This is the 1284th real story we tell
I am Evelyn Cheng Weiling, 27 years old, from Jiangnan water town Wuxi , a gentle and lively city. Now I am 9,000 kilometers away in New Zealand , and this is my third year alone.
I ranked first in the province in the college entrance examination in one university, but chose another school close to home. After graduation, he also transferred to New Zealand to study business. He spent 400,000 yuan in 15 months, of which tuition fees cost 280,000 yuan.
is a prodigal or a family building? Is it waste of time or to seize the day? My experience may give you some inspiration.
(My life photo outdoors)
I am a post-95s. When I was a child, my parents were busy with business. I lived with my grandparents and returned to my parents only after I was 10 years old.
Grandpa retired from the army and returned to work locally. He has his own military style in dealing with people and affairs, and is strict but not strict. He often told me that you must be kind to others, and people will inevitably encounter various setbacks. Everything should be viewed from a positive perspective, and the problems will be solved easily.
I remember that I was just in elementary school at that time, and my grandfather asked me to get up at four or five o'clock in the morning to run. He made me feel that it is worth looking forward to when I wake up early in winter. The opening time of the day is different, and you can see different mornings.
(I love nature and love life)
Kazuo Inamori once said, "The path of life is depicted by the heart. Therefore, no matter how severe the situation you are in, your heart should not be lingered by pessimistic thoughts." So planting a seed of positive emotions in your heart will bring you a life full of vitality.
Grandpa told me that the plan for the day is in the morning. It is easier to win battles with a good mood, and it is also the same for life. These positive mentalities developed since childhood have benefited me a lot.
Grandma is the eldest sister of the family and has taken on a lot of responsibility to educate her younger brothers and sisters. She has several years of teaching experience, loves learning very much, and is good at teaching people. My grandma also has her unique skill in learning: that is, leave me a wall to teach myself. When I get home from school, I will teach myself what the teacher taught during the day.
At first, I was fresh, curious, tender and awkward, but later I followed the steps, skillful and calm, and I took every step of my study. Looking back now, that was also the beginning of my dream of journalism.
(going out to shoot homework videos)
In addition to learning methods, my grandmother also taught me to arrange my study time reasonably and combine work and rest. These good learning habits developed since childhood have accompanied me along the way, making me always love learning, not only can I learn well, but I can also enjoy it. My attitude towards life has always been: love life, face it positively, and enjoy life.
has good learning habits and methods, and my grades have always been the best. When I was in my second year of high school, I suddenly became fascinated by the movies and was deeply shocked by the profession of director.
accidentally learned that there was also a major in radio director, which made me think about taking the art path. At that time, my parents' discipline on me was gradually no longer as strict as when I was a child. They are willing to listen to my thoughts patiently and are willing to respect my choices as much as an adult.
With the full support of my parents, I make full use of my spare time to study professional courses. After school and during the winter and summer vacations, we are either studying professional courses or on the way to studying professional courses, regardless of wind or rain. Obviously, this road is more difficult than taking the normal path of liberal arts and science. But I understand that my dreams want to be realized by myself.
(our group commercial performance)
Many people don’t understand. They can clearly enter a good university through their cultural scores, so why do they have to work hard to take the path of completely unfamiliar professional examinations?
At that time, I was in the top class in the liberal arts, and there were only two people in the class who studied art, one was a music student, and the other was me. After learning about my decision, the head teacher did not persuade me. Instead, the political teacher called me to the office and gave me a severe setback.
Thankfully, professional teachers and parents have always encouraged me.Especially the teachers all work in the TV and film industry and teach in college. Their encouragement made my dim mood shine again.
The craziest thing I did at that time was probably when I took the art exam. Because the exam time arranged by the two favorite schools was very close, I only took more than 40 minutes to finish the first written test. I checked it all in a hurry and handed over the papers, and hurried to another school.
(internship site for college promotional video)
Unexpectedly, the test results came out. In the Changchun Normal University recruitment, I was actually the first in Jiangsu Province, and I can go to both schools I like.
html After a lot of confusion, I chose Nanjing Art Institute , which is close to home. Now looking back at college, I am very glad that I chose at that time. There, I met many teachers and counselors who are both teachers and friends.The instructor is a professional director and performing performance. She uses her own resources to arrange for us to schedule dramas. Although the time is short, it makes me deeply feel the charm of the diversity of art forms. During my later decision to study abroad, she also gave me a lot of guidance.
I have received domestic education since I was a child, and I really want to have the opportunity to experience foreign education.
But my grandfather's health was not as good as before. If I went abroad to study, I might not see my grandfather's last time. Grandpa loves me very much, and he also hopes that I can follow my inner choices and make my life less regretful. The counselor's explanation made me feel much more relieved.
professional teachers usually encourage and support us. They will create various opportunities, take us to participate in practical activities, rescue us from boring theoretical books, and learn true knowledge in a real society.
(internship site of Nanjing Film Studio)
I remember that in my sophomore year, there was a project to Yangzhou to shoot promotional videos. The teacher arranged for me to go to the internship to do a recording, and I personally experience what the real set is like and how the promotional video was shot.
