"The IB curriculum taught me how to allocate my time reasonably, to study when I should study, to relax when I should relax, achieving a balance between study and rest. Unlike studying in China, the IB program doesn't just focus on cramming knowledge. During these two years, we gradually found our direction, our goals and also started to realize what we wanted for our future. I`m very grateful for the three years I spent in Singapore, which has helped me to be determined and exercise self-control to pursue my dreams. These three years have also taught me the importance of self-discipline. Whenever I feel like giving up, I always remind myself not to be in self-denial and I always tell myself that if I take one more step forward and try a bit harder, I`ll find the destination around the corner.”

“I`m glad that I have enough talent; I`m glad that I have my own personality; I`m glad that my dad had the foresight to send me abroad for development; I`m glad that my family could afford my study overseas; I`m glad that I have met friends worth trusting in my life so far; I`m glad that my friends accompanied me during the most difficult times; I`m glad that I have found light in the darkness; I`m glad that I came to my senses before the swamp swallowed me; I`m glad that my teachers did not treat me differently when I performed poorly; I`m glad that my mother was willing to accompany us three siblings overseas for these years; I`m glad that I have like-minded companions on the path of study; I`m glad that I have gained the recognition from professors in Cambridge.”

"...When choosing to go to SJII, I also had a lot of struggles, because I already formed a comfort zone at ISS and I got along well with teachers and classmates there. If I went to SJII, it would mean I have to give up all of that and need to adjust to a new environment. After a lot of thinking and struggling, I still decided to challenge myself. I first started with a foundation course and a two-year IB program.To be honest, my days at SJII were not that happy. Because in this school, many students started studying here since junior high or even elementary school. So it's not easy for transfer students to fit in, especially for those whose second language is English. But what is certain is that the starting point at SJII is different from that at ISS. Students here are all very excellent and with a good learning environment, I was very motivated. I am very grateful that I was able to gradually realize it in the last year and I am very thankful for the help from my teachers and Aunt Jessica. The five-year living and studying experience in Singapore is completely different from my life in China. It allows me to see different aspects of things and to experience different cultures. This is a very important stage in my life. I am also grateful to my parents for giving me this opportunity to explore my true self freely in a relatively open and comfortable environment."

"This learning experience is undoubtedly unforgettable for me. IB is a very challenging course and choosing the subjects I want to study is one of the most important steps. When I first chose my subjects, I hesitated for a long time, because there were numerous choices waiting for me to decide. However, after discussing with Aunt Jessica, I started to feel enlightened and gradually determined the direction of my future studies. At the same time, I successfully selected the subjects that were most suitable for me. For this reason, my two years of study have been relatively smooth for me. The days in IBDP were not easy for me. A vast amount of new knowledge and unfamiliar words made it very difficult to handle, which was why my grades were not very good during Term 1 and Term 2. I gradually realized that IBDP might not be the most suitable program for me. After discussing with the school teachers and Aunt Jessica, I decided to continue my studies in IBDC. As much as I like IBDP, suitability is always more important than preference. Compared with DP, studying in DC was undoubtedly much easier. We could cancel one or two of the courses and spend more time on other courses. In addition, I could also write one less EE (Extended Essay) than DP students. Nevertheless, I did not give up my creation of EE, even though this EE would not add any points to me. Maybe a lot of people wonder why I wanted to do something that couldn`t yield results. On one hand, I have already started writing my EE and did not want to give up halfway. On the other hand, I believe that completing the EE would benefit my college life, as writing essays is very common in university. If I familiarize myself with the various processes beforehand, it might make things much easier for me later on. Therefore, even though I wouldn't get any points for writing EE, I did my best to finish it.


In the following days, I began to focus more on the subjects I was not good at, and I also had more time to engage in in-depth preview and review. Aunt Jessica, school teachers, and tutors were also supportive and helped me to the greatest extent. Every day after school, I would go to the tuition centre to attend extra lessons to catch up on the learning points that I missed or the knowledge I did not fully understand in class. And so my performance improved a lot compared to before when I was preparing for DP. In life, many people always insist that efforts matter the most to success. However, making the right choices is also equally necessary. It is because of my parents, Aunt Jessica, and teachers who have constantly guided me to find my own path that I have become the person I am today. Now, I finally reached my graduation. Looking back at these five years, I have experienced a lot of ups and downs. Every time I think of leaving my school, my friends, and teachers, I am deeply saddened. At the end of this article, I want to express my gratitude to my parents, Aunt Jessica, all my teachers and friends who have been with me all along the way.”

