Help? :X
So after having written an essay, filled out an application, and obtaining three letters of recommendation for my study abroad application, last week I was sent yet ANOTHER application, this time directed to Waseda University. Among other things I had to do, there was an essay in which I was to "Explain my academic objectives and the academic fields in which [I] wish to accomplish them at the One-Year Study Abroad Program at the School of International Liberal Studies." They wanted three pages. jsfdkff;akjsf.
Anyway, I wrote it. GRUDGINGLY. ...So if possible, would any of you proofread it and such? Suggestions and the like would be appreciated! :D
I am an illustrator--a visual storyteller. It is my hope that my work will somehow be able to impact my audience both emotionally and philosophically. I was probably only three years of age when I first watched the Hayao Miyazaki film, Tenkuu no Shiro: Laputa, but even to this day I still marvel at the creativity and effort that was put into the production; the film is still one of my favorites. It is through Miyazaki's work, along with the creations of the many other brilliant minds from Japan, that I discovered my aspiration to become a comic artist. With that goal in mind, my plan for college has three objectives: to improve as an artist, to improve as a writer, and to find the means to deliver my stories. With the opportunity to study in Japan at the Waseda School of International Liberal Arts, I feel that I will be able to progress significantly in all three of these objectives.
I am currently majoring in both Fine Arts and Business Administration with a minor in Japanese. After I receive my Bachelor's degree in Business, I plan to start my own publishing company, through which I will distribute my own comics and hopefully expand into publishing the works of others as well. While it may be easier to simply have a third party publish my comics for me, I consider myself to be very independent and determined. Being able to make my stories available to its audience without being bound by another company's contract is just one example of a challenge which I am more than willing to take. With Japan being the largest economic nation next to America, and with the availability of classes in business such as Advertising Management and Microeconomics, I feel that the Waseda program neatly integrates with my academic objectives in this concentration.
However, I do not plan for my studies to be restricted to on-campus activities. Because it is from Japan where many of my most admired work originates, as an artist, I hope to absorb the drawing methods that have developed from the culture and adapt them to my own projects. Furthermore, I plan to obtain some valuable knowledge of the Japanese comics industry and possibly gain contact with the professionals in that field, perhaps even find an opportunity to intern with a Japanese publishing house. Regardless, the chance to submerse myself in an entirely new culture and environment will provide me with ample inspiration to further improve my art. I have lived in a quiet surburban area for most of my life, where each day is as predictable as the next and the surroundings never change; being able to place myself in the center of one of the largest metropolitan societies in the world will give me the chance to study a completely different atmosphere and a greater variety of people for me translate into my sketchbook. Ultimately, my goal for my artistic abilities is to have them span a wider spectrum in subjects, style, technique.
While the art presented in comics is necessary for drawing a reader in, what keeps them coming back for more is their attachment to its story. In other words, the most crucial aspect to consider in the process of creating sequential art is its writing. Does the audience relate to the characters? Do they feel immersed in the setting? And most important, can they get anything out of it? People read because they want to either be entertained or enlightened, or both; a writer needs to be able to provide these services to the reader. To do this, the writer needs to have a thorough understanding of what he is writing.
In my case, the stories I write tend to focus on the characters and their backgrounds; I need to be able to understand them inside and out--anything from their personality, their past, their family, their hometown, their clothes, their job, even their bathing habits. The best thing I could do as writer in order to have a firm grasp of my subject is to experience the different cultures I am trying to represent from a first-hand perspective. And despite the citizens of America representing a very broad range of ethnicities and their respective traditions, the country on the whole is a very non-contextual society. On the other hand, Japan is frequently said to be the complete opposite, where there is a very strong emphasis on context in communication; in my opinion, it is a perfect complement.
I intend to make many acquaintances with the natives during my stay in Japan, communicating with them and learning about their day-to-day lives, and maybe get a glimpse of their personality and psyche through their actions and words. In addition to that, I also plan on enrolling in the classes offered in the subjects of Cultural Anthropology. I believe that going from one side of the spectrum to the other--from America to Japan--will give me a solid foundation for my understanding different cultures, so that I will be able to write more realistic, multi-dimensional characters and settings in my stories.
Through studying abroad in Japan, all my academic and career goals would greatly benefit. As a writer, I hope to benefit from a different culture and environment by gaining the knowledge to develop an authentic, likable cast of personalities within a vibrant, imaginative environment. As an artist, I hope to improve my skills by learning from artists within the backdrop of the nation that produced the films and graphic novels that have continued to inspire me all throughout my life. And as a prospective entrepreneur, I hope to take classes in the fields of business and economics in addition to my general education requirements, cultural anthoropology courses and Japanese language studies during my stay in Waseda University.
