Statement Of Purpose!
Since its the SOP season I thought I shall enjoy it to my fullest! For all the helpless souls who are unaware about what an "SOP" is let me bring you to light. Technically, engineering students making a Statement about why they should be a part of the University and writing things they have done, have not done and also things they will never do, all under the first category and submitting it to universities in USA are called SOPs i.e. Statement Of Purpose! Okay sorry about the awfully long sentence, just that I was too excited!
Somehow the word SOP has become a synonym to the word "desparation" in my mind! In the last couple of weeks I have read through a bunch of SOP's myself. I am listing out the only thing I could capture from what I read.
I know I am not an expert to be saying all this but what the hell I want to say it anyway!!( Alright I am just trying to be nice, I have no regrets writing whatever is lined up here before you!!)
Some SOP's show a lot of passion..so much of it that it sounds obviously fake! The passion of the student seems to be oozing out of every curve in every alphabet! The abundance of motivation portrayed only makes you want to say " Why do you even want an admission to my University, write a book instead, it'll be a bestseller!!" Excess is never attractive..phew! only if more people would understand that!
The next category of SOPs are the one's that have no determination at all!! Reminds me of the extreme poverty and extreme wealth in India. "Requirement to bridge the gap" seems to creep in everywhere!!! Sad, dull, dry and ineffective!! yawnnnn!!! Reading them is like being sentenced for something as grave as running your car over some urchin!
The common characteristics in all SOPs is the English used to write them. Most, I am doubtful, use English! "English is a very phunny language"..oh its not unless you are bent to make it one! The SOPs either sound like an exercise of " use one word for the following phrases" or they narrate stories of how the prince saved the princess from the cruel clutches of the monster!!(even that would be interesting!!). The conversions from the so called "mother tounge" to English is just too obvious at times is'nt it?
Lastly ofcourse comes the "feel" of an SOP!! The most sentimental piece of work that has to be written is an SOP!!! A touchy, passionate, supersenti, almost in the lines of Ekta Kapoor soaps..that is what is needed..or is it??
Somehow the word SOP has become a synonym to the word "desparation" in my mind! In the last couple of weeks I have read through a bunch of SOP's myself. I am listing out the only thing I could capture from what I read.
I know I am not an expert to be saying all this but what the hell I want to say it anyway!!( Alright I am just trying to be nice, I have no regrets writing whatever is lined up here before you!!)
Some SOP's show a lot of passion..so much of it that it sounds obviously fake! The passion of the student seems to be oozing out of every curve in every alphabet! The abundance of motivation portrayed only makes you want to say " Why do you even want an admission to my University, write a book instead, it'll be a bestseller!!" Excess is never attractive..phew! only if more people would understand that!
The next category of SOPs are the one's that have no determination at all!! Reminds me of the extreme poverty and extreme wealth in India. "Requirement to bridge the gap" seems to creep in everywhere!!! Sad, dull, dry and ineffective!! yawnnnn!!! Reading them is like being sentenced for something as grave as running your car over some urchin!
The common characteristics in all SOPs is the English used to write them. Most, I am doubtful, use English! "English is a very phunny language"..oh its not unless you are bent to make it one! The SOPs either sound like an exercise of " use one word for the following phrases" or they narrate stories of how the prince saved the princess from the cruel clutches of the monster!!(even that would be interesting!!). The conversions from the so called "mother tounge" to English is just too obvious at times is'nt it?
Lastly ofcourse comes the "feel" of an SOP!! The most sentimental piece of work that has to be written is an SOP!!! A touchy, passionate, supersenti, almost in the lines of Ekta Kapoor soaps..that is what is needed..or is it??
posted by Meghna Bhujwala at 8:15 AM
1 Comments:
Statement of Purpose
Iv had endless lecture sessions wid my friends about how the bullshit they have written is not what the univ wants to know about them.Flowery language is somthing anybody can do but what is it that set u apart?
And moreover at most times i doubt the real motivation behind the person's puirsuing the MS(or MBA for that matter)degree.Is it something they really want to do?Something they hav always dreamt about(as the SOPs suggest)?Most people,i beleive,do an MS just as a means to go to the US whr they'l earn more money.
I strongly beleive in chasing my dreams and encourage others to do the same.I beleive these people who chase the $ forget what it is that really makes them happy and end up in jobs they dont enjoy for upto 40 years of their life,when they couldv been much happier though maybe a little less well off(which i dont think wudv been the case).You have just one life,live every moment doing what makes YOU(not ur frnds,not ur parents) happy.
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