Intellectual vitality question for Stanford. PLEASE HELP!
Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.
As I sat in Mr. Stephany's 8th grade World History class, I began to wonder what my life would be like if I had grown up with the parenting style of a Tiger Mom. "No sleepovers, no TV, nothing lower than an A" Mr. Stephany exclaimed to my class. Wow, what kind of culture do these people live in, I thought to myself. My interest in China sparked as I studied Chinese history and culture for an entire year. I immediately became fascinated with the customs associated with China, as well as the unique language spoken there.
At my school, the studying of foreign languages begins in kindergarten. After learning Spanish for 7 years, I opted to expose myself to a new language by studying French. As I completed Advanced Honors French III my sophomore year, I contemplated continuing French for another year or yet again expanding my knowledge of a language. While talking with my advisor, I received the news that Mandarin Chinese would be offered as a foreign language for the upcoming year. Decision made-Chinese here I come!
Excitement poured over me as I heard the woman in the front of the room say, "Ni hao xuéshēng, wo jiao Lin Lao Shi. Hello students, I am teacher Lin. At this moment, I knew my passion for China would be taken to an entire new level. To my surprise, learning to read, write, and speak this language of characters came very easily to me. I found memorizing the characters simple, mainly because I am a visual learner. Towards the end of my junior year, my teacher spoke of a summer program that travels to China. As an avid traveler with a passion for learning about different cultures, I jumped on opportunity. After applying and being accepted to Confucius Institute program, I began preparing myself for my journey to China. As an educational program, I lived at Chinese school for two weeks, attended language classes three times a day, and took part in traditional Chinese activities twice a day. My trip to China gave me a firsthand experience of the culture I fell in love with 5 years ago. My interest in China continues to grow, and I hope one day I can return to China to learn even more about the 1.3 billion people living in this diverse country.
Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.
As I sat in Mr. Stephany's 8th grade World History class, I began to wonder what my life would be like if I had grown up with the parenting style of a Tiger Mom. "No sleepovers, no TV, nothing lower than an A" Mr. Stephany exclaimed to my class. Wow, what kind of culture do these people live in, I thought to myself. My interest in China sparked as I studied Chinese history and culture for an entire year. I immediately became fascinated with the customs associated with China, as well as the unique language spoken there.
At my school, the studying of foreign languages begins in kindergarten. After learning Spanish for 7 years, I opted to expose myself to a new language by studying French. As I completed Advanced Honors French III my sophomore year, I contemplated continuing French for another year or yet again expanding my knowledge of a language. While talking with my advisor, I received the news that Mandarin Chinese would be offered as a foreign language for the upcoming year. Decision made-Chinese here I come!
Excitement poured over me as I heard the woman in the front of the room say, "Ni hao xuéshēng, wo jiao Lin Lao Shi. Hello students, I am teacher Lin. At this moment, I knew my passion for China would be taken to an entire new level. To my surprise, learning to read, write, and speak this language of characters came very easily to me. I found memorizing the characters simple, mainly because I am a visual learner. Towards the end of my junior year, my teacher spoke of a summer program that travels to China. As an avid traveler with a passion for learning about different cultures, I jumped on opportunity. After applying and being accepted to Confucius Institute program, I began preparing myself for my journey to China. As an educational program, I lived at Chinese school for two weeks, attended language classes three times a day, and took part in traditional Chinese activities twice a day. My trip to China gave me a firsthand experience of the culture I fell in love with 5 years ago. My interest in China continues to grow, and I hope one day I can return to China to learn even more about the 1.3 billion people living in this diverse country.
