Oxford is a tranquil city, rich in an atmosphere of learning and history. It gives you a sense of inner peace wherever you go.

Valencia is a chill place. The people here are very nice and supportive. I am learning Spanish, and I practice the language with the local people. Valencia has many historical places, and each has a lot of interesting stories.

There are many museums, art exhibitions, theatre productions, and musical performances. All contribute to the vibrant artistic and cultural atmosphere here. One of my favourite places to go in London is its parks. You can walk just a few hundred metres and find a park. My friends and I sometimes go to the parks after classes and watch the squirrels, and when it's sunny, we enjoy sitting in the parks.

In Charlottesville, the university is closely connected with the local community. My favorite part is the weekly farmers markets held downtown, or even on campus, and how students and locals show support in many different ways to each other. The cakes made by local bakeries are the best cakes I ever had during my time in Charlottesville!

Over the past few months, have you experienced anything that made you feel accomplished in adapting to a new living or learning environment? Do you have any stories you'd like to share?

I've been making friends from all across the globe, from India, Greece, etc.

As art students, we always make comments and offer evaluations in class. I feel a sense of accomplishment when people compliment my work. Also, when living alone by myself, I take pride in any small progress I make, such as learning to cook a new dish or solving a difficult problem.

At the university, I'm studying more specialized and advanced subjects, such as gender studies, which I didn't have the opportunity to explore in high school, as well as professional theater and various in-depth courses, including one involving stage combat. I've adapted well so far, and the warm atmosphere among my classmates helps me to achieve and develop.

I have made friends with people who share similar experiences to mine. I never realised that there are so many others like me—born in Japan but raised in other countries.

I've made many friends by participating in various clubs. On my way to classes, I often meet people I know. Exchanging greetings with them lifts my spirits and boosts my self-confidence.

When studying abroad, you take on a variety of roles, and being a student is just one of them. If the bathtub gets clogged, you'll need to be a repair person. After classes, you have to shop for groceries and cook, You'll need to make phone calls about water and electricity bills, and you might even face unexpected challenges, like being robbed by a homeless person while walking on the street. In addition, you'll need to manage plagiarism checks and AI generation checks. Initially, I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I gradually adapted and got used to life here. I think that it is quite an accomplishment to adjust to a completely new environment within a little more than a month.

I learned how to cook.

After experiencing university life, how would you evaluate your time at Yew Chung or Yew Wah schools? What past experiences on a YCYW campus did you find particularly helpful?

The vigorous curriculum as well as the opportunities provided by Yew Chung definitely gave me an upper hand in adapting to the busy and intense lifestyle as a university student.

I think that communication skills I learned in high school have been the most helpful. At school, I communicated daily with my teachers in English. This has enabled me to communicate more confidently with my professors and classmates at the university.

I regard my high school experience as a precious comfort zone that has motivated me to explore further. What I learned from Ms Jemma Green, the drama teacher at YWIES Guangzhou, has certainly helped me when I have participated in drama auditions at the university. I often reflect on our drama classes and rehearsal times.

I believe that studying in the IB (International Baccalaureate) programme gave me a good understanding of academic planning and time management, so I haven't felt much academic stress after my transition to university life.

Yew Wah focused on letting us manage and organise our own learning plans, thus giving students more decision-making power. In many cases, it was not the teachers who urged us to complete the assignments, Instead, we made our own plans and took the initiative to complete the learning tasks.

The first semester of college can be overwhelming with adjusting to classes, exploring your way around campus, meeting new people, recruitment for extracurricular activities, and more. YCIS helped prepare me to handle multiple things at the same time. Thus, my first semester was not as overwhelming as it could have been.

What advice would you give to students at YCYW?

Study hard and eat more vegetables.

Regardless of your whether your grades are good or bad, whether you're an honour student or not, believe in your abilities. Life is forgiving, and there are many paths to reach your goals. The most important thing is to take action now, rather than worrying and wishing. Believe that you can do it!

College life is definitely tougher than in high school. You need to work hard on your grades as well as take care of yourself. So just enjoy the rest of your high school lives and get ready for college. MAKE SURE TO LEARN SOME COOKING SKILLS!

You might struggle on the path to your graduation, but it is worth it. The paths waiting for you after graduation become even more interesting! You should also spend more time with your classmates because you will have few opportunities to meet with them after graduation.

Initially, high school felt like the end, but I have realised that university is the real beginning. I hope YCIS students will regard "learning" not as a temporary task, but as a tool to help them grow and understand themselves. This way, learning will not be boring, and students can stay optimistic!

Cherish your time in high school! At the university, you'll find yourself missing your high school days. No matter how hard to try to have no regrets, you will have some. So, make the most of the limited time you have, and enjoy high school.