During my time at NYU Precollege, I studied writing and biology, my two biggest loves. This summer was incredibly enriching and informative for me. I was a little hesitant at pursuing a science career. However, taking a Human Reproduction and Development class reinforced my original desire to do what I am most interested in. My biology professor was very adept in her knowledge of the sciences and she spoke with such passion and experience that I was inspired to continue this journey into the medical field. Similarly, my writing class was also enlightening; I had to work hard to make my writing presentable and interesting, which required me to make quite a few changes to how I previously approached writing. 

The first few weeks were difficult, because I had to wrap my head around this new style of writing and my professor constantly pushed us to do better. I made many improvements in my writing this summer and that is what I’m most thankful for. 

Here, I am standing in front of NYU’s Bobst Library, home to 5,000,000 volumes. I spent most of my time at this library studying or taking my writing class. It was a very quiet and homely environment, despite its large size. 

My first day started off with my writing class, which is called Writing the Essay. In class, the first thing that my classmates and I were introduced to was a new approach of writing an essay. My professor told us that writing an essay is essentially writing about something that one does not understand. Therefore, in the essay, one questions and elaborates on a particular topic to make sense of it so that by the end, one has come to some sort of conclusion. I immediately was drawn by this because it’s not something that I’m used to writing in high school and even in the first day, I learned something new and exciting that expanded my knowledge. 

My Biology class was interesting as well, I received a syllabus and we started class right away and began learning about hormones and their effect on the human body. I took notes and made sure that when I got home, I reviewed the PowerPoint that my professor went over that day. Overall, my first day was different and perhaps, a little scary because I am so used to being part of a small high school community, however, arriving at NYU, I realized that I needed to work hard to be seen and distinguish myself amongst my classmates so that I could meet new people and make most of my time here at the university. 

In my high school, we were treated with leniency and not everything we learned seemed to be important or purposeful in our lives, however, NYU students have dreams and they come to class with a goal in mind - to learn about something they love. I found it very different from high school because I was in a room full of people who were truly passionate about what they were learning. It took me by surprise because it was inspiring to collaborate with college students who have a dream and it makes me feel lucky that I am able to start my dream early and try to figure out what I am most passionate about as well. 

New York University has always fascinated me; coming from a small school, the idea of being lost in the crowd of students makes me think of all the possibilities that come with meeting so many people. I am looking forward to sitting in my living environment class taking notes and engaging with my fellow classmates and professor. While I am at the University, I intend to focus on my studies and do the best that I possibly can. I hope that I push myself far enough this summer, that I can truly see how a college setting is. I am nervous about meeting new people and whether I will blend with the rest of my classmates. Finding and managing time to study will be a challenge for me during my program, however, I will try to overcome this by setting a schedule for myself, whether it is studying right after class or going home and studying in the evening. Also, I think finding a quiet, comfortable place is an important factor in schoolwork as well.

I would not be able to have come closer to my dreams if it were not for your donations. Because of you, I can experience college life and intellectually grow as a student at NYU’s Precollege Program. I hope to one day pursue a career in the medical field and you have helped me see a possibility for my goals. Thank you so much! I will work hard to be persistent in my studies as a show of gratitude to you.