Ah, school ­­– classes, tests, exams, papers, and all the learning to come. School is back and excitement is in the air as classrooms fill, teachers set their expectations for the coming year, and this thing called education – in all its manifestations – returns. The enthusiasm is palpable!

Whether you are just entering high school or looking at the final year, there is a lot to do. One failing of most students is that they think they have time. “Oh, I’ll do that (name just about anything: join a club, do a paper, prepare for an exam, write my college essay) later.” Few remember that school is cumulative, meaning the grades you earn from the beginning of high school count and are looked at when you apply to university. This is also is true of clubs, organizations, and sports you join. Find something that you like and is rewarding to you. 

If you are starting high school or are even in the second year, think about joining three different activities from these three categories: academic, personal, and social. Academic clubs include math and science clubs, Chess Club, debate or Model United Nations for example. Personal clubs are those that help you grow personally and socially. These could include sports teams, hobbies or other interests, competitions, etc. Third, join something social where you need to interact with others outside of school. This includes student government, charity, and volunteer or community service in order to help you understand your role in a community. Enter these activities for the long run (i.e. for your high school career). Because of the long-term nature of this kind of commitment, it’s important to do a little research before you commit. Once committed, engage it. 

With summer vacation quickly becoming a distant memory, it is important to think about what you learned this last vacation. Where did you go? What did you do? What happened that was interesting? Think beyond the event or events and how they made you think and feel. What did you learn about yourself and how is that important? Remember that education and learning happens all the time, all around you. It is important to take time to reflect.

With school starting, it’s also important to get off on the right footing. Get organized and stay organized. Plan ahead and complete tasks: studying for an upcoming exam, preparing for a paper you have to write, etc. You don’t need to wait for the deadline. Turn things in ahead of time. Set the gold standard for your coming academic year and follow through.

If you are in your final year of high school, there are a lot of things you need to do in addition to school – university applications and everything related to applying to university: SAT, TOEFL, essays, applications, and interviews. Set a schedule to complete tasks and follow through. Be aware of deadlines. Remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Set small tasks everyday or in other words – multi-task. If you have not started you application personal statements you are already losing time. Start the application process. Most applications have been available since August 1 (Common Application schools and University of California) or October for some Canadian universities.

School is an exciting time. There’s so much promise, and yet so much to do. If you are well organized and manage your time well, it will be a great year. But the difference between great and excellent is how well you keep focused. Remember this – every year you start with an A+/A. It’s your job is to keep it. Have a great year!

Hamilton Gregg is the founder of International Educational Consulting and has worked in education since 1985. He helps students and their families understand their personal and educational needs and find the right school to meet their requirements. If you are a student or parent who would like to ask Gregg a question on our blog, please email hsgregg45@gmail.com

Photo: Pixababy

As students move through the application process, the following question often appears in the application. Why do you want to attend this school? Whether boarding school or university, this question comes up more often than not. Let’s take some time to look at what this question is really about and how to answer it.

First off, this very simple question usually creates an enormous amount of panic because it is so simple. What are the schools driving at? What do they want to hear? Doesn’t my application basically say that I am interested in the school?

There are varied responses to the questions above but in the end, the school wants to know why you think you are a fitting applicant to their particular school. Creating a compelling reason for the school to see that you are a student who would add value to their community.

How to go about tackling this question, comes in a variety of formats? Most importantly, you must research the school. I mean, really research the school. Understanding what the school is all about does not come from looking at ranking. Schools are more than a number. Investigate their courses, read about their professors, understand their curriculum and how it leads to your overall education, see what students do on campus – what clubs and organizations they have, etc. Understand the housing, food quality, and what current students say about the school. Research takes time and to answer the question why takes thought.

What are the important factors schools are looking for in the question? They are interested in students who understand their academic and personal interests and know how they are going to move forward in whatever school they are applying. What do you like about the academics and activities at your current school and how does that relate to the school you are applying to, its academic program and student life? What are you bringing to the school? Academic passion? Musical interest? How have you engaged in your current school and how to you plan to do that at the next school?

What if you have lots of interests? That’s excellent, but can you say why you have them? How do they make up you? At the end of the essay, the admission committee should see that you love to learn and you love to be engaged in being a part of the school and school community. But you need to understand the nuances of the school and that comes from research.

What schools do not want to hear is everything they already knows about themselves. In other words, don’t tell the about their ranking and what a great school they are. No need to tell them they are in a city or that it has a beautiful campus. What they do want to know is the connection between who you are, what they are, and what they do. As always, the essays main topic is you, not the school. Is it revealing who you are, what you think, and does it demonstrate your interest in learning at that school?

