My experience of studying abroad - Essay Example

Personal Essay Every country has a responsibility towards its citizens and it is the responsibility of the government to make sure that equal rights are given to all the citizens. Being born and raised in Russia, my family has always acted in a responsible way and fulfilled all their duties towards this country. Therefore, our expectations from the government were really high until the day I was denied admission in prestigious universities because of not having the `right` contacts or connections in high positions. This unfair treatment, not only affected me, but my entire family as well. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. This is a saying by Martin Luther King Jr, a strong promoter of equal rights, who believed that the entire human network is bound together and if one individual suffers, then it affects the entire human race (Injustice Quotes, Web). What is injustice? It is the violation of the rights of other individuals, by treating them unfairly or not giving them their rights (Injustice Definition, Web). Every human being is entitled to a fair, just and an equal treatment and it is the responsibility of a country`s government to make sure that no prejudice is taking place Being denied admission in one of the most prestigious colleges of Russia, I am one of these countless victims who suffer from discrimination worldwide. Since childhood, my parents have encouraged me to work hard in order to fulfill my dreams. Education has always been an important part of my life. I strive for academic excellence, always willing to make the most of it. Along with studies, I have been involved in extra-curricular activities like sports, public speaking and even voluntary services. All of these made me an excellent candidate for this college and I had my hopes high. All my family and friends were sure that I would get in as I fulfilled all the criteria of this college. As this was a public college, my education would have been for free and my parents were happy about it. When half of my classmates were accepted, I was just waiting for my admission and my teachers were sure that I my admission letter was on its way. But I kept waiting and waiting. My professors and colleagues told me not to give up hope and assured me that there had been some mistake. I wondered whether I had made some blunder in submitting my application and started blaming myself. After much pressure from my instructors and family, I wrote to the college again and asked for the status of my application. The very next day, there was a letter in my mailbox from this college. My family became really excited knowing that it was my acceptance letter. As soon as I read it, tears filled my eyes. Thinking that they were tears of happiness, my family started hugging and congratulating me. The pain that I felt at that particular moment was the worst of its kind. I did not know how to tell my parents about the truth, knowing that it would ruin the perfect smiles on their face. But I knew I had to tell them, there was no other way. With much courage, I told them it was not an acceptance letter and was a rejection one. The expressions on their faces made it worse for me. Thinking that their ears were deceiving them, they took the letter from me and realized that I was saying the truth. They embraced me and assured me that this college was not worth having such an outstanding student like me. But whatever they did, I know that my life-long dream had been destroyed. But why was I rejected? I fulfilled their criteria then what possible reason did they have for rejecting me? The answer was clear and obvious. My parents did not have high contacts in the government and that was the highest criteria that any candidate should fulfill before getting accepted in this college. Not just this particular college, but every other public college here. Many of my classmates were rejected because of this reason only. My instructors understood this but there was nothing they could do and they advised me to apply to private colleges where no such politics were evident but the fees had to be pad by the students themselves. I got accepted in one such college but my parents had to face the burden of paying high fees for my college education. Every time I heard about people suffering from inequality all around the world but I actually felt the pain when I had to go through it. But this was not the end of the unfair treatment that I had to face. After graduating from a private college, I was one of the high achievers and received a number of medals and positions. This time as well my professors were sure that I would get a job in one of the best organizations of my country. Immediately after graduation, I applied for several job positions in renowned positions. With the level of my qualification and degree, I was an excellent candidate for high position jobs. But I was not offered any jobs in these renowned companies, only because I did not have proper connections and contacts. As Derrick Bell said, “We live in a system that espouses merit, equality and a level playing field, but exalts those with wealth, power and celebrity, however gained.” (Derrick Bell, Ethical Ambition: Living a life of Meaning and Worth”. I can easily relate to this as I have been a victim of these unjust and unfair games played by these “honest” and “truthful” players of our society. All my former colleagues found high salary jobs quite easily in fine organizations because their parents had proper connections in high places. Is this the level our society has fallen to? Is this the same society which claims to be a follower of equality, merit and justice? The leaders of our society expect the citizens of their country to follow the laws and regulations but within their territory, they allow cases of prejudice and inhumanity to prevail. I can easily relate my own personal experience to the struggle face by Henrietta`s family in the non-fiction story, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. Henrietta Lacks suffered from a cancer but it was found that her cancer cells were quite strange and uncanny. Her cells were collected and cultured without her permission. Within days, she turned into a celebrity and her family had to suffer at the hands of countless journalists, researchers who viewed her as an object rather than a human being. She was expected to look out for the society and her fellow citizens by the same people who snatched her rights away from her. They wanted her to co-operate with them for the common good but were denied her rights because of her race, class and gender (Book Review - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Web). Why are people expected to work for the benefit of their society or country when in reality they, themselves, are denied their rights? This is how the society really works. Russia has been ranked as the 154th most corrupted country of the world and this corruption includes giving bribes to higher education institutions for admitting undeserving candidates and I can easily relate to this as I have suffered at the hands of this corrupt scheme myself. Apart form this, bribes are also given for getting higher grades in exams and even to get higher position jobs in state owned as well as private organizations. It is true that people do not always get what they deserve. The only positive aspect of my sufferings is that I have been made to realize that you should never depend on other people for your rights. Our society has been framed in such a way that people do not always get what they are entitled to. Even in a highly legalized society, there are some people who suffer from dishonesty and injustice. But in the end, you come out of that experience a new, much improved person. After these significant experiences of my life, I may have suffered at the hands of injustice, but I have learned a lot of lessons and I believe that no matter what your expectations are, you will have to forget your past and work harder for a better future. As Voltaire said, “Injustice in the end produces independence.” Works Cited: "What does injustice mean?" Definitions.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. . "Quotes About Injustice (77 quotes)." Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. . Margonelli, Lisa. "Book Review - ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,' by Rebecca Skloot - Review - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. . Read More