CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

Ms DENG Rongchen Grace (from the 2017 cohort) and Mr GENG Hao Jeff (from the 2016 cohort) have shared with us their reflections on College life throughout their undergraduate studies.

By Ms DENG Rongchen Grace (Year 4, Statistics)

How time flies! I cannot even believe that my life at CW Chu College has almost come to an end. Looking back on the four years of my university life, I would never doubt to say that the most fortunate thing is to live in the College. As a non-local student, CWC is my second home and plays a considerable role in shaping my personality and outlook on life.

The College Orientation Camp was a great start to my College life. My groupmates and helpers were all very caring and friendly to help me engage in the orientation activities. I did not understand Cantonese at that time, but they were so kind that they did the translation for me and patiently taught me the language. I received a lot of encouragement and support from them and learned Cantonese quite quickly so that I could integrate into the local community better. Besides, we also hung out during our spare time at malls and on outlying islands, which helped me learn more about the life and culture of local people in Hong Kong.

During my four-year College life, I really appreciate CWC giving me many opportunities to participate in different activities, the memories of which are precious and lifelong. During the CWC Festival 2017, I was able to share Sichuan spicy hotpot with my College friends, and was impressed by the student organisers' dare-to-try spirit. For the College Orientation Camp 2018, I served as Treasurer of the Organising Committee and helped to do much paperwork to facilitate the organisation of the event. During my third year, I became a member of the Student Honour Code Committee, and I had a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the College Honour Code. I was also very glad to have the chance to take part in a summer exchange programme at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, through which I have learnt to be more independent and confident when facing difficulties. For my future development, I participated in the Peer Mentoring Program, College Mentorship Scheme, Workshops on Getting Ready for the Workplace and To the Workplace Programme. This helped me improve my soft skills and learn from professionals' life experiences. I feel that my sense of belonging to CWC grew stronger through my participation in these programmes and activities.

Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the professors, staff and students that I met in CW Chu College. Without you lovely and supportive people, I would never have a warm and unforgettable College life. I am proud to be a CWC student, and my memories of life in CWC will always be my most precious treasure.

By Mr GENG Hao Jeff (Year 5, Systems Engineering and Engineering Management)

Time flies. This is my fifth year at CW Chu College (CWC). To me, the College is an unparalleled place in CUHK for students to build a close relationship with one another and to achieve great undertakings together. I still remember when I first joined CWC, I was an ignorant new student who had little idea about myself and anything around me. With the encouragement of my College friends, I took part in as many activities as possible with them and had a chance to explore who I am.

To be frank, I have a few regrets. I took part in plenty of College activities, such as the CWC Festival 2017, and joined the Third Executive Committee of the Residents' Association and almost all the sports teams in CWC. In this relatively new College, my friends and I had a chance to define and shape its traditions and characters. However, I was not always fully devoted. Sometimes I might get tired of sending invitations to get event sponsors or might not want to go to the rowing training at 7:00 am. However, each time when I wanted to quit, there was always someone standing out to lend me a helping hand, and encourage me to carry on.

Now I am working in a research centre. I am glad to find that the environment there is rather similar to that of the College. Whom I have met is a group of kind people. We encourage one another and try to define the world and ourselves. For this time, however, I have become the one who is prepared to stand out to help people in need.

Finally, I would like to thank each and every one of you whom I have met in CWC. Without you I would not be able to enjoy such a fruitful university life. And for the new members of this big family, I do encourage you to be open-minded and make good use of your time in the College to make your own history.