Profile

Zhang Xiangqi, a student majoring in finance in the 2017 Foundation (3+1+1) program of International College, Xiamen University. During school, he actively participated in various activities and served as the director of the Xiang'an Campus Branch of the Youth Media Center of Xiamen University Youth League Committee; in 2019, he was awarded the honorary title of "Backbone Member of Campus Media in National Top 100 Colleges and Universities", and was awarded the Excellent Student Reporter of the Publicity Department of the Party Committee of Xiamen University.

 After graduation, he went to De Montfort University in the UK to complete the subsequent undergraduate studies and obtained a first-class degree. Now he’s pursing the Master Degree in the University of Sheffield, majoring in digital media and society.

Study Life at International College, XMU

International College of Xiamen University has a high-quality teaching environment and educational resources. As long as we study on time and do not delay in writing reports and papers, we can successfully graduate from International College. For me, besides studying, making good use of my spare time and participating in various campus activities to exercise and enrich myself is a rare experience. I have met a group of like-minded friends in various activities. Whether in life or study, we accompany each other, encourage each other, and make progress together. During my stay in Xiamen, I participated in many activities and worked as a staff member, such as Good Classmates Around Me, the New Year's Party, the Quality Development of the Xiang'an District Library, the volunteer teaching, etc., which have benefited me a lot.

Obtain a first-class undergraduate degree

In the early stage of my studying at De Montfort University, due to the epidemic, the studies were mainly online, which was limited to a certain extent, but as long as we are willing to work hard and keep up with the progress of the teachers, it is not difficult to get a first-class degree.

In terms of English learning, I will use some tools to help me understand the academic teaching information. For example, some teachers speak too fast during online classes. We can use the subtitles that come with Zoom or Google to form English subtitles, so that I can better understand the content. When we read dozens of pages of English literature, we can also use software such as Sogou and Youdao to perform screenshot translation and bilingual comparison to learn academic knowledge.

 In terms of courses, some people may not like exams or papers. My suggestion is: in terms of papers, we can't keep putting them off. If we do like this, we may face several deadlines together, and it will be very difficult and helpless. We can slowly search for information a few weeks in advance to build a framework; In terms of exams, we need to understand the weekly PPT and lectures, otherwise we will be at a loss when we see the calculation questions. I started to read the calculation questions of Business Finance a month before the exam. During this period, I repeatedly communicated and discussed with my classmates and roommates to check and make up the deficiencies, which could better consolidate the knowledge points. This method is very useful. Most of the classmates around me have obtained very good grades.

Pursuing Master’s Degree in the University of Sheffield

It is not competitive with a bachelor's degree alone in China, and also I don't want to enter the society too early, which urges me to continue my study and pursue a master's degree.

In terms of master's degree application, I don't think the ranking of undergraduate schools has much influence. It mainly depends on the degree level obtained by the undergraduate.

 Compared with undergraduate students, the academic pressure during graduate students will be greater. The school will give us more time to read literature, expand our knowledge and complete homework reports. We will become busier. Therefore, it is particularly important to plan our time.

Experience of Study and Life in the UK

Apart from the language, the biggest difference between studying in the UK and domestic university life is food. The price of ready-made food, whether in restaurants or takeout, is higher. Therefore, when we have classes during the day, my roommates and I usually do it casually at noon, and then follow the video or text to explore Chinese or foreign cuisine in the evening, such as borscht, sweet and sour tenderloin, milk pasta and so on, constantly get new skills and make ourselves more independent

There are quite a few differences between British culture and Chinese culture. For example, during volunteer activities on the weekend, the school will arrange for everyone to go to the farm to feed the alpacas; at Christmas, a Ferris wheel will be built in the center of the market; Classes from some majors are taught in the church; Most people in foreign schools do not work overtime. They contact teachers and staff by email after getting off work or on weekends. Normally, they will not reply to you until the next day or Monday. If a teacher reply your email late at night, he deserves a compliment. These different cultural differences allowed me to gain more different cultural experiences and broaden my horizons.

In the face of the current normalization of the epidemic, we still need to take protective measures, disinfect clothes timely after going out, and try not to go to indoor gathering places (such as bars, etc.). However, it is easy to get sick if you stay in the dormitory all the time. It is also a good choice to take a walk in the nearby park when there is no class during the day. The greening in the UK is very good. The entertainment room downstairs in the dormitory has table tennis tables, billiards, table football, etc. You can invite friends in the apartment building to exercise together. From time to time, I made appointments with my classmates to play table tennis and badminton to exercise and maintain my immunity. When there is no class in the afternoon, you can also video chat with your family to communicate the current situation. Overall, studying abroad in the UK is pretty good.

Suggestions to the Fellow Students

There is a long way to go and just forge ahead. No one can succeed easily. I hope the fellow students can really put themselves into it, exercise themselves in school, and try their best to learn and enrich themselves. The bright future is sure to come!