'smells of an open market' - Michigan State University Group Collaboration

If admitted to Michigan State, you will join a diverse community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Please respond to the following hypothetical situation: In your first-semester English course you are assigned a group writing project to be completed within a week. In addition to yourself, your group is comprised of five other students, some of whom are from different countries and/or have different racial/ethnic backgrounds than you. Please explain how your past life experiences will help you effectively collaborate with your group members in order to achieve success on this project. (400 Words) Currently at 388 words.

Delicious smells of an open market fill vivid memories of my early childhood spent in the Philippines. As I meandered past vendors selling various items the aroma of frying fish, pickled duck eggs, and roasting pork wafted through the air towards my nostrils. We easily found the vegetables needed for dinner tonight due to the vastness of the market. After bringing the ingredients home the whole family gathered around to help cook the meal. My cousins and I peeled and washed the vegetables while the adults fried the juicy fish. With everyone working together to craft a delicious meal we quickly finished and began enjoying the fruits of our labor. Living in the Philippines taught me the importance of hard work and the importance of everyone doing their fair share.

Moving back to the United States after a year in the Philippines gave me a different perspective on life because of what I saw and learned. The values I learned from my time in another country became a crucial part of me. As months went by, I slowly assimilated into western society; I dissolved into the "melting pot". Through the "melting pot" I learned of other people's customs and traditions. My new friend from Korea taught me the importance of having well-knit friendships and harmony. She showed me through example that strong friendships lead to a more enriched life and better mental health. From an Egyptian classmate I learned his attitude of unconditional respect and integrity. His smiling face and model of integrity helped me avoid many compromising situations as I aged. A Chilean student teacher educated me on the importance of working enthusiastically. He showed me the possibility of having fun while working and helped liven up dull homework assignments. These lessons also taught me the importance of my upbringing and how much experience I have to offer. Their unique lives helped teach me tremendous amounts of knowledge about other cultures, and I can use the information to help facilitate our project.

Getting to know people who have different backgrounds, interest, and appearances helped me learn many different techniques of approaching problems. I also learned the importance of respecting other people's perspectives because they may have a lot to contribute. My unique perspective allows me to ensure the ease of communication between group members to attain success.

We easily found the vegetables needed for dinner tonight, due to the vastness of the market.

After bringing the ingredients home, the whole family gathered around to help cook the meal.

As months went by, I slowly assimilated into western society; I dissolved into the "melting pot". ---This is an awesome sentence!

He showed me the possibility of having fun while working, and helped liven up dull homework assignments.

Getting to know people who have different backgrounds, interests , and appearances helped me learn many different techniques for approaching problems.

:)