"Time flies and in the blink of an eye, two and a half years have passed. I can still recall the day I sat in the ILC office, attending the ten-minute meeting about my estimated IB scores with my IB subject teachers. A score of 32 was like a bolt from the blue to me, who was arrogant and strongly believed that I could achieve good grades without studying. I can still remember the feeling of losing any hope for my future. To be more precise, it was like I couldn't see where my future lies.
I genuinely hope that my junior fellows, whether you have failed the exams or not been admitted to your dream schools, will not be knocked down by any estimated score or any rejection letter. These scores or rejection letters do not mean that you are worthless, or that your efforts are meaningless. I`m not spreading motivational nonsense. But please remember that “your hard work will pay off one day - the best is yet to come”. This quotation has been motivating me throughout these two years.
Negative emotions won't change the estimated score and giving up is the worst strategy. However, it is never too late to mend. At that time, my first decision was to take a gap year, and achieve a satisfied final score before that, while adjusting my strategy for applying to universities. I stopped blindly chasing all these “world-famous” schools, even though it was painful for me to admit that I was normal or even having limitations. The reality was just cruel and real.
In the days that followed, I treated every review plan seriously, and at the same time, built up my mental strength continually. Though I knew that I could not make any difference even if I tried to use all my efforts to make up for what I had missed before in the next six months or less, I could not turn back the clock. I realized that I couldn`t be efficient enough at home, so for those months, I went to the Singapore National Library almost every weekend and every day after school. I wouldn't leave the library until they closed at night. I particularly liked to record my learning outcomes at that time because it made me feel motivated, though waking up early in the morning and going to bed late at night was really exhausting.
My efforts paid off and I finally got an IB score of 38. Although it is not an excellent score, compared to the estimated 32, it is a pretty good one."

"Looking back on these three years, I feel like I've changed a lot, especially when communicating with people. I used to be afraid to speak out in class and did not want to have too much interaction with teachers or students. But now I`ve become more comfortable and to share. Honestly speaking, it is also partly due to the fact that my English is improving. I remember when our IB score was estimated in Grade 12, my Business teacher said, “you should really go back and look at the paper you wrote at the beginning of grade 11 and see how much progress you`ve made this year.” Whether it is writing or speaking, all these made me more confident when interacting with people. But looking back, I haven't really changed, I was just lucky enough to find a good platform. At UWCSEA in Singapore, everything I`ve encountered seems to be unimaginable. I was able to meet classmates and teachers from so many different countries, cultures and backgrounds, to participate in large-scale activities and fundraising, to give full play of my abilities and to meet like-minded teachers and classmates. I`m especially grateful for Aunt Jessica for her three years of companionship and assistance. I remembered that at our last dinner together before graduation, she asked me what words I would use to describe her and I thought about it for a long time. For me, Aunt Jessica is not only someone who can lend me a hand in many matters, but also a person who I can really rely on at any time. There were two times when Aunt Jessica even came to the school to help me solve problems when it was already very late at night. Sometimes, I feel that I can be hugged tightly in Aunt Jessica`s arms and any problem can be solved easily. Such selflessness and love has given me great strength and encouraged me to move forward.

I genuinely enjoyed these three years. I truly loved this period of absorbing new knowledge and the process of getting to know the world, through which I unexpectedly found that I particularly love such learning and lifestyle. If I had to go back to the very beginning, I would still choose this path. Even if there were some moments of doubt and confusion, I would still be loyal to my own courage and choice. I would never leave my life to others, so no one could betray me. On the night of my graduation, I received a letter I had written to the future me before I began Grade 10. I found that the plans I had written down and the wishes I had made were all fulfilled. Perhaps, no one can accurately predict the future, but I believe I will have laid some groundwork for the unknown with every step I take. When the evidence in the gap of time appeared in front of me, I was really living in the future I had imagined. In these three years, I`ve had a good life, grew well and fulfilled the wishes I had before."