I. Relatable Song
6LACK - Cutting Ties
The song that speaks to me right now is Cutting Ties by 6LACK. The song is about breaking off past connections that are bringing you down right now and about being in a transitional period of your life. Especially, now, as I go to college there are people I’m never going to see again. I feel like this song is extremely relatable as there are people who use to be close to me but now I barely even talk to. The song helps me understand that everyone is human and that’s its okay to make mistakes.
...Hydroplaning tryna pump my brakes //
I don't wanna make it look like I ran away...
Although you never want to hurt someone else, its is possible that you may unintentionally. At the same, it's important to make sure your focus is also directed towards your own goals. It may be important to both parties to end the relationship so they can both grow instead of being tied down. The song just reminded me the importance of realizing when enough is enough when you feel that you are being used for someone’s benefit.
...I pray to God I don't have to pay for not knowing //
This world is new to me, I do not know it...
These lyrics apply to me entering college and also discovering new experiences at this young age. When confronted with this huge new chapter of my life, I’m scared I will make mistakes because it’s all foreign to me.
II. Meaningful Novel
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The most meaningful book I have read in the past 4 years was Lord of the Flies because the its plot was based of the dynamic of characters who were around my age. The novel explored how teenagers would survive on a deserted island. It was interesting to see how the normal kids who come from comfortable backgrounds transform into savages. The ordeal tested the boys’ sanity as well as challenged basic morals. The book made me think about how far we would go to maintain our morals. I thought about what I would do in that situation and I resonated with Ralph’s thinking but at the same time I understood where Jack was coming from. The biggest thing I’ve killed is a spider, so killing a pig in order to survive would change me mentally as well. AS a result, on the island, physical and emotional strength was paramount. Bullying led to life and death situations which happened to that one boy who was eaten. Intelligence and survival instincts are pitted against each other with the characters of Jack and Ralph. These natural leaders draw support from the other boys and it is interesting to see the reasons why they switch or support a side. The initial organization with assigned jobs, meetings, and rules set up by the boys themselves devolves into primitive behavior with masks. Lord of the Flies showed me that we must adapt to our surroundings. Their acceptance of their horrible situation is conveyed through their dirty behavior - every man for themselves. Lord of the Flies was a solid fictional simulation that demonstrated that inner nature of humans when they are forced into primitive settings without any protection of society’s standards.
III. Thank you Letter
To Surbhi Aunty
Dear Surbhi Aunty,
Thank you so much for helping this year as my college counselor! I was extremely nervous going into the college admissions process and your support helped me navigate this confusing time. As the first one in my family to do my undergrad in the United States this process was foreign to me as well as for my parents. One of the biggest things you helped me with was my management. You helped me start the college admissions process early in the summer and set up an agenda and tasks for each week. Honestly, just having someone I could update with my weekly progress helped me better plan when to work on essays.Although the my goal was high, you never stopped believing in me and you took a chance to help me succeed. Without your weekly meetings and strict schedule, it would have been extremely easy to slack off and become behind. Thank you for putting up with my subpar grammar in all of those essays. You must have done over 100 revisions and read my resume a similar number of times. Thank you for using all your resources to allow me to succeed such as reaching out to people, alum, and scientists. I would like to take this time to deeply apologize for all my my grammatical errors and formatting issues.Thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions and disregarding all my last minute emails. In addition, you helped me understand what colleges want to see from a student. Overall, I truly believe that I would not be as happy with my college admission result with your guidance and help.
Sincerely,
Vinay
IV. Letter to My Future Self
just some tips bro
Dear Me,
Looking back on the four years, there are going to be some major ups and downs. Honestly, it was a good everything happened the way it did because you will definitely end being smarter. However, there are some tips. Stay focused and understand your priorities. Now I know that’s what our parents say, but I don’t just mean doing schoolwork. In these four years, there will be a lot of distractions such as clubs, extracurriculars, and friends in general. I took me while to figure out which of these things truly mattered to me and I had to make cuts. For example, although playing the violin was something enjoyable for me, it was sucking a lot of time I could spend on the activities I really enjoyed. There will also be friendships that need to fade or die out completely because of their influence. You won’t want to and you’ll probably learn the hard way like I did, but I’m just letting you know so I can say “I told you so” :). Moreover, in high school, there is going to be a lot of independent work and you will need to make sacrifices. But at the same, you won’t be able to graduate without collaboration. Find friends who have the motivation towards school, not necessarily the same goals, and work with them. I learned this late but they are a valuable asset. At home, there will be a lot clashing with your parents and at times it will seem like they will never change. But they come from a different generation. You have to understand that. They weren’t raised in the same environment as you so obviously if you ask to go to a dance, or watch a movie, or even something as simple as hanging out with friends, they will resist. It is up to us to push the bar forward slowly but change is not easy. In addition, take what everyone says to you with a grain of salt. A lot of people want to give their two cents on your issues and problems, but at the end of the day it’s our life and you need to make the decisions for yourself.
Sincerely,
Da Future Vinay
V. Hopes/Plans for the Next Year
It's uncertain???
Short term goals for this summer: I want to graduate, I want to make the most out of the summer with my friends before I go to India in July. I would like to also bring one of my ideas to life over the summer. In July, I’m going to be visiting all of my family India who I have not seen for three years. In the fall, I will moving into the University of Pennsylvania on the east coast. After 18 years on the west, it’s going to be a big change to go through an actual winter with snow. Apart from the cold weather, I’m also going to be away from my family for an extended period of time. I hope I like my roommate, I get a good dorm, and in general like Penn as a campus. In college, I would like to find my true interest. Currently, I plan to major in robotics (mechanical engineering) and business as a dual degree. My ultimate goals are to become a capable entrepreneur and start a company with the mission of solving a problem, like Elon Musk. After four years at Lynbrook, I finally feel comfortable in San Jose; I know where everything is, at school I’m a senior, and I found my true friends. However, in college I have to restart this process, and I hope that I can find friends who will stick with me to the end. Although I have all these plans, my future is not certain since the fun in life comes from the fact that things work in mysterious ways.