Experience While Studying Abroad
Time:2018-10-08 11:23:25 Clicks:
It has been seven months since I graduated from UCL. I have experienced Autumn recruitment season, internships, and now I have worked for 2 months. The boundary between the campus and the workplace is so narrow. How time flies. Four years ago, I was still a boy with full of expectations and prepared the documents for going abroad. Thanks to Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics for giving me the opportunity to study abroad. Two years of Southampton plus a year at the University College London of Studying in the UK is not only an improvement in academic knowledge, but more importantly, it has opened up my horizon.
1. About life
Since more than twenty friends in JUFE participate in the study abroad program, our team leader helped to buy air tickets and prepare the word we need to do when we landed in the UK. All of things worked well and we could support each other. Compared to other students who applied to study abroad by themselves, we had inherent advantages. Not so lonely in the UK. Personally speaking, language is undoubtedly the biggest obstacle to the first arrival in the UK. There are six people in our flat, four Chinese, one German, and one Mauritian. I remember when I first met my German flat-mate, I tried to communicate with her, but after some simple self-introduction, I was unable to say another sentence. My flat-mate was very friendly. She saw my awkwardness and tried to guide me. I was very nervous at that time and had to smile and end the communication. Going back to reflect on the situation, I found that the exam-oriented education makes students spend less time practicing their oral English. Some policies should be changed in order to improve that situation. The United Kingdom is a country with a gentle culture. When people open the door, they hold the door for the people behind them. They casually say sorry, thank you. I believe that other students who have studied in the UK have a deep understanding about that. Affected by culture, I become a membership of the gym in the campus. At first, I went swimming every day. After classmates' guidance, I went to the fitness suite to so some strength training. I felt the charm of fitness. I like doing all kinds of sports, but I used to consider that doing fitness is relatively humdrum, not like other games. After real participation in fitness, I found that the breakthrough in weight and the growth of muscles will bring people a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
2. About studying
Because it is a 2+2 program between JUFE and University of Southampton, I have experienced different education modes at home and abroad, which makes me have a profound understand of education system around the world. British undergraduate classes take a short period of time, but there are lots of things needing to be learned, giving you enough time to search for information and self-learning. The domestic classes take relatively full weekdays, and the teacher explains the knowledge more meticulously, covering all knowledge points. Each mode has its own advantages and disadvantages. Increasing the time for self-study can enhance your thinking skills and improve your ability to explore and innovate. However, not like the teaching method by domestic teachers, It may make people unable to grasp key knowledge points.
I wanted to apply for a master degree in University College London, so I must get the first honor degree during the undergraduate studying. During the exam period, the school library is open for 24 hours. Struggling with friends to midnight in the library are the best times in the student era.
3. About culture
The UK is part of Europe and it is undoubted that travelling to the surrounding countries is the greatest benefits of studying abroad. With France across the sea, South up to Spain and Portugal, and it is also very close to Morocco, which is a country in North Africa.
Christmas and Easter holidays are great opportunities for tourism. I went to Northern Ireland and cities such as Manchester and York in North England to learn about British culture during the Christmas. In the Easter holiday, I went to Spain and Portugal with my classmates to experience the charm of the city of Barcelona, the shock of Flamenco, and the beauty of Cabo da Roca. In the following time, I also experienced the spectacularness of Milan Cathedral and went to Düsseldorf, Germany to watch the World Table Tennis Championships. You could get another kind of national pride for the motherland athletes in foreign countries. I met my childhood idols Liu Guoliang and Wang Liqin. At the same time, I witnessed that how Ma Long and Ding Ning to get the champions in the Championships, they kept China at the first place in the field of table tennis.
I grew up in Liaoning and I love skiing. I heard that the Alps are a ski resort, thus I found opportunities to go to Grenoble, which is the hinterland of the Alps in France. Many skiers come to enjoy skiing. More than two kilometers of ski trails are different from the small ski court that I used to play in Liaoning. It is an amazing kind of experience to keep ski for more than ten minutes, enjoying the scenery of the Alps.
China's growth has given Chinese tourists the opportunity to go to Morocco without a visa. At the end of March 17th, I travelled to this North African country and feel the culture of Africa with several friends. Compared to other developed countries, Morocco is not rich. Agriculture, fishing and tourism are the main fiscal income of their country. Moroccan cuisine such as Tajine is impressive. The most memorable thing is that entering the Sahara desert from Morocco, lying in the desert at the midnight to see the starry sky, watching the shooting stars, talking with the local residents. Although we have different backgrounds and different cultures, but everyone lying together at night, watching the vast sky, the heart and heart are so close without any annoyance in daily life.
Jiatong Li
April 28, 2018
