JE10 Ivy or not Ivy? That is the question!

            I heard some examples in the book “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell before, and I personally approve some of his points. Sometimes 1% of talents and 99% of inspirations are not enough to be successful. Environmental factors also have controls over it. I remember he said that people who were born in 1955 or 1956 have great chances of being successful on the field of computer. It is not a coincidence that both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were born in the same year.  Some people may work as hard or even harder than them, but didn't get the chance. However, self-motivation is still the core factor. Just like Gladwell said, if a person is approved by an Ivy League college, then it usually means that he or she is capable of handling pressure and can always motivates himself to be better. I believe as long as these qualities don't change, the person still got the probability to be successful.

           

            Sometimes I wonder why I should go to those top colleges and compete with people around the world. My parents say that it is a guarantee for future career and life qualities. Spending tens of thousands of dollars might slightly make some differences. For example, the competitive environment, the new programs, and, probably the most importantly, the “title” of the school could get you more chances. However, now I realized I wasn't completely looking for the qualities of the schools. I was actually seeking for the qualities that I should have to be in those schools. If I have all those qualities, or key factors of being successful, then I already achieved half of it. Although I would probably still spend tens of thousands of dollars to go to an Ivy, I am now clear of what I was searching for so long. 

JE09 Who, me?

             This person may seem like a good person, but he has some qualities that make me dislike him. For example, he is always self-centered. He never really cares what other people think and just follow his own feelings. Every time I work with him, he always takes over the control of the assessment or project. He doesn't trust people and give us no chances to do our jobs. Also, whenever there’s a profit, he is always the first one to get it. His problems always come first as well. Other people’s problems, to him, would not be solved until he is satisfied with his. I must admit that he behaves well, but when teachers scolded the class, he always gives that look as if nothing has to do with him and we dragged him down. I hope he can be more considerate of other’s feelings. I understand he has his pressure and want to do his works well, but if he were willing to spend time helping people it would even be better. He is generally a good person, but some qualities of him just drove me crazy. I sincerely hope he is able to stand in other people’s position and see things in a different point of view. 

JE08 Hate

              This person I hate is not in my current school. He has an innocent-looking face. However, he is not that naïve as he looks (In fact, I have always wanted to punch him). I don't think he has a good heart; he is actually evil and always considers his own profit. Superficially, we are friends. I was too nice to really fight with him. We were close friends though. But after a while, his natural quality was disclosed. The most obvious one is probably being a copycat. When I showed him new songs, he downloaded right after and listen to it everyday as if he discovered the songs. And when he discovered a song by himself, he pretended that he didn't know and never told me. But the truth is, I always have the newest song before he does. Moreover, he always follows me and copies my ideas. He seems to want to please me, but at the same time he is exasperating. They way he talks explains all. He always thinks he’s smart enough to know every single thing on earth. Every time a person spoke, he has to go against him. In addition, he complains a lot and blames other people for not being “smart enough”. But the truth is: he knows nothing. Also, he asks stupid questions. For instance, once he asks me about the genre of music, I patiently and carefully explain everything. But he started to go against me and asked me, “Is there a song that is both rock and R&B?” I told him it is impossible. Unsurprisingly, his answer was: “I don't believe you. How can you even determine a song’s genre? And there’s got to be a song that can be both rock and R&B.” Yes, that is how smart he is. I remember once he was chatting with me on facebook when I was doing my homework, he asked me why I was typing so slowly. Apparently, I was surfing on the Internet and doing other stuffs. I don't get why was he so impatient because people usually don't reply that fast. Lastly, and the most ridiculous of all, is that when we first met, he always asked me to wait for him (for lunch, etc.). I always waited for him but he purposely procrastinated and did everything in a slow way. Once I didn’t wait for him and he ignored me for a month! During those days, his speed was twice as faster than usual times. I think I will never get what’s in his brain. I hate these qualities about him, but not really as a whole. I have to say that I was not the only one. He has some good friends, but my friends (whose minds are similar to mine) could not stand him for even one second. So I only wish he can find his good friends who can endure him for everything he does. 

JE07 Last Thoughts

          After reviewing my whole life, there are some memorable moments and some bad moments as well. I feel proud of my success in business and the life I created. From being a normal local student in Taiwan to one of the skilled experts in the field, I am happy about the changes in life. However, I feel ashamed of not enjoying my young life. I wish I could travel around the world and see different things when I was younger, instead of focusing all of my energy on education and career. And I also wish I had spent more time with my family and friends. Now many of my close friends are gone, and my family is busy too.

           

            My last thought in mind might be: “Even though my life is not perfect, my life is already better than most of the people. I also donated to help those who live in a low quality of life. I have a family who love me and I have provided them a great life. Therefore, I shall have no regrets.” Nevertheless, I am afraid that it might be that I didn't follow my dream when I was younger and did something I wasn't interested in instead. 

JE06 Innocent

           As his lawyer and a personal friend, I have to say he would never ever do anything like this. Taking drugs is the last thing he would do. He is a healthy person. He exercises once every two days, takes vitamins and supplements, and checks his condition in the hospital once every 3 months. He cares so much about healthy than most of the things. He told me that having a healthy body is necessary to live a longer and a better life. Do you really think a person like this would commit a crime of taking illegal drugs?

As I know, he is a very optimistic person. He always thinks in a positive way and encourages people to do good things. He volunteered to do community services during weekends. He also has a family who loves him. His friends are also well educated. Moreover, he has a wonderful life. There is no possibility that he would have any connections with drugs. However, there might be a possibility that someone who hates him furtively put illegal drugs in his bag and made people think that he has committed the crime. Though he is generally friendly, he does have some haters. 

JE05 Shot Down In Flames

           After reviewing this application carefully, I decided not to hire this person as part of our company. On the good sides, this person has a pretty good educational background and can finish his works on time with pretty fine qualities. He can speak two languages and it should be helpful to our company. However, he doesn't seem to have that much passion toward his works. We want someone who both has the passion and ability instead of someone merely looking for jobs. In addition, he doesn't seem to talk too much. Maybe he has great ideas, but communication is also important.

           

            By looking at his appearance, he has a pretty long hair. We need someone with a clear looking and will be taking the job seriously. We want our customers to feel comfortable. It is actually hard to determine what kind of person he is by only looking at his application. Maybe he is a good person who works really hard, but I don't want to take the risk to hire someone I am not sure with. He doesn't seem to have extra talents besides the skills we required. Also, we actually want someone stronger who can work longer. I am not sure that this applicant is the one we want.