Applying for Summer Internships

Applying for Summer Internships The first two weeks of last summer were rough. I found myself sitting on my couch all day, binge-watching show after show. Although I had just finished a busy first year of college, I still felt like I needed something to do. After a short while, the monotony of staying at home became unbearable, and I decided to get a job. I reached out to a professor at a local university, and worked a summer internship for the next three months. The internship was phenomenal. I learned a lot about a specific research field, developed several useful skills, and had something nice to put on my resume. I decided then that I wanted to have a similar experience this summerâ€"what better way to spend a long three months? Ive spent the past semester and winter break gathering the necessary materials for an internship and filling out applications. Although the process of doing so was tiring, I feel like Ive learned a lot and have a lot of useful tips to share. If you plan on interning somewhere in college, hopefully this post helps! Take challenging and relevant courses. College is time-consuming, but there may be semesters where you have a couple of credit hours to spare. Take full advantage of these opportunities and enroll in courses that will make you a more competitive applicant. Doing this will help you in two ways. First, pushing yourself shows employers that youre willing to go above the bare minimum. Excelling in difficult classes demonstrates that you have a great work ethic and are capable of handling challenging situations. Secondly, you might pick up a couple of useful skills. My freshman year, I took a programming course and ended up applying a lot of the things I learned in the classroom to my summer internship. Get to know your professors! Most internships will ask for letters of recommendationâ€"get them from your professors! If youre active and involved during class, your instructor is a great person to ask for a recommendation letterâ€"they know you best and can account for your academic achievements. However, dont restrict yourself to asking your professors. There are plenty of other people who can write a strong letter in support of your applications. For example, I asked my research adviser from last summerâ€"employers can make great references too, depending on the kind of internship you are applying for. Have a clear vision of why you want to work. Having the right motivation to work is extremely important. Filling up blank space on a resume is not a good reason to be an intern. When youre completing your application forms, ask yourself the following questions: why do I want this internship in particular? What skills can I gain from this experience? How will this opportunity impact my future? To me, internships are one of the most valuable learning experiences a student can get during their college career. They teach you skills that you might not learn in a classroom and force you to apply your knowledge to real-life scenarios. Even a negative experience is beneficialâ€"internships are a great way to find out if a certain career path is really for you. I hope this post was helpful, and good luck on your future applications! Franklin Class of 2022 I grew up in Hong Kong, China, and I’ve come across the world to Illinois to major in Astronomy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I’ve always thought outer space is super cool, and I love that I’m learning everything that I can about it at Illinois.

