Critical Self-assessment 4 -- Research

In a frenetic move, initiated largely by myself and a little by chance, I lead three projects during the summer and am involved in a fourth project. Thank to an understanding of my personality type, I do not doubt any more about juggling different projects.

Right after I came back from Nanjing, I received from my mentor one paper published in Nano Letters a few days ago, reporting a method almost as same as one of my projects. Even though I know that the right sentiment is to be happy for this scientific advancement, I feel a bit defeated because I wasn't the one to achieve this.

My competitiveness at work drives me in the right direction, but in order not to be driven solely by the desire to win or the fear of defeat, I need something larger than myself, something more meaningful than personal victory. It has to be big and important enough so that I can devote my energy into it and rejoice with others to see its advancement. Alternative energy is one field that is closely related to what I am doing; others are brain imaging, personal genome, and still some others outsides science.

Critical Self-assessment 4 -- Health

For the past eight months, as my health condition becomes better and better, I participated in a series of activities in order to recover my strength and stamina. In the spring semester, I joined Grad House soccer team to compete in the intramural league; in the middle of June, I joined the Taekwondo Academy in Toronto, and I got my first color belt in July.

For me, joining the intramural soccer league is more than just playing; it is the first time since quitting soccer in my sophomore year that I am fit for playing at competitive level again. I scored one goal in our last game, and I consider it my biggest achievement during this half year. Taekwondo is a further effort to discipline myself and increase my endurance and strength. I enjoyed it a lot.

Discipline and practical knowledge of how the body and mind works helped and will continue to help me.

"A life of pleasure makes even the strongest mind frivolous at last."- Edward Bulwer-Lytton