Three undergraduate students of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS), who have different backgrounds and aspirations, have been admitted to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University. They are looking forward to flying over the Pacific Ocean to start a new chapter in their life soon.
For Miriam CHEN Xi, a psychology student who has chosen to study at CityU instead of a leading university in her home country, it was the prose “the reflection of Columbia” by Mu Xin, a writer who had lived in New York for a decade, that fuelled her determination to study at Columbia University. It reads, “[Columbia] has the abundant human civilisation from successive generations”, reflecting the rich humanistic qualities he had experienced there. Hoping to gain international exposure, learn about different cultures and meet people from all walks of life, she, and also public policy student Chloe CHOW Nga-yau, seize the opportunity to study in another continent. Another psychology student Miumiu CHAN Ching-tung, on the other hand, was attracted by the academic and research excellence of Columbia University. “I would like to gain more research experiences in different aspects of psychology, such as in neuroscience,” she says. Influenced by her friend who suffered from severe depression, she is curious about abnormal psychology and clinical psychology, the areas of expertise that deal with people’s mental health.
Photo 1: Being well-prepared for the admission interview is essential, but the students should also show how they can fit into the learning environment of Columbia University.
The students have gone through a stringent interview process before being admitted. They are thankful that the University and CLASS have arranged mock interviews, which helped them revise their answers to possible interview questions, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and build confidence. They all agree that being genuine is key in the interview process. “The Dean [of the School of General Studies at Columbia University] is not looking for someone who pretends to be very intelligent and enthusiastic; Instead, they would like to listen to your own life stories and experiences,” Chloe believes. Yet, being well-prepared is also crucial: Chloe has read a lot of current news and practised analysing issues with concepts she has learnt before; Miumiu has searched for the details of the psychology curriculum and what she is going to attain at Columbia University; Miriam has thought of ways to highlight her capacity and potential to achieve her crystal clear life goals.
They gave diverse responses when speaking of their expectations for the next two years of study in New York. “I hope that I can take part in more clinical studies in New York. I believe that this program will allow me to improve myself in both academic and personal growth aspects further,” Miumiu says. For Chloe, the target is to prepare herself to make more well-informed decisions to serve the community in the future. “I would also join The Helvidius Group at Columbia, the publisher of the Journal of Politics and Society…to fully utilise my skills in political science to analyse the political dynamics in Hong Kong and New York,” she adds. Miriam wants to be more dedicated to studying, and at the same time, looks for a vibrant life in the new land. “I wish to meet wonderful new friends at Columbia just like when I was at CityU; explore New York life just like exploring Hong Kong in the past two years,” she says. Given their burning ambitions, their university life ahead is expected to be very fruitful and they are all ready to embrace any challenges. They will also bring along what they acquired at CityU in the last two years, like the ability to learn with different modes, the skills to collaborate with other classmates, foundation knowledge in their areas of studies, research skills acquired through participating in CLASS’ Research Volunteer Scheme, and more, to help them adapt to the new life in the US quickly.
Photo 2: Miriam says she will miss the days she stayed at CityU and the beautiful sceneries of Hong Kong.
The Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program aims at offering students an international undergraduate educational experience. Students within the program are required to complete the undergraduate curricular of both CityU and Columbia University and will finally graduate with two bachelor’s degrees.
The three students would probably set off for the exciting journey in late August to early September, though that would very much depend on the COVID situation by then. Stay tuned for updates from them as they are studying and graduating from Columbia University!
Cover photo: The three students who have been admitted to the Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University.
