I still remember my first day at Collingwood, when I had just moved to this country, and was struggling to fit into a new culture with a different language. During these three and a half years, Collingwood has not only let me pursue my academic interests, but also encouraged me to develop other strands. I feel lucky to have such supportive teachers and friends at Collingwood. Because of them, I not only grew as a student, but also matured as a person.
My Grade 10 year was hard yet rewarding. Although I was struggling with English, I decided to challenge myself by taking Socials 10 AP. Ms. Hobson recognized the difficulties I faced, and gave me a lot of help. I also decided to take Math 12, since it was one of my stronger subjects. These decisions made me realize that I learn better under pressure, because I put in extra effort into those classes, and they really paid off.
Grade 10 was also when I discovered my interest in art. I learned how to use acrylic paint, and started to love painting. When Ms. Walsh assigned us sketchbook assignments, and told us to do homework for art class, I realized that I didn’t mind them at all. I also spent some time drawing and painting on my own, and did a piece for the Spring Fair art sale.
In Grade 11, I challenged myself by taking AP Economics and AP European History. I couldn't take AP Calculus ab at school due to course conflicts, but I taught the course to myself by reading an AP study guide, and took the AP exam. In retrospect, one of the most important skills that I learned in high school was writing research papers. I wrote my first formal research paper in Economics, on microeconomics, and got some great advice from Ms. Karcz. As many teachers have told me, writing research papers and citing sources properly are important skills required in college, which professors usually don’t teach. I feel grateful that I had the chance to practice these skills in high school, and got help from many teachers.
Grade 11 was also when I decided to go into Architecture. After going to that after school Architecture class, and listening to architects and urban planners talk about their work, I was fascinated. Architects define Architecture as a study that combines arts, humanity, and science and engineering; since I was interested in all these aspects, I wanted to learn more about the subject. I chose to apply for the summer program at Columbia University, because I thought New York City would be an exciting place to spend my summer, and learn more about architecture. It turned out to be a great experience, and I finally made up my mind to major in Architecture.
Grade 12 has been amazing in every way. There have been so many academic challenges, that this feels like the most rewarding year ever. The beginning of the year was very hard, with all the SAT tests, university application essays, and AP courses happening at the same time. Writing ten essays on why I was applying to each school to which I applied was no fun at all, but I got a chance to reflect on what I had done in all these high school years, and think about what I wanted to do with my future. In the process of university application, the University Guidance has been a lot of help. Although Mr. McDonald admits that he is innately evil, and incapable of comforting people, he is incredibly helpful when it comes to university application. Because of his help and my hard work, I got offers from some of my dream schools, including Washington University in St. Louis (or WUSTL, or Wash U), and Carnegie Mellon.
Next year, I will be majoring in Architecture at WUSTL. I’m also considering double majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I chose WUSTL over Carnegie Mellon because it has better food and dorms (one of the best in the States I may say). More importantly, WUSTL has a four-year Architecture program, instead of a five-year program as Carnegie Mellon offers. After I finish my undergrad studies, I would most likely to go into graduate school, since working as an architect requires at least a master’s degree and a certificate.
I have to admit that I haven’t been working as hard after mid-year, and have experienced terrible symptoms of senioritis, “a crippling disease that strikes high school seniors”. Symptoms include “laziness, lack of studying, and a dismissive attitude”. The symptoms kept getting worse after I wrote all my AP exams, which left me with only English and Multimedia. We still have to go to Physics and Chemistry because we need to write the school exams, but no one is trying as hard since we have all gone through the AP exams.
To make these symptoms better and stop myself from procrastinating, I reminded myself that learning is not for getting a good grade, but for preparing myself for the future challenges. I still go to all my classes because they are related to what I want to study in university. I also started learning French and Japanese on my own; I have been interested in these cultures for very long, and I will travel to, and have study abroad opportunities in France and Japan.
Three years ago, I would never have imagined the experience at Collingwood to be such an amazing one. Collingwood has become my second home, thousands of miles away from my real home. I cannot wait for the next chapter of my life to unfold, but I feel so sad having to say goodbye to my friends and teachers here. The memories at Collinwood will be unduplicated and forever cherished.
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