New Challenge - #18 - Won't Fail

241) If you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you do?

Sit back and relax is all I have to say. If I knew that I wouldn’t fail then why take a step ahead which is nothing but hard work. If I knew I am perfect then I would do all the other things which aren’t related to academics. I would enjoy myself with friends, go for movies, hang out in cafes, and not to forget go crazy over shopping.

If I knew for sure I wouldn’t fail then I would not make an effort to touch a book. The days I have nothing to do I would sit like a couch potato all day long not movie an inch from the bean bag that I am used to sitting on. Lazy is a word that describes me when I have nothing to do.

I would make the most use of the social networks—Facebook and Skype. Time wouldn’t be something that would be an obstacle from doing other fun things in my daily life. I wouldn’t be too conscious about time, if I knew I weren’t going to fail. Time is something very important if you know you are going to fail for sure, since you would need to make proper schedules of study times.

Things are easy when you know you aren’t going to fail. You seem to be more relaxed. For sure one will realize that they are putting on weight when they know they aren’t going to fail as they are just lazing around the whole day long or just sleeping. It might be boring for some but surely if will be a good experience for me to know that I am perfect and that I wouldn’t fail even if I didn’t move and inch of my muscle to put effort into my academics. 

New Challenge - #17 - Pet Talk

250) If animals could talk, what would your pet say about you?

I like my owner very much! I get to eat all kinds of meat starting from the simple roast chicken to the golden fried prawns. I am fed properly although I am oversized. I like the different kinds of dishes that are made at my house. The Indian spices create a new taste in my mouth making me realize that there isn’t just one type of taste—bland—which I was used to when I was in the pet shop. I like the different variety of dishes that are served to me. I am new to this house, so I believe that there is a lot more to eat. I can’t wait to eat all the other dishes. I like my owner, because she knows that I like trying out new things.

The one month that I have been in this house I have realized that my owner loves shopping. I don’t like the fact that she doesn’t take me to malls. She should treat me like a human and grasp the thought that dogs need clothes too. Sometimes in the evening it gets too chilly for me to handle therefore I need warm clothes too. It would be really nice if she understood my point and took me to the mall the next time she goes. Apart from that I think my owner knows and understands me pretty well. She knows what I Like when it comes to entertaining me. She play all sorts of games with me.

One time when I was new to the house she made me realize that I was a part of a good family. I like the way she entertains me with makeup and the silly things on her dressing table. She knows that I like it when she brushes my hair.

The massages that I get, puts me off to sleep. The last thing that I have to say about my great owner is that if you ever get a chance—do get a massage from her. She is great.  

New Challenge - #16 - Actress--Feelings

111) Imagine yourself being an actor/actress. Tell about your feelings before the opening night of the performance where you play the title role.

I can feel millions of butterflies flying in my stomach searching for a way out. This is the kind of feeling I always have before the opening night of my performance.  The thought of seeing all my fans scream out my name makes me even more nervous because I know they will be watching me very carefully. One mistake I make and my career can go for a toss. This thought makes me shiver as I always have a lot of “what if’s” questions lingering in my head.

Being anxious and worried about what people will think of me, at the same time I would feel really good to be up performing as I would make my parents proud for all that I achieved in life They would really be proud of my hard work and therefore it will motivate me to do more of performances.

After the entire performance I would really be proud of myself and would tell myself—I definitely need a pat on my back.

When one achieves there big goal then they really should be proud of themselves and they have the right to go out in the world and show off their talents, although they would want to be modest and no tell a word about themselves. Flattering yourself is different from just telling people your strength, hobbies and dreams.

 Being up on stage and performing my greatest piece of art brings such happiness in my heart although from outside I would probably be really nervous. 

New Challenge - #15 -Enemies to Friends

203) How can a person get along with an enemy?

Yes,it can be awfully hard to get along with an enemy, but I believe nothing is impossible. The key to get along with people is to have patience. Having patience is something that can get you far in life. There are times when people even forget why they hate the person who they hate, if one has patience with the person they hate, it would start leaving space for tolerance or maybe even friendship. An enemy can become friends, but then again, friends can also become strangers. A lot of things can affect a person’s relationship with someone else’s negatively, so there should be enough understanding that—a  person lives their life differently than others, and that a person should not always hold a grudge against someone because they are different. Jealousy can also lead to making enemies. I believe that one should be happy for all that they are provided with. Others might have a lot more but you should be happy for what you have. If later in life you become successful and you start earning money, you too can go buy a lot more things. Being jealous of somebody’s stuff is a way of making enemies.

