Tatiana

Here is another paragraph from my "masterpiece". Again, all opinions are welcome and greatly, greatly appreciated. The two years I’ve spent in the US changed my outlook on the world, gave me a better idea of my own capabilities, true interests and goals in life. Trough my interpreting work at the ***** I came in contact with organizations like *****, ****** and ****** engaged in various aspects of international development. Working with groups of professionals from Russia and Kirgizstan I gained a new insight into many political, economic and social issues that my own country and other post communist states are dealing with. For Kirgizstan – it was HIV/AIDS prevention, drug control, family planning and sex education. For a small Russian republic of Adygea – it was public finance management on the local and municipal level, promoting private-public partnerships and community development. That experience helped me realize that I would like to work in the field of international development, and that I was no longer satisfied with the role of an interpreter. As challenging and rewarding as the interpreting profession may be, it appears to me somewhat limiting. At this point I am ready to take my academic knowledge and career to a different level. I seek to broaden my knowledge in political economy, political science and sociology, especially with regards to developing and transition economies like Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Yes, that would be wonderful!

Hey guys, does this make any sense, or does it feel like I'm just rambling on? Growing up in Russia in the 90’s I got to experience a period of dramatic political, economic and social change. The fall of the Iron Curtain instigated a massive flow of information from abroad, which sparked my interest in foreign languages. I remember that my first English teacher tried hard to imbue into our minds the idea of the importance of foreign language skills in our new, open society. I realized that if my parents foreign languages did not have much practical use outside the classroom, for my generation, that knowledge created new opportunities for business and travel. That and also the genuine pleasure I got form learning foreign languages influenced my decision to pursue a degree in Interpreting and Translation. Undergraduate study, at Nizhniy Novgorod State Linguistic, provided a profound knowledge of English and French language, literature and culture. Translating articles from “Economist”, “Newsweek”, and “Figaro” as a part of my coursework I learned about existing international political and economic issues, like the controversy with NATO expansion, intricacies of Kyoto protocol, economic policy of European Union. Rendering those texts from English or French into Russian besides language skills required deep understanding of the subject matter. Therefore, I would often spend hours researching this or that issue in order to produce an adequate and accurate translation. My professors would always say that the best way to understand a text is to translate it. This experience developed my ability to research and analyze information from a variety of sources in different languages. At the same time, I became aware of the difference in presentation of certain facts and events in Russian and foreign media.

Thanks a lot to everybody. I've been working on it all day today, but it doesn't feel like I'm making any progress. I feel so frustrated! Does everybody go through the same pain working on their SOP or is it only me?

Does this sound any better? My interest in international affairs started as mere curiosity about foreign languages and cultures. I was growing up in a time of dramatic political, economic and social changes in Russia. The fall of the Iron Curtain opened the way to a massive flow of information from abroad, created possibilities for international travel and business. At an early age I started to realize that if for my parents foreign language skills did not have much practical use outside the classroom, for my generation they meant a pass to a world of new opportunities. English soon became my favorite subject, which led to decision to pursue a degree in Interpreting and Translation. My undergraduate study at Nizhniy Novgorod State Linguistic did not only provide me with a profound knowledge of English and French language, literature and culture, it gave me an understanding of the importance and complexity of intercultural communication. Through discussions in class and course work, I became aware of many existing international issues, developed my ability to research and analyze information from a variety of sources, in different languages. And then I go on to say how I moved to the states and how my experience here made me wanna get a degree in IA etc, etc.. All opinions are greatly appreciated!!.

Thank you so much for your comments and advice. Lack of clarity IS my huge problem. And trying to cram the description of all my outstanding qualifications and experiences ( ) into an essay of 500 words makes it even worse. Actually, for that particular school you are asked to "state your purpose in undertaking graduate study" and " describe your academic and research interests, career objectives, and how a degree from the *** School will enable you to achieve your goals". I wonder if I should skip the first paragraph altogether.

When I decided to apply to a graduate program in International Affairs, I never thought that writing my SOP will be the hardest part of the process. I've been working on it for the past 2 weeks and it is driving me absolustely crazy. I would really appreciate if a couple of people could take a look at my 1st paragragh and give their opinion. My fascination with international affairs started as a rather casual interest in foreign languages, which appeared at an early age and was spurred by my natural curiosity and desire to make sense of that abundant flow of information from abroad (primarily in English) that flooded Russia after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The more I learned, the more enthralled I became with foreign cultures, that knowledge of languages opens the door to. Soon I realized that I would like to turn this interest into a career, that’s why getting a degree in Interpreting and Translation seemed like a natural choice to me. My undergraduate study at N.Novgorod State Linguistic University did not only provide me with a profound knowledge of English and French languages, literatures and cultures, it gave me a fuller understanding of the importance and complexity of intercultural communication, made me aware of many existing international issues, developed my ability to research and analyze information from a variety of sources, in different languages. I got an opportunity to travel to England, Scotland and the USA, which was a life changing experience as it led to my decision to move to the United States after graduation and explore my opportunities here.