good afternoon, everyone. very happy to see so many new faces here. i am wang pengyuan, a senior student from class 1101. today, it gives me a great honor to give a welcome speech here, to share with you some of my experiences as well as give you some suggestions in the beginning of your college life.
actually, i am very much curious about your definitions of a good college life at this special point. someone once complained to me that the college life is totally a waste of time and money. do you think so? the answer is definitely no. here i want to tell you that if you try to manage your college life well, you will find that it will be really a valuable part of your life.
and now i’m going to share with you my personal experiences of my college life. i remember when i was a freshman, a junior student was giving a speech on this stage i was so impressed by her, and made my mind to study hard. so what i did in my pervious three years was just about making full use of college resources to develop my own potentials.
in my first year, i studied hard as i did in my high school, attending every class, listening to teachers carefully, reviewing after class and doing homework by myself. college at that time was a brand new stage for me, i was trying to find my way of adapting to it quickly. i participated in various kinds of activities to improve my abilities, such as joining in the students union, going to the old people’s home, selling newspapers outside campus, taking part in chorus competition and recitation contest. i think my ability is somehow improved through the year of efforts.
the second year was a very important turning point for me. i tried to learn more by myself and then apply the knowledge into practice. the very important event for me is the 18th china daily 21st century cup national english speaking competition in which i got the first prize in our school. but what i want to mention is only the benefits i gained from this competition, for example, my english speaking ability has been improved, and no longer afraid of saying a word in public and also i made friends with many students from other universities with whom i can share experience. and some other competitions like hubei provincial translation and interpreting competition, and so many more.
another part is the social activities. in july XX, i went to singapore to be a volunteer in the second international traditional martial arts competition. that was also an amazing experience in my life. as you can see that i witnessed with my own eyes a different culture thus broadening my horizons. so here i want to appeal to you all that seize every opportunity to develop yourself, for the college is an integrated platform in the journey of your life through which you are bound to grow up.
the third years seems like a great leap for me. equipped with the solid foundation i laid in the previous two years, i further participated in some important major-related contests, such as the outlook talent show held by cctv, the fifth cross-strait interpreting competition and national english ability competition. through all these contests, i found myself much more confident in the road ahead.
next i’m going to give you some suggestions to help you manage your college life better.
suggestion1: learn as much as possible.
for most of us college can be an unforgettable period for us to learn something. some one once said that university is like a dye vat, which means that you may be easily influenced by others. if you want to learn something you will be embraced by knowledge and wisdom; and if you don’t have the desire to learn you will find you get nothing after 4 years’ college life.
suggestion2: cultivate your potentials and interests.
as we know, university is an integrated platform compared with high school. you do not need to bury your head in the books all day long. you need to conduct your self-cultivation and find where your interests lie in. for example, if you have the talent for dancing, you can join in the dance association. just show it. life will be colorful if there is joy.
suggestion3: always be optimistic and hopeful.
everybody knows that college life is mostly determined by ourselves. sometimes you may find that teachers can’t instruct you in every aspects. so you may easily come across difficulties with which you will get bored. but please remember that life has its ups and downs, adversity is just part of our lives. be optimistic, you will always find your way out.
in a word, combine all the suggestions i’ve mentioned above with your own characteristics and stick to it, you will find success lies in somewhere along the road.
ok, since time is limited, i will stop here. if you have further question, come to me, i will always be willing to help. that’s my part for today. thank you.