Describe a big change in your life related to your job/studies
You should say:- what happened
- when it happened
- what you did
Sample Answer
I've always wondered how a single year, actually less than 365 days, may be able to turn your whole life around. But I think I have come to the conclusion, thanks to a unique and unforgettable experience. It's very simple, but I'm going to start at the beginning.
I was a fourth-year student studying Infant and Primary Education. Indeed, my adventure began when I started my studies at university, but the course that really marked this stage of my life was the third year of my career when I had to go abroad for an academic year, but not to any place but to where I dreamed of going since I was little: to the United States.
The truth was that when I discovered the exact destination it was nothing less than a town lost in the middle of nowhere. Obviously, I did not expect that much, but in the end, Cape Girardeau, in Missouri, was quite an adventure.
It all started with paperwork in Spain: visa, looking at residences, medical insurance ..., as well as a million questions that I had no answer. How will it be when I get there? Will I make many friends? Will the Americans be sociable? Will the university be like in the movies? A thousand images went through my head every second, the only thing that was clear to me was that I was going to a university in a lost town called Southeast Missouri State University.
After a boring, long trip, more than 17 hours, we arrived at an airport in which a small plane was waiting for us, in which only eight passengers entered. No, it's no joke, that's where my adventure started. We arrived at the campus and of course, we had two more days full of paperwork, but also to know how to locate and differentiate the buildings, each had its name and its exact location, but for me, they were all the same and seemed to be miles away from each other.
In those early days, I also discovered where the famous Starbucks was located, which was one of the most visited sites on campus as a meeting place for all students because it is the only place in the USA where you can drink coffee minimally similar to what you can find in Spain on every corner.
The food was also an experience worth telling: I have to say yes, it's true, the university students there only eat chips, pizza, hamburgers and Mexican food. For one season it's fine, but over the months you start to miss the Serrano ham, olive oil, and many things from your "home" food.
The good thing is that the great family that we created among the international students was always willing to make us dishes of their own culture. In that university, there were not only Americans, but different students in the same situation as me or, what is better, they had already been in that situation of being a novice and were willing to help you at all times.
I tried all kinds of delicacies from all over the world. And, of course, they also had the opportunity to taste Spanish omellete, "that thing that carries eggs and potatoes," as some used to say.
I remember the first day of class in my new university, a new country, a language that, although it was not new, had a different accent that made it almost new. But everything was very simple: lovely teachers, classmates who helped me, interesting subjects that helped me increase my skills and competencies ... and surrounded by the whole atmosphere of a US campus, which seems to never sleep.
After meeting people who end up being your family, visiting unforgettable cities in each holiday period, taking courses that do not exist in Spanish universities, or going to bars and realizing that the Spaniards are real partiers, after all the Starbucks cafes, all the adventures, laughter, and tears, after all that and much more you realize that the year has passed too fast, that you would like to go back and start this adventure from the beginning. But it is time to return to routine and you see yourself on a plane back to Spain.
That is when you realize that everything has changed, although, in reality, you have changed. You are no longer the same, you are completely different. You like another kind of music, you have become more sociable, you are able to solve problems by yourself, you realize the true definition of the word friend, you get an immense knowledge of cultures and languages ... you need time to settle and return to the Spanish reality and, when you do, you think about going back, you talk with your friends, it is strange that you will not go back, but you know that you have a thousand more adventures to live, a thousand more countries for visiting and a thousand more people to meet.
An adventure like that makes you realize how everything has changed, how your life has been transformed in less than a year. It could even be said that you are a completely different person and that you have many more tools to enjoy your personal life and succeed in the professional world.
Quick Quiz
1. What motivated the narrator to go abroad for an academic year?
A) It was a requirement for their university program.B) They wanted to explore a new culture and language.
C) They were offered a job opportunity in the United States.
2. What was the narrator's initial impression of Cape Girardeau, Missouri?
A) They were disappointed by its size and location.B) They found it to be an exciting adventure.
C) They had no expectations about the town.
3. What did the narrator find challenging during their first days on campus?
A) Navigating the campus and finding buildings.B) Adjusting to the American education system.
C) Communicating with fellow students.
4. What role did Starbucks play in the narrator's experience abroad?
A) It served as a popular meeting spot for international students.B) It provided the only source of 'Spanish-style' coffee on campus.
C) It was not mentioned in the text.
5. How did the narrator's experience abroad impact them personally?
A) They became less interested in traveling and meeting new people.B) They gained new skills, friendships, and cultural understanding.
C) They became homesick and regretted their decision to study abroad.