My Freshman Year at Harvard (I)

  After visiting New York, La Ta had a preliminary understanding of the United States and took three people to Washington with great enthusiasm.

  Lata fully performed the duties of a host, conscientiously taking Kaiyun and Lance to experience America up close, to feel some things that only native Americans would notice. Foreign tourists generally pay attention to bustling cities and lively dramas, but only locals will look for small, fun things under those skyscrapers.

  Lata is a boy with a rich artistic temperament and a great sense of humor, often making everyone laugh when introducing Washington's scenic spots.

  "Lata, actually you shouldn't go learn law, you should go learn art instead. I think you're more suited to being an artist!" Lanchi joked as he looked at Lata.

  "I also thought so, I really like painting and even won awards in middle school! However, I prefer to stand in court to defend people, as you Chinese say, it's a battle of wits! That feeling is really hard to describe..."

  "Hehe..."

  The four young people spent their days together very happily. Both sides were careful in their interactions, gradually correcting their views of each other.

  "Kai, Laura, Landis, you guys really don't look like Chinese people." After a day of playing around, the four young people sat in the park drinking Coke and chatting.

  "Why?"

  "As far as I know, Chinese people are very humble. For example, when a professor asks a student if they can do something, the typical Chinese response is 'Let me try.' But you and Americans would say 'No problem,' haha..." Rata said with a smile.

  "I rarely come into contact with Chinese people, but I've heard a lot of information about China. Interacting with you has gradually changed some of my views."

  "Just like you, we didn't have much contact with Americans before and had no idea about the way of life and 'social rules' here in America. These past few days, I really want to thank you." Lancy smiled very confidently.

  "We're all friends, aren't we?" Lata said with a genuine smile.

  Kafi just smiled and drank his own drink. From the past interactions with Cai Cai, he was very clear about some old American 'characteristics'. To put it bluntly, it's the feeling of being the best in the world, always thinking they are stronger than others, each one more arrogant than the last. Unlike what Chinese people say, like "the bird that sticks its head out gets shot", everyone hides and conceals themselves, not daring to show their full strength, nor dare to take initiative. In China, this is called modesty, but in America, it seems to have become a lack of confidence, no longer suitable.

  "Laura, what are you thinking about?" Lata laughed and waved her hand in front of Kafi's face, who was staring off into space.

  "There's nothing, I was just thinking about you Americans' 'character', it seems like you all have a bit of... how to put it? A bit more personality, and a richer adventurous spirit!"

  "That's for sure, we Americans are naturally very rich in 'spirit', I..." went on and on, seemingly unstoppable, with a particularly strong sense of pride as an American.

  "We Americans have a great deal of respect for the strong, which probably has a lot to do with our culture and the environment in which we grew up!"

  "Huh?" Lata's words caught the attention of two non-Americans.

  "Don't be fooled by the fact that many of us are now middle class, seemingly with cars and houses. The social competition in America is extremely ruthless. Many white-collar workers, although they appear elegant and confident on the surface, actually have a deep sense of insecurity. Because hiring and firing can happen overnight. Sometimes, as soon as you get home from work, you might receive a call from the company's HR department: 'You don't need to come to work tomorrow, we'll send your office belongings to you.'"

  "Wow, so decisive! If it were China, there would definitely be a buffer period before being fired!" Kafi doesn't know much about this aspect and feels that's probably the case.

  "Lan Qi, what do you think?"

  "I remember my dad's hotel giving ordinary employees at least one or two days' transition time when they were laid off."

  "Why bother with a transition, that's just a complete waste of time", Lata said to them somewhat disapprovingly.

  "Survival of the fittest is a law of nature. Americans will sympathize with the weak, but generally won't 'hang out' with them."

  It was a bit too direct for both Kai Yunlan and Kai Fei to accept at once.

  It's obvious that if it weren't for the excellence of the three, the boy in front might just be doing his duty and chatting with himself, and wouldn't be able to chat so warmly with the three like this!

  "My friend told me about their encounter with Chinese people. The Chinese are nice, but unfortunately, they're too warm and fuzzy. You guys need to be more aggressive!"

