Lindsay Lewis

These days, I am working as an MBA consultant for an international firm, and assisting my students with their Ivy league applications. The easiest advice I can give you, for both types of essays, is that the questions are hidden interview questions assertaining your character. If the question asks about a difficult situation, it is a stress test question. Those that probe your reading list are looking for a deep thinking, thoughtful and well rounded person. If your reading list is typical and uninspiring, most likely you are also a bit dull. When you read your own material, ask yourself  if you would like to meet you, after reading your essay. What kind of character traits do you have? Are you dynamic, and interesting? How have you developed your leadership skills and abilities? Be sure to address the topic and keep your points clear and strong. Good luck!

For those of you who are not familiar with Camus, L’Etranger or “The Outsider” is an incredible story- unfortunately, I have never read it in English until now, and much of it’s luminescence is lost in the translation. While English is my first language, it’s a bit dry and lackluster. Reading this novel in French practically gave me a blinding headache with his descriptions of the glaring sun hitting the sand. Camus draws our attention to the way society treats and judges a person who is honest: Mersault is a man who is indifferent to many of the trappings of life. One job is as good as another and he is content to life his life without much gut wrenching analysis. In the end, his failure to overtly grieve his mother’s death or obsequiously acquiese to others’ demands that he recapitulate his tale and convert to Christianity cost him his life. It’s a must read.

The title itself is fascinating- Stranger has connotations of one who is odd, but the word outsider suggests that he is a social misfit.

Markus Zusak’s novel THE BOOK THIEF is beyond captivating; it’s spellbinding. I can’t remember my eyes hurting so much from reading. One of my students loaned it to me, and I am delighted. I am only on page 116, but the story is narrated from the grim reaper’s point of view- a rather benevolent reaper I might add, and describes the events of Hitler’s reign of horror in Nazi Germany… another must read! Thanks Sun Min for the recommendation!

Do you ever watch the words in your mind, or coming out of your mouth? I encourage everyone to cultivate the seed of language awareness. Can you clean up your language or improve your vocabulary? Are you articulate? What is the nature of your thinking? Can you catch yourself in the act? So much of what circulates in our minds is junk- negative self talk. Just observe, and then shift the wording. Do you “should” yourself or say negative comments. Be at least as kind to yourself as to others (assuming you are not a malicious person.)

A few years ago, a friend gave me a piece of pizza which she had made that had raw goat’s cheese on it. I like feta, but hate stinky barnyard smelly goat cheese. I spat the pizza out immediately and heard my guides saying, “Wow, you sure got rid of that food quickly. Why don’t you monitor your stinky thoughts like that?” I laughed outloud and still vividly recall that incident.

I wholeheartedly agree with the message I received… it all begins with the words.

Students really suffer with S.A.T topics, and need to loosen their brain freeze condition.

The most important aspect of writing is paraphrasing the topic. Instead of choosing a dull analysis, think about the grey area. Topics are usually about individuality vs conformity, or imply a “to what extent” should we value education. Good essays address the subtle gains and losses of a given topic. What is the purpose of education? Is it merely to make students conform to ideologies? How does a Korean education system differ from Canadian education? Should students merely memorize facts, or should students learn how to think independently?

I find that posing the question “To what extent”… can help students understand essay topics. For example, the topic “Does praise increase one’s esteem” could be paraphrased by addressing the positive and negative aspects of praise. When is praise merely empty and when is it deserved? Have we created a society of undeserving, spoiled children by overpraising them? Is praise merely doled out in words, or does society condone spoiling people with cars and possessions as a reward for merely going to school? Hmmm….

I recently discovered a story by the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz entitled ”Half a Day” in which the protagonist is both a child, adult and old man, revisiting his life. His writing style has a touch of magic realism.  I was horrified to have missed reading this genius’s literature, and discovered that he won the Nobel Prize years ago. I have just finished reading “The Mirage” and “The Seventh Heaven” , a collection of supernatural stories. I can honestly say the only time I was unable to comprehend one of the stories in his collection, which is a first for me. I highly recommend his work-it’s a satisfying read.

For work, I’m reading “tuesdays with Morrie”  (yes, the t is not capitalized in the title) about a man suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease. The former professor decides to have a living funeral, and discusses life’s most important lessons with Morrie, a former pupil. It was on the New York Times best seller list for over a year. It’s poignant and a must read.

I believe the greatest struggle my students are having is with learning vocabulary. Unfortunately, S.A.T tests do not reflect the way in which our brains are wired-that is to aquire words in clusters of related meaning.

Memorizing a hundred unrelated words is a waste of time. Focus on lists of synonyms to nail them to your brain! For example learn the words supercilious, haughty and disdainful and make a mind map, or chart of related words. Using a picture enables your brain to use both hemispheres and  increases the chance of remembering a hundred fold. READING is critical (no pun intended)!  Read classics like Frankenstein, rife with words from the Romantic Era (countenance, and visage, both of French origin) in addition to modern writers like Jane Urqhart. Good luck! By the way, countenance means “face” or its expression, as does visage.