My Successful Overseas Study Experience
“Slower Student”! I was so familiar with these names. I ranked as the last one among 500 students in the middle school and high school entrance exam in our college, and was even unable to get 300 points out of 900 in the university entrance exam.
The decision to go to study in New Zealand 15 years ago completely changed my life. I was offered a place in one of the best New Zealand universities and successfully graduated with first class honors. During my undergraduate years, I was profiled on university prospectus for many time and achieved Golden Key Prizes. After graduation, I was admitted by London School of Economics and Political Science (exempt from IELTS, GMAT and postgraduate diploma studies) and was granted a Master’s Degree. I then worked as a Manager in Top 500 Global Corporations– Accor Group and was granted a New Zealand Permanent Resident Permit. Currently I am working as the General Manager of Confidence Management Consulting Ltd. This is what I am now.
How did I make these great changes? What makes me convert from a self- distrusting student to a diligent and confident young man? I think that one of the reasons is that the environment changed, and the education systems in New Zealand offered me an opportunity to display my talent.
I still clearly remember when I was in primary school, middle school and high school in China, I had been called “mythology”– ranked last one of every test and exam in the school. Teachers disliked me, and I was being looked down upon by schoolmates. It was a torture for me to go to school every day. I didn’t want to do homework and this had led to serious study-weary behavior. The teachers asked to see my parents many times but were still unable to find solutions. I disliked mathematics, physics but they are the compulsory papers with very difficult curriculums. The restricted teaching method left me feeling very depressed. From the beginning to the end of class, only the teacher is allowed to speak while students must put hands on the desk. Although I am very interested in social science subjects such as history, geography and management studies, they are not major subjects. Also, if you had not achieved a very high marks on those compulsory papers such as mathematics, physics, Chinese, etc, you wouldn’t be able to pass the university entrance exam. I could not do what I really wanted to do but was forced to do those I did not like to do at all. I was really unhappy during that time that even the word bitterness was not enough to describe it.
I decided to go to New Zealand after finishing the second year in high school. In fact, this was the only way that I could choose because I had no chance to pass the university entrance exam. Unexpectedly, New Zealand’s flexible education system has completely changed my learning attitude, and helped me get back my self-confidence. I liked the teachers here as they never used grades to judge or even blow the students. They keep saying to all students that you would success if you work hard (teachers may be disappointed with the student’s performance but they never show). Most importantly, you are able to select the courses based on your interest. For courses of no importance in your future development, you can totally ignore them. In New Zealand, I feel that I have the initiative to study, and teachers give only guidance rather than orders. In China, however, learning becomes passive because it is required by teachers who push you to study. Whether you like it or not, you must study all the subjects and you have to reach the standard that they have established. This is the only way that you can be called a “good student”. Looking back to my decision, I feel so lucky to have come to New Zealand.
New Zealand’s education system has so many advantages that it cannot be fully expressed by a few words and I am the beneficiary of this system. However, to be successful in overseas study is not pure luck, we must establish a clear plan for studying abroad, master the study skills and adapt to the local culture. I believe that what I have achieved is also possible for you. And I will help you avoid the detours I have taken.
I sincerely wish our students to make dreams come true through overseas experience.
