17/2/11

Hành trình du học - Bài viết cho Học bổng Fulbright 2007 - PERSONAL STATEMENT

In response to some requests, I decided to share the second essay in my application for the Fulbright 2007 for your reference. The first one, study objectives, was posted in a previous entry. April 4, 2008 is the deadline for applications for Fulbright 2009 to be submitted. Hope that from now on until that date, all applicants can satisfactorily filled in all the blanks in the application form to best describe him/herself and his/her ideals. This essay does not embrace a model applicable to all but simply present an example of how an essay of personal statement could be constructed along a set of requirements. 

Requirement: This personal statement should be narrative statement describing how you have achieved your current goals. It should not be a mere listing of facts. It should include information about your education, practical experience, special interests, and career plans. Describe any significant factors that have influenced your educational or professional development. Comment on the number of years or practical experience already completed in the field in which academic work will be done in the U.S. 
 
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PERSONAL STATEMENT

Field of Studies: American Studies

When I was about to write this personal statement, I recalled a true story from my childhood. Just one month after I was born, a special friend of my parents’, who was very knowledgeable in astrology and physiognomy, visited my family. Watching me sleep like a log in a cradle, she let it slip that I would become a statesman or an ambassador rather than a technician or an engineer as my father had hoped. 

I grew up and did not invested much hope in this prophesy because from primary school to high school I excelled in math, physics, chemistry and other natural science subjects. I was allergic to literature and foreign languages but I could spend a whole day long confined to my room looking for the solution to a math problem. In 1995, my excellence in math took me to the High School for Gifted Students in Mathematics and Informatics in Hanoi, which brings together math talents from every corner of the country. At that time I thought I would become a mathematician or an IT expert. 

However, things have changed since my unintended talk with my friend’s uncle, Mr. A, the chief negotiator of Vietnam on ..., in January 1998. His patriotism, his interesting stories about negotiations, his sense of humor, sophisticated manners and common courtesy awakened my desire to be someone like him. Especially, he opened my eyes to brand new images of the United States and other countries in the world, which I had quite often heard about but did not know well. That talk changed my life. I chose to follow my schooling at the Institute for International Relations (IIR) instead of the Hanoi University of Technology.

The change introduced a whole new experience, because my strength in math and other natural sciences could not easily be brought into play in a new realm of social sciences and foreign languages. However, despite many initial difficulties in learning English, I have found a different, no less interesting world than the realm of mathematics. In this new world problems, mainly related to behaviors of and relations among individuals, social groups and nation-states, appear with many parameters, both constant and variable, predictable as well as unpredictable, and cannot be solved with singular fixed solutions. 

At the IIR, I had time and resources to satisfy my personal curiosity about the United States. I have read many books about the American history, culture and people and have had many opportunities to listen to and talk with various distinguished American professors and politicians. I have been most impressed with the first Ambassador to Vietnam Pete Peterson, Prof. Jack Snyder of Columbia University, Prof. Robert A. Scalapino of University California at Berkeley, and David Lampton of Johns Hopkins University. I soon came to realize that, throughout my undergraduate years, my personal curiosity had developed into a strong academic interest in American Studies. That is the reason why after graduation I happily accepted the offer to a voluntary post of research assistant at the Center for European and American Studies.

In November 2003, I participated in two tough nation-wide competitions with the Ministry of Trade (MOT) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) at the same time. The results from MOT were received first, so I started working for the European and American Department in January 2004. There, I was chosen to be an administrative assistant to Mr. A whom I met before. He did not remember me, a little boy six years ago, and now his colleague. However, at the end March 2004, I was informed that I successfully passed the entry exam to MOFA. I stood at the crossroad. Which way should I go?

I must say that working with Mr. A has been the most valuable experience that I have ever had. I learned much from him, not only from his expertise but also from his working enthusiasm and seriousness. MOT is a stimulating working environment with various opportunities for young specialists to follow. However, my specialty was not economics or trade policy. Finally, in the light of my academic interests, I decided to move to MOFA.

Now, as a researcher and a lecturer at the IIR (MOFA), the country’s leading think-tank in the field of external affairs at the service of Vietnamese leaders, I have set forth clear goals to achieve. My professional goal is to become an expert in and a professor of American studies. My ultimate career goal, as a diplomat, is to be an accredited Vietnamese ambassador abroad. To this end, my first step will be to study in the United States for two years in a relevant Master’s program to deepen my expertise and add to my practical experience.

I am aware that these goals are grand, but not unrealistic. A Master’s degree is extremely important for me now because it is a springboard for my career development. A long and bumpy road is waiting ahead before the goals are achieved. But once I made up my mind, I am determined to accomplish them no matter how hard it is. I strongly believe that I will overcome it by my brainpower, my will power and a bit of luck. 

(Total: 887 words)

(Source: http://vn.360plus.yahoo.com/dothanhai/article?mid=25) 

19 nhận xét:

  1. know your blog by chance. Wow, admire you! I also studied at IIR in 2002. Thanks for your advice to learn English well.

