My Major

Do you think international business is very popular in the world? Actually I think that is the main reason why I chose international business as my major. One reason is that many countries' businesses develop very fast. They need a lot of people who are good at business to help in their development. Secondly, international businesses can help people earn lots of money. Thirdly, international business can also make people think like economists.

There are many countries' businesses that are developing very fast, so they need a lot of people to join in their development. I would like to gain from that. In my hometown of Xiamen, our economy is increasing very quickly, but the government won't let the steps stop here. They still want to build more factories to help the city develop. On the other hand, now many people choose to trade with foreign companies because they could earn more money. That means people will have a better chance to develop economically if they are good at international business. Also, people could open their own business. If that is me, I will choose my business partners from other countries. For example, I believe I can make a lot of money if I could use my knowledge after a few years of practice. Third, I think international business could help me to better manage my business. If I have great knowledge about international business, I can have a hand in controlling my business in the best way possible.

International business could help people to earn lots of money. First, trade between different nations could really help people earn lots of money. Many economies are increasing quickly all over the world; international trade is unavoidable. If people are good at international business, they could earn lots of money. Second, if people are working in international companies, they could get paid well. For example, if people are working for Toyota, they could choose to work in different regional districts around the world. Someone from China like me could choose to work for the American district. Third, international business relates to stocks, in which one can make a lot of money. For example, if I am working for a company with a lot of stocks, I could use my knowledge to analyze them and know when it is good to buy and sell.

Finally, I think international business could help people think like economists. First, international business could change their thinking in different ways. People can learn that giving up something to get something later has its benefits. Second, people can develop a "special eye" on business, in which they know where they can earn more money. For example, people who are good at business know how to use their money. They usually see where they could put their money like buying real estate in a poor part of the country. Most people don't feel that it isn't profitable, but after a few years the government wants to develop that land, so it eventually becomes worth more than its cost. Also, the prices of real estate are increasing. and owners make a lot of money. Successful business men have this kind of "eye" on business; they know where to put their money.

Overall, I have given three ideas to explain why I want to major in international business. I think these days, it is a very good way to earn money. That is the reason international business is very popular, and that is why I am interested in it.

How UWL Exceeded My Expectations

Do you know where La Crosse is? If you don't know, what do you imagine about it? Is it big, convenient, or scary? La Crosse is in the state of Wisconsin. It is a small town with a famous university, the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, which we call UWL. I wanted to study there, so I came to America in order to get a master's degree in education. However, my life at UWL is totally different from my expectations. Transportation, the people of La Crosse, and entertainment are different from what I expected in La Crosse.

First, I was surprised to find out that the public transportation is inconvenient in La Crosse. If one needs to go somewhere and doesn't have a car, he or she must take a bus. However, the buses only come every thirty minutes, and they only come once an hour on weekends. It is so inconvenient for me because I only have free time on the weekends to buy food and to go shopping. If I have to take time to wait for the bus, I am sure that I won't have enough time to do other things that are also important for me. Besides, the last bus also stops running very early on weekends. It stops around 7pm, so I cannot enjoy my weekends very much. I will worry about coming back to my dorm if I want to stay outside past 7pm.

Second, I also feel amazed that people are kinder here than in other countries I have been. Before I came to America, I thought that it maybe difficult to make friends because of my Asian face. However, when I first arrived, I met many Americans who were friendly and talked with me. Even if I walked along the street, they smiled at me and said hello. I feel so happy because I don't need to worry about making friends here. Besides, Americans are not the only kind people at UWL. I met many other people from different countries who are just as kind. Now, I'm taking a course in professional development for my master's degree in education. My international classmates always help me when I have problems with my homework. I really have a lot of great international friends now, and I enjoy my college life very much.

Third, it is a surprising thing for me to know there are a lot of activities in La Crosse, and they have exceeded my expectations. The television has taught me that Americans like to have parties and do many other interesting activities. However, it seems much more than I believed. When I just arrived here, I already joined many parties for birthdays, farewells, and just for fun. I gained many friends and learned about different cultures by joining these parties. They really taught me a lot from meeting different people. Moreover, the university also holds a lot of activities such as hikes, long-distance excursions, and picnics. It really gives me a lot of chances to understand Americans and their lifestyle.

To sum up, the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse is different from what I anticipated in terms of transportation, friendly people, and various activities. I think I cannot only savor my time with my friends and colleagues, but I can also gain a lot of knowledge here.

The Disadvantages of Living Off Campus

These days a booming number of students tend to live off campus. Mostly, they prefer to live alone than share a room with others. As an undergraduate student, I am renting an apartment off campus. Although renting an apartment has its conveniences, it also gives me some troubles, such as disputing bill payments, assigning housework, and worrying about security.

To lease an apartment off campus causes disputes among my roommates about paying the bills. For example, one of my roommates wastes electricity. He uses four times as much energy than the me and my other roommate. We decided to divide up the electricity bill in thirds at the beginning of each month. So angry were we that we sparked a passionate debate, and we did not get along well for days afterwards. Another example is that we wanted to catch the mouse that lived in our apartment. We were going to buy a mousetrap online, but one of my roommates didn't want to pay for it because he claimed that he didn't care about the mouse in the room. We ended up not buying the trap. As a result, we fed a crowd of mice.

