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Editor's Note: The results of the fifth SCNU English Writing and Short Video Contest have been announced on the website of the Office of International Exchange & Cooperation of SCNU (see results). We congratulate all prize winners on their outstanding performance. Winning entries will be published in this column.
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By Wu Xinyu
In the golden autumn days at SCNU, the campus basks in the warm sunlight, while the kapok trees beam brightly as if celebrating. Wu Meiyi, who recently secured her admission to the Harbin Institute of Technology through recommendation, kindly accepted my interview invitation. Despite considering herself an ordinary student who has faced her share of failures and difficulties, she remains steadfastly committed to her journey of free exploration and growth. This graceful and resilient southern girl, with her distinctive calm demeanor and persistent spirit, opens up about her enriching journey of learning and transformation.
"I will never forget it in my life"
She studied in Panyu since she was a child. She was good at schoolwork and felt the fierce competition after entering junior high school. In a tutorial class, she met students from prestigious schools and found that their thinking was more active and their knowledge was broader. This made her understand that being the top student in primary school does not mean anything, but rather motivated her to work harder.
She had the idea of going to the provincial experimental school, but reality poured cold water on that. Despite her best efforts, she was still unable to get into the provincial school. However, she did not give up and was determined to make a comeback at high school. The result of the college entrance exam disappointed her once again, as she didn't get into her preferred university and major, and instead got into a major she didn't like much.
But she did not feel discouraged. During her freshman year, she successfully transferred to the School of Physics through continuous hard work. She regained her confidence and courage, and felt the charm of knowledge. Looking back on these two failed experiences, she was filled with emotion. "These two failures and the process of getting back up again will really be unforgettable for the rest of my life," she said. They not only made her cherish the opportunities and resources she now has, but also strengthened her determination and belief in pursuing her dreams.
Wu Meiyi received an excellent student certificate
"I thank everyone in my life"
"When I first came to university, I was not a confident person. When I had to give a report, I always wanted to avoid speaking on stage because every time I stood on the podium, the nervousness made my mind go blank and I was completely unable to perform to my full potential". From her initial escape to her current freedom, she has undergone a huge transformation. She has worked hard to learn how to regulate her breathing, organise her speech and engage in interactions that make her storytelling more vivid and interesting.
She also gained valuable friendships. During a team-building activity, she met two like-minded friends. They help each other with their studies, solve problems together and participate in many activities together, which has strengthened their mutual understanding and friendship. Of the three, two have successfully secured their admission into graduate school, while the other is preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination by writing their own stories together at South China Normal University.
She also received a lot of help and support on her way to graduate school. She met a very responsible teacher who gave her the opportunity to study in the laboratory. In the lab, she not only learned a lot of experimental skills and research methods, but also gained valuable research experience. When she contacted her mentor, the SCNU's teachers gave her many valuable suggestions to help her better demonstrate her strengths. Her classmates spared no effort to teach her how to use laboratory instruments, how to write literature reviews and other skills that made her more adept in the field of scientific research. During the interview, she also shared her own information for reference, which saved her a lot of time and effort in the preparation process.
Another student who made a deep impression on Wu Meiyi was a senior at the University of Science and Technology of China. They met online, and although it was just a relationship between netizens, the older student was very concerned about her progress in applying for graduate school. Whenever the younger student has a problem, the senior student always patiently answers her questions and reminds her to contact her supervisor early and prepare relevant materials. He also forwarded many summer camp notices and recommendation strategies from the school to his net friend, which helped her avoid many detours in the recommendation process.
During the final exam, he also answered some questions about vocational courses for Wu Meiyi, making her more competent in the exam process. At key stages, such as the summer camp interview, the older student gave her great help and encouragement. When he found out that she had not passed the early interview at the University of Science and Technology of China, his mood was very low. Although he seriously criticized her for not preparing the interview materials in advance, he later told her, "I just hope you can land soon". This sentence deeply moved her and strengthened her determination to pursue her dreams.
Finally, with everyone's joint efforts, she successfully passed the Excellent College Student Summer Camp. Looking back on this period of research, she was filled with emotion. She is grateful to every noble person and friend she has met and appreciates the help and support they have given her. At the same time, she also thanked herself for being brave enough to face challenges and difficulties and for constantly improving her skills and qualities.
"I thank myself for not being defeated by repeated failures."
At the beginning of her freshman year, Wu Meiyi was determined to get the postgraduate recommendation. She is terrified and trembles as she checks her grades of final exams, afraid that any poor performance in one course will bring down her overall GPA. She remained in this state for three years.
Along the way, she once felt that she couldn't go on for much longer. At that moment, she would reassure herself that three years of hard work would not be wasted. She had held her breath for countless nights, not wanting to fail like that. Seven years have passed since the day of awakening. It is this spirit of unwillingness and indomitable spirit that has sustained her to this day.
When asked to sum up herself in three words, Wu Meiyi chose "unyielding", "sensitive" and "self-reflection". Just like her journey, she hopes that what people see is not a cold example of success, but a peer who has failed before but is still moving forward. In the future, she wants to study in the advanced group after completing her thesis.
End of the story
Konosuke Matsushita once said that ups and downs are inevitable in life. Life is not always like the rising sun, nor is it always filled with pain and despair. For a human being, it is the repeated experience of ups and downs that temper one's character. May we all be fearless on our journey of life, may our own brilliance blossom, may we not get caught up in the riddle of numerator and denominator, and may we never give up in life even when the wind is blowing hard.
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