多元環境下的文化衝擊與自我探索-UWC Adriatic term 1 reflection

UWC Adriatic 被譽為最多元及最自由的UWC，擁有開放的校園，一屆約90位學生代表著大約75個國家。然而，在這充滿多元和開放的環境中，我卻難以適應與台灣如此不同的生活。

即使每天看，學校夕陽的美仍然令人驚嘆(此為我和我朋友在學校海邊拍的照片)

國外的月亮沒有比較圓

一開始，我信誓旦旦地認為自己能夠在國外過得很好，然而現實卻讓我迅速打臉。

首先，飲食習慣上的不同讓我感到極度不適應，學校食堂每天提供的義大利麵和沙拉，讓一直以來吃中式料理的我非常不習慣，也因此增加了對家的思念。

此外，在學校上課時，儘管一開始我相信自己的英語程度足以應付，實際與同學交流時，卻感受到了沉重的壓力。在台灣，我和朋友都用中文交流，但在這裡，因為對英語不夠自信，我習慣先在腦海中將中文轉換成英文後再說出來。然而，這樣的方式使我難以跟上朋友們的說話速度，大多數時候我只能靜靜地聆聽。當真正遇到問題時，由於語言上的障礙，我常常無法完整表達我想要表達的內容。

同時，生活中的各種不便也逐漸浮現。在這裡，我需要親自處理生活中的大小事務，包括簡單的洗衣打掃等，這些在家裡可能由其他人負責的事情，現在都需要我親自操心。此外，或許是因為我已經習慣在台北走路五分鐘就有便利商店，家附近也有很多不同種的餐廳可以選擇，還有購物網站的24小時到貨這種便利的生活，而現在在Duino這個小鎮，需要坐公車半小時才有一個大一點的城市才有比較多餐廳的選擇。這讓我更加深刻地體會到，原來在國外的自主獨立生活，並非如我當初所想的那麼輕鬆。

最後我與室友共處的種種問題逐漸浮出水面，不知何時開始，我與室友的矛盾像滾雪球一樣越來越大。有幾天我發現我的房間原本應該是一個讓我可以休息的地方，但那時我在房間總是感到焦慮，不願待在裡面。因此，我那時候都在宿舍的公共空間待到凌晨才回到自己的房間內。我曾多次向學校反映這種情況，包括宿舍的老師、我的導師、學校心理輔導老師，甚至是主任。我試過各種方式，但他們也只跟我說學校很重視這件事情不會不管學生的心理健康僅此而已。

那段時間似乎是我17年來第一次感到如此無助，不敢打電話回家怕爸媽擔心。雖然有很多朋友願意聽我抱怨並安慰我，但這終究是我自己一個人的事情，大家能給予的幫助非常有限。我甚至設了一個倒數日曆，看著還有多少天才能回家，似乎這樣我才能期待一些東西。此時我不斷懷疑當初毅然決然地選擇來UWC是否是一個明智的決定。畢竟我在台灣已經是高二，已經開始著手申請美國大學了，為什麼還要來這裡受苦呢？

有時候，我不禁懷疑自己是否能真正融入這個陌生的環境。在無數次的自我懷疑後，我仍沒有答案，或許在這裡待更久以後我才能給我自己一個滿意的答覆。

幸運的是，在我最徬徨無助的時候迎來了我們的mid-term break，我爸媽也從台灣飛過來看我，還幫我帶了很多台灣的零食、泡麵等，還有一些用於布置宿舍房間的東西。雖然我與我父母見面只有短短一天的時間，但這使我想家的情緒緩解不少，尤其是當我布置完我的房間以後，我才有那麼一絲絲的寧靜。

我花了多時間布置的房間，床簾讓我可以有一個私人的空間

現在的我發現，或許在社交平台上展示的都是在這裡生活多麼精彩，或是放假時又去哪個歐洲國家玩，但在這光鮮亮麗的外表背後，處處都是我不習慣的挑戰。

我是誰?

