The IB is temporary, but what UWC leaves you with is forever : Amu's Reflections on UWC and University

"I'm in a state of relative calm right now as I write this as my toughest exams of my first semester at university are behind me. I have just one left (beginner level Kiswahili) and then I'm off to sunny, beautiful South Africa for Christmas break. Shoutout to everyone reading this - I miss UWC and Singapore so much! I digress. The first semester of university has been similar to my first one ever at UWC - a massive jumble of trying to figure things out. Where classes are, where is it cheap to eat; how little homework can I get away with doing and still keep a solid GPA (they do GPAs in America!) ... I came to uni with this in mind: before anything else - I'm going to have a fun first semester. Putting that in the front of my mind meant I was not killing myself trying to do every piece of reading, going to every extra credit lesson, sleeping at 2am every night and passing up getting to know new people. Deciding from the get-go to seek balance made it come a lot easier than it did when I was in the tumultuous beast we lovingly refer to as the IB. Don't get me wrong - I have been working hard - haha! It hasn't all been meeting new people and seeing new places. In terms of academics, I'm so thankful for the intense training of IB. Three papers, a presentation and two midterm exams in five days? Is that all? Are you sure? No problem! My time at UWC has taught me invaluable time management skills. Most importantly - don't multitask! Do one thing at a time, focus and do it well. Then pick up the next thing and repeat. Shout out to Mr O'Connor for that life lesson.

My favourite thing about uni is the total control I have over my time. No more curfews! Woohoo! Time in between classes is in abundance and so there really is no excuse for unproductivity. Plus, there is plenty more time to do things that interest you, as well. Uni classes are like a buffet - so many different options. So, everybody's academic experience is really different. A lot of my courses this semester were to do with development, trade and humanitarianism and they overlapped well, which I suggest. Next semester, I've set up a completely different set-up with a focus on creative writing. How cool is that?!

One of my greatest frustrations was being in class with many people who have not experienced cultures other than their own and take offense when you bring up a different perspective rather than respect and think about it. I think coming from a UWC inevitably places that curse on us. But if I had to pick a curse, it would be this one! My suggestion? Patience. I have had to keep reminding myself how privileged I am to have gone to a school as phenomenal as UWC and that it is unfair of me to hold it against others that they have not had the same privilege.

There's so much more to write but I could go on for days!

My overall advice to you all as you decide what university you're going to, is to think with your heart. Gather all you can about what it will feel like to live there and be a part of that community. Prioritise what's important to you: diversity? a particular range of courses? the opportunity to study abroad? extracurriculars? and go to a university that fits that rather than one with a fancy reputation. You need to be happy, or else everything will suck. For four years. That's 48 months.

Have a great rest of your year and soak it all in - you are in one of the most magical places in the universe. Every time I (or any of the other UWCers here) explain what UWC is, the usual reaction is, "What?! That is the coolest thing I've ever heard! I'm so jealous!" 

The IB is temporary, but what UWC leaves you with is forever.

"All I know is in retrospect.." Jamie looks back and discusses life at Yale - NUS

Jamie Buitelaar on Life at Yale - NUS

It's been - what, eleven months? - since I sent in my application, ten since I was accepted, and two since I moved in to college. 

Frankly, I have no idea how to respond to this information, now that it's laid out in front of me. All I know is in retrospect, the process seems incredibly short - applying, getting in, getting to know other admits, moving in, starting college life...this all seems to have happened over the course of about a week.

Now that I'm actually studying, there are other things to think about. How do you explain a parallax angle in a single, uncomplicated sentence? Should I sign up for ballroom or bhangra? What would Confucius' fanboy Xunzi say to Socrates if he came over for tea? 

And yes, that last one was actually a real assignment.

The readjustment has happened and while I am still in close contact with old friends, I am also having heaps of fun with the new environment I'm in. 

As someone who applied to all of one university, I can't say whether I ultimately "chose" the right school out of my offers. What I do know is that I'm in the right place - or, at least, the place that seemed like home three weeks in. 

To close, let me be cheesy and thank, with utter sincerity, the East UAC, because I would NEVER have gotten here without them. To the teachers who wrote my recommendations - woah, you guys must've really worked some word-magic. Either way, thank you so much, to UWCSEA, for not only supporting me while I was on campus, but helping ensure I was taken care of afterwards as well. 

I'm out of cheese - see you guys later! For those of you starting the applications process (early action/decision people, hats off to you), best of luck, and please don't worry - the other side is 100% worth it.

How Can Parents Best Support Their Child Through The University Application Process? - Dr Mallika Ramdas

Our Guest Blogger is Dr Mallika Ramdas, Head of University Advising, UWCSEA Dover Campus.  Mallika looks at the role of parents in the University Application Process.

How Can Parents Best Support Their Child Through The University Application Process?

The answer to this question is actually quite a simple one: by letting their child be in the driver's seat of the exploration and decision-making process, by respecting their child's choices, and by engaging in honest and mutually respectful conversations about any constraints (such as financial ones) that may limit the young person's range of options. Happily, universities around the world now offer a wide selection of courses or educational models (single subject, combination courses, liberal arts and sciences, and other variants) to enable students who do have cost, climate, family proximity, or other considerations to find options that would be a good fit for them. 

Most importantly, we believe that parents should be 'a cheer squad, not a nag squad,' in their child's university application process, to quote renowned adolescent expert, Michael Carr-Gregg.  Celebrate your child's aptitudes, abilities, and passions; understand your child's cultural and social preferences and values, or help him or her to explore what those may be; and allow these to shape your child's university selection process.  Sadly, too many young people are made to feel that they simply don't match up to their parents' very high expectations, or even worse, to some external (and often highly questionable) measure of success - the name and fame or ranking of the universities they get into. 

On this note, you may be interested to read a hard-hitting but powerful blog post written by a former ivy-league US university admissions officer and mother, titled 'Parents: let Harvard go.' 

We would also encourage you to read a thought-provoking article written by our very own colleague, Johanna Fishbein, in the forthcoming edition of the College magazineDunia, titled 'Don't Take it Personally: Thought on the Holistic Admissions Process.'

Happy reading, and enjoy supporting your children as they begin the journey towards life beyond school - they're counting on it.