From Conservative Hong Kong to Liberal Arts :: College Admissions Essays

From Conservative Hong Kong to Liberal Arts    A defining moment in my life occurred about two years ago.   I left my high school in Hong Kong and came to the United States to finish my secondary education as an international student in New York. I left my parents, my home, my friends, and my language in order to experience a foreign culture and broaden the scope of my education and view of life.   Whenever I try to think or write about my life-my autobiography-I always settle upon the importance of this move, this shift from Eastern to Western perspective.    Anyone who has crossed the globe to visit or live in a foreign country has without a doubt had some amount of culture shock, and it is both jarring and exhilarating to find yourself changing in such a new environment. My new location has brought about an awareness that I don't think ever would have appeared if I had stayed put in Hong Kong.   Through the contrasts and differences I have observed and felt in my environmental switch, I have become very conscious of and interested in communication and language. Of course, I was interested in communication and language while still in Hong Kong, where I was president of my high school debate club, excelled in my study of Mandarin Chinese, and was the conductor of student singing at assemblies and a member of the competitive band (I think music is a form of communication too). However, it was not until I left my language behind that I became aware of the power and importance of this aspect of life. Upon my arrival in New York, I initially struggled with English, but after one short year, I progressed from the ESL level and joined regular English classes. I gained confidence in my English, especially in my written work. During this time, I also began studying Japanese. In a way, my study here has allowed me to see the huge importance of language in a person's cultural identity and in the strength of a society. By studying Japanese while at the same time progressing in English, I think this helped keep my Eastern perspective, my native Chinese i dentity, in my mind. It seems easy to get lost in the culture of the United States and also in the culture of New York, but my grip on language made it easier to avoid losing myself and my roots. From Conservative Hong Kong to Liberal Arts :: College Admissions Essays From Conservative Hong Kong to Liberal Arts    A defining moment in my life occurred about two years ago.   I left my high school in Hong Kong and came to the United States to finish my secondary education as an international student in New York. I left my parents, my home, my friends, and my language in order to experience a foreign culture and broaden the scope of my education and view of life.   Whenever I try to think or write about my life-my autobiography-I always settle upon the importance of this move, this shift from Eastern to Western perspective.    Anyone who has crossed the globe to visit or live in a foreign country has without a doubt had some amount of culture shock, and it is both jarring and exhilarating to find yourself changing in such a new environment. My new location has brought about an awareness that I don't think ever would have appeared if I had stayed put in Hong Kong.   Through the contrasts and differences I have observed and felt in my environmental switch, I have become very conscious of and interested in communication and language. Of course, I was interested in communication and language while still in Hong Kong, where I was president of my high school debate club, excelled in my study of Mandarin Chinese, and was the conductor of student singing at assemblies and a member of the competitive band (I think music is a form of communication too). However, it was not until I left my language behind that I became aware of the power and importance of this aspect of life. Upon my arrival in New York, I initially struggled with English, but after one short year, I progressed from the ESL level and joined regular English classes. I gained confidence in my English, especially in my written work. During this time, I also began studying Japanese. In a way, my study here has allowed me to see the huge importance of language in a person's cultural identity and in the strength of a society. By studying Japanese while at the same time progressing in English, I think this helped keep my Eastern perspective, my native Chinese i dentity, in my mind. It seems easy to get lost in the culture of the United States and also in the culture of New York, but my grip on language made it easier to avoid losing myself and my roots.