或許身分認同是每一位前往UWC的台灣學生都需要面對的問題，因為每個分校的台灣學生很少，中國學生和文化佔據主流地位，因此我們的文化很容易被忽視。身為義大利分校的第一個也是唯一一個台灣人，過去在學校的幾個月裡，我一直在思考一個問題：我是誰？我的定位是什麼？因此，我迫切地想要尋找如何在代表中華文化的同時展現我自己屬於台灣的獨特性。儘管兩岸共享許多文化和語言，但台灣仍然與中國有著許多的差異。

房間一個貼滿明信片的角落

來到這裡後，我發現了一個問題，每當我介紹我的文化或談及我們在台灣會做的事情時，我總是說這是一個”Chinese culture”。雖然就種族而言，我是”Chinese”，但同時我又來自中華民國/台灣，因此我也是”Taiwanese”。有時候，我們很難向來自其他地方的人解釋，”Chinese”這個詞既可以指代民族文化，也可以代表來自中華人民共和國的人。因此，”我是誰”的問題一直在我腦海中浮現，我為自己是台灣人感到自豪，但同時我也發現這種文化容易被更廣泛的 “Chinese” 一詞所誤解或掩蓋。

在台灣時，我常常打開Spotify的”Taiwan Top 50"列表來聽，裡面混合著西洋、日本、韓國、中國等各國流行音樂。然而，來到這裡後，我開始特別尋找台灣樂團或音樂人的歌曲，因此我也更加認識了台灣本土的音樂創作。或許正因如此，我才能在這裡找到一絲家的感覺。儘管這裡仍有一些會說中文的人，但由於口音各異，我特別想念台灣的口音。因此，我會尋找台灣的播客來聽，或是觀看台灣的電視劇，以緩解對家鄉的思念。

除此之外，由於飲食習慣在這裡與台灣相當不同，當我想家時，我會在Instagram上找一些網紅分享在台灣餐廳或小吃店的短影片，然後記下餐廳名稱。這樣，當我在暑假回台灣時，就可以去品嚐我在這裡思念的美食。

我真的是一個好的台灣代表嗎?

首先，我要感謝台灣的理事會願意相信我，給予我加入UWC這個大家庭的機會，成為義大利分校的第一位台灣學生。這個機會也讓我肩負起回答同學對兩岸關係的問題，並讓大家更了解台灣的責任。

然而，在與其他同學的交流中，我發現仍然有許多人將台灣和泰國混淆，誤以為我是從泰國而來，或者直接詢問我中國國內的事。這時候，我只能尷尬地澄清我來自台灣，我們不是中國，更不是泰國。我不禁開始思考，我們來到UWC前都經歷了層層篩選，但為何仍有人不太了解國際情勢。我理解大家可能不了解兩岸的關係，但至少應該要知道台灣這個地方吧？

同時，我也在思考是否是因為我沒有好好地代表台灣，才導致大家容易把我們與其他國家混淆。

因此，平常不喜歡且排斥public speaking的我，勇敢地提議在我們學校的Asian week中（每兩年舉辦一次，讓不同地區的學生展示其文化），和我同屆的中國以及香港的學生一起舉辦一個討論三者關係的focus。我們探討了文化上的相似和不同之處，並向大家解釋為什麼兩岸關係如此複雜，以及目前的情勢。在這次活動前，我感到非常緊張，擔心自己未能清晰表達想法，但幸好結束後，大家都表示學到了很多，這讓我感到非常有成就感。

我在Focus中解釋兩岸關係時的樣子

這是我第一次為自己感到驕傲，我強迫了我自己跳脫舒適圈。同時我相信我也回答了我自己的問題：儘管我可能不是最能代表台灣的人，但我願意繼續努力，以更積極的方式為台灣發聲，讓更多人認識這個獨特的地方。

結語

雖然在這裡只有一百多天的時間，但我認為我改變了很多。從一開始對英語的不自信到現在可以流利地和朋友們聊天，從遇到挫折消極的倒數著離回家還有多久到決定自己創造自己的UWC experience並跳脫舒適圈地舉辦focus。雖然我在這段文字中表達了一些困擾和挫折，但同時我也感受到了成長的喜悅和自我突破的榮耀。在此我想引用我很喜歡的台劇《想見你》中的一句台詞，去愛去失去要不付相遇。的確，在UWC的這兩年一定會有歡笑有淚水，但這些都是我成長的一部分。

