Monday, October 31, 2011

“100+ College Essay Topics” 1

Topic: Find x. (U of Chicago)

X is many things: in English, it is one of the letters in alphabet; in mathematics, it is used to define coordinates in graphs; x can also be something that one has to solve. However, x is also the independent variable in math; it is the factor that changes the output, the y. I believe that the y is my life and the way I live. Although there are many xs that changed my life, there is the one x in my life: my grandmother.
             When I was growing up, both my parents worked. As a result, I spent my first seven years of my life with my grandmother. Although I did meet my parents at night, it was my grandmother who waited for me when the kindergarten bus arrived. It was my grandmother who attended my parent-teacher meetings, and it was my grandmother who protected me and taught me the most important lessons of my life.
             My grandmother sometimes directly protected me from some of the bullies, but later taught me how to deal with them better: not to fight back, and to forgive. She protected me from my wrongdoings, by teaching me how to act the right way. Of course, I was just a little kid who did not listen to these words carefully, and came to regret it later. I learned my grandmothers lesson the hard way. However, I eventually learned most of the things that she tried and still tries to teach me, such as forgiveness, thankfulness, understanding, responsibility, to care, and most of all, to love. This is one thing that she did not teach me directly with her words, but I learned though her actions.
             There will be other xs trying to change me for the better or the worse. Despite all the xs that I come across in my life, I will never forget my grandmother, the x in my life, and the values that she taught me. I will try my best to follow her words and her actions, hoping that I will one day become the x of someones life, like my grandmother. 

Monday, October 17, 2011

McMurphys of Greece.


By Chloe Hadjimatheou
Published: Oct. 17, 2011; accessed: Oct. 19, 2011
There is a huge economic crisis in Greece, increasing the unemployment rate by nearly 17%. This made people of Greece lose hope for the future and fall into depression leading to suicide. Andreas Loverdos, Greek Minister for Health, reported that the suicide rate has increased by 40% or higher. This rapid increase in of suicide has motivated people to take action. Thus, in order to lower the suicide rate, volunteers from non- governmental organizations have been working together for groups such as Klimaka. Klimaka, one of the suicide prevention help lines, has been picking up the calls to support and comfort those reaching out in need. Not only does Klimaka answer the phone, but it also uses the radio to broadcast help and advice to more people suffering from depression.
I think the volunteers are like McMurphy in the novel One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. They are there to help the people suffering from their mental illness; in this case, depression. The volunteers are trying to make them feel “big” again, just like McMurphy did to Bromden. The Greeks, who committed suicide, are like Billy, going through depression. Billy, one of the patients in the hospital, could not handle his failure and committed suicide. Along with Billy, the Greeks are also similar to Bromden. Due to events in their own lives, they lost hope and the feeling of being significant. However, due to the volunteers, the Greeks were able to feel hopeful and important to the world, and eventually recovered from their depression and moved forward with their lives.
VOCAB-
Stigma- noun- a mark of disgrace and infamy
origin- Latin (1580- 90) stig- a mark
ma- result of an action. (dictionary)
A transcript can be a stigma for some, but hopefully not me.
Client-noun- a customer, who receives help from a professorial.
origin- Middle English (1350-1400)
stem of cliēnsperson seeking the protection or influence of someone powerful; (dictionary)
Students are clients to the teachers.
Defer- verb- to put off something to future time.
origin- Middle English ( 1325- 75) from deferren variant of differren to differ (dictionary) 
Students tends to defer their homework until it is due.