Undergraduate / Eating pizza with a pair of chopsticks; culture difference, personal interest [22]

Staring at my computer, I brainstorm over my eighteen years of life to seek a clever opening line for my college application essay. What is in front me is still a blank sheet of paper in the "Microsoft Word" Format. Subconsciously, the mouse pointer alone with my hand has already escaped away.

I click to the background, a black haired, round headed Chinese boy stares back at me with his dark brown eyes. That boy is me, eating pizza with a pair of chopsticks. These odd juxtapositions of East and West happen to me frequently. It seems that my internal Chinese roots and external American experience mix together smoothly. I use a coffee maker to boil chrysanthemum tea, put peanut butter in my rice. I'm comfortable with both the confusion of "LunYu" and Plato's philosophy. Combine With this two culture, I am also able to connect many others, I like to hip-hop music, participate a ping pong tournament, go to a Japanese tea ceremony and also enjoy eating Italian food.

On top of the background, there are games, music, movies, and many other different colorful icons occupying almost half of the screen. I hit the one with the famous E shape logo (The Internet Explorer Browser). Google, as my homepage, shows up gradually. When I was a child, I always asked about everything around. My parents would give me a tireless look, and then explain the answers to me carefully. However, as I grow up, my curiosity expands to more fields that my parents couldn't satisfy my desire of learning any longer. Fortunately, there is Google. If I'm concerned about the globe warming, interested in the bailout or even just want to know how to solve a rubies' cube, with only a simple click, I am always able to access to any first-hand information from all over the world. I expect college to be a place like this, too. A place that can amplify my view of world, encourage me to explore all kinds of resources, and constantly inspire me.

I quickly linked to "Facebook" -- my favorite website, where I cherish many pictures. Looking at those vivid imagines, my mind flashes back to memory lane. I remember my first step onto the land of United States at the age of sixteen, the first time I understood a casual English conversation, the first time I went to a football game, the first time I ran in the soccer field with friends, the first time I lay on my bed alone with vain of nostalgia....Those numerous first time traced the footprints of a Chinese boy who left his parent's harbor, started a journey to the other side of the world to pursue his dream. Now, looking at the fluent English message on my profile and the various smile faces on my friend list, my heart is content. Suddenly, I realize that I'm not that Chinese boy who first came to USA two years ago. However, as I continue on this fascinating and challenging journey, there still will be many first times ahead for me to discover and learn. Sometimes I will laugh, and sometimes I will cry, but when looking back, my personal growth will make that all worthwhile.

I click back to background again. This time, in the round headed, black haired, Chinese boy's dark brown eye, I see the inspired, playful and unique self. Consciously, I shift the mouse pointer back to Microsoft Word, start tapping swiftly in the blank of the paper.

Undergraduate / essay about Setbacks, I'm a foreign student,need help [7]

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?

I want to write about the culture conflict I have with my American host family, is that Ok?
How can write about it?

Undergraduate / Revise, set back eassy, the relationship with host family [3]

Describe a setback you have encountered in your life. Explain how you handled the situation, what you learned from it, and what you would do if something similar happened in the future.(around 500 words).

500 words! but mine are 680 words. what can i do. And did my eassys anwser the question. Please help me revise!!!!

As the generation of the one-child policy, I was born to be the centre of attention, the only meaning of my parents' lives. As a result, I became far less than perfect: a little tyrant who expects everything to be done for him and cannot handle any pressure; I started my America voyage.

First to USA, an American family offered me a place to live. In this family, there are mother, father, and two kids: Taylor and Shelby. For the first time, I had a big brother and a little sister.

However, after a while it became difficult to think they are my sister and brother, not because they have blond hair and blue eyes, or the difference in our flesh and blood. The culture divergence was deeply rooted in our hearts: I take pleasure in Chinese traditional music, they enjoy watching hip-hop dances. I think rice and dumpling are delicious, they favor steak and chicken. I will feel embarrassed hugging and saying, "I love you", but they take it as greeting.