  "Is there an aggressive 'nature'?" Kai Yun slightly turned his head and looked at Kai Fei.

  "Hehe, being good is just a matter of having an enterprising spirit!"

  Kafi is very clear about her own personality and that of Lan Qi and her brother's, all of which are a bit aggressive!

  All very confident!

  The three of us might be more suited to growing up overseas!

  Because the domestic environment is indeed too peaceful!

  Cai Cai had said before that she didn't look like a Chinese person, but rather an American one. Maybe it's also because of her behavior in this aspect!

  The day before the start of school, Latta, Rancie and Caffee traveled by car to Cambridge, while Cloud went alone with his luggage to New Haven, where Yale University is located.

  "Let's go to the dorm first!" Lata said, looking at the address of the dormitory in her hand, calling out to Lanqi and Kaifei. It was a pity that everyone lived a little far away. Lata and Lanqi fully demonstrated their gentlemanly demeanor and sent Kaifei to her dormitory first.

  The dormitories for the three of us were all applied for before school started. Undergraduates have four people in a suite, each with their own independent room, sharing a living room and bathroom.

  Kang Fei helped carry luggage back to the dormitory, Lata and Ranch were also preparing to return to their own dormitories.

  "Where do you live?"

  "I'm in the dorm next door, Lata seems to be in the dorm building on the right side of the main school gate." Ranchi is still not very clear about the name of the dorm.

  "Haha, let me tell you guys, my dorm is called Massachusetts Hall, it's the oldest existing building at Harvard University (built in 1720), haha, to some extent, that's the symbol of Harvard University." Lata looked at Kafi and Ranch with pride.

  "Is it? If it's too old, what about the facilities inside?"

  "The facilities are certainly not a problem, every dormitory building in Harvard is an intelligent building 'door', and each has a segment of extraordinary stories. You should have known the name of Massachusetts Building from Harvard's introduction?" Lata originally looked at the two with pride, but found that the two seemed to be unmoved after hearing this name, depressed!

  "What's so special about the Massachusetts Building?" Kafi didn't understand why Lata was so excited.

  "Massachusetts Hall, the symbol of Harvard, is now the office building for the President and Vice-President of Harvard University..." Lata explained impatiently to the two 'ignoramuses'.

  "Office building? Don't you live there?"

  "Yes, we live upstairs. The principal and vice-principal have their offices on the first and second floors..." Lata finally looked at Kafi and Ranchi with a satisfied expression as they showed shocked expressions.

  Kafi and Lanchi were stunned for half a day after hearing this news, which meant that the president of Harvard University was working under the dormitory building!

  "Haha, of course! Schools take their students very seriously!" Lata said with a proud smile. "Haha, I won't say any more, I'm off!"

  "Kafi, let's collect our things first, I'm also leaving. We'll get to know the new roommate tonight!" Lanchi also bid farewell to Kafi.

  After sending Lanchi away, Kaifei carefully examined her own room. The room was about 50 square meters in size and could easily accommodate four people. The bed, curtains, desk, bookshelf, fan, heater, internet connection and other necessities were all ready.

  The environment here is really great!

  Took a look at what needs to be purchased, bedding and towels need to be bought by myself, also want to buy a pot of flowers to put on the balcony, snacks are needed...

  The room was thoroughly cleaned and then the family photos brought by myself were placed on the table, and the clothes were hung in the closet.

  I'm exhausted to death!

  In the evening, Kathy met her three roommates, all Americans, named Lona, Karin and Jesse.

  Rona and several others were also surprised that they actually had a Chinese roommate. At present, American society still has some superficial understanding of China. Rona would not easily let go of such an opportunity to live with foreigners and learn about the unique culture of their country, which is not something ordinary people can experience.

  Caffee was also very interested in them, and students who could get into Harvard were not ordinary people. With the intention of both parties, the four of them packed up their things and enthusiastically 'exchanged' flows.

  Kafi's English is pretty good, and he can generally get by in everyday conversations, but when it comes to really communicating with others, he still has a bit of trouble, especially since they often use American slang and obscure vocabulary. However, even if he doesn't fully understand, Kafi usually manages to pick up the gist of what's being said through a combination of listening and guessing.

