Plaza College 2010 Writing Competition

WINNER: 1st place, LL254 Division
WINNER: 2nd place, College-wide Competition

Question: How has studying English changed your life?

By Johnny Lee

My first language is Chinese. I came to America in 2000, when I was 15 years old. At that time, I was a total stranger, and my mind was empty of English. The only thing I had was intermediate Chinese language; therefore, I spent a couple rough and struggling years from 2000-2003 because I could not comprehend English immediately. I dropped out of high school and started work. When I decided to come back to school, it was in 2008; I started attending college. During that time, my life and dreams have changed dramatically and significantly. Those changes can be seen in my self-confidence, knowledge, and personality improvement.

To have full confidence is a very important element in any life stage. However, this does not come with people when they are born. Confidence must come from your education and be built on your hard work and socializing. Since I attended Plaza College, my confidence has been improving in many ways. These include communication with others, oral presentations in class, and developing the ability to do all the homework assignments. These are the essential qualities to help me to get excellent grades in school and be able to show my utmost ability in the workplace. Therefore, it has not only benefited me in school, but also my whole life.

Learning English has helped me to open my eyes to this world and see its colors. I did not know and was not interested in Broadway shows, the Metropolitan Museum, and poetry in the days when my English was terrible and incomplete. Plaza College has taught me tremendous and useful knowledge that will benefit my life forever. This feeling never existed in my mind before. As a result, I can read and watch any material on television in English. This helps me to understand the world better and faster. At last, I can now put “bilingual” on my resume as well.

Personalities will be changed when people study English in college. In high school, most students are still enjoying free time with their friends. They usually do not have a lot of pressure in their lives. This may be the main reason I dropped out of high school, because of my immature, irresponsible, and careless personality. Once I got into  college, the environment changed dramatically. Students study harder and are more focused on their education. Their behavior and speech become more mature and professional. This experience has influenced and taught me directly and greatly. Since then, I am more responsible and mature in everything, whether in school or life.

To summarize, English has shaped and built a successful and better future for me. It has helped me build strong self-confidence, a range of knowledge, and a good personality. I am glad I study at Plaza College. There are many great and knowledgeable faculty members as well.  My life and English have changed and improved, and it all came from teachers and students with whom I have worked. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to do or learn something in your life, just give yourself a chance to try.  Maybe it will give you a surprise and change your life forever.