<p>So, lets say your interested in whatever you are interested in. Art for example. Lets say it summer break, and you feel bored and you in home. You have two things to do.
1) Do something related to your interest . In this case, art Do something related to art. Draw, sketch, whateber type of the artist you are.
2) Play Halo 3 / *any game you are interested in</p>
<p>Which would you honestly do?</p>
<p>I had the notion that Stanford admitted people are obsessed with their interestes and would persue them at all costs.</p>
<p>No, but really, that is an unfair question. A balance is needed. And Stanford doesn't look for people so fully-absorbed in one thing they forget about living. You can't pursue something all the time, but if you're passionate about something, that means you're willing to do it on your own initiative and not at your parents' prodding and give it a substantial amount of time.</p>
<p>For example, I got tons of awards in Latin (on national level too), but I'm not taking it this year. However, I still get the urge to open up some passage/poem and try to read through it. I don't do it all the time when I have nothing to do. Sure, there are many times I'd pick up my Wii controller or go out with friends without even thinking about Latin, but that doesn't mean I am not passionate about Latin.</p>
<p>Ask yourself these questions:
1. When Roger Federer is bored, does he immediately think, "Racquet and ball machine!"?
2. What is the point of games, or even friends?
3. Are you your son or his mother?</p>
<p>Well, it's winter break, and I'm playing Halo 3 for sure. I have a stack of ITIN applications on my desk that I have to fill out/get sent off ASAP, but I think I'll let it sit there until Monday morning when I go back to work. I'll probably fill out a few things on the apps tomorrow and the day after that, but I don't do it excessively. I need sanity in my life, and for me, the only way to do that is by taking my mind off of work and focusing on something completely unrelated. It's not that I'm not passionate about my work, I just can't take it 24/7.</p>
<p>Like jenkster said, get on cc :) Depends on how I feel at that time.. If I feel like painting, I most certainly will. But that doesnt mean that whenever I get free time I only paint.... :D</p>
<p>Alright! I was just scared when I thought Stanford would admit nerds who study physics or whatever they are interested in in their free times. . .</p>
<p>^that's quite an ignorant statement. what if stanford admitted someone who played video games, or ate, or slept, or did art, or studied math in their free time? They all fall under the same category you gave. I don't see what's wrong with people doing what they want in their free time. why would you sacrifice your free time doing something you hate/don't want to do? A college has no right to tell you what to do in your free time.</p>
<p>do what you want because there's no point in spending your life doing things you hate. it is ridiculous how people shape themselves primarily for colleges.. yeah colleges are important, but there is MORE to life. persuing activites you enjoy is one of them, even if they are sleeping/eating (obviously extremes, but yeah).</p>
<p>I think Stanford - and many other collegs - <em>will</em> look favorably on people who have found a passion and immersed themselves in it. That being said, I don't think anyone expects people to be obsessed.</p>
<p>For me, my passion/grand project is my independent student newspaper. I'm not going to be crafting a printing press with my bare hands or writing full issues solo or anything over break... instead, I'm going to be doing schoolwork (30-page paper for Gov... **<em>!), going to parties, doing family/present/general Christmas stuff, and spending *some</em> time improving the newspaper's web site, finding contact information for a mysterious new administrator, setting up a meeting, etc.</p>
<p>/Some/ time. Not /all/ of my time.</p>
<p>Edit: Haha, I like how the forum filter changes "w t f" --> *** :-p</p>