At UIC, residence assistants play the roles of tutors and friends for students. They are the ones who accompany students for years, witnessing their changes.
Ms Tan Xuanyi at V16 Shang Xian House
Ms Yang Lihua at V28 Shakespeare House
Ms Wu Dongxiang at V26 Goethe House
Ms Tan Xuanyi has been working at UIC for more than seven years. According to her, UIC adopted a unique hall culture compared with most universities in the Chinese mainland, enabling students to gain a sense of belonging.
For better care about students' physical and mental health, Ms Tan said, residence assistants should receive regular training on first aid and counselling from the Red Cross. Besides, they would participate in organising activities to help first-year students adjust to their UIC life.
Ms Yang Lihua helps a student to register
The residence assistants care about the safety and personal status of students. They are also willing to give a hand to students, such as mending clothes, acting in Cinema and Television (CTV) students' video projects, etc.
Ms Tan during work
As a result, students stay closely with the residence assistants. According to Ms Wu Xiangdong, students who go back to the residence hall at midnight thoughtfully enter the hall lobby quietly, trying not to disturb her resting. Ms Yang Lihua received birthday cards from students a couple of days ago. Some students also visited their tutors after graduation.
Ms Wu with students and alumni
In their spare time, residence assistants try to develop themselves.
Ms Yang learned some practical English expressions from students to communicate with international students more efficiently. She says she enjoys the learning process and wants to grow with UIC students. In recent years, she passed the driving license tests and also obtained a certificate in baking.
Ms Yang and a student
In addition, sometimes, the tutors also receive parents' inquiries about their children's current situation. Ms Yang would respect students' privacy and advise parents to leave their children personal space, providing suggestions only when necessary.
The residence assistants also enjoy their life after work. Ms Tan likes to share delicious food with students, including her signature dish, dumplings. Ms Yang stays self-disciplined. She gets up at 5:30 am, cycles to the Sports Park, and jogs a distance of 3km before returning to UIC for work. She thinks study and exercise having nothing to do with age while making progress has become a personal goal in her daily life. Ms Wu is involved in the volunteer services of the Red Cross and local nursing homes to visit the elderly and care for special children, which are her way to give back to society.
Ms Wu participating in volunteer services
From MPRO
Reporter: Du Jiewen
Editors: Covee Wang, Deen He