UWC day時大家穿著自己國家的傳統服飾

後記

即便我在第一學期一度哭著說要在寒假的時候回家，但我最後仍決定留在這裡去探索歐洲。在三個禮拜的假期中，我去了布拉格、柏林，還和我媽媽去法國的阿爾卑斯山脈上滑雪，最後去了米蘭待了幾天。在那裡，意外地找到了幾間台灣人開的餐廳，食物也都很不錯。

在中國UWC就讀的Eunice在第一學期結束後的反思與心得。

我與UWC

這是我在UWC中國常熟校區的第二年，也是正式進入IB課程的第一年。雖然我已經在這邊待了一年半，但所有事情對我來說都還在發生劇烈的變化，一直沒有一個安穩的平衡點。我跟的UWC的關係很微妙，從來就沒有「甜蜜期」這種東西，一上來就是辛苦的「磨合期」，但能說我不愛他嗎？不行，因為我很愛他。

UWC一點都不簡單，因為他本來就不只是一間普通的學校，每天去學校你只需要專注在你的學業上面，「得高分」成為了主要的目的。然而，這間學校最初的使命是希望透過教育開創更和平、永續的未來，很帥吧，我也覺得，但是身為一個學生你一定會懷疑自己，感覺這個使命離我很遠，我一個小小的力量怎麼可以做到。但是！我覺得最最最重要的，是在過程中不忘初心，不要忘記你最一開始進ＵＷＣ那種決心，那種出身之犢不畏虎的熱忱，然後帶著這份初心向前走每一步。

常態是最可怕的東西

因為前幾年的疫情，讓CSC有三年是沒有國際生的，我的第一年也經歷過全校沒有國際生的UWC CSC，但是幸好今年終於又重新有國際生的參與，但也因為疫情那三年，讓一開始進這間學校的我，感受不到任何的多元化，淺移默化的也跟著這邊的「內卷」風氣一樣，漸漸的目光只注意在課業。

但很幸運的今年國際生的到來，重重的提醒到我，我是為著什麼來UWC的，也讓我重新拾起被我遺忘的初心，重新轉移我的目光，不單單只是短淺的注重課業，而是也開始思考我如何把握我在UWC剩下的時間，課業、成績固然重要，但是最重要的還是如何在課業以及享受UWC experience中抓一個平衡點，讓你的UWC生活變得精彩。

結論

你玩過七巧板嗎？各種歪七扭八的板子，竟然最後可以拼接成正正方方的一體，過程中就是不斷地不斷的試，拿起各種看似不可能的碎片，扭轉成各種角度、面向，甚至無數次看似要成功的時候，就總是輸在最後一片放不進去，還是必須拆掉全部，換一個再試。

UWC，這真的是一條充滿各種不知道的道路，過程中，不斷的破碎所有原本的自己，但都沒有關係，因為最重要的是你會認真的思考如何築起新的你。

在UWC我有好多失敗，常常失敗到我找不到我了，但這就是他好玩的地方，然後我就想到國小老師教的，「沒有暗礁，怎麼激起美麗的浪花」，雖然很雞湯，但真的就是如此，正是因為失敗，才需要一直一直一直的重新。這裡，不是烏托邦，不是完美的學校，不是應該期待這間學校能給你什麼，而是你自己想要在這間學校 你的高中創造出什麼屬於你的 不一樣的高中。

在中國常熟UWC就讀的Bob在學期結束後的反思與心得。

是甚麼讓我那麼倔強，使我被環境圍剿後卻不停歇?是甚麼提醒我該培養新的技能?又是甚麼讓我從半山腰前進?這座山不是所有人一生中一定能爬的山，如果誰有幸參與那肯定需要具備無數個理想，因為在攀登的路途上參雜了需多試錯成本和些許環境上的限制，無論你是否曾經挑戰爭取這座山的門票，或是你已經入園了，請告訴自己沒有任何停留的餘地，培養多一技能來斬草除根。

想想從UWC畢業後你想要留下的回憶是甚麼?是那個你撐過每一個夜晚寫文書拼命奮鬥的回憶，還是享受與人聯繫時刻?這些回憶是能讓你在畢業後一回想起會不自覺地流淚那樣的感慨，那會是甚麼?我相信大部分的人如果在網路上搜尋IB體制和其他體制的難度，應該都知道IB體制是高難度的體制，尤其UWC更重視人與人、文化與文化連結的地方；要把學業顧好和培養人脈的地方，需要專注於當下，當下的核心人物就是自己，如何替自己創造價值才能具備影響他人的機會。