One can get along with an enemy if they have the patience and the courage to go and show their appreciation for all that their enemy has done for them before they hated each other. One can’t just hate a person without knowing them completely.

Firstly one should not make enemies, but if they happen to make enemies then they should know how to get through about it. If they have patience to deal with small problems, then they should definitely have patience to solve problems with friends to have fewer enemies. 

New Challenge - #14 - Shifting Places

201) Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place?

I always prefer a change. It’s monotonous to be stuck in the same place. When you can have the option of something different then why not you grab that opportunity of making use of it. An obstacle that comes in people’s way to make use of this opportunity is age. Age plays a significant role in deciding where to stay. For instance thinking back to a few days ago, my Grandmother was so ill that she had to be admitted to the hospital—she hated the hospital. She was crying to get back home. Old people get used to their surroundings very fast; therefore, it is hard for them to adjust to any sort of environment.

I am sure if a young teenage person like me is asked to stay in a different surrounding they would make a fuss about it. I think that youngsters like change once in a while. Personally I would love to move around and find new places to stay. When you are constantly moving it’s and advantage as you meet more people and you the different places in your city.

Change is interesting and adventurous. I truly, would get bored of one damn place. Some places might be more rural that urban. You could feel the air in both cases only if you are willing to take the first step which is—shifting.

I like changes but shouldn’t be too fast. I like to enjoy a place to the fullest. Just because I like change of places that doesn’t mean that I will shift to another place as soon as I had a little feel of the first one, instead I would like to come to know about the place that I am staying in thoroughly and then make a move if I really want to.

I am hoping to see a lot of different places in the near future of mine. J

New Challenge - #13 - Brave Moment

204) Describe your bravest moment

You can hear the drums beating in the stands

Pounding out the chant of a thousand hands

From a lost generation that’s been hurt too much

When we came out we were holding a crutch

They tell us that we’re living in better times

Tell that to the tears rolling from our eyes

From drugs to guns man we’ve seen it all

When there was peace, I can’t recall

Every morning I would go to school

To learn arithmetic and the golden rule

The big teacher taught us right from wrong

But on the playground right never lasted long

You see I learned more about reality

Getting kicked around and bloody-kneed

I spent my life curled in a ball

My hand broken from punching the wall

I tried to cry but the tears never came

Dig your nails deeper man, it’s all the same

I was so filled with hate by the age of twelve

That into my heart, I dare not delve

Every night I’d ask the stars above

“Don’t let me forget how to feel some love”

Right and wrong shift like the breeze

When you’ve living your life on your knees

I took my justice, in my hands

Because teacher wasn’t there to make my stand

Though I was punished, I know not why

Right then I had to fight back or die

But now we’re through living in your world

Consider this the first stone hurled

We’re not letting life stay this way

too many have hurt, too many have paid

You’ve been deaf, for far too long

Even though you knew the truth all along

But I ask you world, “can you hear?”

The once-soft chorus is growing clear

You can hear the drums beating in the stands

Pounding out the chant of a thousand hands

This was a poem that was written by me with a help of a few friends.  In my old school we had an assignment to make a poem of your own. Few friends came over to my place for a sleepover, later that night all of them were craving for ice-cream. I wasn’t allowed to go for ice cream as I didn’t finish any of my homework. My friends helped me right this poem which didn’t make too much sense to me—but reading it now it makes a lot of sense. J

I had to present this poem in my class and I didn’t have the guts to get up there and read this poem. I wasn’t too sure if the teacher wanted a poem like this. I went up in front of the class and read this poem and was proud of myself as I knew a lot of my classmates enjoyed this silly poem of mine. :p

Note: Ignore some of the not so nice rhyme words.:p 

New Challenge - #12 - 2020 Prediction!

