Quick Notes For A Friday
August 14th, 2009
i’m due for lasik eye surgery in 2 hours. i’m sooooooooo scared, and the worst part is that i will going through it alone with nobody’s hand to clutch fearfully on to :( i wanted to bring Lenny with me, but i was rushing out of the house this morning so i left him behind. i do, however, take comfort in the fact that the clinic provides some teddy bears to hold on to during surgery. so thoughtful!
by the way, of all the things to suddenly stumble across — i found out during my pre-op yesterday that one can’t use eye make-up for a whole month after getting lasik done. i swear that made me hesitate and reconsider asking for my deposit back. someone said on plurk that going without eyeliner for a month is like going naked, and that echoes my sentiments exactly. how ah like this? and why am i so vain?
having a third US college apps workshop this saturday. i’m very excited about it, as i always am when it comes to talking about US colleges. despite all my complaints about how jaded i’ve become after dealing with some very impossible kids even if for just two years, i feel so thrilled whenever i watch them learn and improve as i give them my comments and feedback. i love it most when after hours of thinking, i come up with an idea for a certain applicant’s ‘magic ingredient’, and i can discuss it with them and then proudly watch them create the entire product all on their own. it’s really been such a long time since i’ve found something that i love doing this much. this is what life is about, right?
but on the other hand, there are those aforementioned impossible kids. i blogged last week that i quite foolishly showed one of my essays in one of the workshops i spoke at, but what i didnt mention was that i also threw out as examples a couple of essay ideas that i both used and didnt use in my own applications. was i really surprised when we got back students’ essays for review and discovered that some of them ripped off my essay ideas? a couple of them practically took the entire template and inserted their own words in there. sadly, i was actually very taken aback. and confused. how can people be so insipid? so careless?
i had a long talk with some of my friends about such things. what can i do as a person who puts high-value information out there for practically free, and so willingly shares within minutes advice and tips that took each of us months and years to learn? am i spoiling the market? but more importantly am i also contributing to the spoiling of these kids? if i could, i wish to only speak to and teach the kids who are genuinely passionate about doing the right things — and are not just about doing the most things, or the most prestigious activities, or applying to Harvard just because it’s Harvard. but how does one filter out such people? and how does one decide who the right people are? as everyone likes to remind me — c’est la vie, and there’s nothing that i can do about it.
but ce n’est pas la vie. there’s plenty that i can do about it. :) and luckily, the US college system is very efficient at separating the wheat from the chaff, no matter how good the chaff at are bluffing.
to any of our workshop attendees who are reading this, and also read chen chow’s angry email — trust me, his email echoes a lot of the facilitators’ sentiments. and unluckily for you, we remember every single one of you who said things like, “i plan to break the scholarship bond after my studies; it’s just nice to have a scholarship award on my CV!” and “how many hours of community service do i have to do in order to get into an Ivy League school?” there was also a comment from someone about how we should get less ‘accomplished’ facilitators to run the workshop, because our achievements were making them feel threatened. but listen, nobody is ordinary. everybody spends a bulk of their time doing that one thing. it’s just that we learned over the years how to present it to our colleges as something that defines us and is potentially useful to the college and community.
i know lots of amazing writers who didnt get into the ivy league because they got so wrapped up in carving beautiful wordplay that they forgot to tell a story. i know people who filled out their CVs with a whole laundry list of competition awards, honors and achievements, but didnt make the cut because all of their activities were so self-centered. likewise, there are also people who do so much community service but didn’t get into any ivies. the point is that The Criteria that seems to be What The Schools Are Looking For is actually not as checklist-y as it seems.
so what’s the secret sauce? we dont have it. i dont claim to know it, but i think that i have a good eye for secret sauces that are customized to each person. there simply is no fixed formula, and our workshops appear to be so haphazard and contradictory (btw, big thanks to the person who misrepresented my recommendation letters to the counselor from Raffles — when supplied the context later he actually gave his approval. SO THERE.) only because all of us facilitators are so different, and we each got into our schools BECAUSE we’re so different.
i may sound like i’m really angry here — okay, i am — but i also know how elusive it is to feel like one is good enough to get into the best schools in the world. i dont think anyone ever feels like they’re good enough. i remember how each time i got harsh critique on my essays, i always felt like giving up on this whole Ivy League thing. i mean, writing the perfect essay is just -so hard-, and here are these people telling me that the best work i can come up with is shit. who needs the ivy league anyway? so i’m wincing as i look at some of the very blunt reviews that we wrote on the applicants’ essays, but i’m telling you guys: as i much as i empathize over how discouraging it is to read comments on an essay you worked so hard to pour your souls into, this critique really will do wonders for your application. trust us. we’re honest because we have to be. we dont always have the time to mince words with you, but the point is that we shouldnt have to. and you must always remember not to feel discouraged no matter how intimidating everything seems.
okay rant over, though i still want to murder the handful of people who plagiarized my essays. ya, sorry, i dont like any of you now, so dont talk to me on saturday.
sigh okay. surgery time.
