Sunday, September 13, 2009

I wonder, which trait of mine do I think best defines me?

I know it’s impossible to learn everything there is to know about everything under the sun, but I want to learn a tiny bit about everything. I want to know a bit of history, maybe learn the basics of a few extra languages, pick up some knowledge of basic programming, take a quick peek at economics, study a bit of art…

I blame this on my curiosity. I’ve always been interested in finding out how the world works. When I was younger, I looked for the answers in books and encyclopaedias, or pestered my parents with millions of questions. My interest in learning hasn’t waned since then. But now, I often rely on the internet for information.

I believe my interest in learning has taught me to question. It has taught me not to blindly accept everything I read or hear. Different books can disagree. Scientific studies on subjects often turn up conflicting results. Sometimes a number of articles will describe “facts” “proven” by “scientific research”, and just as many articles will claim the opposite to be true. Now, even when information is obtained from a reputable source, I still ask, is it possible for them to be mistaken?

This, too, is partly why I want to learn a bit of everything. Without at least basic knowledge, how can I ever judge if a given “fact” is true? Learning will help with more than simply sating my curiosity. Learning will also help me learn.

Edited on 17/09/2009, 2:56 PM.
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6 comments:

  1. BOBAGSeptember 13, 2009 at 11:49 AM

    Hey Josh,
    I think you and I are a little similar in this aspect, and it would be because we posses scientific minds. Always inquisitive. I suppose Wikipedia would be your best friend too right?

    Just a thought, has this aspect of you led to any memorable experience for you?

    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  2. MichelleSeptember 13, 2009 at 9:54 PM

    Hello Joshua,

    Your personal statement is persuasive; it does make me want to know more about the things that you know. Of course, there were no errors in language usage. Overall, it is conhesive within and between paragraphs.

    However, I almost mistook the trait as curiosity because of the 2nd paragraph. I do like how you ended your personal statement, especially with the last sentence. To me, it is an quite a powerful sentence.

    Regards,
    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brad BlackstoneSeptember 14, 2009 at 5:18 AM

    This is well focused, clear and concise, Joshua. Your curiosity is admirable, and the scientific mind apparent. A few phrases detract though:

    1) Growing up, my interest in learning hasn’t waned. > Do you see the dangling modifier up front? What is it modifying? Your interest?

    2) ...my interest in learning has made taught me to question.

    Thanks for the effort!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Zheng, RuiSeptember 14, 2009 at 10:22 PM

    Hi Joshua,

    I believe that this trait has helped you to improve your other abilities at the same time, like critical thinking skill. Your personal statement is quite persuasive, and it also reminds me that there is no end in learning. Just one thing, I think you may add some examples and personal experience to make it more unique.

    Regards,
    Rachel

    ReplyDelete
  5. Joshua ChngSeptember 17, 2009 at 12:13 AM

    Edited my post I have.

    @Feodor:
    Memorable experiences... Well, when I was a kid, I and my sister wondered what would happen if we used the wall power outlet for a motor from a toy car. Naturally, we decided that the best way to find out was to test it. I can't recall how we managed to rig it and plug it in, but we somehow did it. It produced an awesome (and very scary) spark show. :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. haivandethuongSeptember 22, 2009 at 10:13 PM

    Dear,

    I like your conclusion. It inspires me to step out of my comfort learning zone which is essentially engineering. I believe all children have the curiosity of the outside world. When we grow up, some of us might loose our desire to learn about everything, and decide focus on certain areas. It is certainly wonderful of you to be able to keep your desire to learn a bit of everything until now.

    I wonder how you could improve your post. I guess if you explain a situation where you could benefit from the ability to critically read and evaluate new information; your post could be more compelling. For example, it is definitely essential to be able to evaluate the creditability of the info source when you are relying on the internet for information.

    Also, I am curious about how you organize what you’ve learned? Since you learned a bit of many things, it must be difficult to be able to keep what you’ve learned in your memory in such a way that you can take them out when needed.

    Have a nice week
    Hai Van

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