Have you ever heard an adult say something along the lines of “You don’t even know how lucky you’ve got it. Wait ‘till you’re in the real world” after hearing a teen talk about their busy school life? It’s an offhand comment that belittles everything a teenager has worked so hard to accomplish – as if pursuing academic excellence while juggling extra curricular activities, hobbies, and personal life is somehow easy just because they’re not getting a monthly paycheck.
It’s quite simple. Being a student today is no easy feat. But, there are always those students who seem to have it all figured out at an early age. They’re the ones younger students look up to and adults aspire for their kids to become. Linda (Xinyi) Li, a senior at the Canadian International School Student (CISB) seems to be just that type of student. Is it nature or nurture?
Linda’s has led a globetrotting life. Born in Spain and moved to China around the age of six, she joined CISB in 6th grade. Along with balancing her personal life, she’s in the midst of applying for university and just received a predicted IB score of 43.
It’s no secret that when applying for university, admissions officers want to see that a student is well rounded – meaning that they’ve got stellar academic grades and also devotes their time to exploring other hobbies and interests. But should a student pursue extra curricular activities just to buff up their college resume?
“During my journey at CISB, I always wanted to try out new things and explore my interests. In the past few years, I’ve been a part of our school’s sports teams including volleyball, basketball, and soccer. Although a lot of parents may suggest their child quit some extracurricular activities during academic stressful times, I would still recommend people find an interest and join no matter what. Finding a passion in school helps a student to become balanced and happy. For example, volleyball has helped tremendously during my DP journey, during stressful times in the year, it allows me to relax and focus on people around me. Hence, I would be able to focus on my studies with more energy. One thing I would say about time management is to cut out as much screen time as possible during your DP years. It saved me a lot of time as I began to realize the amount of energy I spent on my phone.”
School is a time for students to challenge themselves and test their boundaries and aside from providing quality education and resources, it’s a school’s job to be provide an environment where students feel safe to be themselves and to grow and develop physically and mentally.
For Linda, the greatest challenge in her education career so far is also something that adds so much character to her life. Being born in Spain and raised in China has given her unique insights into different cultures and the opportunity to immerse herself in languages.
“I was born in Spain and moved to China when I was around six years old. Growing up I’ve always faced the challenge of language barriers in the way of my academics. When I first moved back to China I had to learn how to speak Chinese. After I joined CISB I had to learn how to speak English properly.
Learning languages can be challenging sometimes, however, the school provided me with a good language environment. Although when I was little, I really hated when the teachers told me to speak in English more, it ultimately helped me to improve my English in a great way. Finding interest in the language that you are learning is also really important, and the key point is to always keep a positive mindset when learning anything in life.”, Linda shares.
In the final years of high school, the IB DP program dominates most academic conversations and it’s no different for Linda. The IB DP journey requires serious commitment from day one. It’s one of the toughest academic challenges a student will face and it’s only made easier with the right support system from family and school.
“The IB DP program can be really challenging for students that are just moving up from MYP. It’s fast-paced, it’s chaotic, it’s confusing and it’s really normal for someone to be struggling at first. Some of the challenges that I face is the overwhelming stress that hits me constantly during my DP journey. Because DP is only a two-year program, it requires students to make a lot of adjustments in the process rapidly. I was really stressed out at first and worried about my performance constantly.
The best way I discovered for me to get used to the process was by going to the teachers and talking through the challenges I was facing, especially during stressful times. In addition, it’s also really important that you talk with your parents and friends to relieve the stress that builds up during the academic year.”
Now, as a high-achieving senior almost at the end of her high school career, it’s important that we ask Linda to reflect on her journey at CISB. For a student who strives for academic excellence, it’s inevitable for us to wonder what she considers her greatest achievement thus far.
“It’s always been a growing journey for me at CISB because it provided me with numerous opportunities along the way. Teachers in the school are really supportive of our academic journeys and that is the reason that led to my success in school. Currently, I’ve received the scholarship for three continuous years. During grade eleven, I received academic excellence awards in Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. Additionally, I was awarded female athlete of the year last year and received MVP in both volleyball and soccer. I’d say the most memorable memories I have from the school relate to the sports team, so I’m really hoping that more people could join in the future to bring their talents to the team.”
To find out more about the school that helped shape Linda into the incredibly accomplished young woman that she is today, contact CISB at +86 10 6465 7799 and be sure to follow the CISB Official WeChat @ CISBeijing.
To visit their beautiful campus in person, you can register for their upcoming Open House on October 26th, 2022 at 5pm by scanning the QR code below.
