In my culture, for a girl´s 15th birthday it is a custom to go on a trip to Europe with a group of friends. Being the stubborn little girl I was, I told my parents I wanted to go to China. The look of confusion on their face was priceless. They constantly tried to persuade me to go someplace closer to home where they spoke the same language as I did, but I did not budge. I stayed put with my idea of exploring the eastern side of the globe; this obsession coming from the Chinese soap operas that I was watching at the time. After a few weeks of heavy discussion, my parents finally agreed to let me go, but under the condition that I had to be older. Now, being 19 years old I want to fulfill my 15-year-old self´s dream. I think BNU will give me the opportunity to discover a completely new culture and allow me to learn in a different environment.

I hope to get a memorable yet educative experience out of studying in Beijing. This having a lot to do with the fact that I get to learn about the culture at the same time as I learn the language. This course will give me a new outtake on the idea of a future career. The ability to speak a new language will open up many doors in my forthcoming occupation. After I graduated high school I had no idea what I wanted to study or in what direction I was going career wise. I decided to defer year from university in order to determine what my real passion is. I truly feel that this program will not only guide but help me find what I’m looking for.