Student Blog Collection
Spring Vibe: The Small Piece of Spring From Campus
Dear friends,
I hope the email finds you well. How is the weather on your side? Is it hot or cool right now? The spring weather in the UK is pretty comfortable. You do not need a down jacket and the hoodie is enough. The rainy day becomes less and less and the sun comes more often than the days in winter. Here are some pictures of the campus in spring. Ready for an adventure? Let's Go!
The tree is growing new leaves and the campus becomes green and green. I cannot remember the last time the green trees are around the campus lol It is so happy to see the green trees are back on the campus.
Another thing that should also be highlighted is the flower! There are some small gardens on campus. The campus becomes colourful and some local people even will have a picnic on the weekend. Staying outside for study definitely is recommended. It might be a good reason why you choose the school in the countryside. It is pretty chill and relaxing.
The duck family are growing too! The baby ducks are so lovely and they also played around the lake. Warwick is really an animal-friendly campus. We studied with animals and even we have a school cat. People said that if you can meet the cat on campus, you might be lucky in a week!
Would like to hear more stories about my campus and volunteer life? Stay tuned!
Life In Warwick: Let's Have British Afternoon Tea Together!
Dear friends,
I hope the email finds you well. Time goes so fast and now is the term THREE. In this term, some students might have almost finished their modules and prepared the dissertation. People might also be very intensive and stressed because finishing the final project is not easy. However, WMG organize an event for us to socialize and network with other students! That is "having British Afternoon Tea Together" in the amazing building, The Slate.
At the event, we not only enjoy the British afternoon tea with our new friends but also share the experience or even some learning tips with others. It is a good and informal platform for us to connect with students outside your department. Besides, there is also an interesting quiz about British and tea culture. I discussed and played the new friends and even learned new knowledge as well.
Last but not least, as a student, it is really nice to connect and socialize with others at the event. Although we might be busier and busier in term three, it still is worth engaging in the social event and making some new friends. From others' stories, they might give new insight into your coursework or your project. Therefore, step out of your room! Join the social event and make some fun together! Look forward to the spring image on campus? Stay tuned!
Best,
Chun Wei
Life In The UK: Watch All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham!
Dear friends,
I hope the email finds you well. There was really unexpected but exciting event I just joined recently. I buy the ticket to watch the badminton game in Birmingham. You might be curious about why I watch the badminton game instead of the tennis game? That is because one of the players, Tai Tzu-Ying from Taiwan, took part in the game to seek her fourth championship. When we obtained the information from the chat, my friend and I felt so surprised and bought the ticket for Mar. 18th. Come with me and see how was the lovely day in Birmingham!
To be honest, I am not a big fan of badminton and even have not watched any badminton game before. Because of Tai Tzu-Ying, this is my first time watching a formal badminton competition in my life. She is the most famous Taiwanese player who has a high reputation and the highest record recently. Besides, the badminton championships have been cancelled for two years, due to COVID-19. People are also very keen to be back and see professional play as well.
When we arrived at the court, you cannot imagine how exciting we are. I heard lots of sounds when speaking in my first language and people even bring the flag to cheer for Tzu-Ying. Although the badminton ball is very small, we still can watch the big screen and scoreboard to see how does the play going. Sometimes, I just enjoyed the game without watching the screen, because I felt unreal and even hope the game can be longer.
The food in the court also could be highlighted. At first, I thought it will only be provided alcohol and soft drink. However, the choice is very diverse and I finally ordered American coffee and some chips in the end. Drinking the hot coffee on a windy day definitely is another good but chill experience I have in the UK too.
Finally, I just would like to point out again how amazing is it to watch a Taiwanese player in the UK. I feel that I am back in my home country and every good memory just came back. Therefore, I also feel very grateful that I was invited by my friend, too. Looking forward to more stories in the UK? Stay tuned!
Time for Doing Workout! Three Tips to Keep A Good Habit!
