雅思口语素材之留学篇（变化三部曲）

英赛特雅思

Departing, Attending, Returning: a Trilogy of Change in Overseas Study

With the start of the fall semester looming ever closer, some students are preparing to return to classes while others are readying themselves to head overseas.

There are others too, those who are setting off for the first time to a strange and unknown land in the pursuit of the coveted Western education, which reputedly can lead to a better life.

Leaving home

That is the hope of 18-year-old Qu Zhi, who is leaving Beijing and heading to Harvard University this fall.

Qu, who is no stranger to moving and starting life anew, is excited that she will be attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world, but nervous that she will not be accustomed to life in a faraway land.

"I feel like I would really like the educational system abroad," said Qu. "I want to experience something new and different."

Qu, who lives in Beijing but isn't a native to the city, was not allowed to take the college entrance exam here. Not put off, she took the SAT and TOEFL exams to qualify for entrance into American universities.

"This chance will give me the opportunity to understand different cultures in a way not possible in China," said Qu. "I will be able to look at China from a different perspective and learn more about my country and myself."

"It's exciting and I think it will be worth it," she added.

While Qu's hopes and aspirations are optimistic, the reality of the situation isn't what one might expect it to be.

College life in the West is vastly different from its equivalent in China. The education system is certainly more open to questions and its students are much more relaxed, but when combined with the cultural differences, it produces a grand series of pitfalls that can spark a disastrous time abroad.

Overseas

For Li Yue'an, 24, an education abroad is a huge investment and it is the pressure to reap the benefits of a Western education that drives her to continue.

A senior at the University of Connecticut, Li has been in the United States for four years and is living the dream that many of her fellow Chinese students want; except to her, the grass isn't all that much greener.

"There are many problems waiting for Chinese students. They join cliques of other Chinese and only take classes they know they will do good in," said Li.

"Many will take math- or science-related classes in which they don't have to use a lot of English, so when they return back to China, their English level is pretty much the same as when they left."

This type of self-imposed segregation is most common in rural universities.

Where the Chinese choose to build their sacred halls of academia in urbanized city locations, many universities in America are secluded in the countryside, often hours away from the nearest metropolis. As a result, transportation is usually an issue in American college towns.

"Everyone pictures America to be like Hong Kong with huge skyscrapers, as developed as New York or San Francisco," said Li.

"But it's not. There is a lot of countryside and you can't really do much without a car."

Ultimately, Li hopes that her stay in America will benefit her future - be it in Beijing or America.

Homecoming

While the trials of a Western education can sometimes be long and arduous, the rewards outshine the cost.

Many Chinese, who travel and study abroad, often want to stay in America. However, as China continues to grow, the vast majority are appearing far more excited about coming back to their home country.

Zhao Yue, 27, has returned back to Beijing after years abroad in the University of Westminster in London. He believes the experience abroad was worth it.

"I think the schools are better and the education is at a significantly higher level than in Beijing and across China," Zhao said.

Growing up in Beijing, Zhao traveled to England at his earliest opportunity. He finished his undergraduate degree in Beijing and then moved onto the University of Westminster to gain a graduate degree.

Though he spent a year preparing for his academic endeavour, Zhao said he wasn't sufficiently prepared for England.

"It was definitely worth it," said Zhao, who now works for a State-owned company in Beijing.

"It helped me prepare for my language intensive job; I am always traveling from place to place to meet clients."

To Zhao, all that matters if whether or not the investment - financial and metaphorical - is truly worth it.

"A lot of students will be overwhelmed and tend to gravitate towards other Chinese, but it's all about the effort they put into it," Zhao said.