Ján Michalčák

In order for a young person in his formative years to discern his life goals, I believe that he should be given the opportunity to develop independently. He should value his own successes, and learn from his mistakes. I have always been different from my contemporaries, having to fight to overcome personal adversities, mainly connected with my health condition. I understood that the way to do it honorably was through a good education. Unfortunately, the public grammar school that I attended did not allow me to grow academically or personally. It was not until I was able to transfer to Open Gate on full scholarship that I became fully independent and integrated into society. Only then did I realize that our doubts are the only factor preventing us from achieving our goals. I study Politics and East European Studies at University College London, UK. Together with the compulsory modules in Politics and Sociology, I also focus on Economics and German. This relative flexibility of my course should widen the possibilities of my future career or academic options, which I appreciate greatly.