Dear friends,
I hope the email finds you well. After my classmates knew I do workout five times a week, they always ask me how can I be stronger or as fit as you? I will say: The first step is to keep doing workouts as a habit. Why this is so important? because if you would like to be stronger, you need to keep practicing your muscle. A strong body actually is from doing workout in a long-term period. Besides, with a strong body, it will help not only a good looking but also more concentrate on study or work. Being interested to keep a new habit? Please Scroll Down👇👇👇👇👇
🔥Doing workout at the fixed time: Select the suitable time in a day and keep doing it in that period. For example, I use to do workout around 8 a.m and if I have the module I will do workout around 7 a.m. Besides, I usually sleep around 12 a.m. I do not have pressure to wake up and usually sleep well at night because my body gets used to the daily schedule. I feel more energy at work after doing workout as well.
🔥Prepare or organize earlier: I usually watch the training menu before sleeping. I can quickly organize what outfit I prefer to wear and the stuff which I may need in the gym. It will help me to do workout quickly and also be aware to wake up too.
🔥Celebrate the success: You might feel uncomfortable when you start to do workout. It is quite normal because your muscle needs to step out of the comfortable zone. You also might feel frustrated, because your body did not change a lot in the first month. Don't be panic actually. You just need to keep doing and be patient to yourself. Besides, don't forget to celebrate the success! Every improvement is valuable. With a good mood, you will be more willing to do workout regularly.
Last but not least, the core value to keep doing workout is to view it as a habit instead of compensating. It is not because you eat more chips so you need to do workout, but a habit which you would like to become healthier and stronger. Doing workout indeed changes me a lot and I become more confident with my body. Would like to hear more stories about my workout journey? Stay tuned!
New Adventure: What is the Experience of Being the Representative of WMG in IFSTAL?
Dear friends,
I hope the letter finds you well. I would like to share my experience which I learned in IFSTAL. So you may ask me "What is IFSTAL?" According to IFSTAL Insights: Working in Food Systems, it mentioned that "IFSTAL (Innovative Food System Teaching And Learning) is a collaboration of five higher education institutions pioneering a learning community and resource on food system thinking." Therefore, I will learn the food system with students from Oxford, SOAS, Reading and City, University of London. Besides, the background of students is very diverse, from biology, economics, chemistry, history and so on. The session is very interactive and creative. For example, we need to consider and design the implementation by systematic thinking. People may base on their experience and professionals to improve other ideas. Other sessions may implement the food system knowledge or learn the case study. Here are some key learning things I would like to share with you!
🔆Be active to engage: People in the session are really proactive! Most of the students will turn on their cameras and even ask questions during the sessions. I found that sometimes it will be difficult to share the value because the discussion speed is very fast. However, the engagement is not only for speaking but also for listening. I usually take the role of a note-taker to collect everyone's ideas. It helps me catch on to the speed and is also much easier to share my own value. If you are introverted or English is the second language, high recommend this method! Sometimes, good ideas come from well listening😄
🔆Be confident to present: That is the biggest thing I learned! Sometimes, I will feel less confident to share my ideas, because I found that students from Oxford and SOAS think so quickly and deeper. They are passionate about their belief and also capable to present knowledge in their fields. It indeed pushes me to learn how to share the knowledge in a professional way. I believe that maybe being prepared is the key. Try to not just repeat the words but to speak in your own words when studying. It will be helpful in the group discussion because I can respond more quickly.
🔆Be brave to ask: Here is the story I would like to share with you. I remembered that before we started the group discussion, I felt nervous because I am a little bit not sure how to do for the practice. My plan is to watch others' answers to clarify my questions. However, there is a student from Oxford who raised his hand. He said "I am not sure how to do in part B. Could you say it again?" I thought the tutor may feel the question is too "easy". However, it's not. The tutor explained Part B in more detail and everyone become more clear about how to do it. Therefore, it taught me that do not to be afraid to show my questions. Only be brave to ask and then you may earn more.
