AP Lit Connections

            I am planning on attending Michigan State this coming fall, and I am looking into the freshman seminar abroad this summer in Ireland. To apply for the program, I have to write several essays. This is where my writing improvement plan—and everything else I’ve learned—came in handy. I unleashed everything I know to help strengthen my essays. Below is one that I wrote to answer the question: “Describe a time you have interacted with someone different than yourself; focus specifically on how you dealt with the situation.”

This past summer, I traveled to Beijing, China with my mother. In the months leading up to our departure, I heard countless stories from friends and family who have traveled there about how strikingly different it is from the United States. I listened to each account trying to prepare myself for the inevitable culture shock; however, nothing could have trained me for the eye – opening experience that was my trip to Beijing.

            The Silk Market is a quintessential example of the stark differences between American and Chinese culture. In this several story mall, vendors are grabbing, yelling, following, and harassing shoppers to hopefully procure a purchase. An environment like this would intimidate and make most people uncomfortable, but all I could do was smile. How could I not? This experience is unfathomable in America.

Instead of shying away from the aggressive vendors, I embraced it with open arms. Every time my mother and I would be interested in buying something, we would begin a conversation with the vendor tending to us. We inquired about their day, their favorite things, and what they liked to do: we made jokes, smiled, and laughed with many of them. We got to know these strangers as much as twenty minutes or so would allow. Heck, we even made a few friends. I specifically tried to look at life from the perspective of the Silk Market vendors—to gain an understanding of how these people lived their lives. It was difficult to contemplate myself in their position, but that is exactly what I attempted to do. By smiling, laughing, and trying to understand the vendor’s way of life, I was able to fully appreciate the Silk Market.

            I started my essay by focusing on my thesis. I introduce the topic of my essay in the very first sentence: my trip to Beijing. I then give the reader of preview of what is to come with the last sentence: how crazy the experience was. My opening paragraph sets the scene for what is to come. While constructing this essay, I was constantly thinking about grammar constructions and tips to improve my writing. It was always on the forefront of my mind. This piece is a great example of everything I have been learning and working on over the past 18 weeks.