To Eternal IBers

Author/Zhao Yan

Graduate Of IB, 2007

Former Deputy Secretary-general Of CYL Committee

Recommended For Peking University

I am writing to my dear freshmen who have just stepped into this beauteous campus, inquisitive and wondering how are college lives like. You are allowed to be ambitious and stand out on the brand-new stage given to all students. I am expecting, being a senior, your affection of liberty and dreams as well as your holding up to the beauty and your identities. I am about to introduce some of my lessons of experience that have, somehow, been taught in the past in an attempt to encourage you. Firstly, you are better off learning not English but all your subjects. A good command of English is vitally significant in your coming study life, career and personal development and consequently you are going to focus on it, giving full priorities to the learning and practicing of English. All the efforts will pay off and your thankfulness towards them will be your sparkle in the future. Secondly, be an activist when it comes to students unions and social activities. You might be aware that you can never avoid contact with people regardless of your occupation and occasions. Dealing with all sorts of people smoothly and sophisticatedly could, in some term, be a lifelong and profound business. No one gets to the bottom of it but your vigorous involvement in the students unions and social activities is likely be a scoop helping you dig deeper. Keep it in mind,however, you are not a utilitarianism doing all these stuff. I have learned that if you are honest, it is hard for others to keep you away. Last but not least, I am giving two lessons that may take you a while to get them. One goes that being consistent and clinging to something are not contradictory and the other goes do not reckon on others. It is okay if they bewilder you but there sooner or later would came the day when you understand and then learn them.

I have three laws for those who are about to leave their ivory towers. The first one is that never let your outlook of this society hinder you from becoming a nice person. The second you should bear in mind is to ensure that you are worthy being respected by us or even the entire society regardless of your pursuing of wealth and power. And here is the last one, busyness and exhaust are not your excuses of either your irresponsibility towards your parents or unkindness of others.