Last but not least, it is a valuable experience for me to be a member of the IFSTAL program. I learned not only about the knowledge of the food system but also how to ask good questions. During the session, some members can come up with interesting questions and I will try to think about their aspects and make a note too. I am still practising asking good questions. It definitely the right place for me to learn and grow with my peers!
Ready for some new stories in IFTSAL? Stay turned🔥🔥🔥
My Winter Break: Three tips for Solo Traveling
Dear friends,
I hope the letter finds you well. Time always goes quickly and semester two has started for three weeks. However, before the semester started, I have travelled to Middle England, such as London, Windsor, Bath and Sainsbury. It was an amazing trip because I did the year compass to reflect and plan for the future too. Following are some tips for solo travelling I would like to share with you. :"))
1. Book the ticket in advance: Due to COVID-19, some popular tourist attractions will be required to pre-book to control the capability of the building. Although self-travelling will be easier to arrange the trip, booking the ticket earlier can help you to have a better trip.
2. Be positive to make new friends: If you stay in the hostel, do not be afraid to speak with your new friends. They might be a student from another university, a manager from other countries or even a traveller for several months. Listening to their stories and sharing your experience might give your another thought for studies.
3. Be flexible when facing the challenge: There may be some unexpected issues when you are travelling. Be open-minded! It might be a gift from God. For example, when I was travelling to London, I faced train staff who went on strike and the transportation in the city became messy in a day. I need to spend more time travelling to new tourist spots, so I missed the final entrance time of the British Museum for three minutes. I felt panic at the beginning because the British museum is one of my must-go on the travelling list. However, I found that Oxford Road, which is a famous shopping area, is near the museum. Finally, I feel satisfied, because I bought the nice jumpers and coats with a discount.
In the end, solo travelling is really addictive, because I can reflect on myself by leaving the computer away in a few days. Everything becomes fresh and dynamic. I felt less pressure when I came back. Also, I have more courage to deal with the difficulties. Therefore, my friend, please try to plan a solo trip for you too. You may find a different you on the trip. :D
Look forward to hearing about your experience!
Yours,
Chun Wei
How to set up New Year goals
Dear friends,
I hope the letter finds you well. How was your winter break? I hope you have a wonderful holiday and rest. For the new year, do you set up any new goals to become a better self? It could be stepping out of your comfort zone, or some skills which you would like to develop more proficient. I have written down my new year goals since 2015 and stuck them on the wall to remind myself. It helped me make the decision because I will choose the ones which are more aligned with my goals. For example, there are two courses I can select, one is a writing class and another is speaking one. To achieve writing 20 blogs in a year, I will take writing class as the priority and spend more of my spare time polishing my skills. Therefore, you could view new year goals as the direction which develop better you at the end of 2022. I will share some tips to create better new year goals.
Be Specific: You need to make sure that the outcome could be measured because it could help you identify the situation easily. For example, you cannot write I want to lose weight. Instead, you can write "Lose 5 kg in a year or lose 3% body fat in a year." With the period and number, you can assess the outcome easier.
Be Reasonable: Some people told me that new year goals were useless and they were never achieved. After I reviewed their goals, I found that some goals are too difficult to achieve, such as losing 3 kg in a week or spelling 1000 new words in a week. You need to consider your current ability, instead, that copying others goals. You are the only owner of yourself, so be honest to your own.
Create diverse goals: Do not just create working goals. Life goals also are important. After working or studying a lot, we need to take the rest. Sometimes, a good life goal can support your performance and become more positive to your life too.
Prepare a notebook: You can prepare a notebook to reflect your practice or record your achievement. It could help you to improve your action for next year.
Last but not least, be confident in yourself! People sometimes will worry about failure or others laughing at them, so they give up their dreams. However, we are much better than we think. Just like words in The Alcheist "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." My friends, take your paper and pen now! Look forward to hearing about your new year goals. Let's be brave and confident doers together!
Yours,
Chun Wei
Full-Time Master Student in Programme and Project Management