Search results for 'tag:Motivation letters tag:Conversations' matching tags 'Motivation letters' and 'Conversations'

I would appreciate if you take a look at my reference letter

zink — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:51:10 GMT

Hello !
I am new to this forum and I have discovered it when I was looking for formal letter samples. I want to apply to a College in Denmark and I want to have a chance to be chosen, so I am requiring help from anyone that is kind enough to offer it. I would also like to use the experience of interacting with the users of this forum to get prepared for the English test (sort of TOEFL, but not exactly) that I am required to pass for that College.
This is my letter of reference that I wrote for my teacher to sign. (I know this practice isn't the right way, but my teacher was very busy, so he asked me to do so). I would appreciate if you could have a look at it and spot mistakes and unusual phrases, if there are any.

i have replaced - [me] = my name

~~begin~~

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing this letter as a recommendation for [me], a student at â[my school]â National College, in the quality of Teacher and Class Master at â[my school]â National College.

I have known [me] for almost four years, and in this time he has proven to be an extremely valuable student, with a great potential for learning, surpassing many other students.

In my opinion, during the time I spent with [me] in class, I can say I got to know him quite well. He has proven to me that he has an ample knowledge in the field of technology, being capable of operating a PC and virtually any software and device. The student [me] is, without doubt, one of the most valuable students to whom I teach. He has participated in programming school contests, as well as other contests, like Kangourou European Contest of Applied Mathematics in 2007 and the Siemens Join Multimedia design contest, in 2006.

As far as I can say, he is a very conscious student, one of his greatest qualities is the ability to associate and use new information, so that he finds it very easy to understand a bigger concept and get the essential picture. Moreover, I have noticed that [me] progressed since I had first met him, in the way that now he is more mature, more capable of making right decisions. He has now reached a high level of intelligence and awareness and I can fully state that he is ready to meet the intellectual requirements that are demanded by a college course.

[me] is a talented person, and very passionate when it comes to his ambitions. In a conversation we had a little time ago, I had learned that he is inclined toward computer designing, especially web sites. He had told me that he was studying diverse designing techniques and programming languages at home, so that one day he could be prepared for a job as a web designer.

However, despite the fact that [me] has focused on the field of technology and computers, he has a vast general knowledge and he is aware that by also studying other fields he could solve problems that are related to his choice field. He is a sociable person that accommodates in a group rather quickly, being able to handle teamwork efficiently. He knows when to listen and how, and he adapts his ideas to fit the project he is working on, therefore proving to be extremely flexible.

All things considered, I strongly believe that [me] is the right choice for the Multimedia Design and Communication courses within the [my choice] College. His redoubtable qualities and abilities, along with his great potential render [me] able to respond to elevated academic standards and even to outperform them, in order to pursue his career prospects. I am utterly convinced that this student could be a valuable addition to a prestigious academic center, such as your college.

Yours Faithfully,

~~end~~

Thank you for your time.
p.s. I will also post my motivation letter as soon as it's finished.

Motivation letter

Anonymous — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:21:24 GMT

Hello everyone,

Could someone please take a look at my motivation letter for my application for the Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

Thanks!

----

Dear Sir or Madam,

With this letter I would like to give you a good impression of me, my international experience and my ambitions. My name is Maarten van den Heuvel and Iâve lived my whole life in a midsized city called Nijmegen. That isnât a very international orientated city and thatâs exactly the reason why Iâve chosen to go to the city of Rotterdam for my study. I want to study in an international environment. However, currently Iâm in secondary school. Iâm in the last year of my VWO and Iâm confident that I will graduate within a few weeks.

I have the Dutch nationality and Iâve always lived here so there I donât have a very interesting international background, although Iâve always been very internationally orientated. When I was about fourteen years old I wanted to earn a little extra money but I didnât want to work in a local supermarket, so I started my own little business. Iâm quite clever with computers so I started solving computer problems for the people in my neighbourhood. After a few weeks I wanted more, so I taught myself how to make websites. Within a few weeks I had a couple of clients and I started making money. Iâm very ambitious so after a few months making websites for local shops I started to expand my advertisements nationally and after that internationally as well. So when I was about sixteen I already had clients from all over the globe. Apart from my own country, I have clients from the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium. This has given me a lot of international experience because they work differently in every part of the world. I work on a freelance basis but Iâve already got contract job offers from companies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey. Which I rejected, because I want to start my study in Rotterdam!