The Reality Of Planned Parenthood And Abortion - 935 Words

The Reality of Planned Parenthood and Abortion The truth is simple: We need Planned Parenthood in order to provide affordable and safe healthcare for people in the United States. Planned Parenthood had estimated that in 2013 and 2014 alone, its associates provided 865,721 Pap tests and breast exams, conducted 704,079 tests for HIV, and provided 1,440,495 emergency contraception kits. Yes, Planned Parenthood provides access to safe and legal abortion procedures, but they only account for three percent of the services the organization offers out of over five million Americans it serves. The effort of defunding Planned Parenthood due to their abortion services is absurd because those services are paid for out-of-pocket by the individual, and it takes away the many other essential services the organization has to offer. There is an inescapable myth that Planned Parenthood just does abortions. Planned Parenthood provides numerous services besides abortion, including and related to: adopt ion, birth control, body image, general healthcare, men’s sexual health, morning after pill, pregnancy, relationships, sex and sexuality, sexual orientation and gender, STD’s, women’s health, and more. Why defund an organization that gives such valuable, essential services, especially if the government does not fund abortions? They play a huge part in identifying and providing treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, help women who are pregnant and want to carry their babies to term andShow MoreRelatedA Social Problem That Is Currently Occurring Is Rather1748 Words   |  7 Pagesrather federal funding should continue to keep Planned Parenthood open. Donald Trump has recently joined other Republicans in their vow to end federal funding for Planned Parenthood, solely based on the idea that Planned Parenthood health care services provide for patients to receive an abortion. The percentage of abortions that Planned Parenthood actually does are less than 3% (Pl anned Parenthood Statistics). Taking funds away from Planned Parenthood creates a problem not only in America but internationallyRead MoreEugenics and Planned Parenthood Essay1405 Words   |  6 Pages When one contemplates the concept of eugenics, few think of modern contraception and abortion when in reality they are one in the same. The American Eugenics Society, founded in 1923, proudly proclaimed that men with incurable â€Å"conditions† should be sterilized. However these conditions were often none that could be helped, such as, one’s intelligence, race, and social class (Schweikart and Allen 529-532). The purpose of the society was to create the perfect class of men; elite in allRead MoreThe First Birth Control Pill1141 Words   |  5 Pageshelp of Planned Parenthood, the first birth control pill is developed by Gregory Pincus, John Rock, and M.C. Chang. However, in 1956 the pill underwent the first human trial. The side effects were less than sat isfactory, leading to the development of the first FDA approved oral contraceptive in 1960. By 1965, through the approval for married couples, by the U.S. Supreme Court, to use birth control, one in four women under the age of 45 had used the pill. In 1967 New York State legalized abortion, makingRead MoreAbortion And Abortion1002 Words   |  5 PagesEven though religion has been used to make abortion an issue of morality, which fundamentally it is, we have to keep in mind how central the topic of abortion has been to the political atmosphere throughout the United States and more so, in Capitol Hill. The Republican’s counterpart, Democrats have accepted importance abortion has across party lines, as highlighted by Politico : â€Å"the politics of abortion are already vexing vulnerable senators from both parties on the 2018 ballot† (Schor 2017). MoreRead MorePropaganda Is A Form Of Communication1345 Words   |  6 Pagesmost controversial programs on air to date, has pushed some of its viewer’s buttons during its winter finale. During its winter finale, which aired on November 19th, 2015, the producers decided to focus on abortion politics. The entire episode was basically a free publicity for Planned Parenthood (PP), which at the time was fighting with Congress over funding. The audience witnessed the former First Lady and current Senator of Virginia, Mellie Grant, perform a filibuster. A filibuster is â€Å"a delayingRead MorePlanned Parenthood : A Funded Program1712 Words   |  7 PagesPlanned Parenthood Federation of America has been a governmentally funded program in the United States of America since 1970 despite countless efforts nationwide to defund the organization. Founded by Martha Sanger and Ethel Byrne, Planned Parenthood (PPFA) is a nonprofit organization which provides reproductive health services in Africa as well as North, Central and South America. Over 650 clinics across the nation provide a collective four million medical visits annually.10 PPFA, one of the largestRead MoreGovernment Funding Of Planned Parenthood Essay2104 Words   |  9 PagesAlexis McCarty Ms. Fehr Essay 3 4 April 2016 Government Funding of Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood is an organization that provides healthcare and education to both men and women, having over 650 health centers that provide healthcare to countless communities around the world. Shockingly, 78% of those who use Planned Parenthoods services live at or below 150% of the federal poverty line, showing how important this organization is to low-income families (Topulos, Greene, Drazen). Their missionRead MoreAnalysis Of Marilyn Fryes Theory Of Oppression1689 Words   |  7 Pagessimilar services provided are services which really are needed by people who are for one reason or another incapacitated – unwell, burdened with parcels, etc. So the message is that women are incapable. The detachment of the acts from the concrete realities of what women need and do not need is a vehicle for the message that women’s actual needs and interests are unimportant or irrelevant† (13). What Frye seems to be claiming is that when a man goes out of his way to perform such a simple task, he takesRead More Teens, Sex, and Virginity - Teenagers and the Importance of Abstinence1213 Words   |  5 Pageslikely to contract sexually transmitted diseases, and they will be safe from unwanted pregnancies that could lead to abortions. Three million people under the age of 20 in the United States become infected with a sexually transmitted disease each year. With 66 percent of high school students having had intercourse by graduation, these numbers are not surprising (Planned Parenthood-Helping Young). The effects of sexually transmitted diseases can be devastating. Once a person contracts herpesRead MorePro Life Or Pro Choice1524 Words   |  7 PagesPro-Life or Pro-choice is the highly debatable question that is discussed when the topic of abortion is brought up. Abortion is one of many controversial topics in America. Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines abortion as; â€Å"the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus: as a: spontaneous expulsion of a human fetus during the first 12 weeks of gestation b: induced expulsion

