SUIS GB Alumni Insights

We recently got in touch with SUIS GB alumni from the graduating class of 2018 asking them for their insights on the university application process, university life, and any advice they could provide our current lower and upper school learners. Here are highlights from what some of them had to say:

   

Edy Huang：

This is not a specific question but one aspect that people often overlook is location. Some people might enjoy a smaller and more country environment (like Warwick), but some would find it really boring and prefer to be in larger cities like London or Manchester.

Cecil Boey: 

Location, exposure to opportunities, and the quality of academic teaching for your specific area of study.

Coco Yang:

From my perspective, you can ask the Uni representative about things that generally cannot be found online, such as student life and perhaps something about the city, or any further information that you wish to clarify with the university representative. Try to avoid any questions that have answers easily available by search engine.

Yanghe Yan:

The only question a high student should consider is if this university fits me. During the university fair, one should care about the accessible resources, research projects and internship opportunities for their majors. I would suggest you all ask questions about studying environment and academic atmosphere – as detail as possible.

Jenny Mai:

Prepare a short but interesting self-introduction at hand, so that you will be able to grab the representative’s attention in limited time. The self-introduction doesn’t need to be formal or lengthy – simply include your major academic interests, two to three extracurricular activities you invest most of your time in, and perhaps some attention-grasping fun facts about yourself. Additionally, it is helpful to prepare a set of questions relevant to your own situation ­­– i.e. given my interest in debate, what are some unique opportunities for me on campus to further my interest? Or try asking the representatives of their own experience on campus – i.e. what was your freshman experience like? Since everyone likes to talk about themselves, this is a great way of establishing personally connection with the representatives. I highly recommend taking a look at www.unigo.com, it is a college review website that contains current students’ (sometimes funny and critical, but nevertheless honest) comments for their own school. 

How did you decide on which university to attend?

Cassie Zheng:

I was very fortunate to get in my dream school. I did not choose universities that sounded very impossible to me like Harvard or Yale. Being aware of my level, I knew Vanderbilt University would be worth risking applying for ED. Choosing the right school is like choosing someone to marry. If you know you will be valued in that college and the vibe is right, do not hesitate. The process of college application could also be the process of self-discovery and self-identification. If certain schools make you feel like you are potential for bigger challenges and a stronger self, that could be the one.

Shuhei Matsukura:

How accredited is the course and the university. But it’s more important to think about your expectations on your study (e.g. some courses offer placement years or year abroad). It’s also where you will be living for the next few years, so that’s also pretty important.

What prepared you the most for university life? What is one piece of advice you would give to students preparing to apply and enter university?

In preparing for university life, the university counsellors in SUIS helped me a lot – they not only supported me while applying for universities, but they also helped me connect to the alumni of SUIS Gubei as well as the teachers in SUIS, from which I was able to obtain helpful, practical information and tips regarding university life in the UK.

To be honest, SUIS prepared me the most for university life. The advice I would like to give is learn how to communicate with others. When you attend university, you will have a roommate. Thus, it is essential to know how to communicate with your roommate effectively and to make rules for both of you. Then, you can have a better condition in your dorm.

I would say being independent in every single aspect when studying abroad. In a university environment, you are forced to live and work without your parents and friends from high school. Therefore, you have to be well-prepared to study and live independently probably without any assistance in the few weeks or even few months of time. To be honest, it really took me 1 to 2 months to overcome the issue of loneliness and‘independent living’. Suddenly everything becomes so different now where you will be living and also doing everything else on your own. IBDP program really did give strong support in the ‘academic independency’ aspect. On the other hand, it means that you also need to learn how to live on your own for the first time in an environment (or maybe a brand-new environment) which you have never experienced before or may not even have an idea of. It took me till the end of the first term (around mid-December) to fully overcome these obstacles and get familiar with the campus and also life on campus. Successful transition from high school lifestyle to the university would seem quite challenging in the first place.

What was one thing that surprised you about university or one thing you wished you had known before attending? 

Belinda Zhu:

There are so many things, but l will say the discrimination problem in UK universities (or at least in my university) is not as serious as l thought before l entered university. My university will host a lot of activities and clubs for international student to attend. I joined a project which is targeted towards minority groups to speak up and discuss how to make their life easier. I am now in UK and l love the culture here, especially the tea culture. So, l learnt some manners and traditions and it really helped me a lot. I made friends both inside and outside the campus, even having afternoon tea with some elderly people outside. So, get prepared! Don't be too nervous and as many people say, university life is interesting.

Bruce Li:

One thing I am surprised about is how time flies. I am soon entering my sophomore year, and everything seems so quick that I still remember the first day I entered my dorm, the first time I went to class, and the first time I took my first midterm. If I were to repeat my first semester, I would definitely choose my classes more carefully. Not only would that affect your GPA, it can also affect your first-year experience as a freshman.

Betty Feng:

Relish your time being alone, reduce social life that is not that productive, and sleep as much as you can before college!

Fiona Cai: 

 I thought I would be struggling for the first year before I came. However, everything is great so far. By organizing my life and study, I feel I've grown-up and am being more mature.

Remember to clear your calendar for Tuesday, March 19, and apply some of the alumni insights to your meetings with university representatives.

Workshops begin at 17:00 for G9 to G12 parents, and the main university fairgrounds are open to G6 to G8 parents and G9 to G12 parents and students at 18:00.