Dear Juniors,
The four years I spent at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University were incredibly memorable. Like many of you, I faced challenges such as feeling out of place when I first entered university, the pressure of heavy coursework, and the difficulty of balancing studies and internships. However, looking back after graduation, I realize that all the effort was truly worth it.
Before entering university, I had never encountered Russian. It was both unfamiliar and new to me. When I first started in my freshman year, I understood the importance of Russian for my future studies, so I committed myself to learning it from the beginning. In class, I actively engaged in conversations with the teacher, took notes on key vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures, and reviewed my notes daily. Before exams, I would summarize and consolidate everything. These are common study methods, but their effectiveness is undeniable. As time went on, I found Russian to be more and more structured, and it became easier to learn new vocabulary and grammar. Additionally, many Russian words are quite similar to English words, so when memorizing vocabulary, you can try to relate Russian words to their English counterparts—it might help with retention.
After overcoming the hurdle of freshman year, sophomore year marks the start of your major courses. You may initially find the teaching style difficult to adapt to, or perhaps you won’t understand everything the professors are saying. This is perfectly normal. If you encounter any issues, don’t hesitate to communicate with your teachers either in person or via email. Additionally, if you’re struggling to keep up with lectures, make full use of the professor’s PowerPoint slides, textbooks, and other materials, along with your class notes for self-study.
Beyond academic challenges, some of you may face conflicts between graduate school preparation, internships, and coursework. If time and energy permit, I highly recommend participating in internships and social practice. However, if you find it difficult to balance, it’s important to clearly define your future goals and make decisions accordingly, as each person’s path is different.
In conclusion, I’m very grateful that I chose Shenzhen MSU-BIT University. Here, I not only gained knowledge but also developed essential skills, such as self-discipline and time management. Perhaps life at Shenzhen MSU-BIT isn’t exactly what you imagined university life to be, but it has its unique charm. Everything we are doing today is to build a better version of ourselves. Keep going!
Good luck!
Jun
