Alumni in the Spotlight: Brandon S.

On 5th September, Brandon S, alumni of Dulwich International High School Suzhou returned for a visit. He graduated in 2016 and received an offer from the University of Warwick in a combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program in Physics. He has just finished his third year of undergraduate studies and will enter the graduate program next year.

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The University of Warwick is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire in England. It was founded in 1965 as part of a government initiative to expand higher education. Warwick consistently ranks in the top ten of all major domestic rankings of British universities. Warwick is ranked 7th in the UK for its research, according to the Research Excellence Framework(REF) 2014 by GPA. Warwick is cited as amongst the worlds most targeted university institutions by employers and was the world's third-best young university in 2015.

Brandon said that he is the only Chinese student in the physics program at Warwick University and that he must achieve the equivalent of a 2:1 degree in the combined degree program in order to enter the next year. Not only did he achieve excellent results, but he also adapted very well to an environment consisting mainly of British classmates. He believes that his ability to adapt so well to this environment is a direct result of the pure English teaching he experienced at Dulwich.

As one of the first students to join Dulwich International High School Suzhou, Brandon had high expectations before he started, and his experience studying at Dulwich didn't disappoint him. He said one of his enduring memories of the teachers was that they were very enthusiastic and patient. Ms Cao was his tutor and showed great care for him. The English teacher Mr Huckle was very patient and took Brandon's debate team to Shanghai to compete. He also helped them build their confidence. Mrs Dorrington, a drama teacher, introduced him to Shakespeare's plays. He played key roles in classic plays such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet". The experience enabled him to understand English classics and improved his English pronunciation. He stayed in contact with several teachers, and when he was studying an education module by himself, Mr Huckle and Mrs Dorrington both helped him with their own experience. His love of physics is inseparable from the guidance of a teacher, Mr Williams, whose passion for physics infected Brandon. He let Brandon know that physics sometimes can be poetic. Brandon realized that this is an era with a few great people. But he is willing to be a brick on the road to advance scientific progress and lay the foundation for future generations.

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Various co-curricular activities at Dulwichalso allowed Brandon to develop his interests. He was the captain of the school basketball team and once led them to first place in Suzhou's high school basketball championship. In addition, he has worked with Wilson W. to produce a 3D printer. He also participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, and went kayaking on Qiandao Lake and experienced a degree of physical frustration that strengthened his willpower.

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It's the rich experience he had at Dulwich that motivates Brandon to try different things. At university, he participates in the school basketball team and is involved in several internships, including the nanotechnology processing platform of the Institute of Nanoscience of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Changchun University of Science and Technology. He also worked as an assistant coach at the Shanghai Li Qiuping basketball training camp and a trainee teacher in a public school in the U.K. These internships have allowed him to play out his expertise and hobbies, and have helped make him more certain about the direction of his future development – to further his study in a PhD program. After gaining experience from previous internships, Brandon also tried to start a business as a training institution. This pioneering spirit is the embodiment of our schools approach to education. Our students learn to adapt to the uncertainties of the future and develop their own hobbies as they try to get out of their comfort zones. We aim to prepare them for opportunities to stand on the world stage.

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Brandon's suggestions for new students are:

 1  Cultivate the ability care for yourself. Brandon likes to cook for himself, so even in a foreign country, he can eat delicious Chinese meals.

 2  To overcome the fear of an unknown problem, you must have a positive spirit of "I can".

 3  Learn to ask questions, grasp the keypoints, and be brave enough to say what you think.