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Many students may have a difficult time in deciding where to continue their studies? Or may wonder which universities provide the best resources for them to excel? Yet, this is a tough decision which should take into consideration of one’s personality, area of interest and intended specialty. For me, I’m glad that I made the right decision in pursuing my education at the US - UCLA, a place not only provides tremendous resources in perfecting my passion, but also shapes my growth in becoming an influential leader.
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Growing up in Hong Kong, I used to be a very shy girl, who always stand at the back of the group whenever it comes to class presentation. When it comes to public speaking or individual presentation, I used to carry a cheat sheet on my shaky hand. I used to follow the crowd because I’m afraid of being different, and I used to believe in whatever I was taught without adding a personal judgment. My father is an entrepreneur, I wanted to follow his footsteps in doing business, so my intended major was Economics at the time when I applied college. I chose to study at the US because it is multi-cultural, it embraces equal opportunity, it values innovation, leadership and passion. On my personal statement, I wrote ‘I would like to make a difference… to be the change… to make an impact to the society’.
Educated at the US not only offer me an opportunity to make friends with a diverse group, but also alter my personality to become open-minded and outgoing. In my sophomore year, I was elected to be the Vice President of the Student Government. Despite I enjoyed the benefit of having a VIP parking spot, it gave me a hard time as I had to speak in front of 50 senators during the meeting. Being the only Asian girl in the executive committee, I was told by my advisor that I must learn to be confident in myself and be comfortable to speak in front of the group. In other words, not only that I had to say goodbye to my old practice of having a cheat sheet, I had to show self-confident and presented myself in a fun and animated way (better with a sense of humor to draw people’s attention). I still remember the day when the advisor asked the folks to give me a round of applause and praised me for quitting my old habits and for the first time I stand up for myself.
In academic, the classroom atmosphere was energetic and fun. Professors were like friends to students, and their teaching approaches were usually breaking down a complex concept into simple components. They encouraged students to raise questions and students were always being phrased for improvement or demonstrating a good effort. No one was afraid of making a mistake because everyone was ready to help each other with a supportive spirit. The American education urged students to conduct research and to take firsthand experiences rather than the robotic way in solely digesting words from books. Students were encouraged to try new things, to make a change on the ordinary and be identical.
Studying aboard at the US is really a lifetime experience. My UCLA experience is like a milestone to me, everyone there has a pocketful of dreams with a strong motivation and determination to succeed. I was being inspired that no dream is ‘too big’ to achieve.
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With a passion to help youngsters identify their strengths and needs, the ASPiRERS aims to inspire them and consolidate their thoughts into real achievements. Want to know more? Come visit us initial a meeting with The Aspirers.