All Quiet On The Western Front - 1446 Words

All Quiet on the Western Front: The Innocence of Youth In All Quiet on the Western Front, the main character is a nineteen year-old, who tells his perspective of the war. Throughout the story, he talks about his recent class-mates and how they enlist in the war with him, and how he and his friends experience the war. In the story, it talks about the innocence that is taken away from the soldiers like Paul and his friends. The story is set in Germany during the First World War. Numerous events took place during this bloody war including the deaths of millions and the youth taken away from the young men that enlisted in the war. In this war, Paul, along with his friends, experience these things during the war: their innocence that was taken†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Kantorek had been our schoolmaster, a stern little man in a grey tail-coat, with a fact like a shrew mouse.† (10) Paul’s old schoolmaster was a depiction of his recent youth and is one of the last re al â€Å"youth-ism† that he will possess throughout the rest of his life. The quote is important to point out because the author (or in this case Paul) wants to address his teacher from his youth, and what’s left of it. Now because of the war, his youth is gone. â€Å"We had no definite plans for our futures. Our thoughts of a career and occupation were as yet too unpractical a character to furnish any scheme of life.† (21) At this point, Paul is so confident that his youth is taken away from him he begins to think about his future in the war. Since Paul and his friends lost their youth during the war, even their futures’ were taken away from them in a way, not knowing how to maintain life after the war or even if they get out of the war. Over all, Paul in the story talked about his youth being taken away from him and how his generation will be stripped from their youth. Every soldier’s youth was taken from them, whether or not they even survived t he war; the soldier’s also experienced the un-awareness of the consent in the war. The young men that enlisted in the war were not blamed for the war, but yet they have no say in the war so they are fighting by orders and not themselves. â€Å"A man with a small pointed

A Synopis of The Tell-Tale Heart Free Essays

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† takes place in the protagonist’s house. It is told through a first-person narration given by the protagonist. It is unclear where the protagonist is or who the person being spoken to at the beginning of the story is. We will write a custom essay sample on A Synopis of The Tell-Tale Heart or any similar topic only for you Order Now The protagonist’s sex isn’t specified but for ease of discussion â€Å"he† will be used to refer to the same. There were only two occupants of the house wherein the story unfolds: the protagonist and an old man. The relationship between them is not clearly established but it is clear that the protagonist is irked by the old man. The latter’s most distinctive characteristic is his blue vulture-like eye.   There are few other characters introduced in the story: a neighbor who calls the police complaining of noises from within the house and policemen who investigate the said complaint. The story is moved by the protagonist’s obsessive desire to murder the old man because of his frustration with the old man’s eye. He attempts to commit the deed several times but is disappointed. On the eighth attempt he enters the old man’s room again and this time the   latter awakens and sits up. The light from the protagonist’s lamp hits the blue eye. He imagines that he hears the old man’s heart beating louder and smothers the old man to death. He chops the body to pieces and buries the pieces under the floorboards to hide his crime. However, when the policemen come to investigate the scream heard by the neighbor he imagines that he still hears the beating heart from underneath the floorboards. Fearing that the policemen hear the beating as well, he confesses to his crime and begs them to unfasten the boards and dig up the body. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. The Complete Illustrated Stories and Poems. UK: Bounty Books, 1994. How to cite A Synopis of The Tell-Tale Heart, Papers

A Synopis of The Tell-Tale Heart Free Essays

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† takes place in the protagonist’s house. It is told through a first-person narration given by the protagonist. It is unclear where the protagonist is or who the person being spoken to at the beginning of the story is. We will write a custom essay sample on A Synopis of The Tell-Tale Heart or any similar topic only for you Order Now The protagonist’s sex isn’t specified but for ease of discussion â€Å"he† will be used to refer to the same. There were only two occupants of the house wherein the story unfolds: the protagonist and an old man. The relationship between them is not clearly established but it is clear that the protagonist is irked by the old man. The latter’s most distinctive characteristic is his blue vulture-like eye.   There are few other characters introduced in the story: a neighbor who calls the police complaining of noises from within the house and policemen who investigate the said complaint. The story is moved by the protagonist’s obsessive desire to murder the old man because of his frustration with the old man’s eye. He attempts to commit the deed several times but is disappointed. On the eighth attempt he enters the old man’s room again and this time the   latter awakens and sits up. The light from the protagonist’s lamp hits the blue eye. He imagines that he hears the old man’s heart beating louder and smothers the old man to death. He chops the body to pieces and buries the pieces under the floorboards to hide his crime. However, when the policemen come to investigate the scream heard by the neighbor he imagines that he still hears the beating heart from underneath the floorboards. Fearing that the policemen hear the beating as well, he confesses to his crime and begs them to unfasten the boards and dig up the body. Works Cited Poe, Edgar Allan. The Complete Illustrated Stories and Poems. UK: Bounty Books, 1994. How to cite A Synopis of The Tell-Tale Heart, Papers

