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Posts by raezzat
Joined: Dec 7, 2009
Last Post: Dec 24, 2009
Threads: 2
Posts: 7  

Displayed posts: 9
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raezzat   
Dec 7, 2009
Undergraduate / "I now understand the value family" - Michigan Setback [5]

Hey guys i need help with my setback essay! all comments are appreciated!

Describe a setback that you have faced. How did you resolve it? How did the outcome affect you? If something similar happened in the future, how would you react?

1ST DRAFT

Most of my friends don't remember eight grade. For them, it was not an important year of their life. Eight grade was a year I'll never forget. Eight grade was the year my parents separated.

We were living in Amman, Jordan for a transition year before moving to France. My father's job was already set up there, and he came down to visit about every three weeks. At the time, everything seemed fine between my parents; then again, I was only twelve years old. I was oblivious to any kind of arguments and problems between them.

I remember that first disturbing night so vividly. The screaming, the glasses breaking, the tears shedding, all right in front of my eyes as I was going to kiss my parents goodnight. From then until the last day in Amman, a visit from papa meant a sleepless weekend due to constant fighting.

My parents officially separated when we moved to France. As much as I wanted to be thirteen year old about to start his adolescence, I was forced into becoming the man of the house. Mama was depressed for most of the next two years, and my eight year old sister could not cope with not having her father around. Although I could not handle the situation myself, I knew that I had to take charge and take more care of my family. Living in the past was not an option anymore and a new future had to begin.

It has now been five years since the separation, and a lot has changed since. My sister is now thirteen years old and about to take on adolescence herself. As I know how trying this time can be in a divided household, I try and be a role model for her. I help her with her homework, train her for junior varsity sports, As for my mother, I make sure that whenever she is feeling down, I'm there to listen. When it comes to family decisions, she and I discuss both our views weighed equally. Instead of a mother-son superiority, we share a kind of partnership in running my house. I have just as many responsibilities at home as a husband would.

As hard as this was growing up, it made me a stronger person. Instead of losing myself in the mayhem, I rose above the situation and learned valuable life lessons. I now understand the value family, and how important it is to support one another during rough times. Now when a friend is struggling with their own issues at home, it would be no surprise to find me offering guidance and swearing to confidentiality their problems, which is what brought on my nickname "The Psychologist".

Some days I think back when my parents were together, and it disgusts me to know that I have to take the metro just to see my father. Nevertheless, I've learned a valuable lesson from it: sometimes life throws things at us which we do not fully comprehend, but it is what we make of it that is key.
raezzat   
Dec 23, 2009
Undergraduate / INSPIRE & SURE - Emory Univeristy Supplemental [7]

I really enjoyed reading your essay. You include notes about your own research, all while noting Emory's programs as well. I don't think it's necessary to put exclamation points at the end of your essay; it seems to make a switch from formal to informal.

Can you add any other information about SURE and INSPIRE? it seems like you are just stating them.
raezzat   
Dec 23, 2009
Undergraduate / Question about UVA "world" prompt [3]

I agree with Vulpix, the most important part of the essay is "how that world shaped you". If indeed ur childhood and what you played shaped you, then your essay is fine. I wuld still consider adding a few sentences about anything else that might interest them ( your background perhaps?)
raezzat   
Dec 23, 2009
Student Talk / What is more important? Common application essays or supplement essays? [9]

I agree. essay length isnt THAT important. its content, not length. And supplements are important, especially if its a question asking u why u want to attend a particular skool. however, if u feel that ur common app essay is weak, dont leave it be, try to tweak it. supplements arent the only thing they look at!
raezzat   
Dec 23, 2009
Undergraduate / "being a trilingual Egyptian and Palestinian" - Michigan diversity essay [6]

here's my diversity essay , one of two that i wrote. im not sure if it answers the prompt so any feedback is welcome :)

Share an experience through which you have gained respect for intellectual, social, or cultural differences. Comment on how your personal experiences and achievements would contribute to the diversity of the University of Michigan. (250 words)

After fourteen years of the French educational system, I decided to switch to the American system my sophomore year. It proved to be quite a challenge at first.

For my first history essay, I had prepared for it immensely, but only received a "B". When I asked my teacher why, he told me that I knew the subject very well, but I had not discussed or analyzed it. This left me confused.

In French school, I would study the lesson by heart, write down what I knew on the test day, and receive a good grade. However, I had never been asked to "analyze" my lessons. Although frustrating at first, I eventually modified my studying habits and learned what was asked from me.

This proved to be a clear cultural difference between the two educational systems. I realized that the priority for French students is to learn as much information as they can. Read, Copy, Paste. While American students, although not retaining as much information, know how to take their work to the next level and discuss their views on the topic, something the French system does not teach. When I study for a test now, I use my knowledge from French school to learn my lesson by heart, all while analyzing it just as effectively, which I learned to do at the American School of Paris.

I hope to contribute to the diversity at the University of Michigan through my Egyptian and Palestinian heritage. However, I do not expect to standout because of my background, but instead join an already diverse community of students, where I'll be able to discover and explore new cultures.
raezzat   
Dec 24, 2009
Undergraduate / "being a trilingual Egyptian and Palestinian" - Michigan diversity essay [6]

Here's my revised essay :

I thought that I was as worldly as one can be. I thought that being a trilingual Egyptian and Palestinian having grown up on three different continents would have given me a good sense of cultural differences.

This all changed last October when I traveled to Bucharest with the Romania Club to help out at a children's hospital. Our only task was to play with children and keep them occupied. For the majority of the day, we took care of babies, which was exhausting yet fun. At the end of the day, however, we left the babies and went to take care of older children; together, we would make bead bracelets, facemasks, and drawings. None of them knew a word of English, except for the occasional "Hello, how are you?"; this proved to be a difficult obstacle along the week. I had lived in foreign countries, such as France and Jordan, but never had a problem with expressing myself since I spoke the language fluently. This was the first time that I could not communicate easily with someone. Fortunately, the children were understanding and we ended up creating hand signals to express ourselves. From that, I learned to respect the differences of culture and languages. I do not share the same view of people who think that everyone should know how to speak English. In addition, I'm proud to say that I left Bucharest having learned a couple of words in Romanian.

At the University of Michigan, I plan to actively demonstrate good leadership in a multicultural society. I hope that sharing my Palestinian and Egyptian heritage, along with my other diverse experiences, will motivate my classmates to explore a new world of multiculturalism.
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