28 August 2009

Two Harvard Students Discuss Their Chinese Student Association

“We try to instill courage and knowledge through either organized meetings or casual talking,” says Harvard’s Wen Zhou.

Wen Zhou and Wenjia You are graduate students from China active in Harvard University’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (HCSSA) who spoke about HCSSA with America.gov writer Jeffrey Thomas. Wenjia You is from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and Wen Zhou is from Nanjing, Jiangsu province. (See “Chinese Student Associations Help Newcomers Adjust.”)

(begin transcript)

Question to Wen Zhou: Of all the things you do for new students, what do you consider most important?

Wen Zhou: What I think is the most important help I have ever got, and what we are trying to offer the new students, is an idea how life in Boston is like. We do pick them up at the airport. We do take them to registration offices and banks. We do show them supermarkets and shopping centers. But those are living skills they can learn without us, though probably more slowly. To get them adapted to life as a graduate student, we try to instill courage and knowledge through either organized meetings or casual talking. We give them general advice on how to find good labs, what can be planned for different career tracks and what is not realistic. We are probably trying to accommodate them not to Boston, but specifically to Harvard, a highly competitive place with vast resources available.

Q: Is American culture a big leap or full of surprises for new students?

Wen Zhou: For some students, but not all. Now more and more students have [the] experience of visiting the United States or other Western countries via on-site interview, open house, or simply touring. Some of them even took undergrad study out of China. However, American culture is apparently a big leap for most students and scholars who spend their undergrad years in China. Few of them can completely overcome the language and cultural barrier, though they generally have no difficulty in scientific communication. In our point of view, it is not absolutely necessary to become a true American. Rather, we should keep our Chinese characters as long as we find a way to make friends with people from all over the world.

Q: Are the new social media important for new students? Are they already on Facebook, blogging and tweeting?

Wen Zhou: Yes, it is important. Most of the new students are already on Facebook, blogging and tweeting by the time they arrive. Their social range, however, is more or less limited to “foreign” people who cannot use the local slang and jokes well. It does not mean that American society is rejecting them, or the other way round. It just takes too much effort to fit in, which is not always possible when they are confronted with plenty of work and pressure. HCSSA wants to improve the condition by providing more chances and resources to those who are interested in American culture, but it may not be what we can radical change.

Q: How — or why — did you get involved in the Chinese Student Association?

Wen Zhou: To be honest, I didn't consider joining HCSSA executive board until the president candidates, who are also my good friends, suggested I should run for chair of public relationships. I appreciate their trust and support. I worked as vice president of the student association of my department in the undergrad, and enjoyed meeting people and helping them. It is not until you talk with all kinds of people, would you realize the diversity of life, nor would you find out how communication can inspire and elevate them. My purpose is to make most people happy with life.

Q: America.Gov: Do you help new students get involved with the larger community or is that up to them?

Wen Zhou: We send them information about larger communities like New England Chinese Information and Networking Association (NECINA), but we don't directly involve them in [it]. Nowadays, it is quite easy to register for such organizations, and they don't really need our help to go through the procedure.

Q: What message would you send to Chinese students who are thinking about studying here? What would you like them to know?

Wen Zhou: Do you cordially like the major and degree which you are planning to pursue? Research is a long way to go, and only enthusiastic people can survive. Think carefully before making a decision, rather than follow what everyone else is doing. Gather as much information as possible. You will never ask too many people.

Q: Are you seeing growing numbers of new Chinese students at Harvard?

Wen Zhou: Of course, not only students for a degree, but also exchange students, research fellows and visiting scholars. It is pleasant to see more and more Chinese people making remarkable accomplishments in the U.S. HCSSA tries to bring them together and promote their information exchange.

Question to Wenjia You: Of all the things you do for new students, what do you consider most important?

“Be open to the outside world and interact with people,” Harvard’s Wenjia You advises new students.

Wenjia You: For new students, helping them settle down is the most important thing to my mind. Without much help, this process may be painful and overwhelming.

This includes picking them up at the airport the first day they arrive, pointing [guiding] them to different resources they will find useful and providing informative suggestions, for example, where to shop for necessities, where to get a mobile phone and which plan to choose, where and how to open a bank account. Also, tips on school life — how to interact with professors and colleagues, which lab to join, what courses are worth taking, how to manage time — are very valuable and mentally assuring.

Q: Is American culture a big leap or full of surprises for new students?

Wenjia You: I would say that American culture is not full of surprises, as many students in China nowadays watch American movies and dramas, have easy access to the Internet and are capable of reading things in English, and might have friends who are already in the states.  But even so, American culture is still a big leap for most of them. Observing something as an outsider is definitely different than experiencing it on your own.

Q: Are the new social media important for new students? Are they already on Facebook, or blogging and tweeting?

Wenjia You: They are, though probably not as important and indispensable as they are to the Americans. As far as I know, a lot of my friends in the states are on Facebook and blogging, but not so many [are] tweeting.

Q: How — or why — did you get involved in the Chinese Student Association?

Wenjia You: Student organizations, if managed well, can be a valuable resource and an immediate help to students. I hope I can contribute to make a helpful Chinese Student Association.

Another reason is I like meeting people. I think it will be cool if I can do something for the Chinese community while getting to know people.

Q: Do you help new students get involved with the larger community or is that up to them?

Wenjia You: I am year two, so I just became the “old student” lately. But I would definitely encourage new students to get involved with the larger community, and would be glad to introduce them to occasions when they can mingle with people from places other than China. But I think it is more important to interact with people other than Chinese on a daily basis, for example in lab, in class, in parties, etc. Whether to do so is very up to them.

Q: What message would you send to Chinese students who are thinking about studying here? What would you like them to know?

Wenjia You: The most important thing before coming here to study is to think clearly why you want to come. Obviously there are a lot of opportunities in China now, so you need to have a stronger reason than “because everyone else is going.”

If you've pretty much determined to come here, be open to the outside world and interact with people. Though from time to time you will feel lonely, struggle with the language barrier and culture difference, and miss home. But if you keep trying, you will be good.

And to work hard. The learning environment here is really stimulating, and resources are ample. You need to make most of it. All your efforts eventually will be paid off.

Q: Are you seeing growing numbers of new Chinese students at Harvard?

Wenjia You: I am not sure, since I have been here for only one year. It is also because Chinese students at Harvard are scattered at different schools and I haven't got a chance to see if there are any statistics pertaining to your question.

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