On Saturday I went to the Maker Faire. It was my first time and it was a total blast. For those of you who haven’t heard of the Maker Faire it’s a massive tech/art/craft fair held every year in the SF/ Bay Area. It attracts anyone who likes to make anything — literally anything. For example, I met a father and son team who built a firefighting robot. I saw an artist who built a flame throwing firetruck. (They should have put those two exhibits next to each other!) And, of course, what self-respecting tech-type fair would be complete without the hobbyist who built a 100% accurate replica of R2D2. I actually got my picture taken with R2. Okay, so I’m a geek…
But what makes the Maker Faire so fascinating and energizing (and it’s hard not to come away with a strong desire to go home and make something) is not the technology or projects, but the passion of the makers themselves.
How can you not admire the guy who painstakingly built a computer-controlled slot car that zips along a track at just the right speed to win every race? Who cares whether or not you like or even know what a slot car is. It’s the passion of the people that draws you in. It’s their enthusiasm that’s contagious and infuses the entire crowd with excitement.
It’s this same passion that will get you into a top college. Passion is probably the single most important and powerful trait you can have in an application. And here’s the secret: it doesn’t matter what that passion is about! It could be for something traditional such as math or something totally out of left field such as macrame.
And here’s another secret: It can’t be fake. If there is one thing that was clear at the Maker Faire, every exhibitor was truly passionate about their subject. You don’t spend years transforming a 40-foot school bus into a bio-diesel mobile home for profit! True passion is about something you really care about — which all begins with the first secret of finding something your truly care about. Don’t worry about how colleges will view it. If you can show passion the college will know it and they’ll want you on their campus. Guaranteed!
And if you feel like you need a shot of inspiration to help you discover your passion, get your tickets for next year’s Maker Faire. I guarantee you won’t be able to leave without a new appreciation for the power of passion.
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