128) Make a bold prediction about something in the year 2020 that no one else has made a bold prediction about. (U of Virginia)

 As everyone only thinks of the world improving through the only source which is known as “technology” I have something different to say about it. Technology might be one of the main reasons for the world to come across new inventions and faster communication, but one bold prediction about something that will happen in the year 2020 is that—the common language which is English will be changed. I think that there will be an extremely different language which at this point to me seems a little weird but once everyone starts talking in that language things will seem normal again.

Learning a new language is not easy but is surely a good experience. I get sick of things fairly quickly so the little twist in my life wouldn’t do me any harm. The little twists and spins, in fact makes my life better, in the sense it provides new changes and new experiences which builds my character up.  

The 2020 bold prediction about languages will first originate from India. To people from the other side of the world it might be funny to hear such a thing because India is usually put down for everything that you one can probably think of. When the new language is spoken it will sound as though it’s a song as the language would require a sing-song pattern. The language would be known as “Singlish.”

I think that this 2020 prediction will happen because there needs to be a change in this world. So many people are working on technological stuff that they need a break from it. Instead think of something unusual and unique. The best thought that comes to mind is a new innovation of language. Language plays an integral part in a person’s life as communication is needed for surviving in this modern world.

New Challenge - #11 - Parents Question

45)Ask and answer the one important question which you wish we had asked.(Carleton College)

Why you are thankful for having such great parents…

During weekends my friends end up sitting in my room for hours. The stuff we talk about includes family and childhood experiences. When we think back to our childhood we notice that we as students in a school like Woodstock should be extremely thankful towards our parents. If not for my parents I would have never had a feel of how it is to be in a boarding school. I am truly thankful to my parents for throwing out to me, such a great opportunity. I now can step into the bigger world and truly give myself a pat on the back, and say to myself that I have made my parents proud and that I have made a difference in my life and have become a independent being.

Thinking critically and analytically seems to be in my blood. Every choice that I make is observed and thought clearly. I no longer have to be dependent on my mother to make choices for me. Although I am not considered a major, I know that once I turn eighteen I wouldn’t find things too hard. Even if there are challenges thrown at me I would know the right way to deal with them.

Getting back to those weekends that are spent in my room with music in the background another thought seems to pop up in my head. One of my close friends hates to think of her past as she was beaten too many times to know that she was doing something wrong. My parents till date believes that a child doesn’t learn when he or she is beaten up instead, they should be told. My parents always believed that one would learn better if they are verbally told rather than using violence.

New Challenge - #10 - When I am not Listening

246) What I think about when I’m not listening

When people talk to me sometimes I just seem to wander off to my own new world. When I am not listening I think of the weirdest things possible—weird in the sense that no one would think of things like I do. When I wander off to my little world I see aliens that I am talking to, I think to myself if aliens are knowledgeable. Isn’t that a bit weird? :p

Ever since I was young I was fascinated by aliens. I always thought that aliens existed and lived on planet earth. When I think of it now I feel stupid; but once again a child thought can’t be totally laughed at, as everyone at one point thought of something stupid like me. J

Well, I actually have different things that I think about when I am in different places. When I am sitting in a classroom where a teacher is lecturing—something like colleges hits my head. Being a junior, preparing for SAT’s and TOEFL is just a scary thought. I miss those days when I wanted to go to school so bad. Now school just puts me off. The thought of getting into a good college is such a disturbance to me. I hate when college stuff pops up in my head because it makes my concentration level drop. First of all, I get distracted very fast secondly, with this random college stuff that hits my head I get even more distracted.

Various other random stuff that pops up in my head when I am not listening are: clothes, food, sleep, my pet dog, my room, my I-pod, my future plans and much more. Music seems to be the most significant one. Music forever is playing in my head. 

New Challenge - #9 - Difficult Choice

210) Why you made a difficult choice

When people take the easy path do get to the top, it doesn’t prove anything great about that person. Unknowingly life will throw at you challenges; in those hard times you would have to know how to overcome it. Taking an easy route won’t get a person too far in life.

