I need help understanding this essay question

[emit_remmus]

What does this prose ask for?

 

Many students expand their view of the world during their time in college. Such growth often results from encounters between students who have lived different cultural, economic, or academic experiences. With your future growth in mind, describe a potential classmate that you believe you could learn from either within or outside a formal classroom environment.

 

So I should say whether the student is male and mexican who lived in the ghetto. I don't understand what its asking for. Its for a scholarship.

 

I don't even feel like working on this scholarship. When I was in high school I applied for 10 scholarships but I didn't get anything. But after a year and half of college, I've done a lot of volunteer work and now trying to go overseas for an archaeological field school. Its expensive, but I don't know if applying for a scholarship or two is worth writing all of these essays.

[jengh]

I hate essays that aren't straightforward. Yes, you could write about a Mexican boy living in the ghetto, maybe wanting a better life than joining a gang or whatever (I'm not trying to stereotype!! Please don't take any offense)... You just write about whatever comes from the heart. It's what I did and I got accepted into every university I applied.

 

Another thing you could do is describe your childhood, but write it from 3rd person. I think this may be what they're asking for. They don't say specifically what they want because they want you to speak from the heart without having to follow strict guidelines.

[emit_remmus]

I'm in my second year of college right now, and I need financial aid to go overseas to Italy this summer. Its going to cost me $4000 dollars, including airplane tickets. I really need this.

[puff.tm.dragon]

They're asking you to write about cultural diversity in and outside of school that you may experience at at this stage in your life. What life lessons can others teach you and the likes. Seems that it also asks you to single out one of your classmates, although you can just make it up.

[Daligal83]

I think you could write about a more general type of student. Think about things you have not experienced or been exposed to and write about that. For example, since my parents saved up for my college and I did not have to work for that money, I could say that I would want to meet a student that is putting themselves through college. I could learn about time management and stress management and what it's like to have that kind of responsibility so that I don't take my privilege for granted. That's what I got from it.

[_Jaffa_]

It's asking you to describe a fictional character that you might meet in the future that is different from you in terms of culture, economic and academic factors, and describe what you might learn from this person that would help you grow as a person.

 

So you could basically describe someone who is the opposite of you...like if you're from a traditional white family, that is wealthy and have had a good education you could describe someone from an ethnic minority, with a low income and a lack of opportunity in education (i.e. a "bad" school) and talk about what you could learn from them.....hard work, putting the effort in to achieve your dreams blah blah blah.

[Pinkbubbles]

There are lots of different topics you could choose from. Some of those could easily happen to you in your everday school life, or there are others thats arent so common.

 

You could write about a forgein student who has strived all his/her life to come to your country for education. Discuss possible interactions between you that helped you to come to appreciate that persons drive for a different education.

 

I have a friend that just recently left for a 6 month term in a country in Africa. She's going to be spending her time working in a school for under privilaged children. Eventhough she isnt going to be a student at the school her interaction with the children is definitely going to change who she is. Such an experience will change her. You could use such a situation to write about an informal setting.

 

I spent 3 months in Australia in 2006. I had just intended on travelling around seeing some cool things and having a good time. During my travels I met many people around my age, also travelling, who had come down there to learn english. Many of these people were from Asia, but there was also a surprising amount of people from Europe. Interacting with these people helped me to appreciate the importance of education in different countries. I was so moved by this that I have choosen to become a teacher, I'm into my first year but once I have completed my degree I plan to return to Australia and teach english to people like the ones I met while I was there.

 

I dont know if any of those work for you...but I thought I would post some suggestions. I hope it some what helped!

[rocio]

Be original. How many essays do you think they'll receive about the Mexican kid in class? Or about that black kid from the ghetto? They are looking for originality - something that stands out.

 

In one of my university classes, I had a classmate who was in her 70's. She was sooo cool!

I also had a few classmates who were strippers. If I were writing the essay, I would talk about a stripper. I love to shock people. considering that you're a guy, they might just think you were really horny, so I wouldn't recommend that. But try to think out of the box. Try to lift an eyebrow.

[kellbell]

Like the others have mentioned, the essay is asking you to describe a potential classmate you may befriend in college that is of a differerent culture and/or ethnicity different from your own. The essay mentioned that college is a golden opportunity to meet several people from different backgrounds including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and so forth and that such an institution attacts many different kinds of people from many walks of life. What you are taught in the classroom goes so far and it is only a piece of the whole pie. The other big piece is experience and whom you associate with, and being with others whom are in a different culture, whatever it may be teaches so much more than you would ever imagine. That is not from any textbook.