Russia’s Nuclear Weapons Policies, Arsenal and Problems Essay Example

Russia’s Nuclear Weapons Policies, Arsenal and Problems Essay The end of the Cold War signaled conclusion of the nuclear rivalry between the then two superpowers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union. This was a propitious event for global security. Many predicted this to be the end of history. While there was relative peace for a decade or so, there has been unending debate over recession of the threat of nuclear war. While commonly the United States and the Western Allies have been regarded as more responsible possessors of nuclear weapons, unfolding of Russian nuclear doctrine and policy provides greater confidence in exercise of responsibility by Moscow. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the successor state the Russian Federation with little choice but to follow Soviet-era policy in relation to nuclear weapons, but thought was given to revising strategies to meet the new and emerging threats. Basically this meant pursuing deterrence strategy as a means of maintaining international order. This is important for both i nternal and external policy of the Russian Federation. Nuclear weapons give Russia the status it needs to be called a great power and for the Government of the day a sense of keeping a national security asset as an important goal post. A detailed analysis of Russian nuclear policy in the light of past experience, change of leadership in Russia post Cold War, current and possible future policy directions is thus essential.History of Nuclear Weapons PolicyAt the end of the Second World War, the US was the only nation in the world possessing nuclear weapons and they thought it could offset the superiority Soviet forces had in Europe. The US also thought the atomic bomb could be used as a political pressure point against Joseph Stalin to gain concessions in negotiations in the aftermath of the Second World War. But in August 1949 the Soviet Union detonated an atomic bomb, thus bringing to fore the philosophy of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). This was the main theory underlying the two superpowers quest to develop new nuclear weapons and delivery systems during the cold war. While the Soviet Union had the bomb it did not have the capability like the US to deliver these weapons to the chosen target. First aircraft and then intercontinental ballistic missiles became the chosen systems of delivery of nuclear weapons.Given the state of relations between the US and the USSR at the end of the war, it was natural that latter decided to develop nuclear weapons and delivery systems to match that of the US. Of course, the Soviets lagged behind in technology and therefore could never really catch up. But for them the employment of nuclear weapons was for deterrence purposes. And this meant keeping forces ready for massive retaliation, should the US or its allies launch a first strike on Soviet soil.Cold War DimensionsDuring the Cold War the main aim of possessing nuclear weapons was to deter a nuclear or massive conventional attack from the enemy from the other end of th e East-West divide. Throughout the Cold War, the main aim of the US was to contain the spread of communism. This was done at various levels military, political, economic and ideological. When Stalin died in 1953, there appeared to be a chance that a cooling down of tempers would take place, but tensions increased again when Nikita Krushchev was removed from power. Through the Cold War, the US assumed that it had nuclear superiority. But this failed to prevent the Soviet Union from indulging in nuclear brinkmanship during the Berlin crisis in 1961 and in Cuba in 1962.In 1962 when the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted, both the US and USSR came to realize for the first time what dangers pre-emption could lead to. The Soviet Union had installed medium-range nuclear missiles in Cuba, following which the US President John F. Kennedy imposed a naval blockade. After a period of tension, the Soviets backed down and removed the missiles. What this cold war experience brought home to both the supe rpowers was the risks involved in playing one-upmanship with nuclear weapons.The collapse of the USSR in 1991 ended the Cold War. This reduced tensions between the two superpowers. But both countries still had a large nuclear arsenal in their possession. Additionally, with the end of the Cold War, the US became more concerned with the development of nuclear weapons by nations other than the former Soviet Union.Post-Cold War SituationAs a result of the political and financial fall out of the collapse of the USSR, the armed forces and in particular the nuclear forces in the Russian Federation suffered greatly.   The armed forces were downsized three times their original size in the 1990s. So was Russia’s nuclear arsenal. This was because Moscow just did not have the resources to maintain a nuclear force of ten thousand warheads and about twenty thousand tactical nuclear weapons. There was another issue of concern; this was the risk of continuing to stockpiling nuclear artille ry projectiles which were likely to prove dangerous to maintain and prove to be hazardous to Russias own troops, if accidental detonations occurred.The phased reductions in the Soviet nuclear arsenal in the early 1990s also coincided with the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Republics to the territory of the Russian Federation. This process was accelerated by the collapse of the Warsaw Pact in July 1991 and nuclear weapons from Central and Eastern Europe were moved to Russia.Changes in policies from Yeltsin to PutinThere is no doubt that despite the collapse of the USSR as a superpower, the Russian Federation still holds nuclear weapons in high esteem. In fact, nuclear weapons are still a major politico-psychological symbol of great power status for Russia. That is why it is often seen that Russian leaders repeatedly remind the international community, and in particular the US, that Russia is still a nuclear power. This gives both a feeling of Russia’s str ategic independence from the US and the domestic leadership is assured of a sense of importance in being able to have control over the nuclear button.The first post-1991 change in nuclear policy was introduced in the doctrine of 1993, which allowed the â€Å"first use† of nuclear weapons by Russia. Till then, official policy, allowed the use of nuclear weapons only in response to a nuclear attack.As a result of the post-collapse phase the Russian government adopted a series of measures in relation to nuclear weapons, including reductions in the size of strategic nuclear forces. But the basic premise that the sole purpose of possessing nuclear weapons was to deter a large-scale attack did not change. President Boris Yeltsin