My eager and curious nature will also drive me to learn new techniques and knowledge. I want to add that I realize that a Ph.D. is a serious commitment. When things need to get done, I will not hesitate to put in longer hours, sacrifice weekends and do whatever it takes, in a non sexual manner, to make sure what needs to be done, gets done. I also understand that I am not alone in this journey. Professors, fellow students, and friends will undoubtedly prove to be invaluable for their guidance, advice and other means of aid. Furthermore, I will continue to help others by sharing my own skills, advice, and knowledge. Thank you for your time in reading my personal statement, and your consideration.


Ok, so that wasn't exactly the best essay out there. Actually, I highly reccomend that you avoid using most of the elements present in it. If you follow that advice, you will probably be in pretty good shape.

Chickin' n dumplings

I want to start off this post by directly saying to amy, when I opened up 'new post' and looked below where it says 'Labels for this post' the examples it posted were scooters, vacation, and fall. You and I both know why scooters came first...

For the rest of you, theres a game called Pancakes or Waffles. In this game the two players are in an imaginary world undergoing cataclysmic events. Every round you are given two items in the world and must choose one to keep, while the other will vanish from existence forever. Once one item vanishes, you must bring another item into question. It is truly a dangerous game... one minute you decide that there's no more waffles in the world and in the next we are all armless!
The only advice I can give you is to choose wisely; the world is in your hands.

With that I want to ask all of you, what do you find to be most important? From tangible effects to personal values... speaking in generalities or specifics. What would you highlight?

I fixed my old ipod with a buisness card the other day.

There is not much for me to talk about on here but I suppose I can just ramble.

I am still in the same job, working on the same project, experiencing the same frustrations and imaginary brick walls. Don't get me wrong, I have a good gig going, It just would be nice if I was able to feel more productive... know what I mean?

The second non-matriculated class I've taken is now in full tilt, with the exam pending October 16th. I feel like I'm a bit overwhelmed with it, but then I think, 'this is just one class, get over it'. Oh well

I am getting a little more domestic while living at home. Ive been doing a bit of cooking and making desserts. Its actually really easy to do, following directions and then maybe being creative on the side.

I am also growing some plants, or more like vines. This one time a few weeks ago I went to a Mexican grocery store and bought a green fregitable... maybe it was a fruit, maybe a vegetable... nobody knows. Its called a chayote and is some kind of squash like potato shaped zuccini like green thing. Anyway I bought the fruit in that store in Princeton and it started sprouting leaves, so It went in the ground instead of in my belly. The vine is like 3 feet long now and slowly taking over the random objects nearby in my room. The other plants are wisteria started from seeds this past spring. Now that its getting darker and colder I ended up buying a full spectrum light bulb which emits all the wavelengths that equates to natural sunlight. It looks really cool because the light looks 'normal' practically like outside.

Ok I'm done now. Until next time

Oh hello, i didn't see you over there, i was busy fixing my fence...

I am not in the mood to write in my blog right now. I was all geared up and ready to go earlier but now im not feeling it. oh wait FAKEOUT!

So what has happened as of late in my life? I suppose good things mostly. I've gotten to know some really great people in my lab and they really appreciate me and understand how awesome i am. I also seem to be academically challenged and furthering my abilities as a researcher and pathologist so i suppose thats all good news. I think the longer im in my job the more i realize how lucky i am and how great of a place it is. So i guess im basically just sitting in a bed of roses arent i? Well... i am keeping pretty busy. I suppose its a good thing to stay busy although the major drawback there is minimal energy available for reaching out to friends.
That always seems to be the case; improving one facet of life results in minimizing another. It is so difficult to juggle and lacking that skill has plagued me foooorrrreeeevvveeerrrr. However, with personal abilities aside, I truely believe that there simply just isnt enough time for people to keep all aspects of their life running full tilt at once, things need to suffer for improving other areas. I guess this isn't really a big problem, it's just one of those 'judgement call' things on which things are important in life. If i was a Sim, i guess im working towards getting work skill points while not really "brushing my teeth and heading right over" to a friends house.
Dont get me wrong, friendship is a VERY important part of life and my friends are very meaningful and cherished in my mind, but like not only do i need to juggle which friend is currently first in the proverbial line of whom to visit, but also i have family obligations and various self endeavors to focus on. For example, I have been helping open up the shore house with my parents doing lots of maintenance and chores... ive also signed up for the GRE again, and dont forget about work. I actually just put together an academic poster of my research for a graduation dinner, and also just gave a department talk to my entire floor on my research. Yes one of those bonnefied, working-world, power-pointed, ultra-hyphenated, presentations... lazer pointer, pizza lunch will be provided, and the whole 9 yards.
It went well by the way but the point im trying to make is that a lot is on my plate right now and im beginning to feel the crunch in being able to squeeze all my friends into the midsts of it.

I have to say, im so glad that things like Andrew and Nancy's wedding happen because it was a great opportunity to see some people i havent seen in way too long. I hope that theres an opportunity for another get together soon, maybe i can convince everyone to go to LBI asap. I do feel guilty though being that i havent been doing the driving to others places, as of late. Its not that i dont want to, its just that i dont have the combined time and vacation time with everything else going on... i hope everyone understands.

oh hey my sister is going to switzerland for 2 weeks starting this sunday. isnt that wild? Who wants swiss chocolate? i am thinking of making her a list of what i want...