Entry Filed under: General
44 Comments Add your own
1. Lisa Cheah | August 14th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I hope all goes well with the surgery! *virtual hand to hold. :)
2. chm | August 14th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
bonne chance. admonish da hell outta em on saturday den :p
3. ShaolinTiger | August 14th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Helping people is like that, there are always those that want a shortcut and will take advantage.
You can’t get angry about it, you just have to focus on the fact you are helping the good people too and they are majority.
4. Az1 | August 14th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Hope everything goes well. After this you can ditch your lenses already. Tell us how it is after that ok? I might wanna do that too for my eyes.
5. Kevin Chan | August 14th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Let me know how the surgery goes! I’m contemplating lasik too, as I am just too lazy sometimes to put on my lenses. :P
Hope all goes well!
6. Sinta | August 14th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
All the best for the surgery hun! And yes, I agree. No eyeliner = naked.
7. Patricia | August 14th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
all the besttt!!!! hope everything goes on smoothly :D
8. nyrac | August 14th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
good luck pau. where you doing it? if it were in the hospital i’m in and i didn’t know it then i would kick myself.
9. Michelle | August 14th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I send you a virtual strawberry tart okay? don’t be angry. eat some strawberries.
10. Caffy | August 14th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
What we need to learn more about is Pinkpau’s Guide to Live Life, not how to get into unis, I think. Interested in going to your talk, now you’ve mentioned it, although I cannot go to US unis (plan to read law) because of that – probably can learn something useful from it. =]
11. aud | August 14th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
good luck with lasik su ann!
12. fatcat | August 14th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Hi Su ann, I think even if unworthy ppl get into the Ivy League, they won’t survive in the long term. I’ve seen ppl with amazing grades but disgusting attitudes and they don’t get really far once everyone knows how selfish they really are.
How was your surgery? :D I’ll still be living with shortsightedness for a while… :(
13. kiki | August 14th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
hey su ann… hope the lasik treatment went well.. im thinking of getting my eyes done too but dun think it’ll be soon.. still relying heavily on my contacts :D
btw what college/uni are u in atm?? what course are u doing? sorry i dun read ur blog regularly so may hv missed out on things like these.. are u in one of the ivy leagues since u r involved in presentations of uni application?
14. CloudyRainbows | August 14th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
People can’t rely on copy-ing their entire lives. As over-rated as individuality is, it does shine in the work one produces. Hope your surgery went well!
15. bjk | August 14th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
hope your surgery went well!!!! welcome to the no-specs-no-contactlenses world!
16. joiz3 | August 14th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
hey pink pau. i’ll be starting us college apps soon but i won’t be attempting to enter any ivy leagues. i didn’t bother to go to any workshops either because i’ve people around me who are pretty experienced at us college apps to help me out. personally, though i’m so not in the position to say this but this is just what i think, i think ivy leagues and world’s best unis eg cambridge, harvard etc. are overrated. not that i think ppl who enter these unis are crap. believe me, i fully respect them (ie you. :)) and go ‘wah!’ out loud when i hear which uni they are from. i know how ridiculously hard it is to enter an ivy/top uni and i’m sure that ppl who study there are well-rounded ppl who’d serve well in the community.
come to think of it, i should phrase my thoughts this way. i think non-ivies/non-world renown unis are underrated. which sort of makes ivies overrated. i think that ppl from non-ivies/non so high rated unis can be excellent ppl too. too often too much emphasis has been put on the name and reputation of a college/uni. it cannot be denied that it is something to be considered, however i feel that it should not be anywhere near top consideration.
so yeah… just my thoughts regarding ivies. :) or maybe i’m simply too lazy to SAT 2 and i don’t have any motivation to enter them.
17. Kate | August 14th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Hope your surgery went well. I had them done 3yrs ago, and alone too! Figured that if I did it alone, with no one to manja to, I’d pluck enough courage not to back out. Haha… Obviously, it worked!
*huggies*
18. Zeek | August 14th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
hey pau..
i hope you get well soon. ill tell you something damn funny.
and yes, welcome to the perfect eyesight world.
19. sweatlee | August 14th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
eh i wanted to be there for you but u jual mahal! come early tomorrow ok!
20. lishun | August 14th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
as a medical student, i wanna know how and why you can’t wear contacts anymore. must apply what i learn right???
oh yeah before i forget…
[insert reply to parts about us application workshops and students who will either be uncovered as chaff or will realise they're actually chaff a couple of years down the line]
hao sui kon zor.
