Hi guys!
I just joined recently and it is great to see such a thriving community of aspiring individuals and dedicated forum moderators. I am writing an essay on Cross Cultural Experiences and it will be great if you all can take a look at my essay and provide some feedback?
Regards,
Gaurav Malik
In 2002, when I left India to pursue an undergraduate degree from Canada, I was little aware of the many subtle cultural minutiae that were about to change my life forever. Growing up in India with a constant family support system, I had the luxury of help for everything from cleaning my room to doing my laundry. With no one to help, I for the first time understood the definition of the word "independent" in every sense. At first the sudden change seemed unprecedented; however as I made friends from different countries I realised that many others, like me were learning to cope with this new-found independence and the associated responsibilities. Not only did this experience enhance my personal growth as an individual, but as I built my network of friends from different countries, it also became a lesson in cultural awareness. My interactions with students from the Far East taught me to respect their courage to come study in foreign country despite facing strong language barriers. I learnt from my South American friends how India has so much in common with them in terms of societal structures and reliance on family support. Such enriching interactions with a diverse set of individuals helped me effectively offset the issues of adaptability and preserving one's own cultural. All these subliminal but compounding experiences made me realize the importance of balance in one's life and the importance of respecting all individuals. While the West is more individualistic, the East I believe thrives on a strong community system. Finally I believe that every culture is unique but the possibility of establishing common ground and learning from each other always exists. It is this learning that I seek to propagate at LBS to help create an approving environment of shared learning for all.
I just joined recently and it is great to see such a thriving community of aspiring individuals and dedicated forum moderators. I am writing an essay on Cross Cultural Experiences and it will be great if you all can take a look at my essay and provide some feedback?
Regards,
Gaurav Malik
In 2002, when I left India to pursue an undergraduate degree from Canada, I was little aware of the many subtle cultural minutiae that were about to change my life forever. Growing up in India with a constant family support system, I had the luxury of help for everything from cleaning my room to doing my laundry. With no one to help, I for the first time understood the definition of the word "independent" in every sense. At first the sudden change seemed unprecedented; however as I made friends from different countries I realised that many others, like me were learning to cope with this new-found independence and the associated responsibilities. Not only did this experience enhance my personal growth as an individual, but as I built my network of friends from different countries, it also became a lesson in cultural awareness. My interactions with students from the Far East taught me to respect their courage to come study in foreign country despite facing strong language barriers. I learnt from my South American friends how India has so much in common with them in terms of societal structures and reliance on family support. Such enriching interactions with a diverse set of individuals helped me effectively offset the issues of adaptability and preserving one's own cultural. All these subliminal but compounding experiences made me realize the importance of balance in one's life and the importance of respecting all individuals. While the West is more individualistic, the East I believe thrives on a strong community system. Finally I believe that every culture is unique but the possibility of establishing common ground and learning from each other always exists. It is this learning that I seek to propagate at LBS to help create an approving environment of shared learning for all.