Nowadays I use a lot of English to correspond with my clients that live all over the world. I feel relieved to know that Iâll get a proper knowledge of the English language and that Iâll be able to have a decent conversation with practically anyone in the world. The international aspect of the study is very important for me as well. I think itâs important to get in contact with foreign students for the sake of being prepared to work with people that have different backgrounds.

I know that the RSM Erasmus University is not the only university who offers a study with an international character. However, I must confess, the Erasmus University is situated in Rotterdam, one of the biggest ports in the world. It is, contrary to Nijmegen, a very international city that really makes a difference in the world. Can there be a more ideal place to study International Business Administration? I doubt it.

I am aware of the fact that Iâm a very ambitious person who wants to stand at the international top, rather than stand down at the bottom. I believe that I have what it takes to become successful in international business. I found out during my current job that I derive pleasure from maintaining international contacts, and I wish to continue doing so in my future.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I am looking forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours faithfully,

Maarten van den Heuvel

Please help me with my Motivation Letter

Anonymous — Wed, 02 May 2007 09:39:37 GMT

Could some help me with my motivation letter please.

I've wrote it for my application to the International Business Administration program at the RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam.

The letter should address four topics:

What is your international background and experience? (nationality, place of birth or residence, previous education, international experience).
Why do you want to enrol in the English-language programme in International Business Administration?
Why did you choose RSM Erasmus University in Rotterdam?
What are your career aspirations?
Thanks to all of you!

--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. I am looking forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours faithfully,

Maarten van den Heuvel

Re: Motivation Letter for admission to Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

ReemE — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 01:13:56 GMT

Nona The Brit wrote:
Good letter. Problems highlighted for you

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am hereby applying for entrance for the International business administration program at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) in September 2007.In the following letter I will explain why I think that the EUR is the ideal university for me.

First of all, I would like to give you some background information about me.
I was raised in a small town called Schwenningen, situated in the South of Germany. Although every one in my family is German, my parents made me encounter foreign languages from an early age. Even before primary education, we listened to an English teaching program. Later, at school, I was a quick learner and foreign languages rapidly became my favorite and best subjects.

I participated in several school exchanges to France and England before spending one year in America as an exchange student, living in an American family, attending High School and experiencing the American way of life. All these stays abroad made me more open to the world and ultimately, more curious to experience more.

One among many highlights in the US was the?participation in the DECA state championships; a competition for all business and marketing students in the whole state. I was fascinated about how businesses operated, how marketing worked and how everybody could be unconsciously influenced. At this point, I realized that I wanted to do something with business in the future. Ever since then, I have been following the business news and recently, I even invested in stocks.

Back in Germany, I started to get involved in school politics by being elected president of student council. Part of my position was to lead a team and to negotiate certain goals. Many people were astonished at how much effort I put into it, but it was worth it. I had the time of my life. This position sparked my interest for a career related to business and politics. I believe that by studying Business Administration, I will get a deep insight into the economic world. Politics will come along naturally.

After attaining the Abitur, I have been rendering my civilian service in a kindergarten in Stuttgart. I supervise children who spend their free time in our institution. As we are located in a socially disadvantaged suburb, I am now more sensitive to social problems. As a result, I see it as one of my responsibilities to help reducing the inequality found in many places around the world.

After graduation, I awakened to my personal strengths and skills as well as my career ambitions to think about which university fits best to me. Also, I thought about which university I would fit best to. As a result, I came across the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

A very obvious reason why the EUR is an attractive university is its internationality. The Netherlands being already very international, the university has a high percentage of international students. I love to be among international students because it is a great opportunity to broaden my horizon? and get in touch with people I would normally never have the chance to meet. Getting to know different cultures and habits as well as different opinions and tastes, corresponds strongly to my nature. That is why I see my strong points in the field of communication and conversation.