Some schools will ask you about your intended major. First it is important to understand, they are not asking you to declare your major but what do you think, at this time in your life, will possibly be the focus of your studies. Give them clear thinking about why you, at this time in your life, think this is the subject you are most interested in. What have you done? Why do you like that subject? Show your passion and distinct interest in the subject matter talking about the things you have done in and out of class related to that subject. In the process, show them that you think critically and explore beyond the classroom. And finally, how does this relate to the school to which you are applying.

By the end of your essay, the admission committee should one, know about you and how you think and learn, second, know why that school fits you as a student and as a person, and three, what kind of passions and interests you are bringing to the school and community. Remember, admission to a school is determined by the admission’s committee; give them all the evidence you can using the space and word limit to answer the question provided.

Hamilton Gregg is the founder of International Educational Consulting and has worked in education since 1985. He helps students and their families understand their personal and educational needs and find the right school to meet their requirements. If you are a student or parent who would like to ask Gregg a question on our blog, please email hsgregg45@gmail.com

Photos: Colin_K, Photosteve101 (Flickr)

Beijing Hikers will be tackling the Great Wall Spur in July, so sign up and take yourself out of the city for a great hiking adventure. As the World Cup moves into its later stages, Pinotage has started screening the games. Enjoy some tasty South African food and a few lagers whilst enjoying the football spectacle that is taking place in Brazil. Don’t forget to make a note in your calendar for what is set to be one of Roundabout’s biggest book fairs at BSB Shunyi at the end of August. Congratulations to graduating students from Dulwich College Beijing, who have secured places at some of the worlds’ top universities and colleges. Keep checking back in Shunyi Happenings for more international school graduate coverage. There is still time to sign up for the Flips & Kicks Summer Camp.

Shunyi Hikers
Join Beijing Hikers for a trip to the Great Wall Spur in Huairou on Sunday, July 6 departing at 8am from Shunyi’s Pinnacle Plaza. The cost is RMB 400 (RMB 360 for members) per person, with one meal included.

The hike will take three to four hours from start to finish, covering just over 7.5km with a long, tough climb at the beginning. After the climb, hikers will reach an unrestored stretch of the Great Wall completed around 1580 AD during the reign of Ming Dynasty Emperor Wan Li. The hike will then continue along the wall, passing through towers, and finish in a rustic village.

Suitable for ages 10 and up. Bring snacks, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt and hat, a bottle of sports drink, and good hiking boots. To book your place, call 6432 2786, email info@beijinghikers.com, or visit the website at www.beijinghikers.com.

Pinotage World Cup Screenings
For the World Cup, Pinotage at Pinotage Plaza will be serving their bar snacks menu, which includes their delicious biltong, and beef and chicken skewers. For the bigger games, they will be cooking up some South African hot dogs (boerewors rolls). Enjoy alongside their craft lager Dark and Golden (RMB 20 for 300ml, RMB 35 for 500ml, and a liter for just RMB 60). Be sure to phone ahead and book a table to ensure the bar is open for particular games.

Roundabout Book Fair at British School of Beijing (BSB) Shunyi
Once again, the Roundabout Book Fair will happen at BSB Shunyi on Saturday, August 30 from 10am-3pm. Get ready for the new school term by picking up some essential reading for the kids and some downtime reading for you. Buy paperbacks from RMB 10, hardcover books from RMB 20, and kids’ books from RMB 1. Thousands of gently-used books will be on sale in a variety of languages. Roundabout supports a range of charitable organizations and helps channel funds to kids in need of critical medical care. If you can’t make it on Saturday, pop into the school from 10am-3pm daily until September 3.

Graduate Success
It has been another successful year at Dulwich College Beijing. In addition to acceptances to Cambridge, Cornell, Brown and Columbia, students have been accepted to many other colleges such as Carnegie Mellon, Durham, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Imperial, John Hopkins, KAIST, King’s College London, Edinburgh, LSE, McGill, New York, Northwestern, UBC, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, Texas, Toronto and Yale-NUS, all of which are ranked in the top 40 universities in the World.

The average SAT score this year was over 2040 and DCB is on track to earn USD 2 million in scholarship money. Well done to all 2013-2014 graduates!

 Flips & Kicks Summer Camp
There’s still time to sign up for the popular Flips & Kicks Plus summer camp, which features a medley of gymnastics and other sports. On each day of the camp, one session will be dedicated to gymnastics training. For the rest of the time, the kids will have the chance to try a variety of other sports, including fencing, dance, karate, and ball sports. The camp’s location this summer is Daystar Academy.

Prices per block:
•    RMB 1,800 half day (9am-noon)
•    RMB 3,400 both blocks
•    RMB 2,800 full day (9am-2.30pm)
•    RMB 5,400 both blocks
Dates:
•    Block 1: June 30-July 4
•    Block 2: July 7-July 11
Call Kai at 158 1068 6744 to book a spot. For more info, visit www.flipsandkicksplus.com

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos courtesy of DCB, Beijing Hikers, Ian Wilson (flickr)