UWC因為種族多樣性，人們代表自己的文化相互學習，就像是一個小聯合國一樣，我們每一個人拿到門票的人都是一位小外交官。UWC日那天，我和同我是布農族的同學穿著布農族服裝到處合影，引起一些人的關注，其中有一位老師興沖沖的和我們聊天，話題由服裝轉到原住民的歷史，我很高興有老師能關注到我們一群穿著獨特的原住民，但我們好像還沒做好推銷的準備，為了探討這個問題，我覺得我們有必要扛起責任去宣傳我們的文化。我希望下學期能夠瞄準機會準備少數民族相關提案，並且希望能聚集校園裡的少數民族和志同道合的人一同參與，更讓我感興趣的是去做田野調查，並用田野調查的方式來組織幾次尋根之旅。以上是對下學期初步的規劃，這是我其中一項較大的理想，也是我覺得最為重要的一項。組織團隊的設想是因為少數民族在任何國家地區都是面臨文化傳承的問題，不管是傳承語言、儀式、還是歌謠等等。我希望能藉由在UWC找到幾位具有少數民族血統的人一同參與文化復甦的活動，以實現UWC Mission。

UWC就像是一座山，它帶給我勇於冒險的精神，儘管中間會有多少個難關，都不會成為阻礙我的絆腳石，我覺得身為青少年的我應該要提早意識到如何在冒險中成長，在冒險的過程中需要適時承受風險並學會愛自己，意識到過錯就及時修正。上學期帶給我的反思是傳承，前輩的智慧是我們的借鑑，後輩的智慧是前輩的總和加上自己的解讀，所以後輩是在為前輩接續完成他們的夢想，於是我想引用自學校餐廳牆上的佳句:「地球並非是從祖先那裡繼承來的而是從我們的子孫後代借來的」。

在中國常熟UWC就讀的James在第一學期結束後的所見與反思。

正文：

CSC-FP 第一學期回顧

(起飛前用樂高隨手拚出來的UWC Twaiwan)

UWC留學，只不過是我國中時向大家分享的一個夢想，沒想到經過了幾年後，我將這夢想變成了現實，現在想想還有點不可思議。而今年八月自認為已經完完全全準備好的我，收拾好了行李，搭上了飛機，向著我的夢想前進。四個月過得好快，一眨眼，我不再是那個每次孤僻的小子了，我可以大聲的說，我是CSC community的一份子了。這短短的上半學期，我經歷了許許多多的事，而每件事都化為我的養分使我成長。

(我的送機團隊，出發當天，我爸邀請我們家大大小小的親戚一起為我送行)

我身邊的人聽到我要來中國讀書，大家的第一反應是「太可怕了吧，會不會很危險」而我自己只是笑著跟他們解釋，這是我的選擇，我自己會小心啦，不用擔心。我也跟他們說，你們不用把那邊想的那麼嚴重啦，我們只是站在不同的立場，不需要去討厭或批評他們。他們欣慰的說:「聽你這麼說，那我們就放心了」。

剛開學時學校就有提到UWC CSC 的生活分成三的部分，Study、Social、Sleep，在剛開學的前幾個禮拜，我想我只有sleep的部分做的最好，每天一回到房間就倒在床上，然後就睡了，再次睜開眼睛就只想著晚上回到我的床上，日復一日這樣子。

漸漸的我發現這跟我之前所想的UWC 生活完完全全的不一樣，我應該要趁著這個在CSC的機會，好好認識其他人，不管是中國內地的學生、香港學生甚至是從其他國家來的學生，我也可以好好磨練磨練我的英文能力，於是我就開始參加學校所舉辦的活動，HOUSE 活動也好，去球場打球跟其他人組隊也好，而我真的賭對了，我慢慢認識其他人了，我的朋友圈不再只限於台灣人或是說中文的人了，有了來自其他國家的同學了。我和那些朋友經常聊天，分享各自喜歡的事物，分享曾經旅遊過的地方，分享各自國家的美好，但卻不提起兩岸關係，因為怕會引起不必要的爭執。我就有一個室友，他對於兩岸的關係特別的激進，在剛開學時他就特別喜歡拉著我講兩岸的關係，但我是真的很不想談論這個，每次他滔滔不絕地講了一大堆，但我都只簡簡單單的回復了他幾句，最後他好像也發現我好像不喜歡聊到這個話題，他也就不再談這個話題。雖然說UWC是個很開放的地方，想說什麼做什麼都可以，但有些事情就真的沒辦法。

