Stephanie Yi, Facing Challenges and Keeing Life Entertained

Stephanie Yi graduated from Dulwich International High School Suzhou in 2019. She is currently studying for a bachelor’s degree in fashion design at Parsons.

Dulwich Life

Stephanie told us that the reason she chose to study at DHSZ is that she heard about Dulwich from her junior high school teacher and liked the "unusual" class setting, which allows students to move to a different classroom from class to class. In addition, she wanted to study economics in high school, and Dulwich has a strong Economics curriculum, so she signed up for the entrance exam with a few classmates and was accepted.

At DHSZ, Stephanie’s favourite subjects were Geography and Drama. She liked the interactive approach her geography teacher adopted to teach the subject and adding visual medium to the texts also made the lessons easy to understand and more fun. The drama teacher not only taught them theories and performing skills but also taught them through group activities. The interaction with classmates allowed her to engage herself in the class better.

Stephanie was involved in many extracurricular activities in high school; her favourite included the Ultimate Frisbee, Glee, and Choir. She also started a newspaper reading club in Y13. As choosing among many extracurricular activities could be challenging, she set herself a goal in Y10: to select at least one indoor activity and one outdoors. She joined the frisbee club as it was easier for people who were not good at sports. She joined the choir because she likes to sing. Without professional training in singing, she could develop her interest while engaging herself without too much pressure. Besides, she founded a newspaper reading club as she wanted to encourage more peers to read with her. At that time, the English teacher, the head librarian, and the principal were very supportive by contacting the South China Morning Post supplier for her and subscribed to the newspaper. 

As a boarding student for four years in high school, Stephanie lived in on-campus and off-campus dormitories and double, triple, and quadruple rooms. The accommodation life allowed her to meet her best friends, and she believes that their friendship will last forever. The four-year residential life has left her with a lot of good memories. Though sometimes there were disagreements, she learned from those experiences how to deal with different opinions. Stephanie said, “We can't force people to accept our views and can't expect others to make changes. The best way is to keep an inclusive and open mind.”

Challenges at University

Stephanie is currently a sophomore at Parsons. After graduating from Dulwich, she went to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and chose to undecide her major. After her first year, she transferred to Parsons to study fashion design.

In terms of study at UMass, how to choose the right course for her was a bit challenging at first because UMass is a comprehensive university offering a wide variety of courses. Therefore, before selecting a course, she would compare, consult with the seniors, etc., and choose what interested her. At Parsons, due to the pandemic, she only started the offline classes in the sophomore year, and unlike the online learning period, there was a lot of homework. She had to learn from scratch how to use the design machines and equipment. At present, she plans to spend more time after class to familiarize herself with these devices and improve the efficiency of completing her homework.

Looking back now, Stephanie finds that every exam in high school is essential. When she was in high school, she thought her internal grades were unimportant, so she didn't pay much attention to the internal assessments. Later, she found out that American universities place much importance on those grades.

Essential Skills

While facing various challenges, Stephanie realised that it is critical to develop some skills, such as making plans, tackling challenges, and making the right decisions. In the past, her decision-making skill was a little bit weak, and it was easy for her to get lost in making choices. After getting into high school, she decided to make some changes and plan everything well where she started. In addition to making plans, she would also design the paths towards her goals. For her, short-term goals are very effective for achieving long-term goals because the controllability is higher, and problems can be detected and corrected in time in the process, which can effectively prevent procrastination and anxiety.

Also, it is essential to try new things and participate in different activities. Stephanie thinks it could help her make new friends, adjust to a new environment quickly, and help reduce stress. When she was at UMass, she chose to work part-time in the cafeteria, which allowed her to meet many people from different backgrounds and kept her life entertained by talking to them. At Parsons, she goes to concerts, sees exhibitions on weekends, and plans to get some internships in the future.

Future Plans

Stephanie told us that she has no specific career plan yet, but she is looking at some options to create her fashion brand. It is complex and requires a lot of time and capital investment, so she will not pursue this direction right after she graduates. She may choose to work in a fashion company or a luxury company as she’s interested in designing and marketing or PR. This semester she is taking some business courses to prepare for her future career. At the same time, she and her sister jointly run a fashion-related public account in Xiaohongshu, sharing their favourite clothes and accessories.

Stephanie’s Advice

“You should actively participate in campus activities, such as various festivals, and make more friends. It's normal to feel nervous in a new environment. Everyone is the same. Encourage yourself to get engaged and take the initiative to create a happy and dynamic campus life, which will become a great memory in your later life.”