ESSAYS
Please answer the following set of questions, limiting your response to 250 words per question.
1. Choose one of the activities you listed on Part C and describe your participation in depth. What difference has it made in your life and in the lives of others?
One of my favorite activities is teaching ESL at Chinese School to the elderly. I believe that my class has led the students into a little more happiness and confidence. The elderly are here to look after their newborn grandchildren, although some have brought their children here to live the American Dream. But taking care of children isn’t easy, especially for those who can barely walk, and the so called “American Dream” can rarely be attained without struggle. In ESL class, students feel more comfortable—they can see a familiar face and identify with each other after a hard week of work. I keep my classes fun and relaxing, but also educational, so that the students don’t have to sacrifice anything else other than a little willpower to learn. These immigrants have also been led into freedom, because now they can ride public transportation with more ease and communicate with others. A few weeks ago, a student who had just returned from China proudly said that he was able to fill out a customs form that was written in English, and another said that he was able to ask a salesman questions in correct grammar. I felt so happy for them! However, I have also benefited from this experience. My Chinese has improved, and I now have a deeper appreciation for Chinese culture. I have also learned to be patient, and most importantly, respect the elderly—their knowledge is far greater than mine in many ways.
2. In the 21st Century, the United States is home to many different types of family structures. Please describe your immediate family, noting its unique or traditional elements, and your relationship with each family member.
My family is heavily influenced by Chinese culture and Christian values. I live with my father, mother, and little brother, Thomas, who is in the fifth grade. My mom is talkative, humorous, great at cooking, and often goes shopping with me. I also consult her in tough situations, because she is great at settling problems. My dad is funny is a serious way, and tutors me in math and sciences. I often say that he is a genius—he self studies everything and has an amazing memory when it comes to academics. But as my mom says, God is always fair. Despite being good at all these things, he is often clueless about real life situations. My mom always prides herself in what she calls her “higher EQ.” My brother has very strong engineering skills despite only being in the fifth grade. Once, he even helped my friend set up her professional recording studio microphone. However, his writing skills are mediocre, so I sometimes tutor him in this area. However, he is not perfect, and actually often drives our family insane, but I’ve come to accept this as part of life—he finds it hilarious to hide my things, and when he was younger, he’d rip up my homework, drink water from the toilet, bake his Legos in the microwave, and take all the screws off our pots. Fortunately, he is a little more mature now. When there is free time, my family and I like to watch Chinese reality shows and dramas together.
3. Describe your relationship with a close friend outside your immediate family, noting the different qualities each of you contributes to your friendship.
One of my friends happens to be an elderly African man I met in the library, Mr. K. He works night shifts at the local Target, and I started to talk to him when he came up to me one day, asking me to type something for him. This man emigrated from Africa not long ago, and lives by himself. I enjoy talking to him because he tells me a lot about Africa, and I have always wanted to know what Africa was like for real—everything that I’ve seen about the country portrays it as an extremely poor place where people starve and live in mud houses— I thought there had to be more than that. Through him, many stereotypes I’ve had (and was ashamed of having after meeting Mr. K) about Africans were debunked. He even offered to teach me French after learning that I was interested in studying languages, and joked that I should know some because my name is of French origin. In return for free lessons, I teach him what I call “technology literacy,” and also type up his college writing assignments. So far, I have taught him how to send emails, use the internet, install Microsoft Office onto his laptop, and where to search for the best deals online. Even though my parents often tell me not to talk to strangers, I think with some common sense, I can get to know more people and stay safe. Sometimes, a little risk is worth it.
4. Describe a non-academic situation in which you have had to face defeat or failure, or have made a mistake, and explain how you dealt with it.
One of my most humiliating experiences was a result of being culturally unaware. My family and I went to church to listen to a famous Chinese pastor deliver a sermon, and during break time, I went to the bathroom. Standing in front of the sink, my cell phone rang. I picked up, speaking fluent Chinese. When the conversation ended, the lady next to me smiled and said, “You speak very well.” I wasn't really paying attention to her, and absentmindedly replied, “Thank you.” Right after those words came out of my mouth, I realized the huge mistake I made. Before I could say anything else, the lady smirked and strutted out the door. I was absolutely stunned--I didn't know whether to feel angry at her or at myself. The lady was so inauthentic in my opinion: why would she act “sweet,” and then turn her personality 180 degrees after I said “thank you?” In the end, I told myself that I should not have zoned out during our conversation simply because I felt tired. In Chinese culture, it is taboo to accept praise or boast under any circumstances. From that day on, I have been careful to follow all social expectations no matter what, because it is when you are most assimilated into the culture that natives will start to accept and respect you. And when they start seeing you differently, they will realize that their previous stereotypes were not always true.
5. It is natural for exchange students to feel homesick during a year away from friends, family and school activities. Reflect for a moment on what it will be like to live as a member of a family in Germany . What problems or challenges other than language might you expect to encounter and how might you deal with them?
Although I don’t hope to encounter any cultural, geographical, or physical problems abroad, I wouldn't be surprised if I did. Growing up in a Chinese family, I am rarely exposed to German culture, and may do some culturally awkward things. Although I am reading more about it, a book can never substitute experiences. If something goes wrong, I will definitely apologize and explain the reasoning behind my mistake. I hope to share American culture with Germans more through humor and tact than with mistakes. Despite my limited knowledge of European culture, I know I can respect the sensitivity between East and West Germans. My own experiences with the Taiwanese and Chinese have given me lots of practice. In regards to homesickness, I have already planned not to speak any English or Chinese while abroad, and also bring pictures. If I miss my family and friends, I will send emails to them in German, and they'll need to run it through a translator. I will also miss holidays such as Chinese New Year and Earth Day, but this will surely be made up for by the German holidays I haven’t experienced, and the country itself is environmentally friendly. Lastly, I do anticipate running into physical issues. All I can say is that I will find a way depending on the surroundings—this problem has come up many times before in the U.S. , so it is not new to me.