signed two major policy documents, one in 1997 and the second in 1998, both of which provided for drastic cuts in the nuclear arsenal. This aimed at getting rid of nuclear tipped missiles’ as their planned service life expired and modernization progr ams were curtailed to suit the reductions in the armed forces. But the theoretical debate within the Russian military, about the enlargement of NATO had consequences as it once again brought back to centre stage the role of nuclear weapons and created the ground for demonstrations of usage of nuclear weapons in a much broader range of threat scenarios.Two important documents provide analysts with the framework to understand the global implications of Russia’s nuclear weapons doctrine. The first one is the one titled, â€Å"Main Provisions of the Military Doctrine†, which Boris Yeltsin approved in November 1993. Then in 2000, Vladimir Putin approved another Military Doctrine.In the Yeltsin document the role of nuclear weapons was defined as â€Å"the removal of the danger of a nuclear war by means of deterring [other states] from unleashing an aggression against the Russian Federation and its allies† But keeping in mind the changes that had occurred in the post C old War war fighting scenarios, the doctrine, warned that even a limited war could become a global war. It also noted that even the limited use of nuclear weapons, say the use of tactical nuclear weapons, risked the outbreak of an all-out, nuclear war. The 1993 document did not spell out the right of â€Å"first use.† In fact there was no mention at all of the Cold War theory of ‘No-First-Use’ (Fedorov, 2002).The military doctrine of 2000 took the position that nuclear weapons were to be used for deterrence and not for aggression. The right to use nuclear weapons was reserved for retaliation against both conventional as well as nuclear aggression. Several things can be adduced from the 2000 document. (Fedorov, 2002). First, it has a clear geo-political message, implying a broader political role for Russia’s nuclear weapons. Second, Russia spelled out its willingness to use nuclear weapons first in response to a conventional attack.Additionally, like in the case of the US, Russia expressed a willingness to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of other Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).   What the Putin document sought to really do was to broaden the conflict spectrum in which nuclear weapons could be used. Armed conflict, intra-state or inter-state; local or limited wars; regional conflicts; and global wars – all these are situations in which the use of nuclear weapons is envisaged.Nuclear weapons are associated with the last two postulates, but the threat of using them in the Russian context is also supposed to be prevalent to ensure that one type of war does not escalate to another. President Boris Yeltsin for example, explicitly referred to nuclear weapons during an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in late 1999, to suggest that external forces should not get involved in the second war in Chechnya.Current and Future ProspectsThe 2003 â€Å"White Paper† of the Russian Federation postulates two missions for nuclear weapons: deterrence of an attack against Russia and de-escalation of a conflict in case deterrence fails. In contrast to the earlier document, the new guidance elaborates on these missions in considerable detail. (Sokov, 2004)Given the experience of the Cold War, and post-1991 situation, the Russian Federation’s attitude towards the US, remains highly emotive. There are also complex interplays of geo-politics and domestic considerations, which govern Russian nuclear weapons policy in its relations with the US. The 2003 White Paper calls for a partnership with the US a â€Å"part of the solution† to the security problems afflicting the world. But at the same time it is argued that Russia (read its nuclear forces) are the only thing preventing the final destruction of international order as it currently stands. In fact the White Paper states that only the Russian armed forces can ensure global stability. (Sokov, 2004)What emerges from a study of the 2003 White Paper is that Russia wants to ensure that no force pressure and aggression is attempted against it or its allies. And, in case aggression of some sort does takes place, the new doctrine guarantees the defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and other vital national interests of Russia. The 2003 White Paper gives an indication of how Russia will react to shifts in US nuclear weapons policy. It was projected by the White Paper that by 2007-2008, Russian Strategic Forces would consist of ten missile divisions. The 2003 document and subsequent remarks by Russian leaders provide an indication that Russia intends to keep its options open in preparing plans for the future of its nuclear triad.Another issue which will shape Russian nuclear policy in the years ahead is the ballistic missile shield planned by the United States in the close proximity of Russia in Czech Republic and other areas. The contours of this are not yet very clear, hence these cannot be c overed herein. However the debate has to be followed to enable understanding nuances of change that may ensue in Russian nuclear doctrine.ConclusionThe core of Russian nuclear weapons policy, i.e., nuclear deterrence, remains very much in place. It also determines the nature and state of Russia’s relations with the US, giving Moscow a measure of self-confidence. Nuclear weapons also remain underlying element of relations with China. Clearly, given past experience it is clear that Russia will determine the future shape of its nuclear policy depending on the developments that the US makes in developing more â€Å"usable† nuclear weapons. At the end of 2005, Russia still had around 7,200 active nuclear warheads and an estimated 8,800 inactive nuclear warheads. The state of the strategic forces that maintain these and are responsible for their delivery in case of a conflict is open to question. Additionally, issues of safety and security of these weapons, the nuclear weapo ns facilities and delivery systems continue to dog Russia. Still the very presence of these numbers of weapons on Russian soil sends a signal across the world.While international terrorism and non-proliferation are viewed as being important threats to Russia’s national security, the military in the Russian Federation still views US military capability as a threat and plans for it. This indicates a continuing vulnerability within the Russian establishment about its own capabilities. And that is why nuclear weapons are still on top the security agenda. In the second nuclear age, new uncertainties are emerging which will challenge the ingenuity of the Russian state as it attempts to handle the nuclear genie in all its manifestations.;