  Lona, 1 meter 7 tall, with a great figure, golden hair, blue eyes, a very pretty girl. A Jewish girl from Texas, her mother is a surgeon and her father is a lawyer, she won the silver medal in the US computer competition with her own program, first prize winner of the National Latin Competition, president of the school's computer association, and recipient of the "President's Award".

  Karlin, a mixed black and Filipino from California, around 5'8" with a strong and beautiful build, very athletic. Was the captain of her school's debate team, member of the principal's advisory committee, captain of the cheerleading squad, and winner of an Indian dance competition. Her parents are both professors at the University of California, her two brothers one is a Harvard graduate and the other is a Columbia student.

  Jesse, a student from Arkansas, USA, is the only one in her town to attend Harvard University. Before she left for Harvard, locals were proud of her for being able to study at Harvard. She's not very tall, about 1 meter 6 centimeters, with a round face and slightly chubby cheeks, looking very cute. Her father is a local farm owner who runs his own horse farm and land, and Jesse has her own little horse. Jesse is a role model for all the children in her hometown to learn from.

  Everyone is a 'genius', everyone has their own unique thing, and the usually confident Cafi looked at Lona and Carin with a slightly tense expression, but on the other hand, deep down in her heart, there was something jumping for joy, that's right, her opponent should be such a strong person.

  The more dominant they were, the more excited Kafi found herself becoming.

  In the eyes of the three Ronas, they also learned about the excellence of this Chinese roommate: high school student council president, national chemistry competition gold medalist, biology competition gold medalist, serving as a personal translator for a Harvard professor's visit to China, holding an invention patent...

  Treasure each other!

  This is a mutual feeling between both parties!

  At this moment, Kaifei truly realized that he had arrived at Harvard, and this was where he would live from now on. This was a place where the world's elite gathered, a place teeming with strong individuals, a place where one could fully showcase oneself...

  At night, Kai Fei took out the "Harvard Student Life Guide" he had found, this was an important thing, a must-read for freshmen!

  Kaifi, who had done his homework well, was very clear about the value of this guide. The usual study-life guides in domestic schools are just some rough nanny-like texts that tell you what not to do and what punishment you will receive if you don't comply...

  Generally, university students rarely read so-called guides and just listen to introductions from seniors, but it's different when they go abroad. In a completely unfamiliar study and living environment, the familiar university life seems useless here, and you must relearn everything. To survive in a place, you must first understand its rules of life.

  As I opened the cover of the book, on the first page, in a very eye-catching place, was printed a line of enlarged and bold text: "Independent thinking is the highest value of American academia. The American higher education system opposes with the most serious attitude the act of plagiarizing others' works or viewpoints - that is to say, plagiarism. Every student who does this will receive severe punishment, up to being expelled from university. When you are preparing any type of academic paper - including speeches, daily homework, exam papers, etc., you must clearly indicate which parts of your article have been taken from or borrowed from others' works or any form of written material."

  It's really the spirit of university that never forgets to publicize itself! Let us be immersed in a humanistic spirit from the very beginning of our school life, shall we?

  As I slowly flipped through it, what was written inside was extremely detailed, from professor selection to dining environment, almost everything was included!

  The next day, four 'girls' made an appointment to start strolling around the Harvard campus.

  In memory, Kafi had been here before. Now, more than a decade later, standing in this place again gives me a sense of temporal disorder.

  Harvard is beautiful, and the feeling of being in Cambridge is a kind of 'daze'. I still haven't fully settled into the feeling of being here, and it's hard to believe that this will be my home for studying and living. In a daze, I feel like just a traveler, standing in front of Harvard's handsome statues; lingering in front of ancient Gothic churches; resting on lawns covered with fallen leaves; passing by sculptures of various shapes.

  Back and forth are students of all skin colors wearing different clothes, either with books brushing past you or wearing helmets riding bicycles hastily passing by. The vibrant youthfulness contrasting with this ancient yet beautiful university town gives one an unreal feeling as if in a novel.