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock, a review.

The Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock never falters in delivering a cool, smooth full bodied beer. From the very first sip to the remnants of the last drop, this beer surely will not disappoint the dark beer drinking fan (dbdf). Upon opening this brewery masterpiece, I was reminded of its glory in 2001, in which New Zealand GOLD gave it the title of International Award Winner #29. At this point, I savored the aroma which this fantastic beer has to offer. Only limited edition dark beers have ever achieved this sweet malty scent. the taste simply can not be described any better than smooth. It's dark color due to long roasting has an undoubtedly chocolaty taste with subtle nutty overtones. I recall once having a beer of similar caliber in Australia. It was the XXXX extra dark bitter which was so filling yet delicious that you will always remember the experience.

This dark brown beer has a slight amber hue when looking at an angle. It also has a lovely aftertaste just like the original sip, only slightly milder, like a baby rocking off to sleep in a cloud of pillows and golden sheets. When admiring quantity, the bottle yielded 2 and 3/4 glasses of delicious beer. It was also of a higher alcohol content than most other brews at 5.5% alc/vol. Not only does this beer deliver quantity, but quality as well. I highly recommend this beer to any fan of dark beers as it surely will not disappoint. Furthermore, the bottle itself comes in a design which is classic, yet bold; It offers a brilliant silvery molded label adorned on front with extra information on the back panel. The bottle was also sealed with silver foil which added to its appeal and cleanliness. I had no difficulty opening it and considering it was consumed within the last month of it's best enjoy date, it provided excellent flavor, just the right amount of light carbonation, and plenty of consistency. I give it Five Broccoli Rabs Up.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Rob-out

Reflecting

Trying to understand and come to terms with who we are as people is often a thing that is done during the twenty somethings. The more I reflect on it and see others doing the same makes me want to move on. Im going to guess that I find this distasteful because everyone is doing it. It is almost like im treating this like a fad which I want to be on the cusp of, not stuck riding the coat tails. Isnt it ironic that although im disgusted with self reflection that I cant help but continue? Its a horrible horrible addiction and I need help. The first step is admitting that there is a problem, right?

Some people might agree that I tend to do things because it will help separate me from the pack. I like to be singled out, usually for good things, but ill settle for weird or entertaining. I bet that my self reflections and or attempt at writing intellectual thoughts on a web blog are far from entertaining, but I think the personality quirk still holds to prove a point. I suppose maybe wanting to be different helps one avoid looking at the mirror in a sense. When you aren't reminded of what you do, it removes most options to, reflect and see what you might look like doing the same thing. So perhaps I want to avoid reflecting after all. Maybe I dont like doing it in the first place. Maybe I just like the idea of perceiving problems and analyzing them, but not really facing my own. Well, im sure as its human nature to self improve, i must like to do some reflection and problem facing. However, what wins out? The avoidance or the facing problems? Maybe neither and that I just like to analyze issues.

After successfully? avoiding the previous question, I am going to segway into careers. Will a career in pathology be satisfying enough for me? It certainly matches my interest for looking at problems and it does incorporate a handful of aesthetics, working with my hands, and poses challenges/ puzzles for me to continually learn new things. However, I am struggling to decide if it has enough human contact for me. I not only think that human interaction is important for a job, but also I want to believe what I am doing will help people. Maybe I dont need to have all those things fulfilled by one outlet. The same goes for a relationship, you shouldn't rely on one person to make you happy. Instead, it should come from a web of people. Maybe its time I dusted off that community service hat I used to wear so much...

Friendship is Rare

Friendship is such a special thing. It defines us not only by who we choose to associate with, but also because of what we do and how we act.

The way that one treats their friends really says something about that person. Often times, what a friend tells you or does for you can really cause a deep impact. It makes me feel good when I notice things about my friends which highlights the quality of their character. Loyalty, trust, intelligence, caring, and encouragement are among the traits which I have seen in my friends and it really warms my heart. Not only does it make me feel good when my friends tell good things about me, but also the fact that I impact my friends really carries a lot of weight for me. I suppose knowing that friends value and listen to me says something about people on both ends, and that's a beautiful thing.

I've also noticed that it often takes an outsider to interpret oneself and this is another reason why I am thankful for my friends. Specifically, my friends help me see qualities in myself which I often overlook or dismiss as negligible. I guess the luxury of stepping back isn't always something one can do on their own. In fact, many things might only be discovered through the aid of another because we are so buried and tangled within our own lives that we can't extract certain things on our own.

The fact that everyone sees the world through different eyes is such a valuable thing. I think that this point is also an incredibly interesting one for me. Why do we all see the world differently? Clearly experiences play a huge role in this but maybe what fascinates more than how people get to their views is what the views are. Studying how people see and what makes their vision of the world different from mine is incredibly fascinating.

Sometimes I wonder If I could 'kick it' as a councilor or some kind of psychologist. It would be a very interesting job but I wonder if I could even get into a program or if it would even be satisfying.