Undergraduate / "Living with a Russian hockey player"- Villanova Essay [2]

-Whether we realize it or not, most people in this world hold some form of prejudice or bias towards another group of people. In reality, it's natural to have qualms about people who are different from us. Sometimes we don't even know why we have these opinions. From a young age, our minds are constantly being molded by stories we hear and social media that surrounds us. Being exposed to this easily affects the way we think, while shaping the view we have of others. When you prematurely judge another person, you do not define them, you define yourself.

-I always had trouble warming up to people, especially with those who imposed a language barrier. I felt like I could not connect with them on a personal level. This was prevalent this past summer, when a teammate of mine named Pavel arrived from Russia and needed a place to stay prior to the season. He knew very little English and was in America alone, so my parents volunteered to take him in until he got situated and found an apartment. I was apprehensive about meeting Pavel because we were from extremely contrasting backgrounds. After all, I had lived all my life in suburban Middletown, New Jersey, while he grew up in Moscow and moved around to a handful of European countries.

-Sharing a home with him for a month was eye-opening. Pavel had never experienced things that were second nature to me. Before coming to the states, he had never been on a rollercoaster, swam in the ocean, or drank a slurpee. I was astonished by the amount of simple things that he never encountered, but I also envied his simple lifestyle of school and hockey. In that month, his English speaking skills improved tremendously. I grew so accustomed to him that I now know what he's trying to say even when he uses the wrong word. Undoubtedly, Pavel is now my best friend and our connection translates to the ice.

-There are many lessons I have learned from my relationship with Pavel that would be valuable to others. Before we grew to be close friends, he showed me that you shouldn't let an uncomfortable situation affect the decisions you make. Undeniably, I thought he was a bit crazy for coming to play hockey in America alone and being handicapped in the English language, but he never became overwhelmed. Looking back, he showed me that anything can work out for the best if you work as hard as he has.

-Most notably, I learned that you should never form an opinion about someone before you take the time to know them on a personal level. If you judge someone on the way they look, the language they speak, or where they are from, you're selling yourself short on the chance to meet someone worthwhile. There may be a social hurdle that exists or a language obstacle to overcome, but putting in the time to get beyond the outer disparity is the only way to see who they truly are. From my experiences living with Pavel and our continued friendship today, I have learned that you should never overlook someone because they are different. You just might be surprised at what you find.

Undergraduate / "I often give people the wrong first impression" -Babson Essay to Prospective Roomate [2]

Dear prospective roommate,

My name is Matt and I'm taking this opportunity to write you a letter prior to meeting because I often give people the wrong first impression. However, a wrong first impression is not always a bad impression. I'm very personable and make friends easily. Regardless of your interests, I am sure we'll get along. Most of my friends are involved in activities that range from mock trial to football, so it's not hard to find something in common with me. Living with me would be effortless. I'm an organized person when it comes to my school work, but I'm also somewhat neat for a guy despite sharing a room with my two younger brothers. Sports are a central part of my life, so it wouldn't be uncommon to find me watching a game on TV. It's important for my living space to be as relaxed as possible because that's when I perform my best at academics.

The reasons why I chose Babson are simple. Its close distance to Boston was a persuading factor. After all, Boston is one of the best college locations on the east coast, and I loved that Babson offers a small college feel that allows you to travel to a city. Also, Babson's entrepreneurship program has a very strong reputation. The idea of creating and managing my own business was always something I have wanted to pursue, even before I knew of Babson College. Finally, hockey had an influence on my college decision. Hockey is an extremely large part of who I am. I couldn't imagine being a college student as a spectator at a game and picturing myself out there. It simply wasn't something I was ready to give up just yet. Babson College has a well-known ice hockey program and a terrific arena. I felt Babson offered the best combination of my major and my passion.

The thing I am most looking forward to in college is meeting people who I would not normally have the chance to meet. College is a terrific place to meet people from all over the country who have similar interests as you. I'm also looking forward to living on my own for the first time. It's not that I want to escape my parent's household rules, but taking on the responsibilities that arise from college life will prepare me for living on my own after college. Utilizing my spare time in college to do things that I simply couldn't find the time do in my senior year, such as lifting weights, is something I plan on doing. College is obviously a demanding four years, but the down time I couldn't seem to find in high school is very appealing to me.

Undergraduate / "prejudice or bias towards another group of people" Short Villanova Essay [4]

Whether we realize it or not, most people in this world hold some form of prejudice or bias towards another group of people. In reality, it's natural to have qualms about people who are different from us. Sometimes we don't even know why we have these opinions. From a young age, our minds are constantly being molded by stories we hear and social media that surrounds us. Being exposed to this easily affects the way we think, while shaping the view we have of others. When you prematurely judge another person, you don't define them, you define yourself.

I always had trouble warming up to people, especially with those who imposed a language barrier. I felt like I could not connect with them on a personal level. This was prevalent this past summer, when a teammate of mine named Pavel arrived from Russia and needed a place to stay prior to the season. He knew very little English and was in America alone, so my parents volunteered to take him in until he got situated and found an apartment. I was apprehensive about meeting Pavel because we were from extremely contrasting backgrounds. After all, I had lived all my life in suburban Middletown, New Jersey, while he grew up in Moscow and moved around to a handful of European countries.

Sharing a home with him for a month was eye-opening. Pavel had never experienced things that were second nature to me. Before coming to the states, he had never been on a rollercoaster, swam in the ocean, or drank a slurpee. I was astonished by the amount of simple things that he never encountered, but I also envied his simple lifestyle of school and hockey. In that month, his English speaking skills improved tremendously. I grew so accustomed to him that I now know what he's trying to say even when he uses the wrong word. Undoubtedly, Pavel is now my best friend and our connection translates to the ice.

There are many lessons I have learned from my relationship with Pavel that would be valuable to others. Before we grew to be close friends, he showed me that you shouldn't let an uncomfortable situation affect the decisions you make. Undeniably, I thought he was insane for coming to play hockey in America alone and being handicapped in the English language, but he never got overwhelmed. Looking back, he showed me that anything can work out for the best if you work as hard as he has. Most notably, he taught me that you should never form an opinion about someone before you take the time to know them on a personal level. If you judge someone on the way they look, the language they speak, or where they are from, you're selling yourself short on the chance to meet someone worthwhile. There may be a social hurdle that exists or a language obstacle to overcome, but putting in the time to get beyond it is the only way to see who they truly are. From my experiences living with Pavel and our continued friendship today, I have learned that you should never overlook someone because they are different. You just might be surprised at what you find.