Anyone who knows my grandpa will be envious of the cool one I have. My grandpa is an unsung hero who I idolize. He dances around with me and sings retro songs that I go on singing. He is a very mature person who turns into a kid with his granddaughter. But there is one thing that is hard to get from him. ‘Praise.’
He used to be happy with my achievements, but he never praised me. During 2017, I participated in ILMUNC India held in Delhi, 1370 miles away from my home, and independently managed myself in an unknown city for a week. I came back without any awards but saw proudness in his eyes. “Good!” he said. Something which I was yearning to hear. That day he made me understand what deserves genuine praise. I mostly did what was easy and never had a proper sense of accomplishment. Achieving things that I can without challenging myself is not a true success.
“In her pursuit of what was easy and without stress, she had rendered herself essential to no one, accomplished nothing…” – excerpt from the book “Legacy” by Danielle Steel.
The above is an excerpt from one of my favorite authors, and he made me understand its meaning and changed the way I perceive things. I used to question why I should get out of my comfort zone and stress myself. Instead, I could settle for something easy. For days, this thought sounded more fun. But then, I would have become a wanderer with a lost cause if I went on with this thought. A stress-free life without any demands would end at a point where I would be a total mess. I might regret not using my full potential to achieve the impossible at that time. I do not particularly appreciate when people underestimate me, but I cannot prove my capability when I am not motivated to achieve more. I am afraid I will not know what I can do unless I plunge towards something that requires more passion and effort.
A challenging life will make me keep going, so I want to pursue Computer Science. Computer Science, an artificial field of study that quickly drew my interest. It fascinates me that humans have created several languages of programming that do not divide us based on creed or ethnicity. A computer, to me, is like an iceberg, I can only see the tip of it, but it is something much more of tremendous potential. I want to learn this complicated man-made subject that fuels my curiosity, which is my aim.
People have a lot of fears that keep them from attaining their goals. We fear the uncertain, unknown, and unfamiliar. I want to face my fears, fly with my head held up high, and familiarize myself with what I am unaccustomed to. Years after, when life throws a problem at me, I want to persist and be confident in myself. I want to hear my grandpa praise me again; I want to become an independent and determined woman of whom he is proud. Hence, I would like to pursue Computer Science at a renowned institution like the University of Delaware because of the opportunity to gain experience in a challenging subject at a challenging place. The second part of the name ‘Delaware’ is ‘ware.’ It means ‘an article molded out of clay.’ I hope to mold the future I dream of with the University of Delaware as my starting point.
