Carol Xu: Passion is A Natural Fuel for Motivation

Carol Xu, from Dulwich International High School Suzhou Class of 2016, is currently a graduate student in biomedical engineering at Duke University. Her research focuses on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of California, San Diego, majoring in biochemistry.

Dulwich Life ✦

Carol took the three-year curriculum at Dulwich, “My high school life passed by very fast, yet with many great memories.”

Apart from her studies, Carol also enjoyed the co-curricular activities. As Dulwich encouraged students to set up clubs, she created a kendo club, where they had a teacher who trained with them every week. Once Carol returned to school for an alumni open day event, she was happy to see that her kendo club still existed.

Carol recalls that many of the teachers in high school had creative and exciting teaching styles, especially her biology teacher. “I liked chemistry the most, but then I took a class with my biology teacher and was amazed by his lively teaching style. I loved studying biology even more.” 

During those three years, she found her professional interest in biochemistry. Another thing that impressed Carol in high school, is that she constantly hounded her physics teacher with questions, and he was always patient in answering them. Carol said that although she was not very good at studying physics, she never gave up on the subject.

When Carol got to university, she realized that the A-Level courses were as challenging as first-year courses. For example, A-Level chemistry covered all her basic chemistry classes, making her studies more manageable in the first year.

Essential skills✦

Carol told us that Dulwich helped her develop many important skills, which provide lots of benefits in both her studies and in life.

The first is English language skills. The all-English environment in high school improved her language skills, and it was also beneficial for her to adapt to studying and living at university. 

“When I first arrived in the US, I was a little nervous, worried that I would not understand what people were saying, and unsure if I would fit into the local environment quickly. However, when I thought that I had spent three years in an English environment and could communicate with teachers from different countries, I felt less nervous. When I talked to my classmates at university, I had no problem except when they used slang during the conversation.”

The second is communication skills. When Carol was a child, she was a bit shy and did not take the initiative to talk to strangers, and she was afraid to ask questions to teachers. 

“I have changed since I joined Dulwich because my teachers encouraged us to always speak up and share opinions, and there were a lot of group discussions in the classroom. This environment ‘forced’ me to talk, and I slowly developed the habit of asking questions,” Carol said. 

When she entered university, she found that communication with her teachers was essential to help her learn more effectively. Talking to them also helped them to get to know her and write a good recommendation letter for her.

The last one is time-management skills. As an introvert, Carol prefers to have fewer social activities.

“I did not want to be restricted by club activities. Instead, I want to spend my time freely.” She told us that if she joins a club, she wants to take every event seriously, and if she is not sure she can do it, she chooses not to join. This lifestyle allows her to have enough time and freedom to balance her studies and life, while maintaining a vibrant university life and without getting overwhelmed.

University Life ✦

One of the features of Carol’s undergraduate school UCSD is its college system. When she studied at UCSD, there were six colleges, each with a distinctive theme for its core curriculum. The theme at her college focuses on the mission of "helping students become engaged citizens who are committed to serving society.". They studied global issues, primarily equity, anti-racism, and anti-discrimination. These thematic learning experiences have made Carol more sensitive to the injustices around her and have equipped her to deal with them.

Although Carol was busy with her studies, she always found time to arrange social activities for herself. For example, she joined a dance club for two years and trained for a few hours a week. In this club, she made some good friends. She also had the opportunity to learn about the local aboriginal people and their culture, as the club regularly invited them to perform at school or sell their local products. In addition, she often volunteered at the local hospital. 

Challenges at University✦

One of the challenges Carol encountered at university was how to write essays accurately and concisely. “I took the IGCSE First Language English (EFL) in high school, which prepared me to write articles with correct grammar and clear structure. With great effort and diligence, and intensive reading, I overcame the writing challenge and achieved a decent grade in my first-year writing course.”

Advices From Carol

“In terms of studies, I recommend that you read a lot in high school and try to choose books that will provoke you to think, which will help you write thoughtful application essays and think holistically about issues. Secondly, whether you are in high school or university, make sure you fully realize the importance of your GPA, as you do not know when it will become a stumbling block on your way to reaching your goals. Thirdly, you should actively participate in co-curricular activities, learn to cooperate, and communicate with different people, enrich your social experience, and develop an independent and mature personality.

In terms of living, the first thing you should do is develop your basic independent living skills. It is best to live on your own for a while and learn to cook before you go abroad. Secondly, you should know about the safety of studying abroad and raise your awareness of self-protection.”