Thinking back to when I was in sixth grade—I had a project to complete within five days. Before I started the project I had three prompt questions out of which two were writing work and the one was creative work. Since I knew if I chose the any of the two writing work I would finish it with no hassle at all, therefore I decided to work on something creative. I chose to make a cell model for the science class. We were provided with no supplies at all, the project was totally in our hands. All the decisions that were made were by us and not the teacher. For three consecutive days I was just working on the project and no other homework of mine. I could have chosen the easier writing prompt, but for a change I wanted to be creative and wanted to show what I have got. I have no regrets for choosing to make a creative cell model; in fact I understood the cell concept better by seeing it. Sometimes choosing the difficult path might lead to a number of good things. In my case I had to go through days only concentrating on making a model, but in the end I understood it better by seeing it, and I ended up with a good grade that I thought I deserved.

When I have open options left for me to decide, I make it a point to choose something different which I might not have ever heard about, but I surely would like to give it a try. At first I might fail at it but enjoy it at the same time; but that does not mean I can’t keep trying it. 

New Challenge - #8 - Media....

200) Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television, newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities.

Early morning, with a cup of hot chocolate sitting on my cozy bed I start reading the newspaper hoping that the news will be something much more pleasant and better than the day before. As usual there is always something violent going around in this small world which never seems to stop.

As I turn the page to the fashion week stuff I see so much gossip. Media tends to pay too much attention to the personal lives of celebrities and public figures. No one wants to know about two people’s sexual life neither do we want to know how celebrity couples first met. A role of a celebrity is to act in movies and show themselves in different special occasions. Media sometimes over does it when they have to put news up on the paper. Gossip is not the only way to catch a reader’s attention. Putting a page up in the newspaper filled with gossip is not pleasant. Think about yourself in the same place as some celebrity, having all the silly gossips about you up on the paper which is open to every individual—that is just so sad. Publicizing personal life of a person is not good in general. I believe that media should have certain rules that they should follow which would prevent media from presenting personal issues of  different people.  

Few years ago I used to watch a television show “Koffee with Karan” in that show there is so much personal life publicized of various famous people. I would hate to get into so much detail about a person’s life. Koffee with Karan is a show where every week there will be a different celebrity who is asked a few questions about his or her life; the answer is so detailed and specific that one would have to get into personal life experiences in order to answer it right. Getting into depth about a persons personal life is bad. 

New Challenge - #7 - Money

202) Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

 I personally think that it is better to enjoy your money when you earn it. Firstly, when you keep spending money you will keep earning money simultaneously. I hate thinking about the future too much instead, I think of ways to enjoy the present. 

If you have the thought, stuck in your head about saving money then, you wouldn't enjoy the simple things in life. For example if you like playing video games in a video game parlor; you will start avoiding video games parlor in general. You heart might be dying to go there but the thought about saving money will prevent you from stepping out of the house. 

I surely agree with my parent when they say: When you can save money, then why not?

But at the same time it does not mean that you can't spend money at all.

I personally believe that the more money you spend the more money you will get in the future. Money is something that is needed for daily life. You need money every day in order to survive. Money is important and essential.

When you like something you would want to buy it, so might as well just buy it, instead of saving the money for the future not knowing how you would spend it. Money is something that can always be earned whereas you have a few opportunities in your lifetime that you would want to experience. Experiences cost money therefore saving money for the future is a waste.

When you like something you do it because you enjoy doing it, you are not just doing it for the heck of it. Same way you spend money when you really want something, not because you have money to blow. As long as one knows the importance of money, and the limits for how much to spend, I think money shouldn’t be saved for future uses. 

New Challenge - #6 - Avoiding a Place

212)  A place you try to avoid

I hate the smell of medicine. When someone is sick I feel bad for them. I hate the fact that most diseases or infections are contagious.

When I first joined Woodstock, I loved to bunk classes and go to the health center. Sitting in a microeconomics class which was not known to me earlier, knowing that I had stepped a few levels up I couldn’t imagine myself bunking classes. If I bunk a class in my junior year, it feels like I have missed out on the entire course. The amount we learn everyday in high school is a lot therefore it’s important to have full attendance. One lesson missed will take a long time for catching up instead if you just attend life will be easier.

All hospital has a unique smell within them. The smell in the hospital makes me sick. I can’t stand the medicine smells. Hospitals are filled with sick people so why would anyone want to go there. Even when I have high fever I try and avoid that silly place. I know it might be bad as I might spread it to others, but I usually sit in my room instead, where I feel like I am still home. Hospitals make me feel as though I am in some sort of isolation with nobody around me. Knowing myself as a socializing person I wouldn’t ever want to be stuck in a hospital.