  "What's wrong?" Jesse asked softly as he drew closer to Caffey.

  "I don't know, I have a strange feeling in my heart, it's exciting and yet nervous at the same time." Kafi said with an odd expression, covering her chest.

  "I'm also very nervous but I'm really excited, I didn't think I actually got in!" Jesse exclaimed excitedly.

  I just arrived at Harvard, and after hanging out with a few classmates yesterday, I found that these classmates are all so excellent. Two Americans aren't even worth mentioning, one is the captain of the cheerleading squad, and another has won the 'President's Award', which are the most eye-catching positions among high school students. And this Chinese girl who came from afar is also amazing, she must be very strong in her own country too!

  Jesse came from a small town in the Midwest of America to a big city on the East Coast, and the sudden change made her still a bit unadapted for the time being.

  Kafi came from China to a prestigious university in the United States to study, facing greater changes, not just language environment, but more importantly, cultural conflict.

  As he walked, Keifer comforted himself with the thought that he had a richer knowledge and experience than others, after all, he had lived more than ten years longer, so how could he not adapt to life at Harvard University?

  Comforting as it is to comfort, there's still a little bit of tension in my heart, after all this is the world's number one university

  It was okay when we were just talking about it on paper, but now that I'm actually facing the real Harvard, standing on its campus, my heart is racing with excitement. Everything at Harvard seems so solemn, elegant and academic, centuries of accumulation make every blade of grass and wood here very special.

  Young students are full of vigor and vitality, with a carefree spirit. Before the statue, under the shade of trees, holding thick books, I feel a pang of envy, thinking that soon I will be one of them too. An irrepressible excitement rises from deep within my heart!

  Harvard is really beautiful!

  Standing in front of the majestic library, I gaze at this renowned library with a sense of nostalgia. The red-brick walls and towering trees scattered across the yellow-green fields outside the library, accompanied by the occasional chirping of birds, are truly beautiful...

  "We still have two days to get used to the school, attend orientation and choose courses online. Today we've walked around enough, are you guys interested in going to the library? I want to ask my friends which courses they chose that are suitable for me. How about you guys, do you want to go together?"

  "Let's go, it's just right, we also need some seniors to give us some guidance, let's see what kind of courses are more suitable for our first semester." Carlin was the first to agree.

  "Then trouble you!" Kafi and Jesse both politely thanked.

  "Let's go, I'm meeting a senior named Ying Jie. Kamelin, the president of the school computer association, whom I met when I participated in the competition last time, left me his contact information..." Rona briefly introduced her friend's basic situation, and compared to her, Kafi and Jesse had pitifully few resources on this side.

  "To graduate smoothly from Harvard with excellent grades and without being too tired, pay attention to the following points..."

  "Interact more with teachers!"

  Facing several freshmen who had just entered the school, the handsome and elegant Ying Jie sat with them in the outdoor coffee shop and put forward many reasonable suggestions. "You should take the initiative to contact your teachers, understand them, and also let them fully understand you. You should seize this opportunity as soon as you enter the school. This kind of contact will bring you great benefits." Think about it, when you finish your 4-year (8-semester) university life and prepare for a job or graduate study, at least 8 professors will write recommendation letters for you. More importantly, having a good relationship with teachers will make you feel valued and cared for.

  "And you?" Lona looked at Ying Jie with some curiosity.

  "I will probably be exempt from taking the entrance exam for graduate school, I have already contacted a supervisor and the head of the computer science department at the university will personally write me a letter of recommendation!"

  Wow!

  "Also, when encountering academic problems, don't avoid them. You will definitely have many places where you don't understand during the learning process, at this time, ask more questions, and don't be afraid to lose face..."

  "When it comes to course selection, there is one thing you must pay attention to. In the Harvard campus, many of our classmates took a large number of courses in order to get their degree, but they didn't gain much."

  "Why?"

  "The way of choosing courses is not right, they usually choose courses like this: freshmen take compulsory courses; sophomores take major courses; juniors take advanced compulsory courses in their major; and the last year they choose some interest courses, just like dessert after a meal."

  "Isn't this bad?"

