The Boarding House Experience (2017-2019)

Being able to study in an international school as a border is an experience of a lifetime. This opportunity not only allowed me to acquire many essential skills – self-discipline and socializing – but also how to solve problems independently and brace stressful situations. There were many challenges as a boarder, but this lovely community accompanied me through those times. I am especially thankful for all the efforts the staff and people put into taking care of me. I was also able to befriend with many talented individuals, learn about each of their cultures, and nonetheless, share memorable times with them. I was able to swiftly adapt to the multi-cultural environment here in UWCSEA, and despite not being a boarder anymore, the people in the Tampines House still always welcomed me like family.

How It All Began

Back in 2016, I was studying in American School in Taichung (AST), and I was like any typical student there – I had decent GPAs (in fact close to a 4.0) and stable friendships. What I also had was being the founder of a Lego robotics club, in which the team represented Taiwan in the 2016 Australia First Lego League Championship. You might ask why I have decided to transfer to such a huge international school –  UWCSEA that is over 3000 kilometres away – with all the achievements I had and the comfortable environment I was in. For this, I must first explain what I meant by a comfortable environment.

With its small student population of 200 and roughly 30 people in each grade, AST affected me – I no longer felt I was learning as much compared to when I arrived. There wasn’t much competition in academics, not to mention the few electives available. I felt that I have outgrown the position there as a student. I wanted to explore more, but I was backed down by the limited resources in school. In the midst of all these questioning, UWCSEA appeared for the first time in my life. It was 2017 February. Finding UWCSEA was nothing more than a coincidence as my parents and I were initially looking for a summer program. However, instead of participating in the program, my parents and I discussed transferring to it. This was quite shocking for families and friends around us. The reasons for doing so were crystal clear though: UWCSEA has what it requires for me to learn more, from the plentiful resources to the multicultural environment. Both my parents and I are quite amazed not only by the scale of the school but also its well-organised system and excellent values. Comparing to AST, this could really be the place for me to explore and make my dreams come true.

Considering the fact that most local Singaporeans speak Mandarin, Hokkien, and English, I was not that worried about getting used to the local culture. However, ironically, it cost me ten times the effort and time to fit into the UWCSEA’s international culture – not because I was bullied or anything like that, no, but the massive differences between the environment I was in and I am in. To make things clear, I have subdivided my journey into five parts – adapt, awareness, conquer, expand, and opening up.

 

Adapt

Under work…  🙂

 

 

I was only 14 years old when I first joined UWSCEA and its boarding community, Tampines House. I was confident in terms of my ability to make friends and communicate.

 

You must have watched American movies that are about bullying, right? If you did, have you ever felt lame whenever the main characters decide to deal with the bullies themselves? Just report the bullies to the teachers, or policeman if they’ve committed a crime! Of course, in some cases, it takes a lot of courage to do so. However, it was a little different in my case as I didn’t really experienced bullying but rather a form of jokingly fun and seldom harassment. In short words, this whole thing was like a fly buzzing around me.