Dit is mijn motivatiebrief voor mijn uitwisseling naar Chili, ik zou dankbaar zijn als jullie je visie er eens op konden geven
Dear Sir, Madam,
I am applying for a place in the exchange program with Santiago de Chile, and in this letter I will elaborate on the reasons why I want to go there.
Firstly, I think going on exchange in general can be an extremely valuable experience and I am very thankful for having this opportunity. I think it is of great value to look at any field of study from a different, foreign perspective, but especially in my major, which is Economics and Geography, place and environment play a really important role. Although I am writing papers about globalization and the world network of cities, I have only seen a very little part of the world myself and if I were to go to Chile, I would really like to make use of the opportunity to travel and see as much of South America as possible. Besides, I think it takes quite some adaptability to get settled in a totally new country and culture, and I think this is a very important thing to learn. I would really like to live among the local population and get to know everything there is to know about their culture, habits and their view on the world. For that reason I would definitely try to find a room in a house with Chileans rather than in an international house.
Secondly, I will explain why I want to go to Chile in specific. Actually I have been dreaming about going to Australia for many years, but this changed when I started studying Spanish about a year ago. From the first lesson on I was fascinated by this language and now I really want to learn to speak Spanish like a native. I think the classes here are great and the teachers can really motivate me, but there is no better way to learn a language than to hear and see it all day. Furthermore I think Chile is a fascinating country, with its turbulent political history and its immensely diverse landscape. As I mentioned before, I have not really traveled much, so I cannot provide vivid stories or anecdotes about Chile, and all the information I have is from what I have heard and read. But when I speak to people who have been there, they keep telling me what a beautiful country it is and what a privilege it is to study there. That is why I want to experience first hand how it would be to study and live in Chile. I am planning to take courses there that are really specific for the country, such as Climatology of Chile, so that they both fit my curriculum and I can learn more about the country. Chile is still a reasonably poor country, and I would really like to do some community service such as teaching the children English there if I can find the time.
Finally, I consider myself a suitable candidate for this program. In my time at UCU I have really showed my motivation, both academically and socially. Currently my GPA is 3.75 and I am involved in several committees. I wish to perfect my Spanish and I am planning to devote my life to international economics and geography, so I think going to Chile is a very good step in that direction. I hope that I have convinced you of my motivation and that you will grant me this opportunity.
Yours faithfully,