6. What is it about the exchange experience that appeals to you?
I absolutely love learning about and being immersed in different cultures, because I view myself as a citizen of the world. So far, I am well versed in American and Asian culture, but have never been to Europe before, and thus am not familiar with its culture. Without having been to Europe , I don’t think I can consider myself a global citizen yet. And although America is a melting pot, the norm is to be “Americanized”—therefore, I would really like to see a country’s pure roots, before it has been intertwined with American culture. Foreign exchange will also allow me to have more independence. At 17 years old, I believe I should be able to make more of my own choices. There are so many chances for discovery during a foreign exchange, and I like that feeling of always being able to absorb and learn about new things. Most of all, I am addicted to learning languages because I feel as if I will be able to talk to so many more people once I am proficient in them. Language allows people to view countries on a more personal level and is able to break stereotypes. I would be very happy to share American and Asian culture with the people in Germany .
HOST FAMILY LETTER
01/09/2011 <---Excuse the wrong year; it should be 2012. Don't make that mistake!
Dear Host Family,
Even though we have never met each other, I would like to thank you for offering to let me stay in your home. My name is Michelle, I am 17 years old, and live with my mother, father, and little brother, Thomas, who is in the fifth grade. My family is infused with a lot of Chinese culture, but at the same time, I think my family is also not what most people would imagine the Chinese to be like. Have you ever heard of “Tiger Mom?” If you haven’t, that is what many people in America describe Chinese parents to be like—the ones who watch their children’s grades like hawks in hopes that their children will have a good life in the future. My parents do not really fit into this category. Although they care about my grades and make sure that I am doing well, they also think it is important to let me have the time to explore new things and not do schoolwork all day long. As a result, my family travels quite a bit. I have been to China, Japan, and many national parks and museums. We live about an hour away from Washington D.C., so the subway is my best friend, and I have gone to almost every attraction there. When friends come to visit D.C., I am always their tour guide! Recently, our family just brought a cable box that lets us watch Chinese television. All of us really like to watch dramas and reality T.V. shows. Unfortunately, my brother and dad like to watch scary historical action dramas, while my mom and I prefer comedies and talk shows. So the two sides of the family usually have fights to see who snatches over the remote first, but we still love each other.
My typical week consists of attending class, interning at Potomac Elementary School’s Chinese Immersion Program, teaching English as a Second Language in Chinese School, studying, creating language lessons, hanging out with my friends, and babysitting toddlers during fellowship. I hope to teach language overseas in the future, and I especially love to work with children because they are just so cute! Through working with them in the immersion program, I am able to get inside the minds of these children to understand the way they think. These experiences, as well as the psychology classes I took before, come into handy when interacting with the toddlers I look after. At school, my favorite class is U.S. Diplomacy in Foreign Affairs, because there, my language skills come into use. I even saw German in my textbook, and I was really happy when I knew what it meant (although I have to warn you, my German is still pretty much at level zero because I have been self learning for only a few months). In this class, I have also realized the importance of understanding different cultures, because some tragic events could have been avoided had people learned about the differences in beliefs and lifestyle of the other country.
Outside of school and home, I like to go on trips with my friends on the weekends. Sometimes we go to more “educational places”, and other times, we just go to the mall. But recently, my friend and I have been visiting some colleges together because we are in our senior year. A few months ago, we rode the bus up to New York, and it was a lot of fun—in addition to touring campuses, we also explored the city. My friends are amazing, and I don’t know what I would do without them. I am not the kind of person who is friends with almost everyone in school; rather, I have a small group of really close friends. They are funny, outgoing, and are always there for me. That being said, I am also not afraid of meeting new people, especially in a new country, because I am very curious to learn more about the culture.
I cannot wait to meet you, and I really do appreciate your family for giving me the chance to experience what it is like to live in Germany. Many people are uncomfortable having a foreigner in their home, but I am glad you are willing to accept me. I am open to and curious about everything (except sports, which I am very bad at), so I will be asking you many questions. Hopefully, I can also tell you the things you want to know about America, and you can teach me about Germany. I will try my hardest to keep up with the language (It is ok if you laugh at me—making mistakes is one of the best things about learning a new language!) and integrate into the culture. I have almost never been exposed to German culture before (except through my mom’s German boss) and have also never been to Europe as a whole, so I am looking forward to it! See you soon!
Michelle
tips
For the "Hobbies" section, I not only listed the things I did, but also elaborated on them in a few sentences. That gives the people reading your application a better understanding of exactly how much commitment you have/ had to the activity.
Be yourself. I am not kidding on this one. It goes for college applications, as well. I can't tell you how many times CBers pretended to be one way, only to have their host families find out it wasn't what they were expecting. Also, stick to your values--exchange is all about trying something new and stepping out of your comfort zone, but that does not mean you have to sacrifice your identity.
1 comments:
Thank you! This helped me a lot, because I did not even know what kind of questions I would be asked. Thanks for the heads up.
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