It has been 2 months since I left China and came to the University of Toronto. When I stepped into the campus of this university, I had no idea what I was getting into. When I was at Luwan High School, I had the dream of going to U of T because I believed it would offer me achievements and friendships. Even though people are super friendly and fair (for example cars always stop to let pedestrians get by), I have experienced quite a bit of culture shock and an intense pressure to study. I have faced numerous failures and awkward situations. I sometimes don’t know how to make friends and discuss an academic topic with my foreign peers. I really should have practiced speaking English more while I was at Luwan. To adapt to this new environment, I have pushed myself to start conversations with locals and attended numerous social activities. I also keep working hard, doing my homework and not going to bed until 1:00 am everyday. I also joined an intramural basketball team and started running my own club called UTlink which focuses on helping people adjust to life at the University of Toronto. Thanks to my efforts, things are getting increasingly smooth. Remember, university life is much busier than you think it will be. At university, if you have more than 3 hours of free time a day, then you must be falling behind others! So ace all of your subjects and enjoy your high school life in Luwan because once you step foot into your ideal university, your life will be much more varied and challenging.

Alex Gao