College Confidential

Counting Down

beijingkids — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:00:00 +0800

Making it to the end of the school year

As the end of the year quickly approaches, there’s a sensation across campus that both professors and students are going into panic. Papers, experiments, projects, presentations, tests and exams are all being rushed in at the very last minute. And if that isn’t enough, one can always worry about registering for next year’s classes and room assignments, finding a place to store your stuff for the summer or figuring out plans for the next few months.

For me, room assignments were nearly as stressful as registering for classes. People are assigned a randomly generated number based on seniority, then amongst themselves sort out whom they want to room with (if they want to room with anyone at all) and whom they want to share a suite with (if they get a double or single that shares a bathroom). The groups with the highest numbers get first pick on which room/suite and which dorm they want. People with lower numbers have to settle with whatever is left.

The Prodigal Son Returns

beijingkids — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:36:23 +0800

Trying to slot back into an old life

Way back in October 2007, I remember sitting down at my computer, terrified, and beginning to tap away at what would become my very first article for this magazine. A lot has changed since then: I’m no longer so intimidated by computers – or of writing – and I’ve ventured out to the northeast of England. Yet, seven months later, I find myself sitting in exactly the same place and on the very same laptop. Yes, ladies and gents – I’m back in Beijing!

Not that I’ve returned to the same city – in fact, it’s barely recognizable. From the moment I touched down in Terminal 3, it was clear the massive building work hadn’t stopped in my absence. The terminal, the stadiums, the new subway line, even the hutong where my family lives have all changed since I left for the UK. Living near Yonghegong means there is a shiny new underground station just round the corner, and for just two kuai a pop I can rediscover the city with more ease.

Pledging Allegiance

beijingkids — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:29:38 +0800

The truth about frats and sororities

Everyone has seen or heard of the movie Animal House; if not, they’ve at least seen one movie about crazy college kids partying out of control and failing classes as a result. And when most hear the word “fraternity,” they probably think of wild parties, trashed houses and hazing – that is, forcing a new recruit to do embarrassing and sometimes painful things.

But here at Wake Forest, I’ve found that these negative stereotypes could not be further from the truth. The majority of universities in the US have some form of Greek life – whether it be a fraternity, sorority or service group. The names of these groups are made up of two or three Greek letters (e.g. Phi, Alpha, Beta) and are often national groups with chapters represented at a university. They are brotherhoods, sisterhoods and societies that have initiation processes, requirements and traditions.

Lost in Translation

beijingkids — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:00:00 +0800

Discovering the many languages of England

Allo pet, wud’ya lahk some chips wi’ tha’?”

“Sorry?”

“I saihd, wud’ya lahk some chips wi’ tha’?”

Aha, a revelation. This dinner lady wasn’t trying to make every humanly possible sound in one sentence, nor was she trying to recite King Lear or Robbie Burns. She was, in fact, talking to me in the “King’s English.” This, combined with a similar miscommunication with a college porter, led me to a sad and simple fact: Despite having lived in Durham for the best part of four months, I still don’t understand the Geordie accent.

Timing is Everything

beijingkids — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:00:00 +0800

Strategies for conquering registration

We have all heard the saying, “so much to do, so little time,” and for me, it never rung as true as it did towards the end of last semester. I experienced plenty of sleepless nights full of homework, studying and a steady buildup of pressure with the coming final exams.

Many people have said to me that college life is easy because “we college students have so much free time.” In high school, it used to be that writing a good paper would take me roughly two to three hours. I would sit down in my room, turn up the music and take a go at it. Here at Wake Forest, however, it is not so simple. Writing a paper might take me up to a ridiculous eight hours – not necessarily because we have to write considerably longer papers, but more because when you live just a 10-minute walk from all your friends, distractions are inevitable. Oh, procrastination! If it were offered as a major, I’m sure it would be most popular.

Getting a “Fresh” Start

beijingkids — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:24:19 +0800

Togas, assassins and the worst nightclub in Europe

Quite a lot has changed since I wrote my last column. First off, I’m a full-blown university student! Everything kicked in on October 30 with “Freshers’ Week,” a time when no lectures take place and first years like myself are expected to sort out paperwork, then socialize in as imaginative a way as possible.

But first, ceremonial proceedings called Matriculation – the act of placing a student’s name upon the “matricula,” or roll of members of the university – have gone on for as long as the university itself, and it is an impressive (if long-winded) process whereby students wear their gowns and sit in the cathedral, are addressed by the Dean and then “extend the hand of friendship” to their fellow students after a representative from each college signs the matricula on their behalf.

Craving a Taste of Home

beijingkids — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:10:58 +0800

New surroundings bring back memories of Beijing

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by my new environment: a new campus, a new climate, new food, new classes, new friends. At times like this, my thoughts turn to home. So this is what homesickness feels like.

Sure, the weather in North Carolina is beautiful, and so is the campus of Wake Forest: luscious green grass – soft and ideal for lying on – and old brick buildings surrounded by magnolia trees full of fragrant white flowers. At night, I look up at an endless sea of stars, twinkling brighter than I have ever seen in Beijing.

Fish out of Water

beijingkids — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:51:34 +0800

Readapting to a British lifestyle

The good news is I got three A’s and a B in my final semester at Harrow International School Beijing - way above what I expected and much higher than what Durham, my soon-to-be university in the UK, required. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been celebrating.

But the celebrations made way for more serious work as August came and went and I soon found myself faced with the reality of returning to Britain to begin life at university. Leaving family behind to settle down somewhere alone can be an emotional time, and I have to admit it was a bit of a shock having to wave goodbye to my parents at the airport in Beijing. I was loaded up to the hilt with a huge suitcase, a fencing bag, a carry-on bag and a backpack ñ not to mention nervousness. What if the bags were over the allowance? If I went over, would they let me on the plane? One thing was for sure: If I didn’t get on that plane, I’d be seeing my family again a lot sooner than I planned. Luckily, I managed to make it through without any problem.

Before the Beginning

beijingkids — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:00:00 +0800

Prepping for Uni

If being a university student means sleeping until midday, watching loads of films and developing a taste for alcohol, then I’ve already made the transition to higher education! Granted, I’ve not got a university to go to yet, nor received my A-level results. Still, embracing the student lifestyle has been a doddle so far.

I finished Harrow International School Beijing on the 29th of June this year, leaving me with a three-month break before university would start in the UK. You could call that ample time to prepare for my first year at uni, but, like most people my age, I leave things to the last minute. Point in case: getting my student loan and bank accounts sorted.