CommonApp Assignment

Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

My goals and vision changed because of a tour guide. The tour guide’s description and contrast of the American society and Korean society was the turning point of my goals for education and future. Until then, other people expected me to be in the upper class and lead others and gave responsibilities that did not suit me. Also, these demands neither fit my characters nor did I have any passion for the vision and goals, which others expected. However, the tour guide’s critical contrast and his thoughts about what the Korean society is lacking taught me that the demands and suppressions that I had could justifiably tossed. Today, I make my own choices and set goals for myself, which may be unfortunate for others because these goals are lower than their expectations. High hopes without passion is only fool’s play and lie to oneself; thus, I think my choice is well-made.
The tour guide described the American society by assuming that the whole population is only one hundred. He described the society to be mostly uneducated or only partially educated and only about ten our one hundred to have graduated college and one out of the hundred to be in the elite group. This elite group is the people who run the United States (US) and keep it in its place in the world. Also, he described the Korean society, again by assuming that the whole population is composed of only one hundred people. He said that about 70 of the hundred have graduated college, which is great percentage of the population compared to that of US. However, the fact was irony because Korea is yet a weak country unlike US, which only ten percent of the population is educated people. Although Korea has higher percentage of educated people than US, its people lack unity and fellowship. Koreans are strong headed and would not let others rule them easily. Such characteristics are obstructions to democracy because democracy needs support and participation of the people.
When I heard the word ‘fellowship’ and its importance to form stable government and country, I found my goals worthless. All Koreans aims to be the leader of everyone. They want to rule others and only a few are people are supporters and cooperators. Also, they supporters and cooperators to let other people be higher are treated as cowards and losers. Therefore, in Korean society, there are many unnecessary conflicts to disparage others and promote one, which add to the disorder of the society. It is impossible for everyone to become a leader; thus, there is a need for fellows or cooperators so that people who have the upright characters and ability to become leaders can indeed become leaders. I do neither have the passion nor the capacity to lead other people. However, I have strong fellowship. In Korean society, there are too many leaders and people who want to be leaders. Now, it is time for some people to support the people with the right characteristics to become leaders.
Before I changed through the tour guide’s speech, my goals and visions had been becoming a global leader. There was not even an idea about how I wanted to become a global leader because it was a dream given by others. However, after seeing that there is no need to become the leader of everyone but to live life that is satisfactory to oneself, I looked for what I really wanted to do. It was neither Law, which other people thought fitted me, nor Science, which other people thought I had talent in, but archaeology and psychology, majors that other people did not choose often such as economy, medical science and government. People say that they are disappointed but I am not living my life to satisfy other people’s desires but to be happy about myself. Although others may think one fits for a leader, he may not be a person whose characteristics fit a leader. I have chosen to become a trustworthy fellow rather than a leader without passion and plan.

Blog Entry - Great Expectations

The novel is about a country boy obtaining the opportunity to become a person in the educated and wealth class of the society. Charles Dickens points out the materialism in society and the pride of the upper class in this novel through the protagonist. Pip, the protagonist, is a country boy and when he becomes a young man, an unknown sponsor gives him the chance to become a gentleman. After receiving education, Pip thinks of people who are close to him as an embarrassment. He takes so much pride in himself that he does not want even his closest relative, his brother-in-law, to be seen with him because it may cause his reputation to be degraded. Also, when the secret sponsor’s identity is disclosed, Pip is ashamed once again because his sponsor is a thief. Although Pip had appreciated the financial aid, Pip’s arrogance leads Pip to rather think of his sponsor as an embarrassment than a benefactor. Unlike the boy whom Pip once was, a child who did not care about a person’s social status or wealth, after blending into the people of city, he is materialized and becomes arrogant.

Blog Entry - Eragon

This novel is about a boy finding a dragon egg and his adventures to gain power to fight the king (there is only one king in the whole world of the novel), who is the strongest man in the country, or the world. Although the novel’s genre is fantasy, I was not impressed by it because it conspicuously showed the author’s lack of knowledge about fantasy. In other fantasy novels, which I had read before, the authors thought and planned up their own settings of their fantasy world. Such planning allowed the author to be able to write more freely about fantasy and the reader to be able to tolerate the unusual events in the book. Therefore, I learned that to be able to write, whether it be a short story or a hundred page essay, one must have enough knowledge that he can explain the subject of the writing to another person.
As a fantasy novel, Eragon mentioned monsters and magic. The author apparently was not well informed about such subjects that he made up monsters of his own. Creation of new creatures was a crude action because even with descriptions, readers will not be able to imagine its features. In fact, I was surprised to find the same creatures, which performed pursuit in forests to be so large that they can throw people on horseback off. Also, the author seemed not to have a clear idea about magic or abilities of dragons because when it came to explanations, there were many mentions of how magic was so ancient that no one of present knows of magic and how abilities of dragons are so infinite that no one, even the dragons themselves, knows thoroughly about dragons. Such reasons are only a method of avoiding the need to explain fantasy elements, which the author lacks knowledge in. I was highly unimpressed by the author’s work, no matter how fresh the idea was. The various parts and information in the story conspicuously showed the lack of knowledge the author had; thus, I could not feel any thrill that critics had mentioned. I also became to realize the importance of knowledge about what I am writing about. Lack of knowledge always seemed to bring a pause to the storyline, which took out the fun in reading the novel. Now, I am able to understand why some books of difficult subjects can become bestsellers; bestsellers related to complicated subjects can become bestsellers because the author knows a lot about the subject and is able to explain his points to the advantage of the reader, so that the reader may understand easily.