XLIS 2022 IBDP Graduates Interview Series Ⅰ

Series Ⅰ  Tina & Jarry

 

Midsummer is the hottest season of the year, but it carries the most memorable part of Xi’an Liangjiatan International School(XLIS) every year. For the 2022 IBDP graduates at XLIS, the first day of entering high school seems to be still yesterday. In a blink of an eye, everyone put on their graduation gowns and said goodbye to their alma mater. The two years of high school study are full of challenges, but at the same time they are full of rewards. The offers from renowned post-secondary institutions around the world are the best rewards for their hard work.(Impressive University Offers for 2022 XLIS Graduates)

 

Upon the graduation season, we are honored to invite the 2022 high school graduates to sit down and chat with us about their confusion and challenges, their self-exploration and reflection, more importantly those fiery dreams in their hearts. In the first interview, we are delighted to have two graduates, Xinyu Fan (Tina) and Jiawei Liang (Jarry), let`s read their stories of their growth.

 

Xinyu Fan (Tina)

Studying at Xi’an Liangjiatan International School

for seven years

University Acceptances: SUNY Morrisville,

New York Film Academy

Major: TV Communication

 

Applying for TV Communication, 

Turning “my interest” into “my strength”

I have always been interested in the field of film, television and shows. When I participated in XLIS “Week Without Walls” activity, I began to learn to edit and make videos to show our daily work and learning contents. Additionally, when making my portfolio, I added my favorite elements such as musicals to it, which greatly strengthened my application to college.  All these experiences helped me realize the fact that I want to continue to cultivate my interests and strengths in my post-secondary education. I want to have a deeper  knowledge of film and television so that I will be able to make my own show, hopefully one day in the future.

 

IB Diploma Program, the most rigorous program, also benefits me the most

Admittedly, IBDP is the most difficult course I have ever studied, and it is very different from the traditional way of learning, including writing extended essay to which I have never been exposed before. The learning content is usually at the university level. There is a lot of academic stress for learners.

However, the IBDP course has also benefited me a lot. Before I came to Xi’an Liangjiatan International School, I was an extremely shy person. I didn’t dare to communicate with others, and I didn’t dare to speak in public places. After I came to school, the teachers always encouraged me to express myself bravely and gave me a lot of guidance; the classmates also actively helped me to carry out various forms of communication. Gradually, I learned to open up and have the courage to express my opinions in front of everyone. My communication skills and interpersonal skills have greatly developed and improved. Even my parents felt that during these years at school, my personality has changed a lot, becoming a much more cheerful person than before.

What I am most grateful for is that International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at XLIS has helped me find my true passion, which is studying TV communication in university. As a child, I was always taught that I should grow up to be a doctor, a teacher, or a firefighter, so on and so forth. While studying at Xi’an Liangjiatan International School, I was encouraged to think about my identity, what kind of person I really wanted to be, what kind of difference I really want to make on this planet, and more importantly my idea was not limited to what others expected me to be.

 

From  an introvert to an extrovert,

A “social phobia” can also be a student leader

Except for all the meaningful learning activities, my most impressive experience at XLIS was when I was a MYP5 in high school, when I was the captain of the “Dynasty” team for the first time, leading the players to achieve excellent results in the competition.

You know, I have always been accustomed to blending in the team and only focusing on completing the tasks assigned to me. I never thought that I would also be the captain one day. When I was suddenly appointed as the captain by the teacher, I was at a loss and panicked. In the process of leading the team, how would I deal with various problems that arise randomly? How to allocate tasks reasonably? How to effectively enhance the cohesion of the team? What color should the T-shirts be? There were countless problems in front of me every day, which was a great challenge to me in communication and coordination. All I went through was from a struggling beginner leader to a skillful leader solving problems with strategies which finally lead the team to achieve good results, all this is like a dream to me now!

 

Advice for the upcoming DP students

First of all, time management is very important. There are many courses to learn in DP. We must plan wisely and avoid procastination.

Secondly, the teachers do not have time to explain all the contents in detail in class. The parts that are not mentioned must not be ignored. They need to be addressed by self-study, especially the science related courses. If the relevant knowledge points are not absorbed in time, it will be more and more difficult to learn later, and the effect is similar with butterfly effect.

Finally, English is the foundation for learning all courses, so you must constantly improve your English language proficiency, otherwise it will be very difficult to learn.

 

Things I want to achieve in university

First, I want to study an accountant major in addition to the major of TV communication, and to get a double degree when I graduate.