The culture collision soon aroused series of conflicts. They were irritated when I left empty milk bottle upstairs , angry when I forgot to put the toilet seat down, and complained when I ordered lobster in a restaurant called "Red lobster". Occasionally, we quarreled, about trivial details of life such as which route to school or which TV channel to watch.

As time passed, the gap between us grew bigger. We rarely talked. I felt like we were strangers that live under same roof. Nostalgia, loneliness, and helplessness, struck me one after another. Eventually, I wanted to give up, to go back to China, go back to the harbor of my parents' love. But then, a winter afternoon, something changed.

It was a snowing day, the sky was dark and empty, and the trees were bare and lonely. I lay motionless on the bed. I was in one of those mood, tiredness and tedious blured together, like some sort of half dreaming. Suddenly, rapid footsteps grasped my attention. I awaited the daily rituals of complaining. Instead, from my door way, "Happy Chinese New year," Taylor and Shelby were smiling at me. Chinese New Year, a term I almost forgot, suddenly touched my heart.

The rest of that day, we went to a Chinese restaurant. During dinner, we talked, laughed, and shared life experiences. And just like that, the gap between us disappeared. Just like that, we are brothers and sister again. My emotionally masochistic fog lifted and through a mist of tear I seemed see a brand new world - clear but not perfect, not perfect, but adequate. I realized that even with many significant differences, we still can be brothers and sisters.

Since that day, I understood that life is not always smooth without a hitch; but I need face adversity with an open heart. Gradually, I wasn't that tyrant anymore. I embraced the world with a new attitude. I learned to communicate, to self- sacrifice, to manage my emotion, and to be independent.

With my new attitude, the land of America gradually became my second home. I'll never forget the first time I shopped for groceries on my own; the first time I answered question in classes in fluent English; the first time I started running with friends in the soccer field; and for the first time, I become a brother. These numerous first times traced my footprints through the journey in the other side of globe. During the journey, there are beautiful landscapes, as well as road blocks, detours, and setbacks. Those obstacles polished me and rendered me strength to adopt a new world.

Undergraduate / University of Illinois essay - "my father becomes my boss" [2]

this is my essay for University of Illinois, deadline is january 2nd. I wrote it in 30 minutes, just a rough drouft, a thought, please help me revise. I appreciate.

ESSAY #2: In an essay of 300 words or less, choose one extracurricular activity, work experience or community service project from the list you provided on the application and explain why you initially chose it, why you continued with it, and how you benefited from it.

At age of fifteen, my father became my boss. Every weekend, I would go straight to my dad's office and help him organize the documents, and help my dad with computer issues. As an automotive manufacture that exports products to USA, my dad's company often has American customers. I would be appreciated the opportunities to practice English. As I communicated with the Americans, I learned more and more American culture. I was fascinated by the world on the other side of the globe. Eventually, I decided to start my voyage to USA to pursue a better education.

After a year of studying in the U.S, I went back to my father's company for the summer. This time, I got a job that actually had a title - translator. My duty as translator was to translate some documents, charts and drawing from English to Chinese. Initially, those combinations of alpha and the square characters are seemed in two totally different worlds. I spent endless hours looking up in the dictionary, doing research online, and consulting with other workmates. From every word, there were a battle, a challenge, and a lesson: I recognized "Ammeter" is an instrument that measures the magnitude of an electric current in amperes; learned using "Date logging", a method of recording a process variable over a period of time, to view process performance; and was aware of "Hazard" means the potential for harmful effects. Little by little, this Job not only improved my English dramatically, but also stirred my interests for engineering.

Working at my dad's factor inspired me in two ways: interested in the education in USA and in engineering. Now, having the chance to studying in America, I hope to attend the University of Illinois to develop a solid engineer background; some day, I will bring inspirations back to my dad's company in return.