Undergraduate / U of M-My biggest setback essay [6]

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?

When I was young I had never even imagined living somewhere besides India; it was my home, and I had assumed it would be that way forever. One summer, I remember I was studying in my bedroom as my finals were in two days, when my dad walked in, his brow was furrowed and I couldn't tell if he was angry or just thoughtful. At first I thought he was joking when he said that he got a job in the United States and that we were moving, but all too soon I realized just how serious he was. I was very anxious to settle in a new country and to try to adapt to their culture. I was going to be starting 9th grade in New York. Yet even though I had learned British English at my school in India, I had a very hard time understanding the English that people spoke here. I soon became afraid that I wouldn't be able to adjust to this new environment: my friends all spoke of soap operas, celebrities, and movies that I had never even heard of. At times I felt like an alien, hovering on the fringes of their social groups.

My friends treated me differently because I couldn't speak their language fluently, and they doubted that I would ever learn to. Overcome by the need to prove myself, I decided to broaden my vocabulary and learn American English. I started teaching myself by reading books from the public libraries, and even watching American soap operas and movies. After a year went by, my vocabulary improved and I was able to contribute more to conversations. Still, my reading level was very weak, so I attempted to listen to DVDs and speak along at their pace. I also went to the writing center at my school to learn how to understand and correct my grammar mistakes. I know I have many problems when it comes to writing and reading English, so I took ACT classes to help me score high enough to get into a prestigious university.

After all of this hard work, I was able to finally strengthen my weak spots. It became easier to understand my mistakes, and, by using the rules I had learned, I was able to correct them without anyone's help. As time went by, I was able to adapt to the culture here by building up an understanding of sports, movies, soap operas, social gatherings, and friends. My vocabulary improved, and I am finally able to read at a much faster pace.

If move to a different country again, then I will first try to learn their language. I will use any means necessary to understand it; I will take help from friends and teachers to resolve my mistakes; I will read books to broaden my vocabulary, and try to analyze them so that I can ensure that I'm improving; and I will sign up for classes, either online or outside, so that they can help me learn faster and with rules. This will surely help me to learn any language or adapt to any culture at any point in my life.

Undergraduate / U of M- how i am going to contribute to their diversity [2]

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.

I feel myself very lucky to have grown up with more than one culture. My family is Indian, but we came to the United States three years ago. As we arrived in New York, I immediately became aware of how different everything was. My first day of school was a truly amazing experience. As I didn't know American English very well, it was hard for me to talk with people, but everyone was so nice that they helped me understand the lectures and even told me about the various activities the school had to offer. Unfortunately, once I finally got used to going to school in New York, my dad was transferred to Michigan. My new school in Canton, PCEP, had a completely different atmosphere than the one in New York. I found more students with diverse background in PCEP than in anywhere else I had been. It was hard for me to make friends at first since I came in the middle of the year, but people in my classes were amiable that I began making friendship with them. We learned about each other's culture and became so close that we strove to help each other through any situation. Many of my classmates came to me for help, which only made our bond grow stronger. PCEP also offered many clubs where one could learn about the culture and lifestyle of different people. It has always been my passion to learn about different cultures, so I joined many organizations where I met many new people and made many new friends. Throughout life, these experiences have given me an ability to relate with people from different backgrounds because I know what it feels like to be thrown into a completely new world and have to find some common ground with people around you.