Interview: Advice, Philosophy, and Service

      Today begins a new series that will recur throughout the year on this site. I will be interviewing students from around the world and the US who have made the transition from secondary school to university or colleges. Today’s interviewee, Yutong, is remarkable for a number of reasons. She is a trifecta for those who are betting fans: flat out smart in virtually measurable way, committed to learning for the sake of learning, and equally committed to helping people in need. She is, simply, what every school says they want in their students: ethical, intellectual, and successful. 

      When I hear people say that Asian students or students from China do not stand out in a holistic evaluation process because they are one-dimensional then I know they have not spent time actually talking with the students. I wish that people could meet her and the many hundreds of other students from Asia who are as committed to the highest ideals of education in ways that the schools promote in their brochures, if not behind closed doors in selective admission offices. More and more students from Asia are branching out and majoring in areas that schools usually love to promote: studio art and art history, global studies, political and social thought, and yes, even philosophy.

      For those seeking words of wisdom, Yutong provides words that should be repeated often to students anywhere in the world. Her answer to 'who she hangs out with' may be the best response I have ever received to this question. And I have asked it hundreds and hundreds of times to students all over the world. I have learned much from Yutong in our conversations and in this interview. I think you will earn something useful too, whether you are a student, educator, or anyone with an interest in learning.

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Wuxi No. 1 High School

·      What high school did you attend? Can you talk a bit about your high school? How big was it, how were the teachers? Did you like it? What would you change about it?

      My name is Yutong and I’m a second year student at a highly ranked major research university. I plan to double major in Philosophy and Environmental Science. I’m from Wuxi, a city near the eastern coast of China. I attended Wuxi No.1 Senior High School, which is a five star magnet high school founded in 1911. It is one of the top high schools in China. There are approximately 2,000 students, and 200 faculty members. I really liked it during my three years there, for its unique cultural values and teaching methods. If I wanted to make change there, I would suggest more advanced hardware and laboratory facilities for students and faculty.

·      What inspired you to take the risk to go half a world away?
Why did you decide to come to the US? Was it your idea?

Both my parents and I made the decision. I attended A-level courses in high school, which is a program designed for students who want to study abroad in the US, Canada, and the UK. I like taking risks and seeing new things. Going abroad on my own helps me to see things from my own perspective, and at the same time, to be more independent.

·      If you could give a few pieces of advice for international students looking to come to the US, what would they be? How should students decide what schools to look at? How did you decide?

Firstly, I would suggest them to arrange their time wisely; filling out an application is a long and complicated process; therefore, it’s better to start early. In addition, it’s hard to know which school one would fit in better without actually visiting it. Consulting alumni of various universities would help a lot. For me, I searched for universities that have good philosophy departments as well as study abroad programs, and wrote emails to the admission officers and alumni

·      How hard was the transition to the US? What did not expect that then happened and what did you expect to happen that did not?

It was very hard at the beginning. I was not very good at social networking, and the cultural shock was overwhelming. I had many preconceived notions about how the classes would be, how I would make friends with others, and how I would pursue my academic and life goals. Not many of these expectations were fulfilled after I came here. For example, I wanted to pursue biology research while studying philosophy; my experiences however led me to discover that to I enjoyed courses in in Humanities than in Science. And at the same time, I discovered a whole world full of different opportunities for me to explore various areas; I never expected myself to be exposed to many wonderful organizations and NGOs. After I came here, I was involved with Machik, an NGO started by two excellent Canadian Tibetan sisters, and thus got to learn a lot from them; I also discovered many wonderful programs in my university, such as a funded research project and therefore got to know many students with these same interests.

·      You are one of the few international students, ever, to major in philosophy at your university. How did you arrive at this major and how did your parents react?

I have always loved reading and thinking; and when I have some thoughts I loved to discuss them with my elder cousin, who also majors in Philosophy. Through my talks with him and the books I read, I found philosophy quite intellectually challenging and satisfying; it is a subject that’s concerned with every other subject, and helps people to develop a more rational view of life and a useful way of thinking and problem-solving. Many people, including my parents, tend to think of it as something that will never get me a job. However, my parents are very open-minded people who support me to make decisions on my own. I also agreed that I will double major in something “more practical”, thus to put myself in a less risky position.

·      What do you think the most important things to learn are in college?

I think for me personally, the most important thing so far I have learnt is how to react to various situations calmly. To be in college in the US on my own was a great challenge to me. When many unexpected things happened, I started to realize that I needed to be independent and face them on my own. When I learnt to keep calm in any situation, I found myself solving problems more efficiently and wisely. Apart from this, I learnt to explore opportunities on my own. College is not just about sitting in the library everyday and learning. There are many more opportunities outside of class where I can learn much more than facts in the textbook. I learnt to actively search for these opportunities and benefited a lot.

·      What groups are you in and why?

I’m in Machik, an NGO related to development and education in the Tibetan Plateau. I have a personal interest in Tibet due to my religious belief and travel experiences. After I came abroad, I found many more important facts that persuaded me to be more involved in organizations of this region.

I’m also in Dreamcorps, an NGO that helps with library building in rural China. I’d been involved in many rural education programs and activities before I came to the US. My own opportunity to study in the US made me more aware of the education injustices in China right now. I’m also the Campus Ambassador of Teach for China in my university.

·      How have you changed since coming to the US? How do you still want to change?

I believe I’ve changed a lot, maybe not intentionally. I’m more mature, independent, and calm than I used to be; besides, I learnt to be more proactive. I do like to change, since change is not a bad thing. I think usually people are not easily changed, except when they experience some really important things of their life, or they are about to change the things they thought they once wanted.

Yutong

·      Are you happy? Are you stressed?

Most of the time I’m happy. I think that I cannot complain when so many people are living a worse life than I am right now.

·      Can you take us through a day in your life? What time do you get up on Wednesday and then what do you do until you turn off the light to go to sleep?

On Wednesday I wake up at nine, then go to the library to study before my first class at eleven. I have lunch with my friend after class, and then read before my next class at two, which is my last class on that day. I do not have club activities or meetings so I go home directly after class. After dinner I study for the next day, read news, and learn Japanese. I usually go to sleep at 1 a.m.

·      Favorite professor and classes?

My favorite classes are Evil and Suffering taught by Jennifer Geddes; Philosophy of Religion taught by Trenton Merricks, Buddhist art and architecture taught by Mr. Daniel Ehnbom, Ecology and Conservation by Robert Swap and Tibetan Buddhism taught by Jed Verity.

·      Who do you hang out with and why?

I want to hang out with everyone who has interesting ideas.

·      Do you feel stereotyped for being Chinese or for being Asian?

I usually do not sense it, although sometimes I do feel an initial distance because some of my classmates would not talk to me a when they first see me.

·      Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I intend to pursue further studies in my area; therefore, I wish to have enough experience and knowledge of my areas of interest by that time, and work for a research institute or a university.

Wuxi No 1 High School