Sometimes squeezing my jaw tightly shut and holding onto my cheek was the only way to bear the pain without pain killers. I understood that we couldn't afford to go to the dentist, but having those relentless moments of excruciating pain become a normal part of my life was difficult to get used to. I remember being grateful for the times when my nerves went dormant, but those were always temporary. It wasn't until this past April that,...

Ask employees at Microsoft what ‘LCD’ means, and they will most likely give the simple answer that it is an acronym for liquid crystal display. I, however, have transformed the significance of this technological term in this short essay to represent the basis of what I find most appealing about Columbia University: Location, Core and Diversity. Beginning as an economic hallmark of the Dutch Overseas Empire, New York City remains a world-class city in contemporary society. The opportunities are unbounded...

I’d like to view the world as one huge test tube with a solution distilled into different layers of acidity. Every person fits into a layer, at the most acidic layer close to 0 are the most extroverted people and at the most basic layer near 14 are the most introverted people. Although I am instructed to not be neutral, I must admit that after a thorough reflection of my behavior, I have decided to place myself accordingly in this figurative...

I am aware that some of my family members sell drugs for supplemental income and a family party is never party unless there is alcohol. I joined Friday Night Live last year because of its commitment to providing teenagers with healthy and fun alternatives to drugs and alcohol. Through this club, I had the opportunity of attending an active youth leadership conference where I learned of the stories and livelihood of many other students that contributed to my evolving perspective...

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