That was my first time getting close to the crew. It turned out that in addition to the glossy shots, there were many unknown staff working hard behind the scenes.
Three meals are irregular and staying up late is common. In order to speed up the construction period, there are no fixed numbers of scenes a day, and it is not a matter of what time to eat and go to bed. But everyone, even as a small screw, focuses on their own work. The finished product in just a few dozen minutes is a hundred times the hard work and sweat of a large group of people.
At that time, I lived with a senior sister from the recording department. Her job is to hold the microphone high and record it on the spot. The microphone is not very heavy, but no one can hold it all the time. At the end of the day, my arms were so stiff that they were not my own. Not only is the boring work, but the hard work is not paid yet, she doesn’t complain, but instead cherishes such internship opportunities very much.
Her attitude made me admire her.
Some people may say, then what is the use of hard work? It is rare to become well-known people and industry elites.
and I have always believed that hard work will pay off. If there is no return, it just means that your efforts are not enough. There will always be a day when quantitative change reaches qualitative change, sooner or later.
(My life photo)
As a media student, France has always been a temple-level existence. Every frame in my favorite French romantic movie " Angel Love Beautiful " is like an oil painting, fascinating me.
I have always wanted to appreciate the artistic atmosphere there. In my sophomore year, I had the idea of going to France for further studies after graduation.
I also enrolled in a French study course, but I learned that the French level requirements of the French university I liked are very high, and my French teacher has not reached that level for four years. It only takes more than a year to reach it. Can I achieve it? I decisively gave up dreaming and returned to reality.
But the idea of wanting to feel the different educational environment abroad has always been there.
happened to be that during the holiday, my roommate went to New Zealand for a trip, inspected the local education system, and wanted to study abroad. I think it's good to go together, and my English has always been good, so I don't have to learn a new language again, so I decided to study abroad.
As for why you transfer to business, you actually want to challenge yourself and learn some knowledge in the business field. In addition, doing business at home may come in handy in the future.
In addition, I also want to one day outline my artistic dreams in reality one by one.
(Enjoy the sunshine outdoors)
The three-month internship in my senior year made me more determined to study abroad. At that time, I joined an Sino-foreign joint venture and worked as a management trainee for regional managers.
Every morning, you have to go to a meeting very early, and you have to work until eight or nine o'clock in the evening to learn corporate culture. Not only does it take for a long time to work, but there is still a limited space for self-improvement, which makes me very frustrated. In fact, I don’t reject overtime work, but I just don’t like overtime that is meaningless and inefficient. Why bother to work overtime to make things difficult for yourself?
Everyone has the opportunity to knock on the door of happiness. If you miss it, as time goes by, your face grows old and your heart will be exhausted. I don’t want to be confined to the inaction youth, and I hope to speed up to the next stage of my life through studying abroad.
can also study in China. I chose to study abroad. In addition to wanting to experience different educational environments, another reason is that the academic system abroad is short. You can get a master's degree in more than a year, but it generally takes two or three years in the country. I can accumulate more work experience by graduating earlier.
In September 2019, I arrived in New Zealand and started my postgraduate studies happily. Unexpectedly, I was forced to start the high school learning mode unexpectedly. I just enjoyed four years of freedom and let myself go, and heavy learning tasks are coming. Everything that was strange made me panic and it took me more than a month to get used to it.
(with local Chinese Cosplay party)
re-learning a new major and using another language. I thought it would be difficult. After that adaptation period, I realized that it is not difficult to show the strength of our high school, and the school has given me great help.
will be very detailed in both language and courses. These can allow us non-English-speaking international students to adjust their state more quickly and integrate them into their studies.
Don’t worry about not understanding the course and not doing homework. The school has special language courses, and even self-study classes and special tutors can explain homework to you one question at a time.
Although the courses in one semester seem to be pitifully few, with only three or four subjects, in fact, the actual time spent on each course is three or even four times that of the course. Although the arrangements like this in school are cumbersome, the effect is very good, allowing us to make full use of our time to study.
Local teachers are also like most of my Chinese teachers, and are mainly encouraged to students. This is particularly important for us international students. Being in a foreign country, with completely different languages and cultures, you will have some concerns and are not very confident. The teacher’s bright encouragement is like a lighthouse you see when you grop in the dark, making people feel warm and full of hope.
(pargliding in New Zealand)
Although there are not many cases of discrimination abroad, it is not without it.
I remember when the epidemic broke out, I went to the pharmacy to buy a mask, and a white-haired old lady pointed at me for no reason and started scolding. I was confused, but I had no choice but to do anything, thinking why bother arguing with an old man with a solidified mind, let alone on other people's territory.
Sometimes I will meet enthusiastic strangers and help me when I see it inconvenient to take photos by myself. I have also walked on the street in my graduation gown, receiving bright smiles and sincere blessings from strangers around me.
