Coming to UWC was the biggest risk that I took in my lifetime.
I was in the top 1% in Taiwan’s high school system.
My name is Howard Ni from Taiwan, and I am going to Imperial College London.
The desire to win the game shapes who I am, and I feel a sense of resentment when I lose. I will always want to be better than myself, and I don’t complain about others being too strong because I know it’s me who’s not good enough. So, I always strive to improve, and improve, and improve. And these memories shape me not to give up and believe that I can always do it.
I could just go to a good Uni in Taiwan, but life could be so much more than getting a good grade, getting a high-paying job at a tech company, and retiring. No, it is more about experiencing new stuff. And coming to UWC makes me realize that no one cares about your academics that much, and your good grades and academics don’t mean you are good in other areas, like socializing as well.
I will say oh, my hometown is defined as where my family is and where my friends are. But come to here, the definition can be only partially applied, because here we spend most of our time with a large group of people in the residence and it feels like home even if you don’t want to. For example, last year when I landed in the Taiwan airport last summer I didn’t feel the familiarity. But when I came back from Schiphol, I felt like “oh yeah! I know this place! one of the places I identify with. My definition of home is where you feel familiar with and comfortable.
My advise to the new firsties is that you don’t have to rush into making a friend group to rush off all your fear of missing out, because here in UWC, there are a lot of opportunities and also don’t be afraid to make some new change of your life, open a new chapter. You can tell them you are an agent of the FBI and now one will know because no one from your hometown is here. And take what you want but also know what you can take.

-written by jolyen