I have always dreamt of attending a perfect university, and since the first day I took the path towards making that dream come true.

There have been ups and downs on this path. Global Perspectives was one of the ups – it introduced me to new places, new people and new opportunities, all of which eventually transformed my life and my preparations for university.

New Places

I love to travel and explore various areas of the globe. I find exquisite joy in being aware of as many corners of the world as possible. However, I get easily convinced that I have seen everything when I see just one new place.

Through studying Global Perspectives, I acknowledged this mistake of mine and started working on correcting it. Whenever I investigate a certain topic, I notice how big our planet is, and that I cannot estimate its value. This mindset keeps me curious, open-minded and empathetic, all of which are traits that make learning about global issues exciting and useful. This mindset is also what helped me find the universities that I would possibly attend.

New People

Hearing stories about other people’s lives was always something that I eagerly participated in, especially if these people were strangers to me. This way, I had a chance to learn from the mistakes they made. Yet, in the age of the Internet, it was very rare that I heard a story with an ending that matched my moral values. I soon got discouraged from listening to anyone’s advice, and I seemed somewhat lost from time to time.

Global Perspectives offered me a range of personal experiences of individuals who share my morals and ethics. It was not long until I happily followed through life lessons of various people. Now, I am engaging in discussions confidently and with a purpose; I no longer view global issues as something I do not take part in. I also have a rational reason to study at a university.

New Opportunities

We all get a certain number of opportunities in life, along with a choice to take them or leave them. What often kept me from taking some crucial opportunities in life was the impression that taking the risk was not worth the prize.

Global Perspectives taught me to visualise things in the future and I realised that whether a risk pays off or not is in my control. Going to a university abroad is a great risk. But Global Perspectives provided me with the tools to make that decision responsibly: these tools are up-to-date information and reasonable predictions.

New Life

University will be where I spend one third of my day. These eight hours will comprise studying, eating, socialising and applying the knowledge I have gained from Global Perspectives lessons.

Global Perspectives connects every subject that I take or do not take, and evaluates them in real life situations. Therefore, every time I am not sure about how I should approach my chosen field of study, I will use the knowledge gained from Global Perspectives to figure it out.

I can also thank Global Perspectives for learning how to invest hard work into fulfilling my ambitions and make sound judgements based on strong evidence, rather than biased opinions. Self-discipline and a realistic standpoint will make attending university less stressful and more meaningful.

There is an infinite number of different perspectives in the world, and an infinite amount of knowledge and skills one can gain at university. This is why, for me, learning Global Perspectives is a gateway to the university of my choice.

 

NOTE: Year 12 student of International School Savremena Jovana Jocić, who passed IGCSE Global Perspectives with an A*, wrote a piece in which she described how Global Perspectives broadened her horizons.