Time flies on the prosperous Daxue Road, while Guangdong Technion Israel-Institute of Technology (GTIIT) stands quietly in a corner, welcoming another group of young and enthusiastic freshmen. Students from all over the world, with dreams and aspirations, are ready to start their life at GTIIT. A series of interviews with freshmen will be launched, to show their feelings and expectations about GTIIT.

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Today, four students from Guangdong, Shandong and Heilongjiang provinces will share their stories of knowing GTIIT and choosing to pursue their dreams at GTIIT.

Chen Xintong

·2021 ME

·First-class Scholarship at GTIIT

·Graduated from Shantou Jinshan Middle School

Chen Yanfan

·2021 MSE

·Second-class Scholarship at GTIIT

·Graduated from Shantou Jinshan Middle School

Xiao Zeshen

·2021 CE

·Second-class Scholarship at GTIIT

·Graduated from Jinan Licheng No.2 High School

Yu Haoran

·2021 BFE

·Second-class Scholarship at GTIIT

·Graduated from Harbin No.3 High School (Qunli campus)

Why do you choose GTIIT?

Chen Yanfan: I met Prof. Eli Aljadeff, Head of Mathematics with Computer Science Program, at GTIIT’s Open Day. He is a very knowledgeable and patient mathematician and educator. He talked with me for several hours, not only introducing the studying at GTIIT to me, but also asking me a lot of questions to prove the basis of mathematics when I was preparing for the college entrance examination at that time. It was my first experience with real mathematics beyond the test-oriented one, and enabled me to experience the teaching features of GTIIT. The conversation with Prof. Eli Aljadeff made me believe that I can get the professional knowledge and thinking training I pursue at GTIIT, which was also the biggest reason why I decided to apply for this university.

Chen Xintong: I participated in GTIIT's Open Day activities, and I felt that the teaching buildings and laboratories were very new. The teachers at GTIIT are competent and responsible, and the students can learn useful knowledge.

Xiao Zeshen: It shocked me a lot when I see the excellent destinations of the first graduates of GTIIT.

Yu Haoran: The first reason for me to choose GTIIT is that I like the programs it provided. I like biology very much and have the enthusiasm for studying abroad, so GTIIT has become my first choice. Secondly, after consulting my mother's colleagues' child studying at GTIIT and my sister studying in other university, I learned that the strict teaching mode of GTIIT is very attractive to me, so I chose here.

What is your study and life like at GTIIT?

Xiao Zeshen: Studying at GTIIT is a new experience for me -- not only the English teaching environment but also the open academic atmosphere and the self-discipline of the students. There is no pause button for thoughts and questions can be asked at any time in class; no formal constraints, just a group of people discussing science with enthusiasm in a classroom.

Having classes in English is very difficult. At the beginning, I was just able to follow the teacher in class, understand most of the class but couldn't communicate. Now I can barely communicate with drawing and simple English. I am still trying to adapt myself to it. However, I find the advantages of English teaching. For subjects with profound scientific thinking, such as physics and mathematics, many nouns are easier to understand when explained in English.

Chen Xintong: GTIIT is better than I knew and expected. Having classes, discussing with teachers and classmates and getting knowledge everyday is fulfilling. I feel very lucky to have such good resources of the university. Many regulations are relatively loose at GTIIT, so I can enjoy free extracurricular life with my friends.

Chen Yanfan: I started to learn the original English textbooks and the latest research results of mathematics, physics and other subjects from the second year of senior high school. I also participated in the physics competition, so I can adapt to the study at GTIIT quickly. I meet many interesting professors and learn many interesting courses here. Prof. Paulo Tirao, who teaches us linear algebra and mathematical analysis, is very enthusiastic. The class atmosphere is very good. I particularly like the style of Prof. Jacob Mostovoy, who is able to connect physics and mathematics.

But I also encounter some challenges. On the one hand, the professors ask us to establish rigorous mathematical thinking, starting from a few basic assumptions, to prove some commonly used formulas or premises. If you haven't been able to jump out of your high school formula to solve problems quickly, this process can be difficult to adapt to. On the other hand, the mode of class is completely different from that of high school. "Any questions? "is what the professors say most. They hoped us to have the courage to ask questions and interact with them more. I enjoy this atmosphere very much.

What do you know about your program?

Xiao Zeshen: My program is Chemical Engineering. I chose it because I love it. I would describe it more as the love of chemistry than the love of chemical engineering. Chemistry was just an impulse for me at the beginning. Without any basic knowledge of chemistry, I was selected into the Chemistry Olympiad team in the second year of junior high school and studied it for five years. In this process, the in-depth exploration of chemistry made me love this science even more. Whether it is the error calculation of side reaction coefficient which is maddening in the analysis of chemistry, or the spinel crystal cells described countless times in structural chemistry, the continuous difficulties further stimulate my desire to explore.

As for my cognition of chemical engineering, I think it is no longer just a simple combination of chemistry and other disciplines because it is about engineering and technology. It may be physics or mathematics knowledge that leads chemical research in many cases. Furthermore, the chemical industry is an attitude towards the problem, rather than a specific means of dealing with it. It's a way of thinking, not a simple calculation. Chemical industry is not a rote operation, not learning the history of chemistry, but the rigorous practices after flexible thinking, to create history.

What are your goals and expectations for your life at GTIIT?

Yu Haoran: The university life I imagine might be different from what others expect. What I am looking forward to is not relaxation after the college entrance examination, but a fulfilling life. I hope to enrich my life with various experiences and build a bright future with my efforts in the four years.

Xiao Zeshen: Dream it. Do it. I want to study chemistry on a better platform and realize my dream at GTIIT. I am eager to learn in this English teaching environment to temper myself, so that I can have the ability to embrace a better future. I hope to make friends, work hard, strive to apply for a satisfactory postgraduate university and start a new journey.

Chen Xintong: I hope I can improve my study and interpersonal communication skills, find the intersection of my interest and major, and find life suitable for me.

Chen Yanfan: I hope I can finish the basic courses in my freshman year to prepare for further academic study in the future. I also hope I can participate in the exchange study in my junior year to feel the atmosphere of different universities.

Text/Photos: Interviewees, GTIIT News & Public Affairs