essays, essays......

And I'm finally done with writing admission essays! 1 or 2 essays for one application and I've submitted five applications. So, you do the math! This answers for the lack of post on my blog lately. And I thought I enjoyed writing and would like to pursue a career in writing.... Well, this admission essay business sure drained all the interest that I have ever had for writing, at least for the moment.

Honestly, how can it not, when you are asked to write a 2-5 page essay describing yourself and your dreams, and another essay indicating a person who has had a significant influence on you. I know myself too well to reduce my 19 years (minus one day) of life on earth into a 2-5 page essay, yet I live a life that is too common and too regular and too routine to fill up 2 to 5 pages with anything that is of any real interest to an outsider. My dreams? Oh well, at the moment, I do not have any plans of leading a revolution or to change the world. My dream is to get married and have some kids so that I can build a family of my own. And this is exactly what I wrote in my essay. (trust me, my right hand is on the Bible) The person who has had the most significant influence in my life? Undoubtedly, that person is Dorcas Lam a.k.a. Lam Yarn Pooi a.k.a. Dorcas Yarn-Pooi Lam a.k.a. me! hands down. I mean, from whom can you learn better life lessons than yourself? After all, you are the only person whose strengths and weaknesses are all known to you. Unfortunately, this did not sound like a very good choice of answer to be written in an admission essay. So, you see my dilemma?

And then, besides the essays, I was also asked to submit short answers to questions like:

1. Why do you choose X University? What do you think is so distinct about this university?

Frankly, I really did not choose the university. But I believe the university will be very distinct to me if it offers me full scholarship, and I will definitely choose the university then.

2. What can you contribute to the community at X University?

What can I contribute? If I am admitted, but not on full scholarship, funds and US Dollars are what I will be contributing.

And just when I thought I am done with admission essays, I am asked to consider applying for the Honors Program, which requires me to write another 6-page essay explaining how I will gain from doing the Honors Program.

Heck, I am not even admitted into the university yet. How am I suppose to know how I will benefit from the program? c'mon...