The Essay

It's been a while since I last updated this blog. Apparently my mind has nothing to say for the time being, either due to the fact that the week has been hectic or that it simply refuses to function say anything. So, what's so damn hectic about the week? Cultural Day. I'm in the Borneo team and we're pretty much busy doing the best we could to make sure the audiences would be left in awe and amazement. 

Just the other day - Monday to be exact - I squinted my eyes to look at my calendar and realised that something huge is gonna happen on Friday. I wrote there "Illinois noti =='". Yup. I have applied for UIUC and the notification is to be released sooner than I thought. How fast time flies. Time and tide wait for no men. I have done my calculations. The noti would be out at 4.00 p.m. February 14th, CST which is equivalent to 2.00 a.m. February 15th Malaysian time. I can choose to stay up in anxiety - bite my fingernails and sweat like crazy - and wait for the release or I could peacefully be in my slumber and check it out first thing in the morning. Either way, I just hope to be mentally and physically ready for such a nerve-wrecking moment. In the end, it is Allah's decision that is best.

So, since I don't think you readers are getting any benefit whatsoever from reading my blog, it would be my greatest pleasure to share with you people my essay. UIUC application essay.

The prompt goes like this:

Tell us about one interest or experience................. Please limit your response to approximately 300 words.

You know what the toughest part is? 300 words. How do they expect me to tell a story in just 300 words? Well, I guess the reason is that they don't want the applicants to crap and waste their time (which I have a very high potential of doing). And here's my response. Took me quite some time to actually unravel my past and seek precious moments. Sure, you'll find way awesome-er essays out there but here it goes *gulp*

My name was never famous for sprints, long-distance, or any sort of running for that matter. But I wanted to prove, not to others but to myself, that I can push myself beyond the people's expectations. I saw nobody to my left or to my right, to my back or to my front. They were probably too far ahead or too far back, but I hoped for the latter no matter how ridiculous it sounded. 

Every two years, my school would organize a cross-country run (which is compulsory to all students), and that was my second time participating. The last time I took part, I merely strolled along the way and ended up taking the 60th position. I didn't mind much back then, but somehow this new year triggered a new spirit in me. A spirit to compete. 

Once or twice I passed by peers who seemed to be catching their breath, either exhausted by the long distance or defeated by the scorching heat. I felt the urge to pause at some point but reminded constantly that stopping would only allow me time to think of the ache that my body was currently experiencing, so I continued. Finally, unbelievably, I reached my school compound and only had a few metres left. I gained speed, though my limbs madly protested. I came to a sharp halt in front of the desk to give my checkpoint tickets and was very amazed that I was actually the 15th girl to arrive. 

Suddenly the whole world seemed to be spinning, probably because the body had just calculated the full impact of my running, but I managed myself to not faint. I felt truly accomplished and even if the whole world was not aware of the pain I had to go through, it wouldn't change a thing.

There you have it people. Nothing much, really. Too crappy. I did make minor edits so it won't look that much like the original (which is - to me - lame). Now all I have to do is decide whether it'll be best for me to spent my night haunted by anxiety of relaxed by nice, sweet dreams.