21. kiasu andrew | August 14th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
tomorrow i tai dai hei hohoho
22. Anonymous | August 15th, 2009 at 12:44 am
stop whining and grow up.
23. wl | August 15th, 2009 at 12:49 am
anon, what is your problem?
24. sheon | August 15th, 2009 at 12:51 am
hey, hows the surgery? i pondered about getting my eyes lasik-ed, but having watched a clip on how the machine slices up the eyeball to zap the inside puts me off for good…or at least for the moment.
plagiarism is a culture in malaysia, we’re taught to plagiarize when we kids…memorizing essays and typical answers to typical questions….. cant blame the kids, i blame the system. but when kids become adults, yet they cant grow outta this habit, then its their fault.
25. xiao | August 15th, 2009 at 1:45 am
i sometimes guiltily wished that i applied to the ivies before i got into spring admission… :)
but i tell myself nvm. still got graduate! aha
26. shadow | August 15th, 2009 at 3:36 am
ahh, think of the pretty you without glasses… things will feel so much better.
Most of all, you get to wear sunnies even in door and nobody’s going to say you are vain.
Anyway, it’s sad indeed to read your experience by helping those students out. Don’t give up, there will be someone out there who will be glad with your advice and you never know which future hopeful you helped to get into one of those prestigious Ivy’s. =)
27. Joanne | August 15th, 2009 at 5:10 am
Put everything aside and just concentrate on resting A LOT after your lasik okayyy???? Take care =)
28. Chen Chow | August 15th, 2009 at 6:37 am
SuAnn, thanks for sharing your thoughts here. What you share really captures what I have in my mind.
SuAnn, I have to say it again that I am so proud to see many of you who are so passionate to share. The momentum just takes off this couple of years with a lot more people who are willing to come out and share.
Good Luck in your lasik! Cya later.
29. brucesharky | August 15th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Yeah. I totally agree with u. If you are not some Math/Physics/Informatics world Olympiad champion or did some outstanding thing e.g. own a startup, speak 5 languages and grew up in 3 different countries, etc, the essay can make or break the admission officer’s decision.
Would never have got into my school if it wasn’t for my essay.
And I have ZERO SAT words in it. You are right. It really is about the story. My essay was plain simple. But he/she liked that side of me that I showed in my essay.
Seriously.
30. claudia | August 15th, 2009 at 10:20 am
pinkypau pls tell me all about lasik, you brave one.
31. bs | August 15th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
hope the surgery went well!! damn you make me wanna get one too… tired of wearing glasses already lah… how much does it cost eh?
32. KY | August 15th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
good luck pinkpau!
33. cherry | August 16th, 2009 at 12:40 am
su ann, gud luck~ =)
34. Ken | August 16th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Hey there, hope the surgery went well for you. =)
Take care!
35. Adrian C | August 16th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Hmm, I didn’t know you wear glasses Su Ann. Can’t wait to read your entry on the results of the surgery :). Ah, the wonders of modern science!
36. Koh Sin Yee | August 16th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
may you be well, peaceful and happy.
37. konrad | August 16th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
hope the surgery went well =)
and the workshop stuff reminds me of tucker max’s law school application essay (which got him into duke).
damn. now i’m tempted to try my hand for postgrad.
it’s nice to see people with their passions (well, hearts) in the right place =) you have a lot of reasons to be proud of yourself.
anyway, hope the surgery went well. and don’t worry about the makeup, pretty features are pretty regardless =)
38. real | August 16th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
more like you are at the workshops & your blog to intimiate applicants.
39. wei lynn | August 17th, 2009 at 1:24 am
hey there, i stumbled upon ur blog somewhere. :) anyways about lasik.. don’t worry everything will be fine! i did mine one and a half years ago, and it turned out great. had to go through one week without eye make-up as well which was a pain! but think long term :D a very nice blog you have btw! absolutely love reading it. :)
40. songjun | August 17th, 2009 at 2:24 am
so can you shoot lasers out of your eyes yet?
41. carol | August 17th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
anon is a ball-less coward who doesn’t even have guts to reveal his/her identity.
limsuann :) i’m so glad you guys did the usapps workshop.
now faster come back.
42. chareli | August 17th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
don’t worry! naked eyes are better than impaired eyes any day! get well soon and good luck!
imagine those eyes having a nice round of streaking after the surgery. go wild!
43. USApps2009 « Ironic&hellip | August 18th, 2009 at 8:44 am
[...] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 [...]
44. LennyTheLion | August 18th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Hope the surgery went well…Lenny had to go UK to see the Queen..
Leave a Comment
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed