Interview with Mr Alami - Essay Example

As I sit in the same chair, I realize the intriguing paradox of my situation. I was the same as all the other interviewees who had been here before me; excited yet terrified but at the same time I was different- unique, as every individual is unique. The room itself had an unmistakable aura of grandeur about it. It was old but that wasn’t the only attribute, something struck me when I realized that these walls had been privy to the conversations of some of the greatest minds the world has ever seen.

‘Oh crap’ I thought, ‘I actually have to answer this question. While responding, I realized that even though this was an interview to study economics, the professors were interested to see how well I could synthesize different information from a variety of subjects. In this particular case, it was perhaps political science and later in the interview, there was a great deal of mathematics involved. Furthermore, this interview was not the usual question and answer session that I had been used to in school; it was an open-ended discussion with the experts. I disagreed with some of their opinions on several economic issues and gave some of my own. The dialogue that the interview entailed was nothing like I had previously encountered and therefore provided me with a distinct intellectual challenge.

In comparison with other experiences which have aided my intellectual development, this interview certainly holds the highest rank. My experiences at Model United Nations conferences were full of dialogue and debate regarding critical issues; the topics of discussion were provided beforehand whereas this interview truly tested my thinking skills and ability to adapt to a completely new situation. Alternatively, the training that the school’s Math team and I are currently partaking for the International Schools Mathematics Teacher’s Foundation (Hague, February 2012), has also been a challenge due to the intensity of our work and the fact that we are forced to synthesize information and topics we have previously seen in regular Math classes. Read More