Choice or Destiny or just a hell of a lot of BS
In the past month and a half, I've met with 7 headmasters, two dozen phd students, and a half a dozen postdocs. During my final interview with Professor Snape, I told him I could rank his available projects in two different ways.
I can tell you which ones interest me the most, or I can tell you the ones at which I would be proficient in the least time were you to drop me in the lab tomorrow.
I don't care about the second one. What I want is for you to find something that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. I want you to think long and hard about the personal philosophies and styles of the different groups. I want you to consider how you learn best.
Apparently the Soylent Plastic project is the most popular of his 9 available projects and Slytherin is the most popular house this year. When he asked me how I was different from my competitors, I told him I knew the most about the physical interpretation of "safety." I've almost blown myself up, burned off my fingers, taken shrapnel to the face, and corroded my eyeballs. Naturally, he was intrigued, so I told him a few of my stories. Often, I think I'm a better entertainer than nerd.
The next morning, I had to email him my official preferences. I thought again about his question and decided to tack on a few final thoughts. Normally, I'm stronger than this. Normally, I feel who I am speaks for itself and needs no explanation, especially not from me. However, unlike McGonagall, Snape is a black box. An outsider looking in never knows what he's really thinking, so for that reason, I decided to compromise my standards and tell him about myself.
An important part of my internship story was missing from the version I recounted to you yesterday. If I recall correctly, there was no place for it in my application, so, hopefully, it will not be redundant and will offer a little more insight into how and why I operate...
...To answer more fully your question from yesterday, in addition to my core scientific understanding and skills, I think the biggest intrinsic advantage I have over many of the other first years is that I have spent an extra three years of my life discovering for myself that I am happiest when working as a scientist/engineer in the niche of fabrication and experimentation. With that knowledge and experience comes a proficiency in maintaining focus when a project hits snags, and as an older student, I can claim more experience with such snags than my competitors. Those trials have taught me intellectual calmness in assessing problems and developing successful solutions. They have tested my ambition and proven it to be a reality - one that is sure to serve the project and the group well.
I hope people now understand why I hate doing this sort of thing even when it's what others seem to want to hear. It's sincere and maybe even true, but it reeks of unnecessary self importance. I feel a little dirty inside (Is this how MBA's who haven't yet lost their souls feel?). Then again, I learned yesterday that my competition, in his final plea, said something to the effect of, "I'll do anything to be in your group... I don't care what you put me on... I'll eat mud," so maybe my comments aren't so bad.
Also, two of Snape's three American phd students, one of which Snape said was the smartest student he'd ever had, independently contacted me to let me know they thought I was the most intelligent of all the first year students and that they'd be sure to recommend me if Snape asked for their opinion.
All in all, I should feel pretty confident right now, but I don't. My subconscious surely doesn't either as last night I had a dream that Snape recommended me to someone else.
In my final interview with McGonagall, he said, "We'd be delighted to have you join us. You are exactly the kind of student we'd like in our group. Several of my students have come up to me to tell me to be sure we got you." Snape and the Slytherin people have a habit of making fun of the Gryfinndor people, and it bothers me that some of my competition buys into it.
Maybe I'm Harry Potter after all. Or maybe I'm Goyle. Maybe I'm George Weasley. Or as IBPG pointed out, maybe I'm Voldemort.
The GaTech choixpeau is an interesting beast. I'm hoping he'll drop me an email by next Friday. I'll keep you posted....no pun intended.
I can tell you which ones interest me the most, or I can tell you the ones at which I would be proficient in the least time were you to drop me in the lab tomorrow. I don't care about the second one. What I want is for you to find something that makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. I want you to think long and hard about the personal philosophies and styles of the different groups. I want you to consider how you learn best.
Apparently the Soylent Plastic project is the most popular of his 9 available projects and Slytherin is the most popular house this year. When he asked me how I was different from my competitors, I told him I knew the most about the physical interpretation of "safety." I've almost blown myself up, burned off my fingers, taken shrapnel to the face, and corroded my eyeballs. Naturally, he was intrigued, so I told him a few of my stories. Often, I think I'm a better entertainer than nerd.
The next morning, I had to email him my official preferences. I thought again about his question and decided to tack on a few final thoughts. Normally, I'm stronger than this. Normally, I feel who I am speaks for itself and needs no explanation, especially not from me. However, unlike McGonagall, Snape is a black box. An outsider looking in never knows what he's really thinking, so for that reason, I decided to compromise my standards and tell him about myself.
An important part of my internship story was missing from the version I recounted to you yesterday. If I recall correctly, there was no place for it in my application, so, hopefully, it will not be redundant and will offer a little more insight into how and why I operate...
...To answer more fully your question from yesterday, in addition to my core scientific understanding and skills, I think the biggest intrinsic advantage I have over many of the other first years is that I have spent an extra three years of my life discovering for myself that I am happiest when working as a scientist/engineer in the niche of fabrication and experimentation. With that knowledge and experience comes a proficiency in maintaining focus when a project hits snags, and as an older student, I can claim more experience with such snags than my competitors. Those trials have taught me intellectual calmness in assessing problems and developing successful solutions. They have tested my ambition and proven it to be a reality - one that is sure to serve the project and the group well.I hope people now understand why I hate doing this sort of thing even when it's what others seem to want to hear. It's sincere and maybe even true, but it reeks of unnecessary self importance. I feel a little dirty inside (Is this how MBA's who haven't yet lost their souls feel?). Then again, I learned yesterday that my competition, in his final plea, said something to the effect of, "I'll do anything to be in your group... I don't care what you put me on... I'll eat mud," so maybe my comments aren't so bad.
Also, two of Snape's three American phd students, one of which Snape said was the smartest student he'd ever had, independently contacted me to let me know they thought I was the most intelligent of all the first year students and that they'd be sure to recommend me if Snape asked for their opinion.All in all, I should feel pretty confident right now, but I don't. My subconscious surely doesn't either as last night I had a dream that Snape recommended me to someone else.
In my final interview with McGonagall, he said, "We'd be delighted to have you join us. You are exactly the kind of student we'd like in our group. Several of my students have come up to me to tell me to be sure we got you." Snape and the Slytherin people have a habit of making fun of the Gryfinndor people, and it bothers me that some of my competition buys into it.
Maybe I'm Harry Potter after all. Or maybe I'm Goyle. Maybe I'm George Weasley. Or as IBPG pointed out, maybe I'm Voldemort.
The GaTech choixpeau is an interesting beast. I'm hoping he'll drop me an email by next Friday. I'll keep you posted....no pun intended.
posted by Saule Cogneur at 6:06 PM
5 Comments:
Good luck I have my fingers crossed for you budders!!!
I feel dirty for you - would've wilted under Snape's gaze. The only thing that kept me reading your post was the glimmer of humor that such a self important person has no idea you are broadcasting him as a fictional character in a "children's" book. BAH!
I'm not sure how much of that I understood. I'm sure you're the smartest boy in that room (do I sound like a mother?)
Good luck.
Soylent Plastic?? ROFLOL. Oh my. I hope it goes well whichever way you go. Are you sure you're not Ron?
No matter what, I'm not Ron. His nature simply isn't in me.
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