Prompt (Carolina Spring Forward)
Carolina Spring Forward provides the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica, Ireland, Scotland, South Korea, or Spain with other Carolina students during the spring semester of their first year. Students will take pre-approved courses that fulfill UNC requirements and will be eligible for scholarship funding.
Why do you want to participate in the global opportunities you’ve selected, and in what ways are you hoping to grow through the experience(s)? (250 words)
Essay
In addition to learning about a country’s culture, I’m interested in how that culture affected the country’s political and economic decisions. Learning about those ideas while in a country whose structure is foreign to me will expand my horizons and make me avoid adopting an American-only mindset, which is why I’m drawn to UNC’s global opportunities. This world is more connected than ever before, so I want to make learning about other countries’ economic composition a crucial portion of my business education. Immersing myself in another country for months will help me better understand the culture that the local people and government are coming from, which will compel me to consider a multitude of perspectives and motives when studying at UNC and in my future job.
I’m interested in UNC’s programs in Costa Rica, Spain, and Scotland because their economic structures are vastly different from the US. With a large portion of Costa Rica’s GDP made up from tourism and agriculture, their government is incentivized to make decisions that benefit those sectors. Spain’s involvement in the EU causes them to operate more openly, knowing that they have to fulfill certain requirements. And Scotland’s economy interests me because of their shared interdependence with the UK.
Throughout my life, I have been privileged enough to explore the world with my parents. I want to continue this at UNC and mix my love of traveling with my passion for business, while adopting a multicultural perspective.
Tips for Writing/
One piece of advice that really helped me was to remember to prewrite. Even if you think you know what you want to talk about, it’s always good to structure out your essay so you don’t end up writing aimlessly. Once you decide your topic, think about exactly what you want to bring up and then determine roughly what percent of the essay each section could take. When you start writing the essay, follow your prewrite and the structure you created. Finally, when you’re on the editing stage, cut down the writing to match the percentages you assigned to each section earlier. This method helps you focus on the main parts of the essay without getting dragged down by the unimportant details.