Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Home › Groups › In Class/OutClassed ›

Hey guys!

melal's picture
Submitted by melal on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 1:38pm

Hi everyone, I'm Ellen Li from Jinan, China. This is my first time in America, excited!!

The high school I attended is one of the best public schools in china, which has the most 5400 outstanding students from different junior high schools in the city. We don’t have much diversity there, everyone has the same skin color, comes from the same city, and has the same goal: get great grades in Gaokao, the college entrance examination (like SAT in America) for high school students. We always studied hard, and never played hard. But I knew it's not what I want. I want to learn more about myself by joining different clubs and organizations; I want to learn more about the world by talking to people from different backgrounds. I want to experience more before I get too old to move, rather than spending most of my day doing math practising books. Therefore, I came to America for my college education.

I still don't know I want to major in right now.  I like math and biology very much, but I also have strong interests in social sciences such as political science and economics.  But I think I will figure out some day in the future. 

 

Groups:

Comments

j.nahig's picture

Hello!

Submitted by j.nahig on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 7:40pm.

Hello all! My name is Jess Nahigian, I am from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and graduated from an all girls’ private school in 2010. I deferred admission to Bryn Mawr, and spent the past year in Vermont, where I studied in an alternative educational program. While I enjoyed my gap year, I am very excited to finally be a freshman at Bryn Mawr! Although my private school was in Boston (which is a very diverse city), it was primarily upper-class and white. In the summer after my junior year I convinced my school to sponsor me to attend a week-long retreat with the Boston Center for Community and Justice. The retreat brought a group of teenagers from all over Boston together to attend a variety of workshops focused on diversity. After putting us through a variety of emotional experiences, some of which were based on class, the program bonded us – a group of people from very different racial and socio-economic backgrounds – together. When signing up for the program, I was hoping to expand outside my self-admittedly isolated environment. It was not until I attended the program that I realized just how isolated I was. Although I feel like I learned a lot, I would like to explore the issue of class further, particularly because I believe it remains an unfortunately under-discussed topic of public discourse. I am really looking forward to this class, and can’t wait to get started!

Utitofon's picture

Me!

Submitted by Utitofon on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 5:37pm.

Hi friends, I am Mfon from Nigeria. I badly wanted this E-Sem class and I am so glad I got it. It really connects with the class dismissed project and our summer book Class Matters. Besides  I am interested in education as a tool for empowerment. Also, I have been tutoring since high school,  so a topic that revolved around education was a must pick for me. 

I attended an international primary school - Hillside International Primary School, Uyo, Akwa-ibom State. I still fondly remember 6 of my teachers, especially my Mathematics and English teachers; Mr Udo and Mr Ekong(both late now) committed grandfathers, who truly loved children and instilled the love of learning in me. I attended a public high school, Model Secondary School, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria. It is one of the best public schools in the region and is reputed for producing academically sound students that represent the school and even the country in several competitions. Again, i developed lifelong bonds with many of my teachers. Honestly, what would we do without them?

As the first woman in my nuclear family to go to college, I am a case study and that puts me under tremendous pressure to ensure that I successfully achieve my goals. I would not have had this opportunity if not for the unfailing support of my parents, especially my mum - she is priceless. Therefore, I am determined to keep on fighting for my dreams to come to fruition.

 

 

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities

Scanning electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2

Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.

Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)

What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio

Recent Group Comments