In case anyone's wondering what I wrote for my NTU scholarship application essay, I found my draft:
“Live each day as if your life had just begun” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Having seen time took away people who were important to me, I fully understand how fragile life is, and that there is really no time to regret what has been left undone. I hold a strong belief that the main purpose in life is to experience what the world has to offer and to live every moment, and not merely exist. Being in a city where life is just a fast-paced journey to work and a faster one back home, the meaning to life has been very much diluted with its association with the monetary value of individuals, so much so that the opportunities when life offers an escapade has been overlooked.
Being an adventurous person, such opportunity chance by me in the form of sports, and I am sure to grab them whenever I can. Being a commando gave me the chance to free-fall from 1000ft without dying; diving in the open waters allowed me to swim alongside reef sharks while trying not to become their lunch; scaling mountains 4000m high rushed my adrenaline to a peak no other drugs can; and the sense of satisfaction from completing a marathon – out of the world.
Being the Vice-Captain of my school’s basketball team, my understanding of “not letting any opportunity slip by” is not just about seizing any chances that has been offered, but also to make every shot count. Living each day is not enough, live every one of them to the fullest and leave regrets to those still yet to find their purpose in life.
“Live each day as if your life had just begun… and is about to end” – Tey Shou Heng