Another good reason for me to join the EUR is its high standard of education. The education is respected for its multidisciplinarity and thus ranked among the top universities in Europe. This fact attracts many internationally known professors. In addition, the wide range of top partner universities and student networks offer more possibilities to better education. A program, held in English, will prepare me with vocabulary useful and necessary for an international future. In conclusion, I am positive that the EUR is an excellent start for an ambitious business career.

To sum it all up, I like to take responsibility and to work in a team to achieve common goals. I am very motivated and willing to put much effort in my work so that the results are satisfying. I am eager to gain new experiences and I love to communicate. I believe that only the EUR offers the best education and chance of personal improvement at the same time. Therefore I withdrew from an internship offer in the US to be able to start my studies in September 2007. I never felt so right about one university

Thank you for considering my application. I would be very pleased to be granted admission for the fall term.

Sincerely yours,

Thank you Nona!
I corrected the your highlighted problems (underlined = corrected, bold = no clue)

For my own comprehension:
- "to come in touch with" is only used in context of a person
- verb: to participate in
- gain/collect experience...
- after all >>> synonym to finally and eventually, yet incorrect in this context.. why?

Whats the exact difference between opportunity and possibility?

What about the structure or content?

Re: Motivation Letter for admission to Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

nona the brit — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:13:08 GMT

Good letter. Problems highlighted for you

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am hereby applying for entrance for the International business administration program at the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) in September 2007.In the following letter I will explain why I think that the EUR is the ideal university for me.

First of all, I would like to give you some background information about me.
I was raised in a small town called Schwenningen, situated in the South of Germany. Although every one in my family is German, my parents made me come in touch with foreign languages from an early age. Even before primary education, we listened to an English teaching program. Later, at school, I was a quick learner and the foreign languages rapidly became my favorite and best subjects.

I participated at several school exchanges to France and England before spending one year in America as an exchange student, living in an American family, attending High School and experiencing the American way of life. All these stays abroad made me more open to the world and ultimately, more curious to experience more.

One among many highlights in the US was the participation at the DECA state championships; a competition for all business and marketing students in the whole state. I was fascinated about how businesses operated, how marketing worked and how everybody could be unconsciously influenced. At this point, I realized that I wanted to do something with business in the future. Ever since then, I have been following the business news and recently, I even invested in stocks.

Back in Germany, I started to get involved in school politics by being elected president of student council. Part of my position was to lead a team and to negotiate certain goals. Many people were astonished how much effort I put into it, but it was worth it. I had the time of my life. This position sparked my interest for a career related to business and politics. I believe that by studying Business Administration, I will get a deep insight into the economic world. Politics will come along naturally.

After attaining the Abitur, I have been rendering my civilian service in a kindergarten in Stuttgart. I supervise children who spend their free time in our institution. As we are located in a socially disadvantaged suburb, my consciousness is now more sensitive to social problems. As a result, I see it as one of my responsibilities to help fighting the inequality found in many places around the world.

After graduation, I compiled my personal strengths and skills as well as my career ambitions to think about which university fits best to me. Also, I thought about which university I would fit best to. As a result, I came across the Erasmus University Rotterdam.

A very obvious reason why the EUR is an attractive university is its internationality. The Netherlands being already very international, the university has a high percentage of international students. I love to be among international students because it is a great possibility to broaden my horizon and get in touch with people I would normally never have the chance to meet. Getting to know different cultures and habits as well as different opinions and tastes, corresponds strongly to my nature. That is why I see my strengths in the field of communication and conversation.

Another good reason for me to join the EUR is its high standard of education. The education is respected for its way of interdisciplinarity and thus ranked among the top universities in Europe. This fact attracts many internationally known professors. In addition, the wide range of top partner universities and student networks offer more possibilities to better education. A program, held in English, will prepare with vocabulary, useful and necessary for an international future.After all, the EUR is an excellent start for an ambitious business career.

To sum it all up, I like to take responsibility and to work in a team to achieve common goals. I am very motivated and willing to put much effort in my work so that the results are satisfying. I am eager to make new experiences and I love to communicate. I believe that only the EUR offers the best education and chance of personal improvement at the same time. Therefore I withdrew from an internship offer in the US to be able to start my studies in September 2007. I never felt so right about one university

Thank you for considering my application. I would be very pleased to be granted admission for the fall term.

