as it took to take my tests, and then spit them out. They did not change me but for a brief grin at a pleasant idea or a wrinkling of the nose at a bitter one. I told myself that it would be a waste of time to try and fully absorb any of the material I was studying, much less form an opinion on it. I made a mistake, then, that I had promised myself years before never to make. I became so worried about preparing a living, that I forgot to make a life for myself. For while my grades were thriving, my mind was stagnating. I did not grow; I did not change.
I changed my major, then, from Social Science to Philosophy, so that I might "study myself more than any other subject," to make, as Montaigne said, "that. . . my metaphysics; that . . my physics." I wanted to learn not just for the grade, nor even for knowledge, itself-not just to impress strangers at a cocktail party or friends over coffee by being able to toss
out names of ancient philosophers, or current celebrities, and their theories. I wanted, instead, to savor what was in the world-to take from books and people their views, to sample them, digest them, to make some my own, to reject others, and to store some away for further consideration. I wanted to become something more-someone better-for what I had studied, or for whom I had met.
Looking back on these past years as a philosophy major, I am only a little embarrassed at not being able to recall the name of an certain author, or the term for a specific idea. By the time I graduate, I may actually have forgotten the majority of those "facts" learned throughout my college career. This, however, does not concern me too much. To succeed externally, to mechanically be able to repeat information, is one thing, but to be able to say that you have created something internally, that you have made something more of yourself, means so much more. As Matthew Arnold wrote, "Life is not a having and a getting, but a being and becoming." To be able to color my thoughts with others' ideas, and yet, blend them into a pattern that is mine alone: that, to me, is the ultimate end of education.

四、時間順序法

為自己的文章構(gòu)建提綱的另一個方法是按事件發(fā)生的時間順序組織要點。例如，你可以以你的生活為主線，根據(jù)你成長的各個不同階段，從自己的童年開始，到中學，然后再到大學，等等。此法的優(yōu)點是它純粹是個人的，它有助于錄取委員會了解有關(guān)你的情況以及你是如何成熟的。缺點是用此法可能難于突出中心，而且文章不容易寫得長。你想要說明的要點可能在你敘述過程中陋掉。

例4的申請人在其文章中先用規(guī)范結(jié)構(gòu)寫引言部分，然后再用時間順序法。

第一段（引言）
起始句："My background as an engineer and a Hispanic affords me a unique point of reference from which a constructive engagement in the intellectual, political, and social spheres at [ ] will be enhanced."

第二段
從出生開始："I was born in Brazil and lived in Mexico City starting at the age of two."

第三段
跳到大學："I pursued an education in engineering taking my Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT in 1990…"

第四段
轉(zhuǎn)到研究生院："At Michigan, my outside interests gravitated toward politics."

第五段
接著寫第一份工作："After graduating from Michigan I worked as an engineer for General Electric Aircraft Engines for two and a half years."

第六段
接著是目前的工作："I left GE because I was dissatisfied with the opportunity for career growth…"

第七段
把我們帶到今天：“I was immediately given the duties normally associated with a first or second year associate at a large firm."

第八段（結(jié)論）
結(jié)尾句："I firmly believe my experiences in law, engineering, civic activity, and political activism will allow me to be a creative and contributing member
of the intellectual life at..."

例4： Career Switcher, Engineer

注意：為了教學目的，該文發(fā)表時未加修改。
My background as an engineer and a Hispanic affords me a unique point of reference from which a constructive engagement in the intellectual, political, and social spheres at [school] will be enhanced.
I was born in Brazil and lived in Mexico City starting at the age of two. When I was ten, my family moved to a small rural town in southwestern Michigan.
I am half Mexican and half German, born to parents whose families maintain close ties to Germany and Mexico. The rich mixture of cultures coupled with my own experiences living outside the US have allowed me to perceive the actions of the United States from a different perspective than that of many US citizens.
I pursued an education in engineering taking my Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from [school] in 1990 and my Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from [school], where I was a Merit Scholar Fellow, in 1991. I am proud that success at [school] was both academic and athletic. I maintained an above average GPA and participated in intercollegiate varsity water polo and swimming. Honored as captain of both teams, I also achieved a personal dream by earning All-America honors in my senior year.
At [school], my outside interests gravitated toward politics. My brother and sister were both heavily involved in the campus debates regarding political correctness, womens' issues, and race and class issues. My interest i

上一頁  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] 下一頁