Undergraduate /
Rice Supplemental Essay -- Perspectives as a student of eight different schools [2]
The quality of Rice's academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice? Please critique and edit for grammar mistakes, thank you!
"How many schools have you studied at?" My French teacher asked me. It was French class, and we were reviewing the present-perfect tense. "I have studied at eight schools," I replied in French and heard murmurs of disbelief from around the classroom.
It is true though. I have studied at eight schools in three different countries since second grade (I skipped kindergarten and first grade). Since my father is a professor, he often goes to different countries to teach or research at local universities. He usually stays for several months, and always brings my mother and me along. Now, as I look back, I appreciate these unique experiences. Not only did attending eight different schools allow me to experience new cultures, it also shaped my perspective on academics, human nature, and government.
Although moving to new places can be exciting, changes in location and lifestyle are challenging for me. Normally, transferring to a new school - especially in a foreign country - takes from a month to two due to the amount of paperwork. Plus, when I stay for a short time in a foreign country, I would have to study independently all the lessons I missed in China to keep my grades up. These unusual situations improved my self-studying skills significantly. I learned to absorb knowledge and values through reading, solve problems on my own, utilize references and think deeply. Moreover, it gave me a new perspective on the task of studying: it gradually became more like an enjoyment than a duty for me. I found joy in history, applicable values in the classics, and interesting ideas in science. As a result, I have enriched my life by self-studying one extra Advanced Placement history class every year since I was a sophomore. Studying is a personal matter, I learned, it does not depend on my location or whether teachers are around me. As long as my passion for knowledge continues, learning is never impossible. I would be able to contribute this perspective on studying to Rice University by being the student who always seeks to learn new knowledge, sees assignments as fascinating tasks, and researches simply out of interest in a subject.
Through exposure to different cultures and connections with people of diverse backgrounds, I developed a new outlook on human nature. I broke away from the immature belief that people of certain nationalities are superior to others. For example, I used to believe that Americans were friendlier than people of other nationalities. But interacting with people from around the world made me realize that although human beings are different in their backgrounds, appearances, and personalities, deep down inside, everyone is similar. Nobody is fundamentally more superior or less than anybody else. Many Americans indeed are kinder, but only due to their education, belief, and personal choices, not nationality. As Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series said, "We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." With this perspective, I can contribute to Rice by communicating with students of different ethnicities or backgrounds. I would also try my best to cherish other students' uniqueness instead of seeing them as stereotypes.
The experience of studying and living in three very different countries - Communist China, Democratic United States, and Monarchical England - helped me see the world in a wider way. In China, I felt and read about the horrors of a dictatorial government and how human rights could be so easily violated in the hands of the powerful few. And here in the United States, I read more in history and government classes about the truth and danger of a strong central government and began to appreciate limited federal governments and what they could bring to citizens. By comparing different governments' merits and menaces, I realized the importance of democracy and the worth of freedom. As I flipped through pages of my history book, I felt more than mere interest. I felt the pains of the oppressed, empathized with the imprisoned, and respected those who fought in various wars against tyranny. When reading Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and other dystopian novels, I knew that the manipulative, brainwashing government described in the books are not fiction - they have existed, and still exists around the world. When I stood before the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin last summer and read through Ronald Reagan's famous "Tear Down this Wall" speech there, I was reminded once more of the price of freedom, and knew that I too, have to fight to prevent its extinction. At Rice University, I wish to use my perspective on government to contribute to history and government classes or groups. Moreover, I believe that my experiences and perspective would motivate me to share to the school about human rights violations in authoritarian countries and the need of democratic governments worldwide in order to take action.
As a history lover and a future history major student, I believe that my perspectives on academics, society, and government would contribute significantly to Rice's history classroom discussions, researches, and campus events.
