Undergraduate / UW Describe an experience of Culture difference positive and negative you have [4]

Family is a universal name all over the world. Even though, different cultures can influence on the traditions of the family, it is the only place on earth full of love. I have a deeper understanding on the relationship between family members since I came to America and lived with two host families as an exchange student. The difference between Chinese and American families is significant and profound which also reflects the distinctive culture and value difference.

American family I observed is an equal, democratic and freedom unit. Parents and their kids are more likely friends. Kids talk freely about their life and school things. Parents have a closer bond with school and involve in all kinds of school activities such as attending sports games. Parents respect children's opinions and support them to make their own decisions. In school, Americans decide their major field of study, perhaps without their parents' influence. The freedom allows children to disagree, even argue with their parents, while in most other cultures such action would be a sign of disrespect. It is simply a part of developing one's independence. Parents also treat every family member equally and make democratic decisions. Once, when I lived with my host family, we had one time to decide whether it is necessary to buy a new car, because there were more people vote for "no", then we chose not to do so. The negative aspect of American families is evident because the unstable marriage always causes the high divorce rate. Family violence and abuse can also been seen on the media.

Back to china, several key features of the Chinese family have existed for thousands of years. Some of them are still valid in modern Chinese societies, whereas others are changing. In the past, the traditional vision of family life in China is a strong family unit led by the father or the husband, who largely has absolute rule and control of the family. But now in most Chinese families, the husband and wife, work out together and decide family affairs. The Chinese people have the tradition of respecting the old and loving the young. Though many young couples do not live with their parents, they maintain close contact with them. Grown up children have the duty to support and help their parents is part of our tradition. For instance, my mom and dad visit both my grandparents every month and have dinner together. The marriage is fairly stable which brings less divorce rate. However, all parents have expectation on their children's academic performances which restricts children's other activities. Parents also make decision for their children such as choosing a college or a major which limits their independence thinking.

Family life is a lot difference between two countries. No matter, in China or in America, the base of this society comes from the harmony of families. It is a place full of love, fun and support. The love of a family is life's greatest blessing.

Undergraduate / "interest in math" - Describe the world you come from [6]

As a child, I had already developed a keen interest in math and maintained high academic standards as a student. My family had been a considerable supporter all the time. My family is only composed of three members: my dad, my mom and me. Such small family provides us a closer relation and a more intimate ambiance. We played card games which were related to the mental arithmetic and discussed some intriguing math problems at our spare time. My parents brought up my interest on the math. When I was studying at a prodigious high school in my city in China, I have a great opportunity to come to America as an exchange student.

Surprising me, my experience in a U.S high school actually reinforces my mind to study math in the college. Math class has always been fun to me.

I enjoyed sharing my own perspective of solving math problems and always help other students with their math. I became even famous in the school as a math assistor. As a member of school math team, I participated in all kinds of math competitions. Experiences like that built my confidence and raised my enjoyment at studying math.

Furthermore, I realized math was not an abstract subject and it could be used in every aspect of our daily life. I lived with an American family who managed 5,000 acres of orchards. I realized the application of math in the agriculture area. When I asked the process to operate such a big orchards, my host dad explained to me: "There are a total of 105 controlled atmosphere rooms for the storage capacity of 270,000 bins. To keep over 5 million boxes of apple fresh, the control system lets the temperature of each room vary within .1%." What is the key factor behind the miracle of modern agriculture? Technologies and equipment are certainly necessary, but the system's soul is operation data processes based on different arithmetic models. I realized that math not only gives us insightful and logical thinking, but it can also change the face of the modern world. Math is the base of every professional study. Therefore, I look forward to studying math in the college and apply it in the different areas such as engineering, economic and management. To me, math is more than a subject. It is a tool to make our life better.