Since its launch in 2011, the Australian Division at the High School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University Jiangning Campus has seen most of its graduates matriculate to 5-Star Australian Universities. We invited some of our top graduates to share their memories of their time in the school.
Ren Mucheng (Class of 2013; Science Stream; GPA 9.7/10.0)
“I was a little worried when I entered Grade 10 as my English skills was poor, I hadn’t had any real conversation practice before entering the UF program. But before I know it, speaking in English had to become as normal as taking our daily meals. My first speech took me two weeks to prepare and frankly without much confidence. Somehow though, I still got an A+! After that, I then realized besides sheer language skill, it’s also important to have a passion for the work and to have more confidence in myself.
Group study is also important factor. I spent a lot of time with my classmates talking about the content of the classes and that reinforced my own knowledge as well as my classmates as we were all searching for appropriate articles and bringing up similar questions for discussion.
I appreciate that the UF program helped instill in me more productive, meaningful ways to learn and it is something that I have carried with me since.
Shen Yiran (Class of 2019; Commerce Stream; GPA 10.0/10.0)
The life in the international department provided a very good transaction to university life and the full-time subject classes in English in the UF Australian Studies program gave me the chance to increase my language skills and helped me get over the language hurdle of studying abroad. The Foundation Studies classes also made it much easier to adapt the university classes and a foreign environment. I learned to think more critically and to be more confidence; I really enjoyed my time here at the school.
Xie Runlei (Class of 2019; Commerce Stream; GPA 10.0/10.0)
Studying in the UF Australian program greatly improved my English skills and I can understand fully my classes at university. In additional, the experience of talking with foreign teachers gave me greater confidence in communicating with others. The experience of project-based learning, collaborative classwork, academic writing and conducting lab practice all contributed to my success in university.
Leng Xingjian (Class of 2020 Science Stream, GPA 10.0/10.0)
The most important lesson I learned in the UF Australian Studies program is how to self-study. I made exceeding efforts to study not because someone told me to but based on organization and self-motivation; having clear goals helped me stay motivated and use my time as wisely and economically. The life in high school left deep lasting memories for me; everything, and everyone I met there pushed me to become the best version of myself.
Feng Tianhui (Class of 2020; Design Arts Stream; GPA 9.5/10.0)
The UF Australian Studies program provides every student the space of growth according to their talent and personal self. For myself, I’ve always been fond of Arts and Design so it was natural that I loved very much studying in the Design Arts stream. After finished required in-class study and assignments, I could spend my spare time working on my own projects and creations in the studio. I had many opportunities to apply my imagination and that helped immensely for my college application. I appreciate all the teachers and classmates and the time we spend together; we will be prosperous together!
Xu Yueyao (Class of 2020; Design Arts Stream; GPA 9.5/10.0)
During the program, I learned skills that changed my way of thinking and met friends with similar interests. The Grade 11 Pre-Foundation class improved my English and helped me to also adapt from a traditional Chinese classroom to a classroom with more international learning environment. The Grade 12 Foundation Year Design Arts classroom was open, free, clean, and comfortable, both physically as well as the learning atmosphere. We were able to learn Adobe software, and this laid a foundation for my university design classes. During the process of completing of different projects, it was so helpful to talking to classmates and get feedback; this really improved my sense of team work. May of the courses also let us helped us understand and practice better critical thinking skills.