Q4 What Challenges Have You Experienced at University?

Molly

There was indeed a significant challenge that I faced during the second week of my freshman year. The apartment I rented, got flooded. Boston was experiencing heavy rain for several days, and unfortunately, my apartment had a leak. I woke up in the middle of the night to find water everywhere, and my belongings were soaked. It was the first time I had encountered such a situation in my life, and my parents were not around to help. I felt a sense of panic internally but had to remain calm. Together with another friend whose room was also affected by the leak, we went to meet with the apartment management to discuss compensation and contacted the insurance company to claim insurance coverage. We also had to arrange for repairs to the apartment. Because I didn't want my parents, who were far away in my home country, to worry, I didn't fully disclose the extent of the situation to them. Looking back on that experience now, I find it quite interesting.

Vincent

The biggest challenge I encountered during my two years of university was finding a "paid internship" program. "Paid internships" are an integral feature of Northeastern University, and all students in the School of Business are required to complete a certain duration of internship during their university studies. In the second semester of my sophomore year, I took a preparatory course for the "paid internship" program, planning to find an internship in my junior year. The preparatory course gave me an insight into the difficulties of job hunting. For university students, it can be challenging to receive interview invitations even after sending out a hundred resumes. This process really tests one's patience and perseverance. Fortunately, our university provides a lot of resources and support, including assigning a career guidance teacher and senior student mentors to help us prepare resumes, conduct mock interviews, and more.

Q5 Who Will be a Good Fit at Your University?

Molly

Berklee College of Music is a highly inclusive school. As long as you have a passion for music and are willing to put in the effort to constantly improve yourself, this is the right place for you. Among the students I've met, there is a diverse range of musical backgrounds. Some come from musical families and are musical prodigies with exceptional talent, while others may struggle to read sheet music. One experience that left a deep impression on me was during my music production technology class. It had only been a month since the course started when the teacher asked everyone to take turns showcasing their own compositions. As I listened to my classmates' presentations, my inner thoughts were like, "Wow, how is everyone so talented? The teacher hasn't even covered much material, yet you all can do so well. Why am I so inadequate?" This kind of experience, where my past learning experiences were constantly reshaped, occurred frequently and motivated me to study even harder.

Berklee is also suitable for musicians who enjoy challenging themselves. Due to its founding history, Berklee requires every student to study jazz music. I had previously focused on classical music and had never been exposed to jazz before college. So, when I first arrived, the first semester was quite challenging. Everything was jazz-related, and it was overwhelming. I felt like I didn't know anything. However, after two semesters, I realized that I had learned a lot and made significant progress. Looking back, I can see how much I have improved.