Something Meaningful

I'm a member of the Friendly Ambassador of Chung Hsing University. Having joined the team for over one and a half year, I have accumulated numerous experiences of serving guests and introducing my school and department to high school students. I learned a lot; at the same time, I spent a lot as well. My family sometimes told me not to spent so much time and energy on it; some of my friends questioned me why I would like to spent so much just to serve the school; when I was inviting new members to join our team, some would asked what can they gain after join the team. When I say that the reason why I enjoy serving the school so much mainly is because that I truly like my school and I am happy if I can raise the reputation of the school, some are touched, but most of them regard me hard to understand.

In the beginning, I was attracted by the post of the Ambassador’s promoting post, informing that I can learn how to make up, how to have a formal conversation or expression, how to walk or sit properly, and have the opportunity to serve in the most formal conferences or meetings of those famous scholars or administrators. After I was in, I've even learned how to be professional, not to let personal emotion affects our job, and how to be confident and out-going, not afraid of speaking to a stranger. Because of joining in this team, I found that I gradually become more and more confident. No matter what age of the person I am talking to, I can feel easy and enjoy the conversation. To be honest, this was pretty difficult for me in the past. I used to be a very limited interlocutor. I can only talk to the people I “feel” I will like them. Actually, this is very not a good habit.

I never expected that I could have and benefit so much in this team. Not only it changed my character, but it also supported me to achieve my dream of applying for the exchange student program. If I had not become as out-going as I am now, I would not have the courage to talk to the German president of the university i wanted to go the most; don't even mention to express my eagerness of going there.

Sometimes some people would question me the “value” of being an ambassador, I always tell them and also myself that the serving experiences, the friends I met are going to be helpful someday somehow. And now, I have my reward. I believe that as long as I pay all my strength to learn and to give, I will always gain something unexpected, something meaningful, which, sometimes, can never be “valued.”This is the value of life.

Miracle

On Wednesday, there’s an amazing thing happened. I tried to calm down, but everything seems to be so surreal. Too surreal to believe it’s true. I want to cream! Cream loudly and proudly!

Remember that I was applying for the exchange student’s program? Last Friday I got the result. I could go to Germany, but unfortunately not the school I’ve wanted to go the most. Even so, I was satisfied as long as I could go to the Europe. Feeling a little bit pity, because all the German friends I have are from that school, I’d tried to convince myself not to worry and just to expect the coming adventure. When I ran into my German friends before my French class, I told them the news and said that I was sorry not being able to go to their school. However, they comforted me and promised me that I could still go visit them and they’ll be very glad to welcome me. They congratulated me again and we went to class respectively.

Unexpectedly, a miracle happened. Usually I don’t take a leave in the middle of the class; nevertheless, I wanted to go to the lady’s room very badly then, during the French class that day. I sneaked out and on my way to the toilet, I saw the lady of the International Affair Office who called me early in the morning and asked me to reach her as soon as I was available. She was with a group of foreigners, taking pictures. I carefully called her and asked her why she was looking for me. She said that there was the president of the university I wanted to go visiting our school, and then, to my surprise, she said that the president showed a great intension to raise the numbers of students to exchange to his university. She asked me if I got the chance would I be interested in going there. I was very excited. “Of course I want to go! It’s my first priority!” Then, she introduced me to the president and also the director of the International Affair Office of the school. We had a short but pleasant conversation. After that, they verbally permit my application to go there. In the beginning I thought this was just an informal permission and everything was not sure yet. However, after the president and the director gave me their name cards and told me to visit them when I arrive there so that they could welcome me, I was astonished. “So I got the chance?” I asked carefully. “Sure! Welcome to Tubingan University!” “Ooh my gosh!” I was screaming in my heart, “This is for real!”

I never know that I could this lucky. How would you predict that right on your way to the toilet can also change your destiny? How would I know I could run into the president just like that? How would I know the conversation has fully controlled the opportunity of my going to the school? Even now sometimes it is still hard for me to believe this is true. I was so lucky!

The Smaller Class, the Better

In “College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening?,” David Daniels prefers small discussion classes to large lecture classes. He claims that first of all, to listen intelligently is uneasy when learning with lecture, especially when “people can listen at a rate of 400 to 600 words a minute, while the most impassioned professor talks at scarcely a third of that speed.” Second, he thinks that attending lectures is passive learning. For most fresh learners, their first priority is to learn how to learn instead of being blindly considered to be active and experienced learners. Finally, the author states that giving lectures will harm professors as well. Without any question, a liveliest mind can atrophy. I’m very agreed with Daniel’s ideas. Personally speaking, I have quite a few experiences showing me that how small discussion classes can benefit students more than big lecture classes, whether in learning or in developing personalities.

I find small discussion classes will force student to be fully concentrated in class. Since I major in language now, lots of basic training courses are given in a small class, such as composition or oral training. It’s very obvious for me to sense the different atmosphere being in a big class and in a small class. Usually in the big lecture course, the whole class will divide itself into two groups: one group sits in the front and listens to the professor very carefully, and the other group sits at the back of the classroom and does each of their own business, or worse, does nothing but sleeping. Taiwanese students, including me, honestly, are more passive comparing to foreign students. Probably because of the education system we’ve been in since we were little—we are forced all the time. Therefore as a result, as long as there is no one forcing us, we feel like there’s an advantage to take freely. As a result, when we are in a small discussion course, almost every student is completely awake and fully anticipates activities in class. However, if it’s a big lecture course, more than two third of the student, maybe more, can never be totally focus for even one hour.

