Confessions of a foreign student

When I arrived at Manchester Secondary School as a first year student six months ago, I was amongst 20 foreign students being offered the study scholarship, I was excited and looking forward for it and I know exactly I have a mission to accomplish.

Coming from a low waged family with three daughters and a boy, that’s me. I am the youngest yet I still need to work hard and help out my parents in their hawker store alongside with my three siblings. Of course, I still enjoy good privilege like having the best as my sisters always share and play with me.

My parents got to work for long hours to earn a living. Yet, my parents never fail to coach, guide and groom us on our study and impart the right human and social values despite all the hardship they faced each day. As a result, all the four of us have to learn to be well-behaved children, study very hard and not to disappoint our parents.

During my primary school days, I used the “school loan-able” secondhand textbooks and old uniforms that are worn by my sisters, but that never deter me from study hard and to excel in certain sports and musical activities. I was a member in the school soccer team, a poom-belted player in taekwondo and a table tennis player. In study, I did well in Mathematic, Chinese Language and Science. I was weak at History and English but I do put in a lot of effort to improve these subjects. As a result, I scored a perfect result in the local level’s primary school examinations.

How do I land here? It began with my form teacher who has recommended me to the school selection committee to sit for the entry tests conducted by Manchester Secondary during my last term of school. I was amongst the four who sat for the tests on intelligence quotient (IQ) and Mathematics tests. I passed the tests and was selected for the final interview. I did my best to make a good presentation and showed my keen interest and readiness to take up this offer. At last, I was chosen.

Now back to where I am, since I was on scholarship, the school management has arranged my boarding at a nearby hostel, I need not worry on my budget as I had monthly allowance issued by the government and I bought a handy electronic dictionary as I was weak on my English. I regularly use it for my English classes to check on difficult words. To catch up, I often communicate with my friends in English, do a lot of workbooks and read some English storybooks.

For extra-curriculars, being a grade 5 piano student, gave me the advantage to be chosen to the string orchestra and play the viola as I was very keen on it. As I love soccer, I will play it with my hostel mates when I'm free. In this new environment, I learnt to be self-disciplined and independent especially in the boarding school. Besides that, I do participate actively in team activities at school like project and research assignment and class debate activity. Nonetheless there are many assignments that demand a lot of energy and also time, I have adapted quite well to cope with it.

Here at Manchester, I met with many new friends not just from UK but also friends from around the world. It was clear to me that they were a perfect example of a friendship from different sides of the international divide. I learnt to be passionate and open-minded to the differences in style, characters and culture and live in harmony. It is also a great opportunity for me to embrace effective leadership, promote team spirit and great tolerance. I am very happy here as I am learning interesting and meaningful technology-based course cum the wonderful experience in human relationship.


One day, when I came home from my stint abroad, I know I will not just a better scholar, but a wiser leader with interest and enthusiasm.