Most of the times, news from hospitals are usually bad. Knowing that hospital is place where body organs are being cut, experimented, and studied is just a scary thought. I would hate to be in a place where weird things like experiments on human organs are being done, although it might be for a good reason. Just the thought in my head makes me hate hospitals/ medical centers even more. 

New Challenge - #5 - Gifts

240) Is it better to give or receive gifts?

Well, the answer to this question is simple. Getting gifts is so exciting. One of the main reasons that I look forward to Christmas is because I get so many gifts. I wait for Santa, also known as my mommy to come to my room at night when I am fast asleep to put a gift under my pillow.

The excitement on my face while opening a gift is epic. Some people don’t like it when they get cards or something lame as a gift. They always expect something big. However, for me a card will make my day. Just a few sentences about how good I am, will make my dayJ.

One reason I think it’s better to receive gifts is because you don’t have  to worry about what to buy, however, the person who is giving you a gift will have a hard time choosing the right gift. I hate buying gifts for others as I always tend to get worried if they will like the gift or not. A lot of “If they…” questions seem to pop up in my head.

The best gift that I can think of giving a person is an envelope with money inside it. When someone get’s money it’s upto them, on how they want to spend it. On the other hand if you give them the gift, there will be ten thousand questions popping up in your head. I like giving money as gifts to people who aren’t so close to me. If I had to give a gift to my best friends, I know for a fact that whatever I give them, they will appreciate it and treasure it.

Note: When I am sad, a good way to cheer me up is by giving me a gift and asking me to open it.

New Challenge - #4 - Imaginary Dialogue

247) Write an imaginary dialogue between you and a roommate late at night when the lights are out and neither of you can sleep.

Me: If we could change our class name, what would we change it into?

Friend: Forget about class name. Tell me how is everything between you and your guy?

Me: Well, things are going good so far. By the way I forgot to tell you this, but he is coming to Mussoorie?

Friend: Alright, that’s good news. That means you can take me out of boarding for dinner to Rice Bowl.

Me: Of course I will take you. We shall have fun J. Anyways forget about him, what are your plans for these holidays?

Friend: Well nothing great, it would be nice if you could make it to Kanpur (a place in India), I will take you to the new mall that has recently opened.

Me: Yea I should come. We can go shopping and buy lots and lots of stuff. We can go watch movies and do all the crazy things.

Friend: I also have a swimming pool at home, we can swim in the evenings. Not to forget, you will love the food that we make at home. It’s yummyJ

Me: I am looking forward to coming. Hopefully all this happens. Let’s not get our hopes to high cause if this plan goes for a flop then we will just be too disappointed.

Friend: Let’s hope for the best. By the way Srishti, sometimes I wonder what our class will be like ten years from now.

Me: Everyone will be looking like oldies and they will just behave differently. To tell you the truth once we graduate from Woodstock we might not meet some people forever. How sad L

Friend: Obviously. We can’t be in touch with everyone. Not everyone would want to be in touch with us.

Me: Yea Yea, Whatever. This is getting too boring. We have to wake up early for school. We should try and go off to sleep.

Friend: Alright! As you say.

Me: Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs biteJ

New Challenge - #3 - Favorite Time of the Day

237) Describe your favorite time of the day.

Nights are my favorite. During the day everyone works their butts off to finish their projects/ general work. Night is a time when you forget all about what you did in school and think of all the naughty things that are waiting for you at night…(Don’t take it in the wrong sense). For example a famous saying which is: Rules are made to be broken. Studying in Woodstock for years, some rules just don’t make sense to me. Kitchens in the dormetories lock at 10:00P.M; but since we naughty students stay up late we always need a refill of food for energy purposes. We are always up to no good but, breaking rules gives us satisfaction. Woodstock students wait for nights so that they can watch scary movie; others wait for dorm parents to do lights off so they can get back to talking on the phone with whosoever and some just like nights cause they can get under their cozy quilts and get a good night’s rest.

I look forward for nights because, I love to dreams. I just like seeing myself in a different world where humans do no exists. I wish to do so many things, some which are close to being impossible but just the thought of something unique which cannot happen in the real world is a great sense. Dreaming has always made me stronger. Dreams motivate me to become who I want to be in the near future.