J.D. Salinger essays

J.D. Salinger essays Jerome David Salinger was born at NY Nursery and Childs Hospital in 1919. His fathers name was Sol and his mothers name was Miriam. He also has an older sister whose name is Doris. His father was Jewish and his mother was Irish Catholic. Being half Jewish was a conflict for J.D. J.D. had a very distant relationship with his father, who worked for a meat and cheese business. He was sent to Poland as a child to see that end of the meat business. He was so disgusted by the slaughterhouses that he decided to take a different career path, rather than inherit the family business like his father wanted him to do. This also led to him becoming a vegetarian. Another reason he and his father had a bad relationship was because his father was Jewish and J.D. didnt want to be classified as a Jew because people were openly racist against Jews in the 30s and 40s. He and his fathers relationship got so bad that he didnt bother attending his funeral. J.D. grew up in Manhattan. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy, which is in Pennsylvania. He got sent to military school for flunking out of two private schools. His mother took him to the entrance interview and he was accepted two days later. He was the manager of the fencing team. He succeeded in military school and enjoyed it. His enjoyment of military school soon ended when World War II began. In World War II, J.D. would see on average 50 of his fellow soldiers die in a day. He said sometimes he would see as many as 200 of them die. For the first couple weeks of the war, 75% of the soldiers in his unit died, and that percentage eventually grew to 125%. After graduating from the military academy, Salinger went to NYU briefly. He later left because he did not apply himself. He then went to Ursinus College. He said he enjoyed it because it wasnt an Ivy League school. His friends say that he was a loner and ...