(CSC Male Varsity)

此外，我也加入了籃球知行和阿卡貝拉知行，在這兩個知行裡，我得到了很大的鼓勵，首先，籃球是我最喜歡的運動，透過籃球，我可以抒發我的壓力，緩解身邊周遭帶給我的焦慮，同時我也很高興能夠在第一年就入選為一隊，代表學校於其他國際學校比賽是我的榮幸，目標是為CSC贏得冠軍。另外，前幾年待在合唱團的我，決定調查看看之前沒有玩過的阿卡貝拉，我沒有像其他人對於音樂有很高的造詣，但我就是喜歡唱歌，而在經歷過幾次的練習以後，最終我們也在Christmas Concert 為 CSC Community 獻上一首「hallelujah」，備受好評我只能說。

(阿卡貝拉，沒有Lilian，因為他當時不知道跑去哪裡了)

再來是STUDY的部分，要適應一個完全不同的環境對於我來說太困難了，整個上課方式跟我之前所遇過的完全不同，這無形之中都成了我的壓力，我不懂不會的地方，我也不敢問，我的成績就一直不是很理想，而在一次與我的Advisory談話中，我就有向他提到我的問題，而他有給了我幫助，告訴我不要害怕，不要感到有壓力，壓力使人成長嘛。上課不懂就問同學、問老師，課前預習，課後複習，consultation time 也可以去找老師問問題，於是我聽取了他的建議，不懂就問，而我的成績也慢慢的好了起來，髓然說進步的空間還很大，但我相信只要我繼續努力，一定會越來越好的。而是乎我的Social、Study和Sleep漸漸地達到了平衡，我也不在像前幾禮拜過的那麼掙扎了。

(Me and my DT product)

第一個學期過的特別快，當還在認為我只是剛到的新生時，一瞬間，第一個 Summative week，Golden week，Project week，第二個 Summative week，然後在一個Christmas concert 就放假了，在這短短的幾個月中，我覺得自己變得不一樣了，不再是那羞澀的毛頭小子。

最後我想感謝:我的父母、原聲教育協會、UWC Taiwan、Bari house、我的Advisory group、在CSC的台灣朋友們以及其他CSC的朋友們對我的鼓勵、支持與幫助，讓我能夠在UWC CSC擁有那麼美好的回憶。

(My favorite Bari house)

在亞美尼亞UWC就讀的Wilson在第一學期結束後所抒發的成長與反思。

文中探討Wilson自己對於UWC Dilijan校園活動的介紹與自己在平衡睡眠、課業、與社交的時間等。

正文：

UWC Dilijan is situated in a place that is extremely beautiful and where everything seems perfect. While the remoteness of the small town hindered development, it promoted the growth of nature. The air here is pure, seemingly unpolluted by the greenhouse gasses that smother much of the globe. It's a place where the sky retains its crystal clarity, and the stars twinkle with luminosity. You can hear birds singing all the time and smell the sweet scent of flowers everywhere. It's a special place where the beauty of nature is all around.

It's been a semester since I stepped foot in UWCD. From application to actually being on the campus, it's been a mesmerizing experience. Until now, I still feel surreal to study in such a cozy environment. Overall, I feel good about my improvement physically and mentally. Studying abroad is like a challenge to me, therefore I've conquered most of the obstacles hindering the path. I've come to appreciate the growth I've experienced both physically and mentally. The daily routine of hitting the gym has become a cornerstone of my time here, with the conducive environment motivating me to prioritize my physical health.

