XLIS 2022 IBDP Graduates Interview Series II

Series II David & Clara

 

In the previous graduate interview, we chatted with Tina and Jarry about their learning stories. Tina’s “social phobia” and Jarry’s imagination of the future are still fresh in our memory, and we sincerely hope that they will finally grow into whoever they would like to be.（XLIS 2022 IBDP Graduates Interview Series Ⅰ）

In this interview, we will talk with two graduates from South Korea and listen to their life experiences as straight A students at XLIS. 

Dowon Kim (David)

Studied in Xi’an Liangjiatan International School for three years

University Acceptances: University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, City University of Hong Kong

Major: Engineering

 

Make the best of what you are good at,

This is the sincerest reward for your talent

I applied for five universities in Hong Kong, but to my surprise, I got admitted by all of them. When I received the offer from University of Hong Kong, which had been my dream school, I felt very excited. Ever since I was a child, I had been very interested in mathematics and science. I had always been able to find some interesting ways to learn mathematics and science, and more importantly, I enjoyed the whole learning process. Gradually, I found that it seemed that I got a little talent in mathematics and science, so when I planned for my university major, I decided to choose engineering. I want to continue to explore and develop my field of expertise in the four years of university life in Hong Kong.

 

XLIS learning experiences will become a life-time benefit for me

I often think about questions such as: what if I had stayed in a Korean high school, and then participated in the Korean college entrance examination, what would my life be like now? I am very glad that I can have the opportunity to become one of the candidates of IB Diploma Program(IBDP) and graduate from XLIS as an international student. The learning experiences at Xi’an Liangjiatan International School have not only helped me greatly broaden my horizons, but also enabled me to master many essential skills that have lifelong impact on me, such as critical thinking skills and communication skills.

 

The Rigorous Diploma Program,

It’s not easy to “get ashore” successfully

Looking back on the three years of studying and living in Xi’an Liangjiatan International School, I can still remember a lot of joyful time, everything is fresh at this moment. In my middle school (MYP), I kept trying to be open-minded, and practice my social skills. My teamwork spirit improved significantly. In addition, we have also begun to pay close attention to global environmental issues, care for others, and do our best to contribute to people inside and outside the community.

In IBDP, besides the three core subjects, we also need to choose six main subjects according to our preferences, which include three higher level subjects and three standard level subjects. It is not easy to balance the study of the nine subjects, and pressure is inevitable. Especially in the stage of preparing for the application to universities, we have little spare time. We must make full preparations for the IBDP final exams and try our very best to hand in a satisfactory answer sheet for our high school life. Frankly speaking, I have hardly played video games since I started my high school, which made me feel very proud of myself for it is not easy for a teenager.

 

Both benefited and inherited the “culture” of the alma mater by pairing up with my learning buddies

When I was in middle school (MYP), a senior high school student named Andy gave me guidance and tutoring on academic learning preparation. He not only shared with me his study notes and experience in various subjects, but also taught me how to make full use of time in high school. This made my high school life filled with achievements and meaningful. With Andy’s guidance and help, I didn’t feel very nervous when I entered high school, but full of confidence and expectation. After entering high school, I also began to help middle school students as Andy had helped me. I am very grateful to Andy for his help, so I really want to pass on this unique school culture.

 

Looking forward to the promising future

I’ve never been to Hong Kong before, so I’m looking forward to the upcoming university life! I hope my survival skills will be further improved and I will be able to take better care of myself in the university. At the same time, I also expect myself to become more mature and have chances to continue to explore who I really am. It would be even better if I had the opportunity to practice internship in Hong Kong!

 

Subin Bang (Clara)

Studied in Xi’an Liangjiatan International School for four years

University Acceptances: University College London, King’s College London, University of Manchester

Major: Pharmacy

 

In University College London

Have a romantic encounter with “Pharmacy”

The reason why I chose pharmacy as my major is that my favorite subject in middle school and high school has always been Chemistry. All the contents related to Chemistry fascinate me. Pharmacy and Chemistry are inseparable, so I firmly chose pharmacy as I applied for university. In addition, becoming a future pharmacist has been my yearnings and longings since secondary school. With the degree I got from UK, it should not be too difficult to find a relevant job in this field of pharmacy after graduation.

 

Study in China as an international student

Helps me open a window to become a global citizen

I have spent four unforgettable years in Xi’an Liangjiatan International School. These four years have filled with joyful memories and helped me grow into a young lady with open-mindedness and international mindedness. I wonder if I stayed in a Korean high school and studied in a traditional education system, I might never think of going to a British university, or having more opportunities to meet classmates and friends from different races and cultural backgrounds.

 

Encountering IB Diploma Program as a non-native English learner

My biggest opponent is myself

I joined Xi’an Liangjiatan International School when I was in grade nine (MYP4). It was the first time for me to live abroad and travel far away from my home country. Apart from adapting to a new school, new culture and food, the biggest challenge for me was the academic learning of IB Diploma Program. First of all, all the learning content of the subjects was in English. As a non-native speaker, I need to spend doubled or tripled amount of time to keep up with all the course work. Secondly, the IB Diploma Program is quite different from the traditional teaching system and it has higher requirements on the whole-person education, which means students need to be balanced in all areas of learning. In high school, we have three core subjects and six elective subjects. Besides that, upon graduation, we also need to complete an English Extended Essay with 4000 words. None of them can be easily achieved.

 

What I want to say to following DP students at XLIS

It’s very important to keep a steady pace of learning when you are enrolled in IBDP. Don’t procrastinate. You must follow the teaching pace and complete every assignment and task on time, such as internal assessments (IA), extended essay (EE) and theory of knowledge(TOK). Don’t put off all tasks until the last minute, otherwise you will be very anxious and stressed, the quality of your assignments will be greatly lowered. All of us should learn to effectively manage ourselves and our time, and learn to live a balanced life

 

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Author: 

Fancy Fan (PR Officer)