"The challenges I had to go through to finally learn a language" - Common app personal statement

personal statement

"You are not accepted into our course," the manager sighed, avoiding my gaze as he spoke. My mother stood beside me, and I felt a sense of grief. She remained silent as we left the building, heading back home. It was a disheartening day, but as I later realized, it was also one of the most significant days of my life. It was February 2021, and my mother and I had gone to a popular English language teaching course as I needed to start learning the language.

Two years earlier, in the summer of 2019, anticipation filled the air as I set my sights on the Presidential school in my city. Renowned for its exceptional education, fully funded by the President himself, it stood as a beacon of hope in a sea of lackluster public schools in Uzbekistan. The competition for a spot was fierce, as countless individuals aspired to be part of this prestigious institution.

I vividly recall the day of the examination, where my mathematical prowess shone brightly among my peers. Years of dedication and triumph in numerous olympiads during my earlier grades had honed my skills to a remarkable level. However, beneath my confidence, there was a nagging weakness-I struggled with English. As the test unfolded, it became evident that my proficiency in the language fell short of the school's expectations, and my dream of attending began to slip away.

Failing to get into the school I wanted made me feel like a failure. I had naively believed it would be easy, but I was wrong. Realizing the need for improvement, I started learning English on my own at home. However, studying alone didn't yield significant progress. After two years, I came to the realization that I wouldn't reach my goal if I continued down this path. That's when I finally opened up to my mother and expressed my need to enroll in a paid English course to improve.

With my mother's support, we embarked on the journey to find an English course for me. However, in February 2021, we discovered that the path to improving my English was not straightforward. During the course evaluation, the manager asked me a few basic questions, such as translating words and checking my grammar. Unfortunately, I couldn't provide correct answers. The manager's words, "You are not accepted into our course," lingered in my ears as we left the building, leaving me feeling crushed and ashamed due to the sting of rejection I experienced once again.

But like the changing seasons, my disappointment slowly transformed into determination. I realized that these setbacks were not stop signs but opportunities to learn. Rejections didn't mean I wasn't good enough; they taught me to keep going, adjust, and stay strong.

With renewed vigor, I refocused on self-improvement. This time, I wasn't alone. I sought help from online resources, engaged in language exchange programs, and even started a small study group with peers who shared similar goals. Learning English became more than just passing an examination or getting into a school; it became a personal quest for growth and self-improvement. Each new word learned, each sentence constructed, and each conversation held in English marked a victory in my journey towards language proficiency.

Well, this is certainly a very impressive take on the struggle of a foreign student to learn the English language. It just might catch the reviewer's attention due to the unique situation that the quest to learn English presented. It is certainly engaging to learn that you were conscious of your weakness and that you took that as a challenge for self improvement. After all, how were you to improve if no one wanted to help you right? The approach you took to discussing your language issues work. It is the kind of presentation that shows you have given much though to this draft and that you are willing to put yourself out there, exposed to the reviewer, for proper evaluation. Good job !