Second, go to a well-known entertainment company for internship, in-depth practice, and learn the business-running mode and observe the whole industry in details.

Third, learn to cook and try to reach the level of “four dishes and one soup” by the time I graduate from university. My mother even prepared a soup pot for me to take to the United States.

 

Jiawei Liang (Jarry)

Studied in Xi’an Liangjiatan International School

for six years

University Acceptance: Illinois Wesleyan University

 

2000 days of studying and living at XLIS

Is the most precious memory in my life

I spent six years of my secondary school life in Xi’an Liangjiatan International School. Every day was precious. Academically, I started from worrying that it`s hard to conquer IBDP to choosing six main subjects based on my own interests; From passive learning to active learning, I developed my learning skills and they strengthened my application when I applied for my best-fit university. Moreover, it`s no small achievement for me to complete my learning in IBDP and sit for the final exams in May. Although the process was very hard, I gained a lot, and every day was full of unforgettable details. I think that in my later life, whether I go to university or start a family, I believe that whenever I recall my studying time at Xi’an Liangjiatan International School, I will feel happy and satisfied.

 

We are trapped by the pandemic

The only thing we can do is

Do not “trap” ourselves

I still remember that the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 at the end of 2019 made everyone panic and uneasy. Now, we have been able to deal with the epidemic with relative ease. Although the epidemic has brought us great challenges, when we think about it carefully, opportunities and challenges coexist.  During online learning class, I gradually developed the good habit of managing time properly, balancing life of learning in an effective way. Of course, the escalation of the epidemic situation will inevitably disrupt our normal life. It is particularly important for us to have the ability to adjust and implement plans during this time of uncertainty. Moreover, effective emotion management skills are also essential in the face of anxiety and depression caused by the epidemic. These are my meaningful learning experiences and  unique memories brought by COVID-19 .

 

Advice for the upcoming DP students

Life is all about experiences. Try new things boldly and gain rich life experience. What I am most proud of about my alma mater is that the school provides us with a variety of activities, such as sports competitions, the “Dynasty” activities, the Model United Nations, the Chinese Debate Competition and the “Global Sustainable Development Goals” speech competition. All these activities can give us the opportunity to learn about the cultures of different countries and nations and broaden our horizons by participating in them. It is not necessary for us to perform as perfectly as professionals. What matters is we are willing to  participate and practice. As long as we have the courage to show ourselves and express ourselves, even though we may perform poorly at present, we believe that through continuous efforts, we will be able to handle things skillfully in the future. Life is a wonderful journey, let`s get started.

 

Best-fit is the best

I have been exploring liberal arts colleges in the States since Grade Ten. Ms. Kate, our University Guidance Counselor, recommended Illinois Wesleyan University to me and I started to do research about it through the official website. I signed up for some online activities organized by the university admissions. After that, I became very interested in the general education courses of the liberal arts schools. I think it fits me very well and would be a good choice to spend four years here.

At present, I have got to know one of the juniors from Pakistan online. He gave me a lot of knowledge about college life in advance. I’m glad we can communicate through Twitter and email, which makes me feel more real and close to university life. I am full of expectations for the upcoming university life, and I will arrive at Illinois Wesleyan University three weeks before the fall semester to participate in an orientation program for international freshmen.

 

In addition to concentrating on completing the required courses and credits for my chosen major, I have three additional KPIs in my university life.

First of all, because music creation is my interest, especially keyboard and percussion, if I have the opportunity, I would like to set up my own band, and do some crazy and fun things with a group of good friends at the most passionate time of my life.

Secondly, I want to use my spare time to work, and then use the money saved from working to buy myself a second-hand car. This is a small goal I set for myself after I went to university. It is a symbol of my independent life.

Finally, I do expect to fall in love with someone during freshman year . After all, I have lost the opportunity to fall in love in high school and I want to make it up in university. I think it is an experience, it can be met but not sought.

 

Future is a canvas for me

I want to paint the colors that belong to me on it

What kind of person do I want to be in the future? What do you want to do? This is what I have been thinking about. But I don’t want to easily define my future now, because life is a long journey for me. I will always meet different people and experience different things, so I don’t want to draw a conclusion too early about what hasn’t happened. The only thing I can be sure of is that I will try my best to do everything in front of me and take every step steadily. As for what I will look like ten years later, I don`t know yet, but let`s leave it for time to answer.

 

Click here for more details.

 

Author: 

Fancy Fan (PR Officer)