Learning experience

I truly cherish the opportunity to learn in such a relaxed environment. There was a week of orientation for newcomers to help us settle into school life, which is more laid-back compared to high school in Taiwan. The class hours each day are few, and it largely depends on how one manages their time. Typically, after classes, I participate in clubs (CAS), and if there are no CAS activities, I allocate time for exercise or head to the library to work on assignments and study. So far, the pressure during the first semester hasn't been overwhelming. There's a saying among students at UWC Dilijan: you can only choose two—sleep, study, or social life. I've felt the truth of this deeply. Even though there aren't many class hours, the days fly by. Some students stay up all night socializing or cramming for exams. It's a real test of your time management skills. I initially aimed to be in bed by 10 pm every day, surprisingly, I've mostly achieved this goal in the first semester.

Academically, it depends on the subjects you choose. Some require tedious homework and exams, while others focus on developing report writing skills. The difficulty varies. Personally, I enjoy writing reports and doing presentations, so doing homework is a pleasure for me. In addition, I’m an art person, and VA is one of the most enjoyable subjects in my opinion. Overall, I love the thrill of new experiences and am always eager to learn new knowledge and skills.

Activities

Attending UWC is an odyssey full of adventures and activities. We got multifarious activities that’s a feast for the eyes. Ranging from UWC day, skiing, swimming, project week, student overnight, regional evening, monday briefing, etc. UWC makes sure that students are always busy with something. If you're interested in joining in, don't forget to check your email regularly so you don't miss out on these great opportunities.

The balance of sleep, academics, and social life:

Balancing social interactions, academic commitments, gym sessions, and ensuring adequate sleep has proven challenging, but I've made a conscientious effort to produce quality work and cultivate a portfolio that reflects my dedication and passion for my field. For the next term, I want to be an overachiever. I aim to set open-ended goals that allow for continuous growth, understanding that the journey towards improvement is an ongoing process. Embracing the principle of delayed gratification, I'm committed to turning my progress into compound interest, fostering a cycle of continuous improvement.

Be brave:

I've learned a valuable lesson about the power of speaking up, regardless of origin or background. At UWC, I noticed that many people, unlike in some Asian cultures, aren't afraid to voice their thoughts, even if they're not perfect. This semester taught me that confidence can overcome excessive caution. In a diverse community, it's vital to share your own feelings and ideas confidently.

Don’t overthink:

Stoicism teaches us to accept the unchangeable and change what we can. It's fruitless to guess what others are thinking since everyone has their unique perspective. Focus on what you can influence instead of over analyzing.

Enjoy:

Time at UWC goes by quickly. It's important to socialize and make friends. Cherish every moment here for true happiness. And don't stress about setbacks. Most people at UWC are friendly and approachable, creating a supportive environment.

Conclusion

One of the standout aspects of life at UWCD has been the emphasis on the "celebration of difference." The enthusiasm among the community to learn Mandarin, particularly for practical everyday use, has left a lasting impression on me. I cherish the culture of different customs and ethnicities. Throughout the lectures we participated in identity, I realized that while external factors such as phenotypes, culture, ethnicity, race, and gender play a role in shaping identity, at a fundamental level, we are all individuals seeking love, care, and validation. Despite our differences, the fact that we're students at UWC brings us together, creating unity among us.

Overall, is it worth it? In my opinion, it’s completely worth it. Even though this was not the perfect year, I attempted my best. Most significantly, I experienced improvement in confidence and English fluency.

在泰國就讀UWC Thailand校區的Verena Lin在第一學年結束後的感想與反思。

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「For the first time, I felt like I found “my”' group of people, and I am thankful that I did since I believe not everyone is able to do so.」

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文中探討著Verena自己在UWC Thailand對於歸屬感的概念。從起初的懷疑態度，到現今超越單純的社交與友誼等等。並且強調了多樣性與跨出舒適圈的重要性。

正文：

“What does belonging mean to you?” That is a question our school has been asking us ever since the first year I have been here. Back then I never understood the importance or the purpose of the question, not even after I finished the first year at UWC. While the first year consisted a lot on personal organization and responsibility, I discovered that the second year marks the evident change in myself.

