Before coming to the United States, I often heard that American classrooms encourage discussion and participation. However, I did not fully understand what that really meant. In my previous learning experiences, classes were usually centered on the professor explaining the…
Category: Chinese
All available articles in Chinese.
Studying in Different Educational Systems
I come from China and I am now a freshman studying in the United States. After coming here to study, I realized that the American educational system has many differences from the Chinese educational system, but there are also some…
From a Stranger to a Returnee
When I heard the lyrics of the folk song *Shenandoah* at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in China, “Away, I‘m bound away, across the wide Missouri,” my thoughts were instantly carried back to the days I spent studying…
Defining Freedom
Defining Freedom When I was a child, I loved visiting my uncle’s house in the countryside. He raised sheep, and I enjoyed watching them. They lived a simple, unassuming life, and even though I visited them every day, they were…
My View of Chinese Examinations
When I was very young, adults told me that every student in China would face two major exams: the high school and university entrance examinations. These two examinations are the most important entrance exams in China, respectively determining the chances…
Eight Minutes and Twenty Seconds to Myself
Eight Minutes and Twenty Seconds to Myself I thought I was applying to schools. In reality, I was learning how to understand myself. Every year on March 10th, for many students who apply to American high schools, is a special…
Exchanging Cultures
In my life I have had many cultural exchange experiences with many different people from a plethora of countries. For example, the people I have met when I have traveled to the Caribbean or Greece have been amazing experiences.…
A Tale of Two Cities in Education from Gaokao to America
I was born in Shanghai, a super metropolis covering only 6,340 square kilometers yet crammed with 24 million people. The morning subway stations are filled with the aroma of pan-fried pork buns, while the downtown area glows with neon lights…
Those Neglected Issues: The Journey of an International Theater Student
I came to the US to learn theater with full heart of excitement. As a person who loves musical, I had been looking forward to the theater industry for a long time. Theater is a safe place for me, where…
Nostalgia on a Plate: When Home Tastes Like a Stereotype
I come from a village in Taiyuan, Shanxi. As the sun went down, there were always kids like me chasing each other through the neighborhood, giggling down the streets. The air would be filled with the shouts of street merchants,…