MIT Essay-
This is a rough draft of my essay for MIT. Any comments are welcome
Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?(*) (200-250 words)
"Time to completion: 1000 minutes" The lines of code are burned into my brain by now. I've experimented and researched for weeks, but the algorithm still eludes me. I want to keep searching , yet I wonder if this problem would capsize my project.
Over the last two years, I have researched cancer proliferation, focusing on the spread of blood vessels to feed tumors. An important aspect in my research was tracking surface area of cells, and I developed a program to calculate. Unfortunately, this critical algorithm was unbearably slow.
The problem seemed to be a case of optimizing the code to boost performance. In actuality, the algorithm itself was flawed, and algorithmic redesign was needed to fix the issue. I labored, reading scientific journals to find solutions and testing new algorithms, all to no avail. As the negative results piled up, my drive flagged, and I almost quit on my research. It took Legos and a kid's mindset to overcome the obstacle that nearly defeated me.
Once, I noticed my cousin trying to count his Legos, but instead accidentally counting the sides. Inspiration struck. Calculating the surface area of a cell like counting the sides of Legos would greatly speed up the algorithm. Coding confirmed the result, and finally, my surface area algorithm succeeded.
"Time to completion: 1.2 minutes". I reminisce about the problem that nearly derailed my project. Although it nearly downed me, the process developed my knowledge , and propelled me to further research. Research will continue to pose seemingly impossible problems, but I will struggle on. I will not cease, for I know that on the other side of the obstacle lies a goal worth laboring for.
Thanks!
Hi Dibya! It's a very good essay. Through this essay I can see your interest on biology and your problem-solving skill.I hope my revision is helpful.
"Time to completion: 1000 minutes" The lines of code are burned into my brain by now. I've experimented and researched for weeks, but the algorithm still eludes me. I want to keep searching , yet I wonder if this problem would capsize my project.Problem on that part is likely to capsize my whole project.So I keep searching for a solution.
Over the last two years, I have researchedhave being researched cancer proliferation, focusing on the spread of blood vessels to feed tumors. An important aspect in my research was tracking surface area of cells, and I developed a program to calculate. Unfortunately, this critical algorithm was unbearably slow.
The problem seemed to be a case of optimizing the code to boost performance. In actuality, the algorithm itself was flawed, and algorithmic redesign was needed to fix the issue. I labored, reading scientific journals to find solutions and testing new algorithms, all to no avail. As the negative results piled up, my drive flagged, and I almost quit on my research. It took Legos and a kid's mindset to overcome the obstacle that nearly defeated me.Fortuitously, a kid overcame that obstacle, which nearly defeated me, when he played with Legos.
Once, I noticed my cousin trying to count his Legos, but instead accidentally counting the sides . Actually he was,although inadvertently, counting the sides of the Legos. Inspiration struck. Calculating the surface area of a cell like counting the sides of Legos would greatly speed up the algorithm. Coding confirmed the result, and finally, my surface area algorithm succeeded.
"Time to completion: 1.2 minutes". I reminisce about the problem that nearly derailed my project. Although it nearly downed me, the process developed my knowledge , and propelled me to further research. Research will continue to pose seemingly impossible problems, but I will struggle on. I will not cease, for I know that on the other side of the obstacle lies a goal worth laboring for.
