《Refreshed》

Name：Wang Jingxi
University：Wuhan University of Technology

As a sophomore-to-be, I would like to use the word refreshed to summarize my first year at university.

Truth be told, I really have a tough time last summer. My parents were terribly cross with me, while I was plagued by my performance on the College Entrance Exam. Though I was equally gloomy at the beginning, my university experience proved to be fresh and refreshing, pulling me out of the mental hellscape.

My life suddenly bears no resemblance to what it had before: There are no longer mountains of papers, constant nagging, manifold constraints, or dark circles under my eyes. If senior year of high school I thought of contests as a competitive sport, I now view freshman year as a fresh start after an athlete's retirement.

I feel so refreshed by my courses. I really enjoy a course called French Audiovisual Speaking. Each lesson flows smoothly, without the slightest trace of having been sculpted or designed. There is no fixed framework, but it grabs my attention with its interactive approach. The teacher, who always wears a baseball cap and carries only coffee and a flash disk, is humorous and pretty cool. He never hesitates to laugh at the irrationality of the textbook. He draws on his own experience of studying in France to illustrate the French customs and the linguistic rules. What struck me most is a brilliant line he made: “Never dismiss a new word as irrelevant; every word, character or punctuation mark is relevant for language learners.” It is such a statement so perfectly dropped in the moment, I want to take a picture and frame it.

I feel so refreshed by extensive campus activities. This year I've gained so many firsts: making desserts, watching plays, tasting wine and waltzing things that have been playing on loop in my mind ever since! Just thinking about volunteering just before Children’s Day brings back memories like white velvet clouds shifting across my mood. My job was to introduce the holiday to the children in the community while teaching them the relevant English words. Their arms were raised high like little straight flagpoles, with flutters of giggles passing in a wave. Kids’ laughter was contagious and the joy, of being able to serving our community and serving the next generation, filled me like helium. It dawned on me that actually we are presented with an ocean of quality opportunities, and if one is willing to take risks and go for it, they will gain a wealth of experience!

I feel so refreshed by social contacts. Particularly those with my fellow students who come from diverse backgrounds across the country. Through these interactions, I have learned how to deal with people resourcefully. We came from all over the country which allows us to see other places and practices, through each other's eyes, that we are totally unacquainted with. We are from dissimilar world, but they are collided. My carefully preserved bubble of closed mind is gone little by little. I'm particularly grateful to a friend from the School of Materials. She came to my rescue by offering a three-day crash course in the art of t'ai chi ch'uan ahead of the looming exam. The sheer awesomeness of her guidance is enough to set off a flare gun of joy over my head. It’s amazing how easily sparks can be kindled and connections can be forged between people.

To me this year is like a marvelous journey. There's still long way to go，but I'm refreshed to hit the road with great curiosity and passion.