My Umich Acknowledgement

I've been wanting to make this post for a long time cos I really feel that I owe you guys a lot, and I need to acknowledge you for your help. If it weren't for your help, I don't think I could have completed my Umich application on time let alone being admitted to the university itself.

Here it goes:
1) My parents - I owed the most to you both! I don't think there are anyone else in this world who would go to such great lengths just to help me in my application. Because I was doing my application last minute, my parents have to do a lot of things in a rush to help me. For instance, I sent my certs and results last minute to my parents' office to ask them to help me print and get the docs certified. As a result, they have to ask for assistance from their colleagues to open the mail, adjust the work to fit in the print paper, print them, and to certify them.

This is what I felt bad about. They have to ask their friends to help me cos they aren't techno savvy. Knowing my parents, I know they don't like to ask for help unless it's really necessary. And this isn't a small favor to ask. My mom had to ask a typist to stay back after work to help me print my docs. My mom felt bad too, cos she knew the typist had other works to do. So she asked the typist to finish her work before helping her. I knew she wouldn't have done that if it's not for me and if it's not desperately needed. Then my dad had to ask his boss to help certify all the certs. It's not 1 or 2 certs, but a whole stack of em'. But I gotta admit la the results are really cool! Certified by high court wo my certs!! XD

This wasn't all. My dad also sent me countless trips back and forth to my high school to get things done on my high school's side. Then there's also this once that made me feel 10000X bad. My dad have to go all the way from KL to Shah Alam to get my high school results to be certified. No, KL to Shah Alam is not a short trip! It's an 1 hour-trip. But what's worse you know? When my dad came, I can't even find the results he came there for. X_X So I passed the other certs for him instead la.

2) Second on the line to be thanked is... Mrs. Kiran

I love Mrs Kiran so much! Haha..

Before this, I always thought Mrs Kiran was quite cold, as in she doesn't connect much or generate a good rapport with her students. Maybe cos the class I had with her was only a 1 month class, too short for any sort of connection. She's a really great teacher though, I knew that from the 1 month intensive class. Very knowledgeable and dedicated. A very stylish lecturer too. Now thinking back, perhaps she isn't that cold in the class after all cos she was quite good to some students, she offered to marked our essays, and asked us to SMS her after we get our results. She does cared bout us in her class.

But that's besides the point. What I really appreciate from her is that she helped me to complete my recommendation letter even in her holidays. She's also the only lecturer and teacher who offered to write on her own. I gave her a draft and she wrote it during her holidays. She also kept SMS-ing me to clarify matters. In the end, when I got the letter, WOW! It's really a kick-ass letter! She exaggerated some things without distorting its meaning, really succinct too. A letter to impress indeed.

Of course that's not all. Mrs Kiran also helped me in checking my Umich essays. It made all the difference. She pointed out the major mistakes in my essay and suggested an alternative outline I could follow. When she found that my 2nd short answer was a bit out of context she even helped me googled and printed out what she found on the net. After following her advise, I could really see the difference and the improvement in my essays quality. She also offered to help me checked for 2nd time too. On my 2nd draft, she written on it "Good job, all the best!". As usual, it's succinct, but really encouraging words!

But what I really appreciate most from her is that all of these weren't her job, but she's still willing to help me. It shows how she cared for her students.

3) The 3rd to thank is... Mattie aka Artemis fowl aka Mathias la..
You're the one who kept me on track with the application. You kept me updated on the application and gave me encouragements to complete it. You also helped me to check everything. From my translations to my recommendation letter to my essays and to my whole application set. All of them really helped.

You're really one of the genuine friends I have in Intec. Thanks for everything!

4) Well now, who's fourth on my list??
---> Sherene Ho!
Yes, I actually got a lot of help from this non-intec friend. Yes, sherene is one my secret weapons in my UMich application!! XO Haha.. I gotta admit that I actually have a lot of strategies in my UMich application. I think probably only my room mate knew all or at least most of them.

Anyway, Shen Yee, thanks a lot! You are probably the only one who have witnessed how my essays evolved; how many versions they've taken before settling down as my final product. At first when I sent my essays to you I only expected you to give me a few feedbacks. But in the end, you gave me comments that are longer than my own essay, and you even gave me an alternative version of the essay. In the subsequent versions I sent you, you also helped a lot in my structures and grammar in them. It made me realize how good your English is. Not that I don't know before this, but after you helped me, I just thought that you're really a writer. You would make a good writer or a good English teacher I think!

Also, my third essay. I think it was somehow inspired by your Nathaniel Tan's post on Puh-leez too.

5) My room mate, Seng Wui.
It's sooo great to have you admitted to UMich with me. Even though it's unlikely that we'll become room mates again cos we're taking different courses, but nevertheless I still hope we can be room mates in Umich! Haha..

Well anyway, thanks for your help! You help me in all the miscellaneous stuffs in my application. A bit here and there! It's great to apply UMich with you, you kept me on track and you made the application process less stressful and more fun.

Now, there are also others to thank (in no particular order):
-Winnie - you're the one who gave me the idea for my 1st short answer question! And that's a big help! Also thanks for glancing through one of my essays.
- Douglas How - despite all your sarcasms, you're still a supportive friend. I knew you wanted to help me but you were busy at that time and can't online. Thanks for the encouragements though.
(Well yeah.. At this point, you would probably noticed that the whole Puh-leez team had helped me in my application! Thanks! I'm proud of you guys! Really!)
-Puan Norrehan - thanks for writing my recommendation letter. You're my fav teacher in SBS! Rock on!
-My sister - thanks for the encouragements! Seriously, your encouragements helped me to hold on through the strenuous process. And thanks for the checks for my essays.
-Joshua Lim - thanks for checking my essays. The comments and compliments from you gave me bring me confidence too! I mean, compliments from Joshua Lim wo!! Wow!
-Zhao Siang - my fellow applicant! We were in this together! Thanks for going through the process with me and also helping me glance through my essays.
-Kai Boon - thanks for the resume and sample dossier you lend me. Thanks for the check for my essays too. Your comments helped!
-Philip Phang - thanks for checking my essays and giving me useful feedbacks. Your feedbacks had helped me to change my essay, the 2nd one in particular!

Well, I think that's about it. I hope I didn't leave anyone out~

The uni application experience is really valuable for me. It made me realize how lucky I am. I realized that sometimes people would actually go further than myself to help me, which makes me extra ashame of myself for being a loser at times. I realized who are my friends, who are sincere to me. Thanks again! I also learned some important lessons, such as never to do things last minute, to persevere and give it my all in doing sth, it pays.

I also really really hope Mathias and Zhao Siang can get into UMich! Their application results are still pending. The experience in UMich would be less fun and definitely different without you guys. Please, oh please get admitted!

Also, Wai Khong and Carolyn and Ooi Haw. Hope you guys get admitted too!