Growth requires - Between Senior Year and Freshman Year (Volume 1)

Author: Li Jiacheng / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Case 1-1 Everyone has a dream about university. I’m no exception. Twelve years of hard study were all for fulfilling this dream. The university in my dreams was almost perfect. I thought university should be a place of learning, an academic hub where renowned scholars gather; university life should be full of meaning, rich, and diverse. But the past year of life and study has completely shattered my dreams. My overall feeling over the past year has been emptiness and decay. If there’s a class in the morning (starting at 8:00), we’ll still sleep until 7:30, struggling to get out of bed and sprint to the classroom. In the first few weeks of university, I would still eat breakfast at the cafeteria, but now it’s simplified to steamed buns or siu mai delivered to class, which we quickly solve in the "underground." I thought university classes would always spark intellectual insights. But in reality? Every day, the classes leave me feeling unmotivated. The dull content and mediocre teaching level of the professors () make many students fall asleep in class. Then, another batch of students start studying in the corners of the classroom. Eventually, it becomes a scene of those who escape, those who sleep, and those who play, leaving only a few who actually pay attention. Extracurricular life is also quite decadent. The "hardworking" tradition I developed in high school has completely disappeared. Playing cards and (going online) have become common sights in the dorm. But university hasn’t only brought me negative aspects; it has also made me grow in many ways. Every day, I have to manage my own life—fetching water, doing laundry, making my bed, and cleaning the dorm. Without my parents always around, I have to make many decisions myself. This has taught me independence. Additionally, I do tutoring, which is also a form of training and experience. Through this, I’ve learned how to interact better with others and tasted the joy and pride of earning my living through hard work. (Written by Chen Yan in May 2003)
In this part of the content, this freshman’s feelings about university life are quite negative. Even the positive aspects are limited to gaining independence in daily life. We can directly sense this. At this stage, the student’s own expectations of "growth" and what university education needs to provide her are far more than just life skills. So, how should we understand her needs? How should we view her disappointment in university life? Moreover, this current state does not mean the student’s original foundation is weak—quite the opposite. Her academic performance has been excellent from high school to university and now into her junior year. However, behind these good grades, something seems to be missing. What is missing?
Next, let’s look at this student’s reflection on herself in the early days of her sophomore year: P17-18