In addition, sharing one room with other people confuses us on how to assign housework fairly between us. We have no right to urge the others to clean their own rooms, so an unpleasant smell always comes out into the shared room, which causes us to burst into anger. Another good point is that none of us likes to take care of the backyard behind our apartment. My roommates say that they do not have enough time to take care of it. Neither do it. We ended up with no grass in our backyard.

Last but not least, renting an apartment off campus leads us to face security issues. For instance, I parked my bike in the living room. For me, it's the best place to keep my bike. So surprised was I when I found that my bike was missing from our living room one day. Fortunately for us, the thief did not pose a great threat to our lives. On the other hand, I had to walk a long way to school. It was very dangerous for me. On the way to campus, I meet a great number of strangers, and I cross many intersections. I might be injured or even exposed to a life-threatening situation due to so many vehicles on the road.

To sum up, renting an apartment off campus has generated many issues that leave much to be desired. We must take proper action to improve the relationship between roommates, and also we ought to pay special attention to our safety.

Why I Am Interested in My Major

Is education important in one's life? If yes, then what should be one's major? Today in the world, there are so many fields of education from which one can choose. One's career depends upon one's interest. As every coin has two sides, different people have different opinions about choosing their career. It depends on one's interst in the subject. As Robert Frost said, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by." The less traveled road has more new experiences and adventures, but the road that is more traveled has footsteps that people follow, and it's boring for me. Recently I started studying biochemistry because my major is pharmacology. Having just started my college studies, my experiences and my future easily demonstrate my reason for choosing pharmacology.

First it's my field of interest, and I believe that one should only do things that make one happy in life. I was not inspired by anyone, but biochemistry, which includes pharmacology, interests me. It would probably take four to five years for me to graduate, and I am planning to pursue a master's degree in pharmacology.

Pharmacology is the study about medicine and its effect on the human body to cure various kinds of diseases. I want to do something for the world through my education. For example, I would like to help India, which has the world's second largest population. Because it is a developing country, it faces challenges with poverty, illness, pollution, and many other problems. There are so many diseases, which don't have any cures, such as cancer, AIDS, and strokes. I want to find some way to cure these ailments.

Secondly I was wondering, if scientists cannot find a cure, how can I? Where there is a will, there is a way. Even if I don't succeed, I will at least have tried to help humanity. For example, after being a pharmacist I can open a pharmacy where poor people can get medicine at lower costs. Today there are cures for asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer, but poor people cannot afford the medicine, and they ultimately die.

Last but not least, I can also perform research on people who will help the medicial field develop at a higher level. If I become a pharmacist, I can open a multinational pharmaceutical company that will help people to get medicine. For example, there are many pharmaceuticals and facilities in the world that cannot be found in some countries or regions. By opening such a company, I can help peole get medicine from all over the world.

Thus the advancement of pharmacy is developing within the next century and the future of the field is bright. I believe being a pharmacist is the best way to help people around the world.

Marketing and International Business as My Major

Nobody can picture the world without international business, especially the underdeveloped countries. For the United States, Latin America is the second "best friend" for business after Canada and Europe. The United States imports more than one thousand billion dollars of Latin American products per year. Since the Hispanic population in the United States is nearly 40 million people, now is a good time to increase the market of Hispanic products. There are different topics in international business that can help my business ideas to grow, like the massive number of Hispanics living on East Coast, who came to the United States to work but still have their roots in their home countries. Also there are passionate rules of international trade that I want to study.

I was in New York City just two months ago when I realized how big the Hispanic population in the United States was. I walked in some neighborhoods in New York, and I was shocked. It was almost the same as walking in any South American city. I saw several shops, restaurants, bars, and small businesses with a flag of some South American country on the door and words written in Spanish. Therefore this idea of bringing some products from Ecuador that can satisfy one or more needs of this huge population has been in my mind. Of course, the idea also made me very interested in how I can start this business.

Immigration nowadays is different compared to immigration a hundred years ago when people from Europe came to the United States. The European immigrants left everything behind, and it was hard to know what was happening back in Europe. Now it is different with telephones, the Internet, and television. People can know what is happening at the same time. That means these new waves of immigrants are better connected with their own people. Therefore any product that can remind them of their home country will be a success. My idea is to export some products from Ecuador that immigrants cannot find here in the United States.

Politics and trade between Ecuador and the United States are the main problems that I am going to face. This is something that I have to study deeply to avoid many problems. The United States is clear about their immigration laws. I have to focus my idea deeply in quality and completely satisfy the standards of the United States. For example, for any flower importation, the United States asks it to be one hundred percent free of bacteria or any other invasive element. Another example is the food market. There are many companies in Ecuador that can satisfy the American requirements. Some of them also have international awards for cleanliness, attractive packaging, good handling, freshness, and high quality raw materials.

Forty million people are a market that can be approached after thorough study of their needs. If in the future the products that I want to import are accepted by at least one percent of those forty million people, my broad idea of business will be a success.