Prompt: Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate college or school to which you are applying at the U of M. How would that curriculum support your interests? (500 words max.)
The forming of my identity has been an arduous process. It is best explained by psychologist Erik Erikson's stages of development. It first required a confidence in the future of the world which I acquired when I first began to read novels, realizing the problems I faced had been faced by countless people before me. The next stage was early childhood, when one gains control over their own actions. At this stage, I was forced to research and advocate for my own lessons and summer activities. I now have a strong sense of where my interests lie. The Play Age stage was when I began to question the world. I soon realized how precious the rare glimpses of authenticity were to me, masked by socially acceptable behaviour. During the school age, I developed a strong sense of capability through being exposed to leadership positions at my elementary school. The stage I deem the most important is adolescence. This can be the most challenging for humans, as they discover who they are as individuals separate from their family. By immersing myself in other cultures on language exchanges, immersion programs, and volunteer opportunities interacting with children of impoverished communities, my values and self-image have been put into question, thus I slowly developed my own world view separate from my family or culture.
I have to conclude that Erikson was misguided when assigning ages to accompany his stages of development. I am 17 years old, and while my peers embark on their college journey as a time to separate from their families and discover their place in the world, I can say I thoroughly know myself. I am a proud feminist and a dedicated vegetarian, and I am prepared to take action in campus life at U of M.
Once I became confident in my sense of self, I began to watch the ways in which others' identities were being shaped and thus decided psychology was my passion. I watched as children at the rehabilitation center where I volunteered last year developed into boastful and lax swimmers through overly-encouraging parents, or into children insecure about their swimming abilities from their parents continuously labeling them as "stupid." Because I recognize how important fulfilling each stage of development is, I want to devote my time to help others make sense of their role in their community.
U of M is an environment where I can connect to children struggling to find their sense of self. Participating in the Child Violence and Trauma Lab, I can observe how exposure to Intimate Partner Violence affects the development of children. I can play an active role with Ozone House, helping runaway, homeless and high-risk youth re-evaluate their sense of self. I even want to help my own peers develop their world views, by participating in the North American Summer Service Team, and watching as they grow through immersion in communities throughout North America.
Erikson states that it is harder to reach later stages if one is lacking the earlier. My strong sense of self is the result of gradually achieving each stage of development. I recognize how important factors influencing our development are, such as culture and family environments. My goal is to help others realize that by exposing themselves to diverse experiences, they will be able to determine their own identity just as I have.
This is only a rough draft, but I would really appreciate feedback!
The forming of my identity has been an arduous process. It is best explained by psychologist Erik Erikson's stages of development. It first required a confidence in the future of the world which I acquired when I first began to read novels, realizing the problems I faced had been faced by countless people before me. The next stage was early childhood, when one gains control over their own actions. At this stage, I was forced to research and advocate for my own lessons and summer activities. I now have a strong sense of where my interests lie. The Play Age stage was when I began to question the world. I soon realized how precious the rare glimpses of authenticity were to me, masked by socially acceptable behaviour. During the school age, I developed a strong sense of capability through being exposed to leadership positions at my elementary school. The stage I deem the most important is adolescence. This can be the most challenging for humans, as they discover who they are as individuals separate from their family. By immersing myself in other cultures on language exchanges, immersion programs, and volunteer opportunities interacting with children of impoverished communities, my values and self-image have been put into question, thus I slowly developed my own world view separate from my family or culture.
I have to conclude that Erikson was misguided when assigning ages to accompany his stages of development. I am 17 years old, and while my peers embark on their college journey as a time to separate from their families and discover their place in the world, I can say I thoroughly know myself. I am a proud feminist and a dedicated vegetarian, and I am prepared to take action in campus life at U of M.
Once I became confident in my sense of self, I began to watch the ways in which others' identities were being shaped and thus decided psychology was my passion. I watched as children at the rehabilitation center where I volunteered last year developed into boastful and lax swimmers through overly-encouraging parents, or into children insecure about their swimming abilities from their parents continuously labeling them as "stupid." Because I recognize how important fulfilling each stage of development is, I want to devote my time to help others make sense of their role in their community.
U of M is an environment where I can connect to children struggling to find their sense of self. Participating in the Child Violence and Trauma Lab, I can observe how exposure to Intimate Partner Violence affects the development of children. I can play an active role with Ozone House, helping runaway, homeless and high-risk youth re-evaluate their sense of self. I even want to help my own peers develop their world views, by participating in the North American Summer Service Team, and watching as they grow through immersion in communities throughout North America.
Erikson states that it is harder to reach later stages if one is lacking the earlier. My strong sense of self is the result of gradually achieving each stage of development. I recognize how important factors influencing our development are, such as culture and family environments. My goal is to help others realize that by exposing themselves to diverse experiences, they will be able to determine their own identity just as I have.
This is only a rough draft, but I would really appreciate feedback!