Sincerely yours,

Motivation Letter for admission to Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)

ReemE — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:26:35 GMT

Hi everybody!

This is my first post in this excellent form! I cannot believe I have not been here before! There is so much to learn here...

I have to submit a motivation letter for the Erasmus University Rotterdam where I would like to study. The admission procedure consists of one single letter, which gives it a pretty big importance. Thats why I would be better if someone could read over it and help me with the difficult stuff.. Thanks!

Here is it:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for considering my application. I would be very pleased to be granted admission for the fall term.

Sincerely yours,

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ok.. thats it!!!
I hope I didnt make too many mistakes..
Thanks everybody for reading it!!! It is a pretty long letter.. (some 740 characters..)

I would be delighted if you post some corrections.. Otherwise this is my best attempt...

take care,

ReemE

Could u please help me with my motivation letter?!

Indrute — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 15:05:39 GMT

I want to apply for studying at English university. Could someone correct the mistakes..?! Thanks in advance.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

As for my character I should say I am a strong-willed and ambitious person. I am assured that I can do things I begin and I do not quit until I get what I want. What is more, my friends consider me a reliable person as I always carry out all my engagements, never get confused and remain calm even in the most stressful situations. Furthermore, I enjoy working with others and sharing my opinion. Especially when organizing local events or adolescent camps I have a lot of ideas and suggestions and if there is a necessity I can take a leadership role. Besides, I communicate easily and can strike up a conversation with unfamiliar people. So I can define myself as a cooperative person.

While speaking about my education, I have been learning in European class for four years. I have five English lessons per week plus one Economics lesson and one Business lesson in English. I also have one extra class on history of England. Almost every year I participate in intercollegiate mathematics, history and English Olympiads and I have won a few prizes. Also I have many diplomas for winning national and international ballroom dances competitions.

Thank you for your time and kind attention. I hope that you will find me the right person to study in your university.

Yours faithfully,

I really hope someone can look over my motivation letter.Please!!!

Juliamachita — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:20:59 GMT

Hello to everyone. I am trying to apply for an academic year at a University in Jacksonville. Now I have to write a motivation letter and hand it in on wednesday. I spend a lot of time writing it and now I really hope that someone can help me read over it and tell me if something is very, very wrong or bad. I know, its a big favour I am asking for because the letter is very long......but I hope someone finds time to do it. Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance!!! If someone needs help with german, russian or spanish I can help you too ;-)

So , hereÂ´s the letter:

Why I am highly motivated to study one year at the

University of North Florida, Jacksonville

Dear Sir or Madam,

my name is Julia *** and with this letter I would like to explain my motivaiton for studying two semesters at the University of North Florida .

IÂ´m 22 years old and studying in the third semester at the Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg. My directed interest towards economy and an international education led me to the decision to attend the âEuropean Economics Studiesâ Bachelor programme.

One of the main reasons to choose this programme was the obligatory academic year abroad. Two semester at a foreign college offers a lot of chances: giving material for new perspectives and ideas,establishing new connections, and last but not least it provides the opportunity to identify additional strength and weaknesses.

I am dreaming of going abroad to the USA. In terms of culture , and especially economy and politics, nowadays no one can deny that the United States of America fill an unique position in the current world affairs. This omnipresent appearance and involvation awaked my interest in the country. Caused by my migration from Kazachstan I have always been very open to new people and grew up in an multicultural environment. This fact tought me the importance of understanding and getting involved with different cultures and mentalities.

Furthermore during my stays abroad I came to know how much the experiences in a foreign culture may influence your own mind and thinkings. Just this experiences made me understand aspects of my own cultur and society I have never noticed before. With view to the anglo-american space and especially Jacksonville as a steady growing center of commerce I consider it as particulary attractives to see how it will influence my present angle.

Beeing an ambitious person with a wide range of interest there are other reasons beside the not unimportant experience of life which make me arrive to the decision that a adacemic year at the University of North Florida will complement my education best possible. The University of North Florida, considering field reports, internet presence and personal conversations, give me the impression of being an educational institution which is able to encourage and support their students. Especially I, as/beeing (?) a german student, am impressed by the minimized courses, the way of teaching which is complemented by practical experience and the face-to-face relationship to the lecturers.

