"Áron Antal" - Page 2

Áron Antal

Now I am writing this college essay. At this very instant I am gaining knowledge, acquiring new information and getting to see new aspects. This I never have done.

Life is basically the same; even familiar situations, events and actions that happen every day are different in small detail, and even if you can’t recognise it, you gain new experience with each nanosecond passing. I heard once that at the moment of your death, you are the wisest you have ever been. And applying sort of the same principle, I know the most in this very instant that I write these words down. I have become wiser since I started to write this letter. But let’s put away the philosophy, and focus on facts, and let me prove that I would be a worthy student for engineering:

I wouldn’t consider myself egoistic, but even the shyest person has something to acknowledge oneself by. My achievements include passing a C1 language exam at the age of 16, completing secondary school not at the top of the class but still with great results, but I think my greatest genius lies in my free time activity: fixing motorcycles.

By fixing motorcycles, I don’t just mean renewing old bikes, not by a long shot. I have bought and made projects for myself. I have owned and worked on more than thirty different motorcycles, and I am currently owner of seven motorbikes, three of which are experimental. By myself I have learned the basics of engine operation, then done extensive research to best understand every little detail of motorcycle engines. While doing so, I made some experiments: learned fine tuning of carburetors and increasing engine efficiency, and succeeded in building a Yamaha 1YU Mint scooter with a manufacture single speed transmission, 50cc 2 stroke with its factory carburetor, designed for a max speed of 45km/h to exceed 85km/h, of course with a serious decrease in engine lifespan. Also I made experiments to achieve better fuel consumption while gaining greater power output on several 4 stroke 50-125cc 4 / 3+1 / 1+1 speed Honda licensed engines with carburetors, with great success, reducing factory fuel consumption on long distances by 10% and increasing power output with fine adjustment by 15%. I have also mastered the art of electronics, hydraulic systems and shock absorbers, welding, spray painting, aerodynamics, intake and exhaust fume airflow, increasing drum brake efficiency and much more.

I also have knowledge and experience in operating and the theoretical function of several kinds of heavy and agricultural machinery, as well cars and utility vehicles.

But I have other aspects besides just being a great mind in engineering. My other great attribute is that I consider myself and am considered open towards learning about new things, meeting new people, being accepting, caring, patient, polite, well-adjusted, obedient, trustworthy, and so on. Let this not fool you, though; I am still not perfect, but I am always improving.

As you can see, I have endless interest in the field of engineering, which I would like to further expand in the future.

And to return to the metaphor I started my essay with, I—and you, Sir/Madam, reading this application letter—have gained more experience and become wiser by getting to know me a little bit. And by the time I finish college, I at this present will seem a bit unwise compared to the I in the present of the future.

Áron Antal

We are born innocent and unknowing of our surroundings, and we become who we are by being exposed to the world. At least that’s what I think, even though some of my elder family members might disagree with me on this issue. My grandpa always told me that all people carry some of their personality traits when they are born, and nothing can change them. He thinks this because my mom and her brother differ greatly; while my mother was helpful, understanding, clever and followed the rules, my uncle always got himself into trouble, didn’t play by the rules, and barely finished secondary school. Still, both of them grew up to be great adults, exceedingly good at their jobs.

But when my mother and my uncle were growing up, well, life was much easier back then. For me it would have been. No rat-race life, fewer things to worry about, more freedom, no cellphones, and the list could go on. Yet our long-forgotten ancestors would say that when they used to live, there were no cars, no trains, no airplanes, no public utilities. The fact of the matter is that circumstances have become more comfortable yet more complex over time as human civilizations thrived and progressed. And with great comfort comes great dependency.

In today’s society, we have less free time, rush here, go there, buy things and so on. We want happiness, friends, people that admire us, fame and beauty in true 21^st century fashion.

What greatly disappoints me nowadays is the fact that more and more people are becoming so self-centered, maybe thanks to radical improvements on the one hand and quarantine on the other, that they stop caring about each other. Or maybe these people show caring sometimes, but mostly so that they can get affection from others. Such people are manipulative and greedy. They always try to come across as the best, the cleverest, the most beautiful, and they know they are not, but still, they can’t bear the slightest kind of confrontation or being faced with the sheer reality of situations, though their methods of “self defense” might differ greatly. They are lost in their imaginary worlds, where everything is perfect, nothing they say is wrong, and they are totally in control of their lives. They usually rack their brain for hours on end over things that in the long run will not matter, and they love to complain.

Maybe my emotional intelligence is just too high, maybe I am more advanced in mind than I should be for my almost seventeen years spent on this little wet ball of mud, so unimaginably small compared to the universe. Yet, maybe I am wrong, why should I be right, because no one can truly understand life. It just seems to me that a lot of people just waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Because life is much more simple than most people interpret it to be. Unlike anything else, such as banking, relationships etc, life has one big certainty; if you were born, you will die. That is life basically. However, between you being born and you dying, only uncertain events will unfold and happen, uncertain events that are non-predetermined, and you will get the chance to turn them into opportunities towards living your life as truly as possible. Next time you go on a trip, travel, or do something, just try to admire what is happening to you, and try to grasp the fact that each and every nanosecond of your life cannot be repeated. Try to focus, understand, help others, learn to love yourself, accept failure, learn to express yourself, explore what life has to offer and make your choices dependent on only the people that really matter to you and to yourself. Don’t worry about everything, don’t be afraid to back out of things, do something that other people disagree with. Just one important thing that you should bear in mind: try not to hurt anyone. And remember: whatever happens, happens. These are the principles that I live by.

Yet it would seem that some people are incapable of changing, and I accept that. But I just feel a bit lost in this world, and always ask myself the question: how can people live, with their minds so closed? Maybe I will never understand, and I am fine with that, as long as I am confident in what my life stands for.