How's it going this week end, everyone? Mine's just the same as usual but I almost have felt the beginning of spring vacation. (Actually, this break will be pretty busy in order to studying for TOEFL, TOEIC, and the other exams)
I handed in applications for studying abroad in Minnesota through exchange program of university. One paper of them, is the statement about "Why I apply for this program" and "What I'd like to do at that university", and I had to write it around 500 words without someone's helps. When i wrote my essay for Writing class of this semester, I used to ask some Chat Lounge partners to modify it so that I was affraid of if I made a mistake in my statement. However, I did go over many times not to do so. At that time, I realized that I ought to review how to write essays with books....
I've done to write it so that I'd like to get down it on my blog. :D
"Statement for Studying Abroad"
There are three factors which I determined to study abroad in Minnesota as an exchange student. I took long time to make a final decision because it wasn’t easy for me to clarify my intention to try something I haven’t experienced. However, thanks to these factors, I could decide at last to apply for this program for myself.
First, it was exchange students from Minnesota. They have taught me a lot of things which I have never known before during their stay in Japan, so spending time with them is one of the great experiences in my school life. By the way of example, I had some opportunities to teach Japanese to exchange students, and then I found it that teaching Japanese in English isn’t easy for me even though my mother tongue is Japanese. Therefore I felt chagrined at the fact I couldn’t explain what they asked me, so I pushed myself to the max with their helps to make teaching Japanese in English better. Consequently, I just realized that I did enjoy studying fully. Of course, this is not equivalent that I can use English entirely, but I think it was a great improvement. The time of studying Japanese and English with exchange students gave me a new viewpoint about learning difficult things. At that time, I thought it would be inquired to work hard if I study in unknown surrounding, but I’m pretty sure that it must be very fruitful as well as this experience.
Secondly, I have interests about not only American society and culture but also people and their lifestyle since I started to take some classes of learning America. There are many differences and similarities between America and Japan. As a small sample of this, Japanese people generally bow as greeting behavior when meeting someone. On the other hand, American people never do this like Japanese because they don’t practice the custom of bowing. The origin of this is possible-associated with traditional rules each country. But Japan and America are the same at the particular point, which have the attitude of respect for people. As just described, I think that the comparison of two things and discovery of differences and similarities are basic method for understanding each other. While I’m studying America in classes and comparing with the other countries including Japan, America became an object of theme of my graduation thesis. This is one reason that I’m interested in America and I’d like to go abroad to study in the field.
The most decisive reason of all is to broaden my knowledge, and also I’d like to take on challenge whatever I want to do. Sadly, I have never been to foreign country so that I have only learned overseas including America on the indirect ways. If I can get the acceptance of this program, I’ll have no doubt that the school life is going to be pretty hard beyond my imagination. Even so, I’m willing to be strict with myself not to give up because best results certainly arise from the hard effort.
I think there are any mistakes I didn't notice, but it shows how I need to practice writing what I want to argue on the essay. If I can get its acceptance, there will be only ４ months left till I go to Minnesota. I think this length isn't long for preparation. I don't know whether I can study abroad in Minnesota from summer, but I'm sure that I do work hard. I appriciated that I could be their friends, who always have encouraged me.