Another reason I love night time is because, when I am out in the open air looking up to the sky I see the beautiful stars and if I am lucky I see the a shooting star which I quickly wish upon and then it disappears within seconds. The cool air at night is nice and pleasant; at night when you are alone you can take time out and think about everything. It’s just a perfect moment!

New Challenge - #2 - Rainy Day

230) What do you do on a rainy day?

On a rainy day I hate stepping out of the house. I love sitting in front of my laptop, watching a movie, with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand—perfect moment. During monsoon the day time seems to be short, the dark canopy seems to be dominating sunlight. Things are gloomy and mysterious. The atmosphere is perfect to watch a scary movie with friends and cousins.

 Imagine yourself right now sitting on a cozy sofa in a bedroom which has no power. The only option left for you is to turn on your laptop, hoping that there is some battery left in it and start watching a movie.

Sitting and watching a movie on rainy day might just be boring for some. However, when food is around, everything seems to be more interesting and active. On a rainy day, usually there is a chill in the air which makes me crave for hot and spicy food. I love drinking soups on rainy days as having a hot glass of some kind of edible fluid is known as the—perfect moment.

Well some people like me don’t like watching movies all the time and would rather find some sort of different interests. Taking time out on reading comic books might just be an option. Listening to loud music which fades away all the other noises from outside is a fun thing to do. I love listening to loud music but, since people in my house don’t like loudness around them, I wait for those rainy days which are so loud that when I put my loud music it’s not been heard by others in the house. Loud music makes me happy and so does rainy days. 

New Challenge - #1 - Dating Me

233) Ten simple rules for dating me.

• As I love shopping he should be willing to drive me to malls. He should make sure that his pocket is never empty as I would not get sick of shopping. As people say you should be satisfied with all that you have, I never seem to be satisfied with the amount of things that I already have, therefore, having his pocket empty would just put me down. :(
• His looks matter. He should have a smile on his face most of the times and should not get his ego in his way if something is not right. A frown or a angry face will make him look ugly and since I wouldn’t want a ugly guy as a partner I wouldn’t want him to be frowning.
• His behavior should be good. He should not be a bore. His attitude should be appropriate with the different people he talks to.
• He should have similar interests. He should be a sporty boy, who is enthusiastic and active at all times. He should never become a couch potato.
• Sense of dressing should be good. He should know how to dress up for different occasions. He should be willing to take a few minutes out of his busy life to make his hair right. He shouldn't be too messy.
• His personality should be: Caring, Kind, Helpful, Dependable, Sweet and Nice
• He should be romantic and understandable.
• He shouldn’t be too conscious about his weight, but should have a good and healthy diet. If he has a good diet it would prevent me from eating junk food. J
• He should have the basic courtesies while he is on a date with me. J
• On a less serious note: The guy’s breath shouldn’t be stinking. He should be conscious about his body odors.

College Essay #32 - Best Advice

3) What is the best advice you ever received? Why? And did you follow it? (University of Pennsylvania)

Slow and steady wins the race. I remember reading this in a fable, however I never knew that it would come in use in my daily life. Life seems to be throwing out challenges and I never seem to know the best path to overcome it. Once my dad reminded me of this advice. He told me, “Srishti, It doesn’t matter if you are slow at understanding what the teacher says, take your time and choose the right pace that you think you will learn the fastest.” After what my dad said to me I thought to myself weather or not I should follow it or not. Now that saying from dad plays a huge role in my life. Everything I do is thought twice before being started. I take my own time to thoroughly understand the work that is assigned to me. This advice has helped me achieve greater knowledge and through this I also understand a greater deal in class. In the beginning I thought that going with the flow is the best way of understanding but as gradually time passed I realized that I needed to come out of this flow and make my own channel. My father never lost faith in me instead he always believed and encouraged me to give my best try to whatever I did. If I look back at the past I see change in me, which has been brought, by my fathers advice and me following it.

Do I acknowledge my father for this advice? I surely do, there is not been a moment in my life where this advice has not been useful. In times of trouble I just wait patiently for everything to settle down. I don’t make a move until I know the right has arrived.