Moreover, small discussion classes can stimulate students to think instead of only taking knowledge. In a small discussion class, since everyone is involved, there’s nowhere to run. Each of us needs to tense our nerves and be prepared to answer a sudden question asked by the teacher. At the meanwhile, such kind of intensity can make students to think what the class is about and what the activity which is on going is for. Contrarily, if now students are in a big lecture class, instead of taking notes, they have nothing more to do. Yes, active learners may think and absorb knowledge, or even raise a question when listening to only a lecture, but, as I’ve mentioned above, mostly Taiwanese students are passive learners. The worse situation for a Taiwanese student is that he or she only takes notes like a robot, writing something he or she doesn’t even know. The person is not in the class at all, and after the class he or she can’t read the notes, either. This is the most inefficient way of learning.

The other substantial feature that a small discussion class can influence a student is that it can help develop the student into an active and open-minded learner. Listening only in the class without active participation can very likely make a student dumb and lack of positiveness. Having no environment to encourage learners to speak up actively, Taiwanese students become much shyer when speaking in front of the class. In the end, they have not enough courage to express their own opinions in the public. This phenomenon doesn’t merely exist in the campus but extends to be a social issue. Even though most people say it belongs to our cultural tradition, it is actually a vicious circle. We Chinese are always educated in a certain way, so our personality’s development is led to a certain direction.

From David Daniel’s article, he suggests an option for the authority of education to explore a new system of offering “lectures.” I think it is a high time for all of us think of this question and do something about it.

Keep Growing Up

Being two to three years older than my classmates, I’ve became their usual consulter, especially about friendship or relationship. It’s not like that I’m more intelligent nor am I wise. The only thing I’ve got is the two-year experience that they don’t have. It’s amazing to realize how a couple of years can do to a person. I’m not smart. That’s for sure. However, somehow I can obviously sense that there is more which I have seen than most of the students here have been through.

Such as friendship and cooperation with classmates, mostly things that seem to be complicated to my classmates are rather simpler to me. Recently there was a lovely girl told me about her confusion and annoyance towards one of her friends. She complained, but dared not to blame all for her. It seems to me pretty comforted that at least she’s not acting like a little girl, accusing others instead of examining herself. I soothed and encouraged her. Analyzing the situation in a more sensible perspective and as an outsider, I looked at her, and I seemed to see myself, my past self. It’s a little bit shocked for me actually. Like playing an old movie, my past just flashed into my mind.

The most interesting conversation belongs to the topic of love. Even though I do have more experience than the others, but it’s not the quantity that makes me an adviser but the quality. Every time when some girl come to me and ask me my opinions about her relationship with some boy, I tend to listen instead of hurried offering comments. Once a friend told me that she’s becoming annoyed being with her boyfriend. She narrated how he badly treated her. Nevertheless, in the end as she recalled the memories they’ve shared together, she hesitated. At the moment, I saw my past again. She reminded me how I was like before, when I was also complaining and regretting for a seem-to-be torturing irritation, love. Except for sharing my own experience and what I’ve learnt, I know there’s nothing more I could do. Self-awareness can only be raised be one’s self.

The more people I have talked to, the more I have learnt. I learned to know myself better through seeing their sorrow and tears. From trying to find out a solution from my past experiences, I, therefore, was pushed to re-examine my life again, to face myself honestly. Thanks to all my friends, both who have helped me or have been comforted by me. Because of them, I’m keeping growing up, keeping learning to be an independent adult.

Work Hard; Play Hard.

It’s has been three weeks since the school started and from every Monday to Friday I’m always busy like an ant. Every evening I have to learn to drive for an hour, and then I either have to tutor or I have to practice playing volleyball with the team of our department. Not until ten p.m. may I arrive home each night. I like such kind of occupied life actually. Being busy can somehow force me to be efficient and to make the most of time. Even though sometimes I’m really tired and the worse is that if I’m going to have a test next day. However, my resolution is to convince myself that I’m not the busiest one; I’m simply not getting used to this kind of life yet.

Luckily, I finally took a short day off tonight. I went to the welcoming party for the international students of our school. I met so many friends there whom I haven’t met after last semester. We had a wonderful conversation and great dinner. After the party we went to the bridge in front of the main gate and held another one on our own. Several friends, old and new, came together, having some beers and chat. The more I talked to them, the more relaxed I was becoming. It felt like I hadn’t really talked in English for quite a while, and it felt wonderful to be able to talk and think in English with very few troubles again. However, do not think that I’m good in English! I’m just bold enough to speak it, and that’s all! :P

Next Monday I’m going to have an interview of my application for exchange student program. To be honest, I’m now a little bit scared and nervous. Because I really want to go to the University of Tübingen but I’m afraid that I might not make it. There are so many people, talented students, want to go there the same as I do since it is a famous and good university. I have also talked about this to my foreign friends, some of who are Germans, and they all encouraged me that I would be able to achieve my goal. I appreciated them that but I know it won’t be easy. I didn’t take any German language course and my grade is not on the top of the class. Although I know I’ve tried to do my best in the past semesters, I can’t expect too much or I might be very disappointed in the end.

Anyway, to conclude, I’m still going to have an extremely occupied semester this time and Mondays are always coming, but from time to time, I give myself a vacation to relax, to have fun, and to regain my strength for the coming busy life. Because I believe that as long as I work hard and play hard, I can always find a balance in my life and my mind. Finally, wish me luck about the interview. No sooner, I hope, may I bring you all good news about it! Chao~! ;)