Personal Statment Antidote

1. Please describe how you have prepared for your intended major, including your readiness to succeed in your upper-division courses once you enroll at the university.

I have chosen to major in economics as I think that this subject area enables me to think critically. My interest in the major began at the age of seven. It is related to the fact that my father successfully operated a factory and he taught me how to do accounting and solve problems. This has substantially influenced my decision concerning the future profession. I was born in Guangdong Province and its capital is the major port and transportation hub. Hence, I could see how technological inventions made positive changes in my hometown and in my life. It also contributed to my major choice.

I have some experience in the intended major as I was involved in the organization of a show with my friends when I went to college in China. We used knowledge of economics to save our budget by calculating the minimum cost of everything we needed for the show. It helped me realize that economics may be extremely useful. In college, I have taken Math and Economics as these courses would prepare me for the upper-division classes. I have received the basic knowledge and skills that will enable me to become a successful student and get academic growth. I have already solved some problems in economics and it has made me realize that I possess innovative and critical thinking. Moreover, I often join study groups with my classmates to discuss problems in the sphere of economics. We share our ideas and improve our understanding of many concepts. 

Thus, my interest in economics is related to the work of my father and his desire to teach me the basics of his profession. Also, it has been intensified by my college experience. I am ready to become a highly-qualified professional. 

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2. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?  

I did volunteer work to make new friends and make my community a better place. I believe that people should care more about the environment and community well-being. I am convinced that all members of our community should do their best to clean the environment, saving it from numerous disasters and catastrophes. It is evident that people are the primary cause of many disasters and their actions can prevent or reduce negative outcomes. Therefore, I have been involved in cleaning streets, forests, beaches, and other places.  

I took part in the volunteer project called “Run for Hope.” My responsibility was to set up tables and give free food to people who participated in the event. As soon as the event began, I started to walk around and pick up the garbage to keep the site clean. I showed people that everyone can do the same to support our work. It is essential to persuade the community that cooperation helps to meet the highest objectives and goals. 

Also, I joined the event for cleaning up the beach so that people could enjoy their holiday in a safe environment. People throw garbage and do not think about the consequences. When I walk through the campus, I pick up the garbage if I see any. In this way, I want to show an example to other students as there is nothing shameful about making our academic environment clean.

Thus, I am convinced that every person can do simple acts to make our society a better place. I have been doing a lot to show a good example to follow and to persuade people to become more attentive to our community and its problems.  

3. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.  

When I was in college in China, I organized a volunteer event. It was the best leadership experience in my life as the event substantially influenced others, enabled to contribute to group efforts, and resolve disputes. It provided me with invaluable experience that will help me to become an effective student and a professional in the future. 

My leadership experience presupposes leading a team of 25 students. We had to convince people to donate their money, enabling us to send it to the Red Cross and to the poor areas of China. I understood that it is very difficult to lead so many students. However, I decided to plan and analyze every activity to avoid potential failures and misunderstandings. Therefore, I divided the team members into six groups and provided each group with a box to collect money. I arranged different groups to take charge of different streets to reduce the chance of communicating with the same people. Also, the group with the smallest number of students took charge of the street with fewer pedestrians. However, when I saw that more people began to roam the street, I asked other students to help this group. When the boxes were filled with money, I collected them and sent to the department that organized the activity. 

I experienced some difficulties as the group member required an explanation why I had asked them to work in a certain street. Several students wanted to change the team or the street. I did my best to persuade them that my choice was related to many factors and that they should follow the suggestions of their team leader. I was happy when I saw that our work was rewarding and all team members were satisfied with it. My leadership experience enabled me to understand that cooperation is vital. Effective leaders are aware of all the details and take into account all the suggestions provided by team members. A clear understanding of the work responsibilities and support are the main constituents of leadership.

4. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

When I took Calculus 1 in my second semester, I could not follow the lecture given by my professor. The greatest challenge was that I did not understand the notes and failed to grasp the idea of what he was talking about. It made me read the textbook several times. Also, I asked my friends and the professor questions related to the lecture after class. I saw that the questions sounded boring to them and not all of them had time to discuss the questions after classes. I felt that I took their spare time and it made me sad. I understood that such a situation could not last long and I had to take action to solve the problem. Hence, I began to take English classes to improve my listening and writing skills. I worked hard and used numerous approaches to learn as effectively and quickly as I could. In several weeks, I began to understand the basic information provided by the professor. Also, my notes looked more comprehensible. Then, I went over the questions related to the learning material with my counselor, and it helped to increase my understanding. 

Also, I watched videos and listened to different online courses. From time to time, I watched TV with my friends, and they prepared small quizzes for me to check whether I had understood the details. My attempts to improve the language were successful, and I began to show good results. My hard work and desire to learn helped me overcome the barrier. As a result, I got a grade of A for this class, which made me proud. Since that time I know that I can cope with any barrier and obstacle to achieve my goals.