Another year and another class of graduating students will say goodbye to their alma mater and start a new journey. The four years spent at UIC is some of the best years of their life. How many stories and sceneries have been treasured along the way? What does college mean to them? The following stories are by some Year 4 students.
There are over 1300 graduating students of UIC’s class of 2020. Those who choose to study outside Chinese Mainland have obtained admission letters from universities such as University College London, and University of Edinburgh (UK); Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University (US), University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China), and more. Students who choose to study in Chinese Mainland are accepted by Beijing Normal University, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Central Academy of Fine Arts and other instituions. Those who choose to begin their career are hired by well-known companies such as the Big Four Accounting Firms and ByteDance.
Graduating students with UIC President Prof Tang Tao
Looking back on the four years of college, students were surprised by how happy and fulfilled their journeys at UIC were. Some students said that UIC is a place to rediscover and define them, while others said that they may not be another four years that are as wonderful as those spent at UIC.
Interests and passions
Culture, Creativity and Management (CCM) Year 4 student Deng Chuqi comes from Chengdu. Before entering college, he never thought that his interest in cultural and creative industries could guide him into his profession. He has obtained admissions for master's programmes at several prestigious institutions, and he plans to study a master in Cultural and Creative Industries at King's College London.
Deng Chuqi participates in a charity event
Deng Chuqi said that during his four-year adventure at UIC, he learned a lot about himself and the world. Finding his unique self and developing interests as well as passions in his field are his biggest achievements.
Deng Chuqi found the curriculum of the CCM courses very pragmatic and interesting. He explains that they could learn the basic knowledge of business subjects in major required courses, such as entrepreneurship, macroeconomics, marketing management, etc, while elective courses provide a larger space to explore according to his hobbies, such as media aesthetics, space design, cultural sociology, etc. “I am very lucky to be a student of CCM,” Deng Chuqi said that the classes are often made up of students of different majors, and he made friends with some of them.
Deng Chuqi (left) and his classmate in the 2019 scholarship award ceremony
In addition to his studies, Deng Chuqi also explored the possibilities of doing business. In his sophomore year, he and his partners developed an online system for express collection business. When he was doing his Final Year Project (FYP) during his senior year, Deng Chuqi and his classmates created an app dedicated to cultural and creative industries to help creative people find cooperation and customer resources.
Deng Chuqi is grateful for the diversity, inclusivity that UIC has, and for the support that it provides the innovators. He is ready and confident to start the next chapter of his journey.
Self-confidence and openness
College opens up our eyes. It does not give us a standard answer, but from here, we could see how colourful life is, and how many different possibilities we have ahead of us, and from here, we could find our answers.
Wang Muyi, a graduating student from Financial Mathematics, has currently received admission letters to study a master’s from Johns Hopkins University (with a scholarship of $18,000), New York University (with a scholarship of $8,000 per year), London School of Economics and Political Science, Boston University and other institutions. He plans to go to New York University to study for a master's degree in financial engineering.
Wang Muyi likes UIC's inclusiveness, as he could see the College opens up for suggestions and opinions from students. Also, he likes that teachers and students respect and learn from each other plus students are given enough freedom and respect so they can develop their self-discipline.
Wang Muyi (third from left) and his classmates having dinner at their supervisor’s home during summer vacation
Wang Muyi joined a lot of group assignments and events, such as planning musicals, performing in plays, and participating in club activities. He also taught himself programming. Through various activities, he has made a comprehensive improvement in his ability. Wang Muyi said that he has a clearer picture of his future development thanks to his experience.
Explorations and breakthroughs
Li Shiqi is a Year 4 student from Applied Translation Studies. In her opinion, the college life without parents’ supervision and teachers’ watching over is perfect for self-exploration. She has found the joy of learning, made good friends and met her mentor. Li Shiqi has now received an acceptance letter from a master programme of translation studies at University College London.
Li Shiqi was initially attracted to UIC by the concept of full English teaching and Liberal Arts Education. During her four years at the College, she stepped out of comfort zone and challenged herself with new experiences that she wouldn’t have tried before. She chose some elective courses that are not in her field, and she has become more proactive in researching as well as learning.
Many UIC courses are not limited to textbook-learning, but also focus on practical experience, and Li Shiqi found it very helpful in terms of improving the overall quality of students. She agrees with the concept of Whole Person Education at UIC and thinks that the College should not only be a place to study professional knowledge.
Passions, self-confidence, explorations, breakthroughs are keywords for many UIC graduating students. UIC, the place that carried their wildest dreams, encouraged their innovations and cultivated relationships between teachers and students will continue to carry their memories and grow with them wherever they go.
From MPRO
Reporter: Covee Wang
Editors: Samuel Burgess, Deen He
