Philip, who will graduate this May, has studied at ISD since 2018. After five years, he has received five acceptances from UK universities, including top universities, the University of Sheffield and The University of Glasgow, in the major of Computer Science. Philip shared his story and experience of studying at ISD below.
五月份即将从学校毕业的在校生Philip在2018年第一次踏进ISD。5年后的今天，他目前已收获五封来自英国各院校计算机科学专业的录取通知书，其中包括世界名校谢菲尔德大学和格拉斯哥大学。他与大家分享他的成长故事和在ISD学习的心得体会，我们一起倾听Philip的故事。
My Journey at ISD
我在ISD的学习历程
After attending school abroad in various countries since childhood, I chose to learn at ISD. It was 2017 and I was looking for a school in Guangdong where I could further my English skills that I developed over the course of my international education. ISD was the perfect match! I really liked ISD’s atmosphere; it felt like I belonged here, and everyone cared about me for who I was. The downside of changing schools so often is that creating bonds with friends can be challenging, especially ones that last. However, after the first day at ISD, I was already on great terms with my classmates, and it made me want to stay here for as long as possible.
我从小在国外上学，后来选择来到了ISD学习。2017年，我正在广东寻找一所学校，希望在这所学校里我能够提升在国际学校中习得的英语技能。ISD是我的不二之选！我非常喜欢ISD的校园氛围，在这里我感受到一种归属感，大家都非常关心我。由于频繁转学，跟朋友建立友谊，尤其是建立深厚的友谊对我来说是一个挑战。然而，我来到ISD的第一天起，就已经和同学们相处融洽，这也让我想继续在这里上学。
I firmly believe that the encouraging and supportive atmosphere of ISD contributed greatly to my success, and I think it’s the most outstanding aspect of ISD and its community. ISD also has a great variety of courses to choose from and combined with the passionate teachers here, it provides an excellent opportunity for students to explore their interests and their future paths. I remember taking Ceramics and Robotics in 8th grade and Photography in 9th grade. Those courses made me want to explore my own potential and interests. This desire for exploration became my drive to reach for success along with my peers.
我认为是ISD积极向上的校园氛围鼓舞着我，帮助我走向成功，我认为这是ISD社区非常独特的一面。此外，ISD为学生提供多样化课程选择，并且这里的老师充满激情，这为学生自由探索兴趣喜好和未来发展方向提供了绝佳机会。我还记得，我在八年级的时候学习了陶艺课程和机器人课程，九年级的时候学了摄影。我在课程学习的过程中，想进一步探索自己的潜力和兴趣，这种探索欲成为我和同学们一起通往成功的动力。
ISD and its community has always encouraged me when it comes to trying out something new. The teachers never spared any effort in trying to help me with my studies. They communicated with students on equal terms, and would discuss with me the best step to take in order to achieve my goals. Whenever I asked for more learning resources, there has never been a time when the teachers refused or was unable to provide. This made me ask for assistance more often throughout the years, and I think it was a major factor in my continuous improvement.
ISD社区总是鼓励我去尝试新事物。在这里，老师们竭尽全力教授我知识，与学生平等立地交流，共同讨论如何更好地帮助我实现目标。当我向老师寻求更多学习资源时，他们总会满足我的需求并提供帮助。正因如此，就读ISD的这些年里我更加积极主动地请教老师，这也是我不断进步的一个重要因素。
My Suggestion
给学弟学妹的建议
My one and only advice to my fellow Qilins is to not be afraid to chase after what you think is the most exhilarating, worthwhile, and difficult experience or goal, be it academic, or anything related to your life. My favorite quote that always make me want to do my best whenever I think of it is “The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough” – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Always strive to be the best you can be!
我想给麒麟学子一个建议：勇往直前去追寻你所热爱，且值得为之努力的事情和目标，这种追求可能是学术上的，也可能生活中的其他事情。我很喜欢埃伦·约翰逊-瑟利夫说过的一句话：你的梦想永远都要大于现在的能力范围。如果你没有被梦想吓到，说明你的梦想还不够大。这句话鼓舞我们要竭尽全力，做到最好！
How I chose my major
我是如何选择专业方向的
My chosen major, Computer Science, is an extremely competitive and advanced course that requires high grades and difficult IB subjects taken to be accepted. When I began the IB curriculum in 11th grade, my difficult subject choices of Mathematics Analysis and Approaches HL and Physics HL meant that my grades lowered slightly. However, I realized that I could overcome anything that IB throws my way with hard work and proper planning, which is what I did. By allocating specific times of the day to studying and catching up in areas that I was lacking in and I managed to bring my grades back up to a level that I was proud of.
我选择的大学专业是计算机科学，这是一门竞争力很大的高级课程。因此，学生要在难度较大的IB课程中取得高分，才能被顺利录取。我在11年级选择IB课程时，我选择了数学分析与方法高级课程和物理学高级课程作为难度较大的课程，我的分数相比之前略有降低。然而，我知道通过努力学习和进行合理规划，可以克服IB学习道路中的重重困难，这也是我一直努力的方向。我每天分配特定的时间来学习，弥补在学习中有待提高的领域，成功地把我的成绩提高到了我引以为傲的水平。
People may wonder why I chose a difficult major. My passion for electronics and computers has been with me since middle school, where I got to participate in Robotics competitions and learn programming in Technology and Robotics class. I absolutely loved the logical yet creative aspect of computer programming, and when I considered that I have experienced so much joy from interacting with people online working on projects with them, computer science was the only major that made sense to choose!
有人会好奇为什么我选择一个要求高、难度大的专业。我在初中时期参加过机器人比赛，并在技术和机器人课上学习编程。从那时起，我就对电子学和计算机萌生了热情。我非常喜欢计算机编程独具的逻辑性和富有创造性的一面。每当我想起我和他人在网络上一起合作完成项目，体验到了无限乐趣，这种快乐体验驱使我选择这个专业。
With the offers I’ve received from the UK universities, I plan to choose the school that best fits my learning approaches and try my best there. I wish that I could have a fulfilling experience in university both in terms of academics and also in making friends while having a great time in general. After university, hopefully I can be hired at a wonderful company where I can apply the skills that I’ve developed at ISD and become more successful!
目前，我已经拿到了英国多所大学的录取通知书。我希望找到最适合我的学习方法的学校，并在那里努力学习。我希望在未来能够度过充实的大学生活，在学术方面学有所长，社交方面结交友谊。大学毕业后，希望我能被一家出色的公司聘用，在那里我可以运用我在ISD培养的技能，实现更大的成就！
-Contribution by Philip, a Grade 12 student
–英文采访稿由12年级学生Philip提供
