hey guys, this is my response to the stanford supplement essay question. Im quite worried that i didnt answer the question, if im talking enough why this experience was intellectually stimulating. Anyway, tear apart my essay as you guys wish!
Stanford students are widely known to possess a sesne of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.
Searing heat; a forsaken strip of Malaysian road; nonexistent satellite reception. This was the situation I faced last summer when my vintage Mitsubishi Lancer stuttered to a stop on the way to Kuala Lumpur. An exciting road trip with three close friends, minimal supplies and a mountain of soft drinks had quickly evolved into a nightmare.
As the only member of our ill prepared group of adventurers with any knowledge of car anatomy, it fell upon me to remedy this problem. When I opened to hood of the car to inspect the engine, I was able to glean that the float of the carburetor ï a mechanism controlling the air-fuel mixture consumed by the engine ï had disintegrated. This was a nightmare situation. The 'textbook' solution was contacting AutoShepard Free Shipping Agency and request them to send down a carb rebuild kit. As you can imagine, this answer wasn't met with by much enthusiasm.
Only after hours of failure and disappointment as every idea I had faltered, an epiphany finally struck. I took out a ball point pen, disassembled it and picked out the barrel. I disengaged the fuel line and gently removed the carb. With the barrel and some rubber bands I managed to create a makeshift carb. To my amazement it worked. Perhaps not gracefully, but the car could move.
This incident profoundly changed my view on what an engineer truly is. Engineering is not a vocation but in my opinion a philosophy combining the creativity of an artist with the pragmatism of a scientist in order to innovate. There is a sublime joy in attempting to find unconventional solutions to everyday problems. Those hours spent toiling under the sun in a god-forsaken strip of land covered in grease and sweat was one of the most intellectual stimulating and dare I say it, fun, times in my life. Combining basic knowledge with creativity as well as a fair amount of luck in what at that time seemed like a catastrophe was captivating. I dream of being an "engineer", a true innovator of insight, adaptability and creativity.
Searing heat; a forsaken strip of Malaysian road; nonexistent satellite reception. This was the situation I faced last summer when my vintage Mitsubishi Lancer stuttered to a stop on the way to Kuala Lumpur. An exciting road trip with three close friends, minimal supplies and a mountain of soft drinks had quickly evolved into a nightmare.
As you describe the atmosphere, use a bit more detail, and it was the environment you described, not "situation" which you called it. Explain the road trip part first, then create a sentence about what a dire situation you really were in.
To my amazement it worked. Perhaps not gracefully, but the car could move.
This is very important, try to write more about how you experienced this type of catharsis. Elaborate.
Engineering is not a vocation but in my opinion a philosophy combining the creativity of an artist with the pragmatism of a scientist in order to innovate
Good ideas in this sentence, but it is kinda sloppy, try hard to make this more profound- you can do it :)
