You got it, Teddy!

For the first time I am sitting in my room at my new desk looking out the window and watching the snow fall. I am out of coffee, milk and food. I am hungry. The snow right outside the window blows to the right, further out it blows to the left. My car looks like a frosted miniwheat.

From 10am to midnight yesterday I wrote my personal statement for grad school. And now that I read it over I can see that it is crap--amateur prose that sounds like I am trying to impress someone. Maybe that is what it is supposed to sound like? Maybe the selection committee knows what they are looking for. Either way another round of revision is necessary. And then I move from the personal statement to the statement of purpose. Which is kinda the same thing but with a focus on academics. I don't know what that means. I can't spend too much time on this because I have to modify it to fit each of my choices when I apply, and I haven't applied anywhere yet. As soon as I get this stupid essay done I can start applying. And then I will be free of huge responsibilities for a few months.

In my mind I thought of myself as a strong applicant, but as I write down what I have done I see that I am not, that the University of Michigan will be receiving 800 other personal statements and choosing like 10 people. Maybe my writing samples will wow them. Confidence is not high and I'm hungry. But Teddy Roosevelt said, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."