The long and leisurely summer days have come to an end, and the students of the School of Humanities and Social Science have had a busy and fulfilling vacation. Some went abroad to broaden their horizons, some gained practical experience in various enterprises, and some stayed on campus to attend summer classes and acquire knowledge of different disciplines...

In this passage, let us step into the classroom with the students to feel the charm of teachers and the beauty of knowledge together!
 

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PAN Lei (Class of 2021, Major in Translation, Shaw College)

Summer Term

Due to my upcoming one-semester exchange program in the United Kingdom in the fall of 2023, I decided to stay on campus during the summer of 2023 and enrolled in two courses: GEA2000 with Prof. WANG Chao and CEC3000 with Prof. YANG Jie.

Though Prof. WANG Chao's course on Modern Chinese History and Culture is centered around history, it was not dull at all. From the informative lectures to the tutorials in which students discuss intensely and exchange ideas, the course was rather fascinating, bringing vitality to the silent pages of history and vividly presenting the bygone years before our eyes. Prof. Wang is very easy-going. In our small group discussions, he patiently guided us to think deeply and shared valuable insights.

To my surprise, Prof. YANG Jie's course on Thoughts on Modern China was engaging as well. In class, Prof. Yang not only shared knowledge from both ancient and modern times, but also made the course more interesting by telling jokes.

What's quite coincidental is that these two courses had some overlapping content. Consequently, I had the opportunity to reflect on the same period of history from two different perspectives, which was a novel and enriching experience. It also turned out to be a double win during final exam preparation, as I could review both courses in the meantime!

Extracurricular Activities

In addition to attending classes, I continued to "work for love" as I did during the previous summer classes by hosting Shaw College's Lawn Music Night for the second year in a row. It was wonderful to host the same event at the same time for two consecutive years. The feeling of great pleasure when working with classmates and the fulfillment of hosting on the stage are all the same.

Compared to the regular semester, summer courses are more relaxing, which enable me to prepare for studying abroad like getting a visa. During my leisure time, I followed a quite healthy routine like the “elderly” do by practicing calligraphy, exercising, and occasionally going out with friends to chase the sunrise. I even had the chance to become a princess for a day at Disneyland. Pleasantly surprised, I even went to Mayday’s concert with my best friend. Being surrounded by music in a massive arena, singing, cheering, and shedding tears together—it was pure happiness! In conclusion, it was a relaxing, enjoyable, and fulfilling summer vacation!

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JIAO Zien (Class of 2022, Major in Translation, Diligentia College)

The main reasons for my decision to continue studying on campus during the summer vacation can be attributed to two factors: my love for general education courses and my future academic planning. I planned to complete some of the general education courses and CEC courses during summer vacation to have more time for future studies and internships. I enrolled in Prof. YU Minghui's GEC2205 International Relations course and Prof. Evander Lewis PRICE's GED2119 Major Topics in Ethics & Environmental Humanities course.

GEC2205 is a course where joy and challenges coexist. In the International Relations course, we don't need extensive rote memorization, nor do we measure students' abilities only from the dull exams. Instead, we discuss on international issues from the perspectives of different countries or international organizations. Under the humorous guidance of Prof. YU Minghui, we gradually developed the ability to think dialectically about issues and nurtured an international perspective. I believe that for every student taking this course, this learning experience will be a memorable and unforgettable one.

The GED course is the biggest surprise in my college life. Initially, I was intimidated by the abstract concepts and complex descriptions when I chose this course. However, through multiple collaborations with classmates and numerous discussions with the teacher, I deepened my understanding of this course and even fell in love with it deeply. In the class, we explored concepts like the "Anthropocene" and the "Capitalocene," gaining insights into humanity's understanding of the world as a whole. We watched films and series like "Don't Look Up", sparking thoughts about the direction of the world, the future of humanity, and the very essence of existence. This course is like an encounter between philosophy and science fiction, a fusion of creative thinking and contemplation. Under Prof. Evan's guidance, we made new friends, shared our unique thoughts, and generated new sparks of thought.

This summer felt like a journey. On the one hand, GEC course was an exploration on a global scale, in which we learned about the history of different countries and speculated about the core interests of various political entities in different time periods and events. On the other hand, the GED course was an exploration across the universe, where we opened our minds to a deeper and wider world. All courses provided me with excellent experiences. I also look forward to the upcoming sophomore year, the next summer courses, and the further journey at school.

Serving as a tour guide of Diligentia College when the Thames Group visited the school and welcoming guests along with Diligentia college master Prof. GU Yang and the professors of Diligentia College.

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YANG Ziyi (Class of 2022, Major in Applied Psychology, Ling College)

Summer Term

Some courses are only offered as summer courses, and I also wanted to take some extra credits to lighten the load during the regular academic term. Therefore, during the summer vocation, I decided to take on-campus summer courses.

 I chose a fascinating interdisciplinary course, which is GED2119 Major Topics in Ethics & Environmental Humanities, taught by Prof. Evander Lewis PRICE. Prof. PRICE's teaching style is engaging and lively. He uses vivid examples and concise reading materials to help us understand the course content. Since summer courses have shorter duration, the workload is usually heavier compared to regular semesters. The unique features of this course are the numerous group presentations and regular quizzes. Despite the abundance of group presentations, the topics selected by the professor were exceptionally interesting. While preparing group assignments, I got to know many new friends and learned from the excellent presentation skills of my classmates. Though the process was somewhat challenging, the rewards were substantial, and I felt a great sense of achievement.

Extracurricular Activities

Apart from summer courses, I also worked as an on-campus guide. Guiding visitors on campus tours and introducing the school's features and advantages was a particularly interesting task. This work not only helped me enhance my communication skills but also allowed me to get acquaintance with people from different regions and countries. Their unwavering determination to achieve their goals was truly inspiring. During the summer courses, I had more free time, and cooking and dining with friends became unforgettable memories.

The summer courses not only created many wonderful and unforgettable memories but also provided me with knowledge in the new field of ethics and the environment, making it a very fulfilling summer term.

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LIAN Xinyang (Class of 2021, Major in Translation, Muse College)

During this summer session, I enrolled in two courses: CHI3001 Introduction to Modern Literature and GEC2006 Special Topics in International Political Economy.

The course on Introduction to Modern Literature was taught by Prof. LV Shitou. I chose this course because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of modern literature and hoped that studying Chinese literature would be beneficial for my translation studies. This course primarily covered various literary genres in modern literature, including prose, novels, new poetry, and drama. Prof. LV's classes were incredibly engaging. Each topic was explored progressively, from the authors' backgrounds to the finer details of their works. Whether it was during class discussions, the midterm paper, or reflections on additional readings, student participation was highly encouraged. I personally found that the most distinctive feature of this course was the extensive reading involved. It required dedicating extra time after class to delve into the texts and formulate fresh insights based on the paper we read. Despite some challenges in the learning process, this course has truly enriched my understanding.

The other course Special Topics in International Political Economy, was taught by Prof. SONG Xinning. In my freshman year, I took the course Introduction to International Relations and developed a strong interest in global studies. Therefore, I decided to explore further by taking this summer course. Prof. SONG possesses extensive knowledge, and his lectures provided us with comprehensive insights. He was always willing to address our academic inquiries. This course introduced the concepts of international political economy and conveyed related theories through classic case studies. The primary assessment methods included midterm and final papers. With more free time available during the summer courses, I was able to pace myself, allowing for more relaxed learning and the pursuit of extracurricular interests.