I am a person who is communicative, inquiring and likes to work in teams. For this reason I appreciate this system of personal relationship and nearness.

Another reason that makes me confident that University of North Florida is the best University for shaping my future the way I imagine is the large variety of the courses offered. This fact povides me the opportunity to create my way of education as individual as possible.

During my six-month internship in Costa Rica and the following travels through Central America it became clear to me that , after my studies, I want to participate in the sustainable economical Development of Third World- and Developing Countries.For example I would love to work as part of the german GTZ company. With courses like âCurrent Issues in the Economy of Latin Americaâ,â Third World Politicsâ and âInternational Tradeâ the UNF offers me the opportunity to put first focuses on my field of interest. This chance makes the University of North Florida become even more unique for me.

Beside my studies in Bamberg I am member of a consulting business run by students , I participate in the organizasations for a group tour for over 100 freshman students, spend time as a volunteer in a National Park in Costa Rica and spend as much time as possible with sports. Activity for me acts as a perfect counterbalance to my studies. Therefor this aspect was very significant for me in connection with my decision.

Since almost 5 years I am a passionated sailor and wind-surfer. I was pleased to hear about the univesitary surfteam which creates a perfect combination of social work in form of beach cleaning, fund-raisings and the sport in/by itself. It is the first time that I hear of such a combination. This kind of activity impresses and attracts me. I can really imagine taking part in this teamÂ´s work and supporting it with my experiences and ideas.

Thinking about the Univesity of North Florida I am very determined to having found a University which combines all the aspects which are important for a succesfull year abroad. The University is up to the standard I ever imagined it to be, the course offers meet my expectations perfectly and Jacksonville itself attracts me with its multicultural population, its steady growing structure, and offer of activities. The USA, is a phenomenon for me, famous for their tolerance and openness, their living of the american dream and their uniqueness.

In my academic year abroad one of my aims is to be able to judge personaly about information delivered by media or impressions given by personal report about the USA. I want to make my own opinion, confirm or refuse and understand by beeing part of the country.

âAbility is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.â

said once the famous football coach Lou Holtz in order to support his team. This words staid in my mind and explain best my attitude. I am very confident about my decision to enhance my education with a academic year at the Univesity of North Florida, and I feel I will be able to excel in my studies abroad, because it is something that I am extremely interested in doing and that I will enjoy doing.

In the end it is for you to decide if I will be able to make my âgerman dreamâ become reality.

Thank you very much for your time and considering my request. I am looking forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

***

Motivation letter for univserity inside - needs feedback and correction :o)

Anonymous — Sat, 20 May 2006 12:11:32 GMT

would be lovely if somebody could give me some feedback and help me with this letter. especially the paragraph about my EU-motivation and my working-experience could get more compact and precise. i'm not that big poet, so the second paragraph could also be revised. thank you very much in advace!

tom

---

Dear Mr.***

I am currently studying Political Science and History at the University of ***. I am preparing for my diploma thesis and intend to finish my Studies in Political Science within the next four semesters. I would like to apply for the study abroad partnership program between my Home University and the University of Queensland (February till June 2007, Semester 1) because I feel confident and able to undertake this challenge.

Australia is not only a huge island on the other side of the world, more further it is the first country that I did not experienced as a tourist. After my final exams from school I did a little round-the-world trip. America, Australia and New Zealand were part of it. But Australia was more than only a part. I do not know what it exactly was: the friendly and open-minded people who always had a helping hand when needed, the climate, the atmosphere or the positive nativeâs attitude. Maybe it was a combination of everything. Since then I knew that this would be the place where I would like to stay for longer. I donât know if you remember, but in my first semester at University I had visited you and asked about the conditions to go to Australia. Now Iâm eligible. Sydney and surroundings, were I had stayed most of the time, were impressive, but I think that a smaller city like Brisbane would fit my interests best. What I have heard from friends, colleagues and relatives who had been to Australia, Brisbane is a charming place to live and study.

