留學案例:致那些溫暖的不列顛歲月
青易
去英國留學是我這一生至今做過的最難忘,有意義,無悔的決定。感謝一直為我無條件付出的父母和哥哥一家。
初到斯特林
到學校注冊付完學費后,我漫步在學校,被美麗的校園景色迷得邁不動腳步。第一天我就找到了學校的城堡,這個鬼斧神工的精致建筑是國王的城堡,美輪美奐!讀書期間最喜歡的時刻就是手捧一杯濃濃的Costa在圖書館面窗的角落看一會兒書,望著窗外的天鵝,等待去上課。左手咖啡,右手書籍,挎著劍橋包漫步在天鵝湖畔走向Pathfoot教學樓是我每天的routine。
我們專業(yè)一共有八個同學,其中六位的母語是英語,另外就是我和一名巴基斯坦男生。一天課程結(jié)束后,我在學校乘坐UL或者63路公交車到市中心,到家后歡快地放下書和包包,溜達到附近的shopping mall逛街或者到Caf Nero里點杯心愛的摩卡,安靜一會兒,有時候在市中心的小店間晃蕩~I wasn t actually buying anything;I wasbuying the leisure,the freedom,of walking in an ancient city,smelling thecoffee and cakes,desperately breathing the moment that I knew I would bemissing so much.
留學生活日常
到學校注冊付完學費后,我漫步在學校,被美麗的校園景色迷得邁不動腳步。第一天我就找到了學校的城堡,這個鬼斧神工的精致建筑是國王的城堡,美輪美奐!讀書期間最喜歡的時刻就是手捧一杯濃濃的Costa在圖書館面窗的角落看一會兒書,望著窗外的天鵝,等待去上課。左手咖啡,右手書籍,挎著劍橋包漫步在天鵝湖畔走向Pathfoot教學樓是我每天的routine。
我們專業(yè)一共有八個同學,其中六位的母語是英語,另外就是我和一名巴基斯坦男生。一天課程結(jié)束后,我在學校乘坐UL或者63路公交車到市中心,到家后歡快地放下書和包包,溜達到附近的shopping mall逛街或者到Caf Nero里點杯心愛的摩卡,安靜一會兒,有時候在市中心的小店間晃蕩~I wasn t actually buying anything;I wasbuying the leisure,the freedom,of walking in an ancient city,smelling thecoffee and cakes,desperately breathing the moment that I knew I would bemissing so much.
攻克學習難關(guān)
秋學期我選了三門核心課程,其中最難的一門課是Research Methods to InternationalPolitics,因為我們專業(yè)只有我一個中國女生,其他同學都是操一口飛快流利的英音。起初我是崩潰的,因為我很難完全聽懂他們在說什么。
九月份第一堂課后因為無法融入西方課堂,課后我崩潰大哭發(fā)郵件給老師尋求幫助,師恩難忘,這一生我都會放在內(nèi)心最柔軟的地方。我的導師Dr.Andrew Glencross是個年輕有為的學術(shù)天才,長得太帥,也是在學習上對我無比照顧的老師,每次上課我不敢正眼看他更重要的是,他畢業(yè)于劍橋和哈佛,在英國讀書期間,他把我?guī)驓W盟政治的知識殿堂里。想到這里有些抑制不住眼淚,感謝老師的鼓勵讓我堅持下去。每當我上臺做presentation他會給與我足夠的關(guān)注。
下面是其中一封老師的鼓勵郵件原文:
我開始付出更多的時間和精力在課前閱讀準備上,在征得老師同意后,我錄下老師的講課,在課后我反復review,深入理解老師的思路和同學們的討論。逐漸在之后的seminar里我開始聽懂大部分知識點,也更積極地在課堂上代表group發(fā)言。
結(jié)語
在英國一年半的時間里,發(fā)生了很多有趣難忘的事情。很難一一描述,引用一段英國留學期間的日記來結(jié)束我對那段溫暖的不列顛歲月的回憶。
Living in Britain was so much different from living in China,wher people are troubled with trifles and wher living is degraded to surviving.I felt,for the first time in my life,a moment of peace and gratitude.I began to see things through in all the time I had,when I did not have to be bothered by anyone jumping a queue or spitting to the ground as Ihad in China.I began to understand things,things that were shadowed or blindedby the busyness of life in China.And maybe it was due to the loneliness thatdid I come to value sentiments that I had ignored or taken for granted.
I saw pigeons walk among people on the plaza.Inoticed an ordinary librarian smile and explain patiently to every student who had confusion.I heard cashiers at small shops say good mornings in a voice sogenuine and happy that it warmed my heart in the winter wind.Every time I helda warm cup of Mocha in my hand and wandered about the streets,I felt my heartas light and cheerful as had captured the first trace of sunlight through thewindow frame.
I am not saying therewere no moments of frustration or depression.I am not saying they were all good memories.I could not understand the menu at the first time when I dined in a local restaurant and it took me a century to google the dishes out.My chats with locals never went that local since I really did notknow how to respond to their jokes.The social circle I squeezed in was greatbut I did not feel any sense of belonging every time in the parties orgatherings.I was just a student,a passer-by of their life whose absence wouldstir no sentiments.