*I gathered that many “introverts” who entered one of the UWC schools found “people” to be one of the most refreshing enlightenment. This reflection will be more self-based and function as self-reflection instead of discussion on the actualities of the school and the activities. More casual writing style will be used and I will be including a bit more of some personal opinion

For privacy, there will be no names mentioned, but examples will be included.*

Spending so much time with my friends and the students in school, the most important lessons I concluded for my journey here has a lot to do with people and relations. Starting the school with everyone scrambling to find their own friend groups, to when the majority settled in, and until now, I realized that “having friends” and “socializing” is different from “belonging”. Back when the teachers would make us sit in a circle and discuss about the topic of “belonging”, I found it a waste of time because I never really fully understood what it meant or what it feels like. Before I came to UWC, I was a very introverted person (even though I still am). I did not always see the point in creating connections with people for I did not see the need to. Even though most social circles has been set, minor changes through interactions and communication allowed us to engage with new people. During the start of grade 12, I established new friendships and strengthened old ones, allowing me to find the friendship dynamics that come naturally. For the first time, I felt like I found “my” group of people, and I am thankful that I did since I believe not everyone is able to do so.

I realized how important it is for friendship to be mutual and to be initiative. One of my friends told us about how she purposely visit different rooms to check up on everyone occasionally, and that made me understand that I should also be doing the same. From then on, I spent a lot of time after school in other people’s rooms talking with them, and soon we became a lot closer. Now looking back, I see that many of the best friendships I had made were with people I never would have thought I’d be friends with.

Communicating is such as important aspect. A simple check up on someone when they are feeling down can open possibilities of relations, sharing your own ideas without fearing of being judged can build deeper understandings of one another, being open to listening can heal bonds that were broken, this and so much more I have experienced. You will definitely learn something or receive good results if efforts are put in. Instead of sticking to a comfort zone or only talking to a certain group of people with certain backgrounds, it is easy to miss out on the opportunities to find the people you actually feel like you belong to instead of people you only hang out with. Of course, having friends that you have fun with or hang out with is undoubtedly necessary, I believe that at the same time, it is essential to find people who you can go to even when you are tired of socializing.

While the first semester of grade 12 has been extremely busy due to exams and university applications, I found a balance within life at UWC. Despite the fact that this reflections talks heavily about “friends” and concepts instead of abilities such as knowledge and skills, I believe that while everyone will acquire technical abilities after coming to UWC, not everyone might gain experience on personal aspects of growth. A lot of my feelings and thoughts can not be simply put into words, I can only claim that this is one of the most valuable gains I have from beginning my UWC journey, which I am sure has also prepared me for the future in the wide society network.

Now for some more personal interactions with the people around me:

There are people who I can talk without filter; even on the most random subjects. As someone who is a very philosophical thinker, it isn’t often for me to find someone who share the same mind, and it isn’t always easy to just start of a conversation with “is there a purpose to life”? There are conversations until 2am where we discuss about controversial ideas (which I will not name since some, as mentioned of “no filter”, may be offensive to many). However, what I find special about these talks is that it is never judgmental, it is only a share of personal opinion, nothing more. Oftentimes, we have completely opposite approaches, and our “debate” begins without the intent of convincing the other person. Such as on the topic of “life”, while my friend and I had contradictory points of view, we arrived at the conclusion that “there purpose to life but no meaning to life”. (I will not go into the details of that haha).

There are people who I can have endless conversations with while we cook ramen (because as boarding students, we obviously eat ramen five times a week). This continued to the point where we even have what we call “ramen night”. There are people who I have been so close to that we don’t need to ask if they are up to do something, such as our inclusion of “movie night” every week. At this point, it is just “so what movie are we watching, horror again?” Instead of “Do you want to watch a movie”. And because of my body that falls ill a tad bit easier than normal, there are people who immediately knows what is going on the second I say “Can you get me a plastic bag”. There are friends that sleep on the ground because I took their bed when being sick in order to watch over me and those that will buy me a snack with a “get will soon” note. There are all of these people and so much more that made me appreciate what I have, and I must admit that I could not have survived the IB without these people around me.

Being in my old school for my entire life (which is ten years), I didn’t feel extremely upset when I left the only friends I had encountered in my sixteen years. But now, I can not imagine the day it comes when I have to leave these people I have only met for one year and a half. I am sure that during the remaining 4 months here at UWC Thailand, I will receive even more growth in my self. There is so much more other than this lesson that also seem like those plot lines in books where the main character is hit with realization, but those will be a story for another day.