 

In my grad school years, I became very close with a girl from Hati. I learned so much about another culture, religion, and so forth by being great friends with and most of all, I learned a great deal about myself.

 

Essays are not meant to be straightforward. They are meant to make you think, think outside the box, and read between the lines. College is not like high school, no one is going to be holding you by the hand any longer. It is time for you think on your own and make your experiences.

 

Good luck with essay.

[emit_remmus]

What the heck is adahy saying???

[annie24]

I'm in my second year of college right now, and I need financial aid to go overseas to Italy this summer. Its going to cost me $4000 dollars, including airplane tickets. I really need this.

 

so tell us why are you going to italy? how is going there going to contribute to your education and growth as a person (besides just visiting rome and meeting beautiful people on the beach and eating tons of pasta)? I mean, you are studying abroad for a reason, right?

 

I guess just think about maybe some of your ..... deficits.... or shall we say, areas that you feel you can grow as a person (better term!) and maybe how meeting new people can affect that.

 

for example, when I was in college, I worked a lot with underprivilledged kids, "the ghetto kids" as you may call them. They were all really bright and smart, but what they were lacking in was self-esteem. They weren't told everyday that they were smart enough to succeed, like me and my peers were told. I think a lot of them bought into their own stereotype and we tried to drill it into them that they were absolutely smart and capable enough to make it in college.

 

I've met other people like people from Africa from very affluent families, which very much goes against the stereotype that all africans are poor.

 

I think that this question is a hard one.... I think to write a good essay, you need to think of something that strikes you. What would change your perspective on life?

 

During my time tutoring and teaching the high schoolers, I met one young woman who was extraordinary. 15, single mom of a 1 year old, no longer with the father. And she was the hardest working student in the class and really bright. She had more responsibility than any of her peers, probably less sleep, and she was doing the best. her goal was to go to medical school, and I bet she is there right now, or about to be applying shortly. I lost track of her, but she really inspired me. I don't know what motivated her - maybe it was that she had a baby to take care of so she HAD to do her best. she had a real goal. I never thought I would be awed like that in college by a 15 year old!

[cantexplain]

emit,

 

Good luck in all of your endeavors.

 

When I was in school I learned that I did better on tasks that I wanted to do. So things I did not want to do, but still had to (hey, that's life so many times), I would switch a little switch in my head (not always easy) that psyched me up for whatever specific challenge I was facing. Not only was the task easier, but I also did better. So my first thinking is figure-out an angle on this that excites you and you want to do.

 

Some ideas on this are

 

~I really want that $4000 and to go to Italy.

 

~I like to win.

 

~I'll show them how clever and wonderful I can be.

 

~This is an exciting way to examine where I am and how I want to grow in the future.

 

~I've got this wild idea of a character that I just can't wait to develop and develop thoroughly and with style.

 

I can tell you what I don't like about this question. Maybe others here can clarify. When it qualifies this student you are describing, it says: that you can "learn from either within or outside a formal classroom environment." So does this mean your description is about experiences in a classroom or outside - both or either, I wonder? It says "either" which I take as "one or the other". thereforeeee my thinking is that you can narrow your description to a classroom setting or some other setting. Examples of other settings like a friend who is studying something very different from you and that you met on an Outing Club trip or at the Campus Coffee Shop or in the Dorm - and from there share other experiences. But remember I am confused by this part of that question. Maybe you or some of all these other really smart people here can help on this part. You will need a setting or settings for this person to affect you in. But don't get caught up in much of anything but this person's description and their effect on you.

 

As you describe this person, this description should point to how this person affects and changes you.

 

Clearly the essay wants you to describe this person and their effect on you toward your future growth. They want to know how you want to grow. So this means understanding what you feel you may lack or need or want with regards to your future intellectual and emotional awareness. To me this is the crux of the essay. Then you create a character that affects these changes in you.

 

Another way of looking at this: since this is about you going to Italy and learning from that experience - remember they will be investing in you and that experience and want to make sure you have the drive, depth of character, and open mind to make the most of this trip.

 

They are trying to learn about you, how you want to grow, and your ability to grow. These are the things that really concerns them.

 

I would try to list for myself all the ways people can change - ability to solve problems, see the world from different points of view, acquire cultural sensitivities and relationship skills, etc. Then I'd think more specifically about what I want to add to my own character in regard to these more general ways people can grow. Finally I'd create a fictional character AND relationship with this character that shows:

 

1) that I can change and learn from others because I am open-minded, smart, and a good friend etc.

 

2) that I have an awareness of self and where I want to go from here as a person.