Alumni Sharing Session 4: Tsinghua University

Jointly reported by:
Ming Xuen Amelia Sr3A
Rosalind Chiang Fei Yang Sr3A

          On the 20^th of May 2021 (Thursday), the Counselling Department of Kuen Cheng High School held an online sharing session for the students of Senior Middle Levels. Lee Jia Rong and Kuan Jo Lam were the two invited alumni for the day. Both were graduates of the year 2019 and are currently studying a first year degree in Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

          Starting off the sharing session, the alumni showcased notable current statistics of Tsinghua. It shows that in 2020, Tsinghua was ranked 15^th in the QS World University Rankings and 3^rd among Universities in Asia. They then introduced the surroundings of the campus, followed by a short introduction for each area.

          They also talked about some basic information such as tuition fees, hostel fees and types of scholarships provided. An estimated amount of RM 19,200 per year is to be expected for Science and Technology courses, RM 16,640 for Humanity, Arts and Social Science courses, and RM 25,600 for Arts courses; all excluding daily expenses. Hostel fees are calculated on a basis of days, which is at the price of RM 50 a day for single rooms and RM 25 for twin rooms.

     Then, they explained the process of applying to Tsinghua, which are through three methods —— recommendation from one’s school, recommendation from Dong Zong, and self-application. Both of the alumni had applied through recommendation letters from the school.

          Besides that, each semester will be about 4 months, with 2 semesters per year. Classes will be held from 8.00 a.m. until 9.45 p.m. depending on what classes students take. Basic courses such as language, writing, and sports will be covered too. One’s results will be presented through GPA with a maximum point of 4.

          Other than studies, there are also 266 clubs divided into 6 categories for students to participate in for their co-curricular activities. However, due to the pandemic, international students have not been able to participate in these activities due to having online classes. Online classes will be held via Tencent Meeting live, so international students abroad will be attending classes with local students. Exams will also occur online with strict rules at the same time as the local students.

          Currently, Lee Jia Rong is studying in the Department of Visual Communication Design. She generously shared about her personal experience and struggles in choosing her course, and advised the listeners to truly follow their hearts. About the preparation for the interview, she stated that interviewees ought to prepare self-introduction in both Chinese and English. Considering that she chose an Art Course, she was also required to hand in her past artworks to be accepted into the course.

          In addition, she briefly talked about the courses she took as a first-year student, such as composition, colour, 3D modeling, and history of art. Specialised courses of design are more concentrated compared to courses in other fields, she adds. She stated that Tsinghua provides a very artistic environment as there are many art exhibitions conducted in and out of campus, but unfortunately, she was unable to attend any in person due to the pandemic. She expressed that she hopes to experience in-person campus life in the near future. Lastly, she reminded everyone to enjoy their university life and to do their best to explore their potential throughout the process.

          Apart from that, alumna Kuan Jo Lam is studying in the School of Social Science under the Department of Psychology. During the first year, Jo Lam has had the opportunity to study various subjects from different courses from the School of Social Sciences. The school’s flexibility in choosing subjects aims to encourage students to explore different courses to learn more about their current field. Psychology lessons will only take up a small part of her courses so it will be less stressful.

          Jo Lam advised students to be fully prepared for mock interviews and to use the 5W1H method when answering impromptu interview questions when applying for university. Jo Lam also stated that there will be a lot of thesis writing even though she is just in her first year. For her, the main disadvantage of online classes is missing the opportunity to explore the university library or China’s local museums.

          The sharing session ended with a Q & A session. Many students took the initiative in asking questions, which were met with detailed answers from the two alumni and another visiting alumna. It was an exciting sharing session where students had learned more information about Tsinghua University.