Once, it was particularly magical. When waiting for the traffic light on the street, there was an old lady next to her. She suddenly started chatting with me, just like the grandma next door who I haven't seen for many years in my hometown, asking me why I was studying here, which school I studied at, whether I was not very confident in speaking English in international students. If I were not very confident, I could come to her house for tea, she would be my free training, etc.
In fact, such experiences are common in New Zealand.
When my friend first arrived in New Zealand, he also experienced it when he went to an old lady's house to change her stay. The old lady was an unmarried man and often took her to various local outdoor activities, such as marathons, watching football games, and even going out to the wild to pick mushrooms.
Although the aging here is very serious, it is obvious that they are very enthusiastic about people and do not have the estrangement and alienation between strangers. and they have a high degree of acceptance of new things, and all kinds of digital products can be used flexibly.
(Graduation Day)
When I first arrived in New Zealand, I was particularly uncomfortable with having strangers greetings on the road, "Hello" and "I wish you a happy day".
Slowly, I also began to enjoy this feeling of being blessed every day and took the initiative to bless strangers. When I first came, I saw people wearing down jackets and shorts on the street. I felt it was incredible and I was not surprised now.
When we study business, there are about 100 people in a class. It’s funny to say that during class, half of them are compatriots. Sometimes there is an illusion of taking foreign teachers at home.
And the media major I went to New Zealand to study with me, there were only a dozen people in each class, and she was the only Chinese. The school system I chose was 15 months, with a total cost of about 400,000 yuan, and the tuition fee alone was about 280,000 yuan. If you choose a school to arrange an internship unit, the tuition fee will be 100,000 yuan. I felt that I still had the ability to find an internship unit, so I chose a tuition fee of 280,000 yuan. If the tuition fee is placed in China, it will definitely be very expensive. However, compared with other schools in the United Kingdom and the United States, the tuition fee of 300,000 to 400,000 yuan per year is relatively cheap.
I have lived a very fulfilling life in the past 15 months. In addition to completing the school courses solidly, I also use my spare time to do part-time jobs. The law stipulates that international students can do part-time jobs up to 20 hours a week, with the minimum hourly salary of 17 SGD, which is 1,500 RMB per week. Now the hourly wage has increased to S$20. This income subsidizes living expenses quite good.
(working in a media company to attend events)
But I usually only do part-time jobs for about 10 hours, and I don’t recommend that friends who think of studying in New Zealand do part-time jobs for 20 hours. The reason is very simple, because in addition to school life, you must also have time you can control. If they are all used to work, how can you understand local life? If you don’t understand local life, how can you be very confident?
money can be earned slowly, but studying abroad is just an episode of life. The truth is to finally return to the embrace of my father in the motherland.
At the same time, I also recommend that friends who want to study abroad should be fully prepared before studying abroad. If possible, try to take more certificates in the country. On the one hand, you can find more skills and make up for part-time jobs and supplement your living expenses. On the other hand, you can also make more ways to make friends from local areas.
I took the Chinese teacher qualification certificate in China. After all, the Chinese style is very strong all over the world, and I don’t have to worry about anything.
(Photo taken with the business school building after graduation)
After graduation in 2020, according to New Zealand regulations, I directly applied for a local three-year work visa.
From the beginning to the present, I worked in an education company first, and later spent more than a year in financial technology company. There, I met a good boss who taught me a lot of valuable work experience.
The first week after joining the company, the boss talked to me alone. His words shocked me: "Do you want to work for the rest of your life?"
In his later work, he took me to look at the problem from the perspective of a manager. It turned out that many of the opinions and practices as an executor would be completely different, and the work achievements produced would be very different.
At that time, because many customers were global, it was inevitable that overtime meetings were held due to time difference. Sometimes when I work overtime until 12 o'clock unknowingly, I will be urging my boss to go home to sleep. But I am not rejected because I am constantly learning new knowledge and gaining growth. Sometimes I will put forward new ideas and suggestions at work and apply for some new projects.
The valuable experience accumulated in my work was very useful in my later business process.
(working as account manager in a fintech company)
Now, I am back in the education industry, and at the same time, my friend and I started a media company. I am not too busy with work, but I always have projects on hand that are being carried out step by step. I also want to use my free time to learn about lawyers and real estate, take more certificates, and learn English professional knowledge more thoroughly.
I don’t like being idle. The great writer Shen Congwen also said: “My most fear is idle in my life. I lose all the meaning of life when I am idle.”
Because of the epidemic, I can only stay where I am.
In addition to missing my family, I often miss the sweet and sour bayberry. The hustle and bustle of Nanchan Temple snack street, and even the smoke on the fairy mountain on sunny days made me dream.
My life picture has just unfolded. I am always ready and waiting for the opportunity that belongs to me, and I jumped up.
As the French movie "Angel Loves Beautiful" says: Opportunities are like Tour de France - people wait for a long time, but they are also fleeting. When the time comes, you must fly over the obstacle and grab it without hesitation.
[Oral: Cheng Weiling]
[Editor: Cheng Xin Chengyi]
We cannot go through different lives, but we can feel the real stories of others here, and each story has real photos! If you like such a true story, please follow us! @Real Person Interview
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