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  2. Hi Thuy, thanks for your nice words. Actually, this personal statement belongs to Hai, an ex-IIR student. I am sharing it on my blog in the spirit of paying it forward. Cheers,

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    Trả lời
    1. C ơi,e có ý định qua mỹ du học thời gian ngắn 6 tháng đến 1 năm,có lẽ là học tiếng anh,tiếng anh e rất kém,e đang tìm thông tin nhưng chưa thực sự hiểu lắm,c có thê cho e vài lời khuyên ko.e cảm ơn c

      Xóa
    2. C ơi,e có ý định qua mỹ du học thời gian ngắn 6 tháng đến 1 năm,có lẽ là học tiếng anh,tiếng anh e rất kém,e đang tìm thông tin nhưng chưa thực sự hiểu lắm,c có thê cho e vài lời khuyên ko.e cảm ơn c

      Xóa
  3. Trinh Thuy09:59 7/11/12

    Hi sis Trang,
    It's great to read this article for reference cuz I am also writing personal statement to study abroad. Thank for yr sharing...

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  4. I have learned a lot from your great attempt and passion on the way gaining scholarships, sis. Thanks so much for sharing!!!

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  5. Nặc danh16:25 2/7/13

    Dear sis Trang,

    Thank you very much for sharing! It's absolutely an amazing personal statement!

    However, I can only access to archives up to Jan, 2011 and cannot find the previous entry about Study Objective as you mentioned.

    Would you please show me the link of that entry?
    Thank you so much in advance :)

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  6. You shared an informative document. It is a rich source of inspiration for me. You made my day!

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  7. thanks for your informations
    .....................................................................................
    Thời trang nam CANSHOP
    Áo sơ mi nam caro tay ngắn giá rẻ tại tphcm
    Ao so mi nam caro tay ngan gia re tai tphcm”

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  8. Nặc danh11:42 13/6/16

    Bài luận rất hay, cám ơn chị đã chia sẻ !

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  9. That's an impressive statement. The writer must have spent much time doing this one. I am also on my way to apply for a scholarship and this statement will surely be useful to me. Thank you so much!!!

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  10. bài viết rất chi tiết, cám ơn tác giả
    có nên đi du học nhật bản không

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  11. Thanks to the author's information, scholarship, in order to study in California, Ohio, Toronto, USA, UK.. you need to have good English, accompanied by accredited English certificates IELTS, Cambridge ... to achieve high scores in these English exams, many young people now choose to study in the Philippines to learn English, you can see more about studying in the Philippines. On the New Vision website, at this link: http://duhocnv.edu.vn/du-hoc

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  12. Tôi thấy muốn đi du học năm 2019 này cần rất nhiều thứ như IELTS, kết quả học tập tốt để có thể nhận những suất học bổng giá trị, những kiến thức cơ bản và kinh nghiệm về cuộc sống du học. Bạn nên lựa chọn Trung tâm tư vấn du học TMS Educaion website chính thức: http://duhoctms.edu.vn/ là đơn vị hỗ trợ tư vấn du học các nước tốt nhất cho bạn.

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  13. Cảm ơn những chia sẻ thông tin hữu ích của bạn. Ngoài ra mình cũng muốn chia sẻ đến bạn và mọi người địa chỉ cung cấp DV phiên dịch viên quốc tế trên toàn quốc. Công Ty Phiên Dịch - Dịch Thuật A2Z, cung cấp phiên dịch viên đa ngôn ngữ, đa ngành nghề số 1 tại Việt Nam. DV uy tín, nhanh chóng, chất lượng... Điểm lợi khi sử dụng phiên dịch viên tại A2Z, tiết kiệm tối thời gian và chi phí, hoàn phí 100% khi có lỗi từ DV. Tham khảo chi tiết các ngôn ngữ: Phiên dịch tiếng anh, Phiên dịch tiếng đức, Phiên dịch tiếng pháp, Phiên dịch tiếng Nga, Phiên dịch tiếng Nhật, Phiên dịch tiếng Hàn, Phiên dịch tiếng Trung ......

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  14. tiếng anh của bạn tốt quá. Bài viết rất hay.
    học tiếng anh dễ hơn tiếng Nhật. xuat khau lao dong nhat ban
    xuat khau lao dong

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  15. I was reading some of your content on this website and I conceive this internet site is really informative ! Keep on putting up. du học Nhật

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  16. IECS is a consulting company specializing in studying abroad in Germany, especially studying German nursing in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. IECS is the most prestigious and best German vocational training center in Vietnam. See more at vuatiengduc for more details

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  17. IECS is a consulting company specializing in studying abroad in Germany, especially studying German nursing in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. IECS is the most prestigious and best German vocational training center in Vietnam. See more at luatphapduc to know more

    Trả lờiXóa