Apart from my personal motivation, Australia fits perfectly into my studies of Political Science. Right from the beginning I focused on the European Union combined with the comparison of political systems. From that point of view, Australia is the ideal country to examine the European Union from a different position. To become more precise:

The issues of European Union policies are an often discussed topic within the EU and the USA. But Australia is not that much affected by any European political decisions like the USA or EU member states. On the one hand because of its geographical distance, on the other because of their hardly existing business relations. Therefore it is a perfect neutral place to examine this matter and get a different point of view. Skimming through the course catalogue of the UQ, I have found a lot of interesting courses that would suit my field of interest. âEuropean Political Issuesâ or âAustralian Foreign Policyâ, to name only a few, would be very intriguing. As a student of History, Australian history (especially the Aborigines and Australiaâs immigration policy) with all their consequences to present day politics would also be an interesting field to enrol for (âAustralian Political Institutionsâ or âCitizenship and Australian Democracyâ). The FakultÃ¤tsstudienleiter of my Institute, Dr. ***, supports me with my plans of spending an exchange semester in Brisbane and I am also totally convinced that Brisbane would promote myself, my further academic way and my diploma thesis which will be related to the European Union.

This study abroad program would also go hand in hand with my future career plans. Beside my studies I am working as a PR-Assistant at the *** where I am responsible for a broad range of activities. Furthermore I am doing an Internship at the âEuropÃ¤isches Forum Alpbachâ (EFA) this summer, where I will be responsible for public relations among other things. At the EFA, influential decision-makers and researchers will discuss current issues related to the future of Europe. This will be an unique opportunity to deepen my knowledge about the EU and extend my abilities in public relations. But my professional goal is to work in an International Organisation like the United Nations after my graduation. An exchange semester in Brisbane would improve my language skills and provide me with a deeper insight into an international life that an exchange semester would definitely bring along.

Discussing all the things that Brisbane could contribute to my personal development, I would also like to tell you how I would represent my country abroad.

Australia is a melting pot of different nations where Austria should not be missing. Growing up in a little village I would describe myself as a typical Tyrolean. My father, a cake shop and cafÃ© owner, integrated me very early into everyday life through our business. This means that I am used to talk to many people with different backgrounds which influenced my attitude towards people and made me an outgoing person. Although I have been travelling a lot and got to know many people from all over the world, time was always too short to really get to know different cultures. Brisbane as an international meeting point would be best to become aware of the Australian way of life combined with the possibility to pass on my culture â either if itâs baking a Sachertorte or talking about our way of life, history and values.

Bearing all this facts in mind, I would love to go to Australia through spending some time of my studies there. I hope that I will be offered a place and if so, I ensure you that I will do everything to take full advantage of my stay in Brisbane. I am really looking forward to a personal conversation and hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerly,

please help me to check my motivation letter

Yulia — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 04:12:50 GMT

Hey, I am a Chinese who really wants to have my master's degree in Netherland. I wrote my motivation letter, but not sure about how it is, whether its good enough to get me in a research master's program.

So, please help me!! I would be really thankful for all of you here~~~~~

It is not often that a Chinese girl strikes up a passion for Indonesian and Malaysian civilization, since the two countries had been against Chinese for a long time. Nevertheless, my interest in different cultures flourished during my childhood and adolescence in Hang Zhou.

To a large extent, and by most definitions, I have always been a non-traditional and unconventional student. I went to a high school named HFLS with a curriculum that was as challenging for me as any course I have taken in college. This high school was unique due to its English education. As one of the countryâs best known high school for English education, it allowed me at a very early age to experience a language and culture different from mine. During the six years there, I got more chances to meet people from other countries and cultural backgrounds, and was being encouraged to read not only Chinese Philosophy, but Western Philosophy as well. In addition, they inspired me to see life from a different perspective. Another unique feature of this school was that once every semester we had to give an oral presentation in front of all teachers and students from the same grade. This experience helped me develop my ability to think critically and present a cogent thesis. It forced me to grow not only as a student, but more importantly, as an individual.