Things to maybe look out for would be if I overuse any word or phrase, if there are any rough transitions between paragraphs or sentences, if I'm sounding too pretentious or what-have-you, etc. etc. And maybe suggestions on how to improve the concluding paragraph? Thaaank youuu to anyone who chooses to help! >3
Anyway, I wrote it. GRUDGINGLY. ...So if possible, would any of you proofread it and such? Suggestions and the like would be appreciated! :D
I am an illustrator--a visual storyteller. It is my hope that my work will somehow be able to impact my audience both emotionally and philosophically. I was probably only three years of age when I first watched the Hayao Miyazaki film, Tenkuu no Shiro: Laputa, but even to this day I still marvel at the creativity and effort that was put into the production; the film is still one of my favorites. It is through Miyazaki's work, along with the creations of the many other brilliant minds from Japan, that I discovered my aspiration to become a comic artist. With that goal in mind, my plan for college has three objectives: to improve as an artist, to improve as a writer, and to find the means to deliver my stories. With the opportunity to study in Japan at the Waseda School of International Liberal Arts, I feel that I will be able to progress significantly in all three of these objectives.
I am currently majoring in both Fine Arts and Business Administration with a minor in Japanese. After I receive my Bachelor's degree in Business, I plan to start my own publishing company, through which I will distribute my own comics and hopefully expand into publishing the works of others as well. While it may be easier to simply have a third party publish my comics for me, I consider myself to be very independent and determined. Being able to make my stories available to its audience without being bound by another company's contract is just one example of a challenge which I am more than willing to take. With Japan being the largest economic nation next to America, and with the availability of classes in business such as Advertising Management and Microeconomics, I feel that the Waseda program neatly integrates with my academic objectives in this concentration.
However, I do not plan for my studies to be restricted to on-campus activities. Because it is from Japan where many of my most admired work originates, as an artist, I hope to absorb the drawing methods that have developed from the culture and adapt them to my own projects. Furthermore, I plan to obtain some valuable knowledge of the Japanese comics industry and possibly gain contact with the professionals in that field, perhaps even find an opportunity to intern with a Japanese publishing house. Regardless, the chance to submerse myself in an entirely new culture and environment will provide me with ample inspiration to further improve my art. I have lived in a quiet surburban area for most of my life, where each day is as predictable as the next and the surroundings never change; being able to place myself in the center of one of the largest metropolitan societies in the world will give me the chance to study a completely different atmosphere and a greater variety of people for me translate into my sketchbook. Ultimately, my goal for my artistic abilities is to have them span a wider spectrum in subjects, style, technique.
While the art presented in comics is necessary for drawing a reader in, what keeps them coming back for more is their attachment to its story. In other words, the most crucial aspect to consider in the process of creating sequential art is its writing. Does the audience relate to the characters? Do they feel immersed in the setting? And most important, can they get anything out of it? People read because they want to either be entertained or enlightened, or both; a writer needs to be able to provide these services to the reader. To do this, the writer needs to have a thorough understanding of what he is writing.
In my case, the stories I write tend to focus on the characters and their backgrounds; I need to be able to understand them inside and out--anything from their personality, their past, their family, their hometown, their clothes, their job, even their bathing habits. The best thing I could do as writer in order to have a firm grasp of my subject is to experience the different cultures I am trying to represent from a first-hand perspective. And despite the citizens of America representing a very broad range of ethnicities and their respective traditions, the country on the whole is a very non-contextual society. On the other hand, Japan is frequently said to be the complete opposite, where there is a very strong emphasis on context in communication; in my opinion, it is a perfect complement.
I intend to make many acquaintances with the natives during my stay in Japan, communicating with them and learning about their day-to-day lives, and maybe get a glimpse of their personality and psyche through their actions and words. In addition to that, I also plan on enrolling in the classes offered in the subjects of Cultural Anthropology. I believe that going from one side of the spectrum to the other--from America to Japan--will give me a solid foundation for my understanding different cultures, so that I will be able to write more realistic, multi-dimensional characters and settings in my stories.
Through studying abroad in Japan, all my academic and career goals would greatly benefit. As a writer, I hope to benefit from a different culture and environment by gaining the knowledge to develop an authentic, likable cast of personalities within a vibrant, imaginative environment. As an artist, I hope to improve my skills by learning from artists within the backdrop of the nation that produced the films and graphic novels that have continued to inspire me all throughout my life. And as a prospective entrepreneur, I hope to take classes in the fields of business and economics in addition to my general education requirements, cultural anthoropology courses and Japanese language studies during my stay in Waseda University.
Things to maybe look out for would be if I overuse any word or phrase, if there are any rough transitions between paragraphs or sentences, if I'm sounding too pretentious or what-have-you, etc. etc. And maybe suggestions on how to improve the concluding paragraph? Thaaank youuu to anyone who chooses to help! >3