So here it is... any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated
"Once you stop learning, you start dying" - Albert Einstein
A Teacher to Myself
I never fully understood the teenage platitude that is, "school sucks".
Advancing through years of primary and secondary school, I couldn't help but hear the complaints of students and their bemoaning of the public schooling system. "It's so much work and we're stuck here every day!" my friends would whine, putting emphasis on every word in an effort to exaggerate secondary school to a point where it was comparative to the rigidity of a state prison. "Don't you think so?"
"Not really..." I would reply with an awkward smile and a facial expression that showed I was bracing for their judgment of my opinion. It was my belief that learning new things was one of the most precious activities a human being could undertake. When my friends were taken aback by my peculiar answer I did not bother to explain myself, for years of that same dialogue had taught me that explaining the reason for my fondness for learning was a task of great difficulty. Understanding this, I kept my leisurely pursuit of gathering knowledge to myself.
Whether it was Geography, Biology or Mathematics, I always strived to discover the answer to every question- Why did this volcano form here? How do fish breathe? What is the quickest way to solve this quadratic equation? Each fresh assignment that came my way I viewed as an opportunity to exercise my habit while my peers regarded them as "unjust penances", and with each new assignment I got more and more addicted to finding answers. Eventually, my hobby evolved to take on a more practical application; while I still enjoyed learning theory, I as much loved to experience teaching myself new pastimes. I learned various skills such as juggling, graphic design, skateboarding and drumming out of simple curiosity as to how they were performed. While some may think gaining knowledge on a certain subject area or skill is a chore, I do it because, in the simplest of explanations, I love it.
This perspective is what I will bring to Rice University. I am an autodidact, meaning I am a teacher to myself. I view learning as a valuable, enjoyable activity and, even though my point of view may be misunderstood by those around me, I will never stop. For once you stop learning, you start dying.The quote at the beginning is just hanging there with no support. If you put it after or in between your example of the dialogue with your friend then it would have more context. I still get the quote though, its just that quote plopping is a heinous crime deemed by our English Department and after years of peer editing, I can't tolerate it anymore either.
Other than that, your essay is wonderful! I didn't catch any grammatical errors either. Please read mine! I need all the help I can get.