With the big quantity of reading about Western culture and literature, I found that I was deeply addicted to different cultures, and that is why I chose Indonesian language and culture as my major in University. This decision was to the great dismay of my parents, who wanted me to enter business school. With much resistance, I enrolled at GDUFS. The university provided me with a variety of subjects that ranged from History and Geography to Linguistic and Literature. All the knowledge Iâve learned about Indonesia increased my interest in this country, making me want to know more about it. That was when the chance of applying for the fellowship program of exchanging students between Indonesia and China came to me. Without doubt, I applied for the program although I realized the possibility to be accepted was very small, but fortunately I got the chance!! I was so excited about actually going to the country to live there and experience the local culture first-hand, and to practice oral Indonesian.

When I arrived in Jakarta, I remember getting off the airplane and fearing everyone speaking Indonesian. Everything I saw and heard was so attractive to me. Although Iâve learn about the country quite lot, seeing the real country still made a huge impact on me; I can still recall how exotic my environment was.

During one year, I went through an intensive Indonesian language immersion program. Quickly I felt comfortable living there, as I began to communicate with people better in Indonesian. I was invited to teach Mandarin Chinese in the faculty of business at Padjadjaran University, but I told the dean that except tutoring some high school students, I had no public teaching experience. The faculty informed me that if I joined some of the facultyâs best teachersâ classes, I would be ok to teach. However, I still felt hesitated about the teaching job. So as a preparation, I reedited all the teaching materials for the class and settled a whole new schedule for the program. The faculty was so impressed by this that after I completed all the preparation they appointed me coordinator of the Mandarin Chinese program, and even offered me salary. I was astounded by the generosity and honesty that I received from the people in Bandung.

This was a truly remarkable experience. In Bandung, I lived with a Sundanese family. This allowed me to assimilate my culture with the customs and habits of this particular Indonesian family. We had long conversations about fundamental aspects of Indonesian culture and philosophy. The family also brought me to all the Indonesian festivals and celebrations. It was in Bandung that I realized I must earn a higher degree in Southeast Asian Studies. After spending a year in Indonesian and visited many different islands and cities, I returned to China to complete my degree. My time in Indonesian taught me so much about myself, and it gave me the perspective to see things from both a local Chinese and an Indonesian point of view.

Since my return to China, my last year study in university became more exciting for me. Now I do not study it because I find it somewhat interesting but because I am devoted to it; I want to make it my life. I am learning more about Indonesia and Malaysia, as I chose Ancient Jawanese Literature and Melayu Literature courses, with helped me to understand more about the world view and thinking pattern of Melayu people. Also with the course about Political, Economy and Chinese Indonesian issue in Indonesian, Iâve learned about Indonesian society nowadays. With the determination of further my knowledge about Indonesia in Leiden, I found myself fully motivated in learning now; even I planned to join a language program of Dutch. Currently I am a senior, majoring in Indonesian-Malaysian Language and Culture with a minor in International Finance.

In addition to maintaining good academic performance throughout my university career, I have also worked hard as a vice president at universityâs students union. Working my own way through university not only demonstrates my determination to gaining a high quality education and the seriousness with which I treat academics, but also attests to my leadership ability, maturity, and responsibility, both as a leader and as a student at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

The growing importance of Indonesia as a determining factor in global economy and the increasing interaction and commerce of Indonesia with China, suggests to me that pursing a degree in Southeast Asian Studies would be pertinent and appealing. While I have no doubt the program in Leiden will push me to my limits, I am confident that I can face the rigorous challenges posed by graduate study and thrive under the demanding environment that advanced studies entail. My knowledge of Indonesian culture and mastery of the Indonesian language would be a very strong asset. Armed with the confidence that I can excel at difficult courses, I believe I can achieve the highest level of success and satisfaction by taking the most demanding graduate program available.

Southeast Asian Study is more than just my primary area of education; it has also become my hobby and lifestyle. The questions posed and answered via the study have fascinated me for a very long time and have stimulated me to ask and seek to answer further questions. With my mind set on the very specific goal of preparing myself as excellently as possible for a future in the field of Southeast Asian study, I am fully confident that, with the ability to pursue my education at the University of Leiden, I will not only be able to fulfill my dream, but to contribute substantially to the university as well.