牛津大學商科PS（個人陳述） Business Studies Personal Statement
Since a very young age - where all my friends were aspiring to become firemen, astronauts and rockstars - I have always dreamed of wearing a suit to work. I don't know what it was, but I guess I just identified all these men as being the real players in the world - driving fast cars and hitting it off with beautiful women. These guys - the lawyers, entrepreneurs and accountants - were all sipping champagne and living the high life. Of course, you don't have to wear a suit to be making money (look at Steve Jobs, for example), it's not all fun and games, and you have to be damn good at what you do, but my ambitions have remained the same. This is what I want to be, but money is no longer the sole object, in my opinion.
This has stemmed from my upbringing, where every morning CNN is put on the TV, stock portfolios lie in messy stacks around the house and political conversation runs rife at the dinner table. Every day I would hear my father talking about his business ventures and garnered a great interest. To me, the business world seemed entirely different to our regular one: it was a grandiose battlefield of thousands of opposing teams – a vicious free for all where the only objective was to win. Language like “slaughtering the competition” was frequently used, and I instantly knew that this game was more intense than any sport, more exciting than any video game and more fulfilling than any hobby. I once even tried my hand at business of my own – selling gumballs at school – which, to my surprise, was rather successful, if short-lived (regulated into the ground).
By the time I was beginning my IGCSE year I was absolutely itching to take a Business & Management course. I felt a lot of it come naturally to me, remembering all the terms and advice I had heard from my father. All along it was extremely satisfying to know that whilst I would hardly use anything I had learnt in math’s (unless I need to know the exact angle that my ladder is at), no matter what profession I would take, I could apply this. I took part in stock competitions, both in and outside of school, in an attempt to better my understanding of the seemingly confusing concept of stock exchange.
One of the most interesting aspects of business for me is international markets, which then extends into economics. I have often been told that one of my most valuable qualities is that I am tri-cultural, coming from an extremely interesting background. I have lived in Spain my entire life, with an American mother and English father, who is a chartered accountant and previously owned a successful record label; he now sells property on the real estate market. I feel that this is where much of my business background originates. Another interesting quality that has rubbed off my parents is Buddhism. Whilst am not a firm believer in the Buddhist philosophies, I find many of them extremely compelling.
Over the course of the IB, I have done much to advance myself in the field of public speaking – a skill I find to be of increasing importance in the modern business world. Last year I took the position of president of the Toastmasters International Youth Leadership program and earned my certificate. This will be the second year in which I will be attending the annual IMUN conference, where I have signed up for the position of chair, and if not, will represent the World Bank. Last year I represented the highly unspoken country of Timor Leste. Over the course of the summer I attended the prestigious GYLC conference, where I talked to [insert names here] and attended speeches such as [name]**** - Mastering the Challenges of International Business, by Dr J. Joseph Kim, CEO of VGX pharmaceuticals. During a simulation global summit I represented France, and was appointed to the digital divide, e-commerce and free trade commissions, where I advocated the view of protectionism. Throughout both of these conferences I spoke in front of hundreds of other scholars, which, by the end, felt perfectly natural and comfortable. These valuable experiences gave me an invaluable insight into the running of governments and their regulating businesses as well as allowing me to further advance my public speaking skills. I have also been appointed the role of head prefect – which entailed an ISCO head prefect training course - and member of the student council in my school, and lend a hand in managing and working in our school tuck shop, which have all helped hone my management abilities.
Whilst all of these provided me with excellent skills, over the summer I had the privilege to gain work experience from one of the leading law firms in Europe and the largest and most highly regarded in Spain – Garrigues. This allowed me to gain insight into how an international company is run and managed. This also demonstrated to me what it is like to work as a lawyer in a large firm and educated me on the different parts of law and what they entail and allowed me to use my near-fluent Spanish in a work environment. The department I found most interesting was that of civil law – more specifically, litigation. I was brought to a court in order to view a labour dispute, which I found extremely interesting.
Overall, I have a rather diverse set of hobbies and interests, but my main passion is computers. I have been using computers since the age of 5, when I mainly used them for learning. Now, I feel I have become extremely proficient with the Windows Operating System to a near professional level, which I often use to assist my family and friends with technical problems. I am also very proficient (though less so) with a Mac system, and am now learning the more technical Linux. For a long time I studied in order to be able to build a computer from scratch, and have modified individual components. I find computers extremely satisfying as there is always going to be a problem, and therefore a solution, which may not always be obvious. I intend to continue onto learning the programming language Python, which I have introduced myself to over the summer.
Apart from this, I have branched off into different computer hobbies, such as graphic design, where I have learn to Adobe Photoshop to an excellent standard, and am now able to create graphics from scratch. I have used this to help design and do graphical work for the last 2 school yearbooks for which I received an award, as well as create graphics such as CD covers for a friend who does musical work and create posters. I also practice disk jockeying and also put this into practice where I controlled the lights and music for a concert for said friend. I would love to carry on these interests in university, possibly contributing to the college radio station and publications.
Whilst I do not consider myself a sporty person, I have previously competed in intramural field hockey, and socially play paddle and normal tennis. I jog nearly every day; however, it is just as much for meditating purposes as to keep fit. However, since gaining my Red Cross first aid license last year, I have found myself a more useful purpose on the playing field.
