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发信人: bartonchen (闲云野鹤), 信区: Flyingoverseas
标  题: 香港同胞的ps
发信站: 哈工大紫丁香 (2001年10月10日09:13:19 星期三), 站内信件

A defining moment in my life occurred about two years ago. I left my high s
chool in Hong Kong and came to the United States to finish my secondary educ
ation as an international student in New York. I left my parents, my home, m
y friends, and my language in order to experience a foreign culture and broa
den the scope of my education and view of life. Whenever I try to think or w
rite about my life—my autobiography—I always settle upon the importance of
this move, this shift from Eastern to Western perspective.
Anyone who has crossed the globe to visit or live in a foreign country has w
ithout a doubt had some amount of culture shock, and it is both jarring and
exhilarating to find yourself changing in such a new environment. My new loc
ation has brought about an awareness that I don’t think ever would have app
eared if I had stayed put in Hong Kong. Through the contrasts and difference
s I have observed and felt in my environmental switch, I have become very co
nscious of and interested in communication and language.
Of course, I was interested in communication and language while still in Hon
g Kong, where I was president of my high school debate club, excelled in my
study of Mandarin Chinese, and was the conductor of student singing at assem
blies and a member of the competitive band (I think music is a form of commu
nication too). However, it was not until I left my language behind that I be
came aware of the power and importance of this aspect of life. Upon my arriv
al in New York, I initially struggled with English, but after one short year
, I progressed from the ESL level and joined regular English classes. I gain
ed confidence in my English, especially in my written work. During this time
, I also began studying Japanese. In a way, my study here has allowed me to
see the huge importance of language in a person’s cultural identity and in
the strength of a society. By studying Japanese while at the same time progr
essing in English, I think this helped keep my Eastern perspective, my nativ
e Chinese identity, in my mind. It seems easy to get lost in the culture of
the United States and also in the culture of New York, but my grip on langua
ge made it easier to avoid losing myself and my roots.
My education in New York has allowed me to find so many new aspects of my s
elf, my cultures (my two cultures of East and West), and my languages. My ti
me here has also allowed me to see how each of these aspects relates to the
others. Because of the rewards I have already gained, I hope to continue my
education here. I am particularly drawn to Vassar College for a number of re
asons. I want to stay in New York, near my guardian and younger brother. I a
lso feel that Vassar’s size is ideal. Your student-faculty ratio of 12 to 1
is a very important advantage for me, and I think I would benefit immensely
from such focused academic study.
Finally, an undergraduate place at Vassar would allow me to experience a tru
e liberal arts education in arts and sciences, because I think the undergrad
uate years should be spent on a broad amount of subject matter. I am current
ly enrolled in AP physics and AP computer science courses, and I hope to con
tinue to pursue study in the natural sciences and in computer science (which
is very important wherever you are in the world today). In addition, study
at Vassar will allow my interest in languages and communication to flourish
and grow. I want to learn more in the field of foreign language, especially
Chinese and Japanese. I am also interested in Vassar’s B.A. in Communicatio
n program, and I am particularly interested in the areas of Public Relations
and/or Speech Communication. I would love to take courses through this depa
rtment, for example, courses like Interpersonal Communications, Intercultura
l Communications, and Communications Theory. I may want to explore communica
tion as it relates to computer science and technology as well.
Vassar University has all the opportunities I am looking for in continuing m
y education, developing my identity, and contributing culturally and academi
cally. I hope the language here, the written words of English of this essay,
have enough power to communicate my desire and readiness to attend Vassar a
nd excel there.

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           ╭─────────────────────────╮
           │◆ 可以不去问过去的曾经　可以不去想未来的结局 ◆  │
           │☆ 但总是无法　将你　轻易忘记               ☆  │
           │◆ 在这个思念的季节里　很想说一句　好想你�    ◆  │
           ╰─────────────────────────╯

※ 来源:·哈工大紫丁香 bbs.hit.edu.cn·[FROM: 202.118.227.215]

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