My Personal Essay
Everyone dreams of having a better, life a better future and a better education. For me, I have dreamed of learning the language of the appealing Americans and their ability to communicate freely. I knew that Living in the United States would help me to achieve that dream. There is no doubt that coming to the United States would be a challenging one as it meant that there were changes to be made that would either make me or break me. But, I was ready for the challenge. I loved the idea of going to a new country. I loved the idea of being able to explore a new world. And I even loved the idea of meeting new people and learning as much as I could learn in a few years. But, under that love and desire for change there was that sadness that would make anyone want to go back home. I knew it would be hard and somewhere in my mind the desires became fear and the fear made me think more about what sacrifices I would have to make. Nonetheless, I knew my goals and I knew what I had to do. I knew that I had to survive.
The memories of that first day on America soil are fresh in my mind and I knew that these memories would remain for a very long time. The fear began to take over my earlier happy thoughts. I was happy to when I finally landed. But, as I looked around for a familiar face I did not see any and the nervousness and fear finally merged with the tiredness of a fourteen hour flight. The time difference was bothering me and I was tired and afraid. The flight lasted fourteen hours and my eyes were so tired. I had been trying to read English words in order to recognize the new place that I was visiting for the first time. The thought of meeting new people, living in a dormitory and new environment made my heart pound violently. I started having doubts. Was this really happening? Was I really thousands and thousands of miles away from home? I closed my eyes, and then opened them again. It was real. All of the fears and tiredness helped me to truly accept that I was now in a new country.
I still remember what I had for dinner. It was chocolate chip cookies at CVS pharmacy. Now, whenever I see chocolate chips the feeling of expectation and anxiety returns. The following day was a new day and I had to go to school. I entered a crowded room where 300 international students shared the same look of confusion and bewilderment. We had an orientation fair with refreshments. I can still remember the date as if it was yesterday. It was September 2012. Even though I thought that my knowledge of English was good, I realized that it was very bad. Despite my perfect score of 100 points on English exam, it could not help me to communicate effectively. But, my new goal was to learn English well and I knew that I would do it very well if I really tried.
I stood silently in a corner as I thought about how far I had come. I was in a new country and I was surrounded by people who had been here longer. I wondered if they had the same goals and dream that I had since I was a child. I thought about where I would like to be in the next six years and how I intend to get there. The most challenging question related to where I would like to be in six years time. It was probably one of the most challenging questions that I have ever had to answer. If I were asked the same question ten years ago, my answer might have been: “I would have loved to receive a letter from Hogwarts.” This basic answer stemmed from seeing the Harry Potter movie. Ever since I saw the movie as a youngster, I thought of that as my ultimate goal in life. However, this was just a figment of my imagination.
The movie showed me that English is a universal language. Therefore, as a first priority I have set my goals to learn English over the next six years. This means that within six years I hope to be completely fluent in English. English is important for me to reach my goals as a graduate and as a multi-lingual business owner, which is my ultimate goal right now. My goals would include getting an MBA after I have graduated from college in order for me to run an efficient business. The first tier of my six years plan is the learning of English. During the secondly phase, I would like to obtain my degree. The map for my six years plan is to study hard, learn the language as best I can, and to complete all aspects of the learning process to make a success of my time in the USA. I have ensured that I make the course choices in such a way that I could learn English as best I can as I continue with my studies. That means that, even though English is a part of my course layout, I do need to write excellent essays for my other subjects as well. This would also serve as valuable exercises to reach my goal.
The next six years would be challenging. I knew that. I also realized that in order to succeed I could not only rely on the structured classes. If I wanted to accomplish my goals within six years, I would have to work hard. But, this was not new to me as I have always been dedicated to learning and to achieving the highest standards. I could not break and I would not break despite the challenges that may arise. As always I reflected on the words of Robert Pozen: “There was no grand plan; I stepped into my career one step at a time” (Pozen n.p) and I knew that each day would get better and each challenge would get easier. I knew that in order to achieve these goals I would have to accept the challenge of hard work and long hours of studying to improve my situation, especially since English is a foreign language to me. However, I believe that opportunities come to hard workers and I am going to try my utmost to be one of them. I knew what I had to do if I want to reach my goals. So I decided to try to be with those persons whose English was excellent. Of course, it was the best choice I had made as things started to change. Each day, I became better. It took me four months to start speaking English without trying to find the right word and it was when I started to speak spontaneously when I cried out: This is it! I did it!” It is then when I realized that I passed the first obstacle in a new country and I was now able to integrate this new language into my daily life.
Works Cited
Pozen, Robert C. “A Better Way to Plan Your Career.” Harvard Business Review. N.p., 29 Nov.
2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2016. <https://hbr.org/2012/11/a-better-way-to-plan-your-care/>
