MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY

My name is Matthew Christopher Laurens, and I was born on December 25, 2006, in West
Jakarta, Indonesia. I am the youngest in my family and have two older sisters. My father's name
is John Laurens; he is from Jakarta and currently holds the position of a branch manager at
Toyota. My mother's name is Linda Teguh; she is a housewife who also simultaneously runs a
business in the food industry, specializing in steamed buns. One of my sisters is engaged in the
culinary world; she established her own pastry business, specializing in glaze cakes. On the
other hand, my other sister is still pursuing her education, majoring in Design Communication.

I attended IPEKA Tomang from kindergarten through my secondary education, and I'm now just
a few months away from high school graduation. Kindergarten was a time of reading books and
cheerful activities for me. As a child, I always enjoyed engaging in fun activities. In elementary
school, I began to explore a wider variety of interests, particularly in languages and playing
games, especially puzzle games. While I cherished playing with my friends, most of my free
time was dedicated to studying due to limited chances to socialize outside of school.

In junior high school, I discovered a passion for playing basketball and joined an extracurricular
basketball class, even though I didn't make it to the school's basketball team. During this period,
my interests were primarily focused on math and language-related subjects, though I didn't
particularly dislike other subjects. In my senior year of high school, I began to develop a deeper
understanding of the importance of my studies. I took school more seriously, particularly
focusing on improving my proficiency in Mandarin and English and dedicating more attention to
mathematics. However, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that I spent most of my senior year
online.

During my school years, I actively participated in various English-related competitions organized

by my courses and received trophies in both math and English. My keen interest in languages,
especially English and Mandarin, developed over six years of study. I believe that being
proficient in multiple languages will be crucial for accessing a wide range of job opportunities
and effective communication with people from around the world.

Aside from languages, I also have a passion for math. When I was younger, I didn't find math
particularly interesting, especially problem solving and tasks involving counting. However, my
appreciation for math has grown over time, and I've decided to dedicate myself to studying it
seriously, understanding its significance for my future.

In my 11th-grade year in senior high school, I began to take my studies more seriously. I
focused on improving my language and math skills through online resources and also started
learning some programming. Learning a lot of things at once was challenging, but I tried to take
things step by step. Even when I encountered difficulties and received low test scores at times, I
always strove to analyze my mistakes and make improvements for the future.
Languages became a significant focus of my studies, especially in my final year of high school,
the 12th grade. I spent a lot of time learning languages on my own and genuinely enjoyed it. It
transformed from being a requirement into something I loved. I became certain that focusing on
languages was the right path for me. I was enthusiastic about improving through conversations
with people and watching shows in Mandarin and English. During the same period, my interest
in computers began. It all started when I watched a YouTube video about software
programming, and I was fascinated by how things worked, from code to functioning programs
that people could use. This newfound interest led me to study more about computers, and I
even asked my parents to buy me one to learn more.

It was then that I started taking programming lessons from YouTube. I began with C++ and
gained some basic programming knowledge from YouTube and friends. Later, I shifted to
Python, known for being a solid foundation for programming in the long run, and I learned some
during that time. Despite a busy schedule, I didn't have much time to delve deeply into it, but I
always tried my best to manage my time and usually took lessons during holidays or in my
leisure time.

As I progressed in my academic journey, my certainty in choosing computer science as my

major grew stronger. I firmly believe that possessing proficiency in both language and computer
science will significantly broaden my career prospects, especially when pursuing computer
science as my major. I believe that immersing myself in computer science not only equips me
with valuable skills to create applications and programs but also allows me to collaborate with
individuals from around the world, forging something entirely new.

This realization led me to discover NTHU (National Tsing Hua University), which I believe is an
excellent institution to further develop my computer science and language skills. I see NTHU as
providing the ideal environment to study computer science and gain the knowledge I need. The
prospect of becoming part of this distinguished university is exhilarating, and I am confident that
I can contribute my language and computer skills to aid in the university's growth.

The opportunity to be a part of NTHU would not only facilitate my personal growth and enhance
my proficiency in both computer science and language but also serve as a global platform for
connecting with people from around the world, enriching my relationships and expanding my
horizons. Throughout this educational journey, my goal is to absorb knowledge, cultivate
invaluable skills that encompass both computers and languages, and employ them to forge a
rewarding career in my chosen field. Upon graduating from NTHU, I am resolute in utilizing the
knowledge I have acquired to embark on a rewarding career in computer science. My aspiration
is to leverage the expertise and skills obtained from NTHU to collaborate with other
professionals in advancing technology and contributing to progress in the field.