  "Not good, there is a big problem. The first year's basic courses cover too wide a range, they don't have time to digest and absorb, and when they take the main courses in the second year, they feel very dry. By the time they reach the higher grades and choose elective interest courses that are more 'stimulating', they regret not choosing more interest courses earlier, such as Chinese, history, statistics, etc."

  Now many of my classmates are regretting it, and the four years of university just passed by in a flurry...

  "What do you think is the most suitable choice?"

  "If you want to have a truly successful college life, I suggest that from the first year on, you take electives in addition to required courses, just like when you go shopping, you not only buy necessities but also other things. In this way, different courses complement each other, and students are more interested in learning and more focused. On the contrary, students who study only one subject every academic year usually find it dull and unfulfilling."

  "Of course, if you can take classes in a small class (less than 15 people), students will have more opportunities to be guided by teachers and their learning results will also improve faster."

  "Thank you so much, is there anything else you think we should know?"

  "Learn more foreign languages, foreign language is our Harvard people's 'trump card', many new students' foreign language scores far exceed the school's admission standards. Foreign language is also one of our Harvard people's 'favorite courses'. "Ying Jie smiled and glanced at Kafi with black hair and yellow skin," My first foreign language is German, my second foreign language is Chinese, beautiful Chinese 'girl', my Chinese is not bad, right?" Ying Jie's second sentence was spoken in Chinese to Kafi.

  Kafi looked up in surprise at the handsome foreign boy speaking Mandarin with no distinction between flat and oblique tones, and couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Didn't your teachers remind you when you were learning that Chinese pronunciation requires attention to tone?"

  "Which means my Chinese is still not good enough? It's so annoying, why is the pronunciation of Chinese so complicated, and what's with the first tone, second tone thing?" Ying Jie complained in English, feeling a bit frustrated.

  "Why do you want to learn Chinese?" Kafi asked with some curiosity.

  "Why? You're Chinese, right? You should know about China's current development, it's simply rapid. World economic experts are all predicting that maybe in the next century, China will rise to prominence in the world. Now that China's economy is developing so rapidly, learning more Chinese would make us more competitive!"

  Hearing praise for one's own country from the mouth of a foreigner, that sense of pride is not something ordinary people can experience. Ka Fei thought about how China would rise to influence the world in a few years' time, and felt excitement, pride, and a thread of pride in being Chinese from the bottom of his heart.

  She got a lot of advice from Ying Jie, and after leaving his place, Karin took her roommates to visit her friend, Fei Li Lu Ka Ya, a third-year student who is an excellent black female student with a very straightforward personality. It's said that she is the daughter of Karin's mother's friend and has her own ideas.

  "Don't waste your time easily in college, you have so much time, often it's just a blink of an eye, and you'll find that you're already in the upper grades..."

  "Study more, best is to do homework together!"

  "It is very important for students to complete their homework after class, but the key is to have a good method that allows you to understand all the questions in the homework. So, when you finish your own homework independently, you can discuss the results with 4-6 classmates together, even if it's only once a week, which can improve your ability to understand problems and 'ignite' your interest in learning."

  "This discussion is especially helpful for science students because science is a more solitary and complex subject."

  "Also, you need to learn how to take class notes." Emphasized Fei Li, "This is very important, with 9-12 hours of classes per week, that's just 40% of the class time spent on taking notes, your grades will improve greatly. The more you remember, the better, there's no method that can improve your scores more than taking a lot of class notes."

  Kafi nodded in agreement. That's how Chinese students learn, after all. Classes are crucial. I didn't expect Harvard's learning methods to be similar to those of domestic universities.

  After listening to the explanations of two high-achieving students, Kafi found it quite difficult to follow, but still managed to understand. After understanding, she discovered that she didn't feel as tense as before, and even had a feeling that Harvard was actually like this, without the mysterious feeling she had beforehand!

  Fei Li's 'sexy' son seems to be in a hurry, his tone of speech is also extremely rapid, after raising a question he stares at you, seemingly hoping you'll give him an answer immediately, making people feel uneasy.

  Caffee slightly awkwardly raised her body, not expecting Fei Li to mention it directly. "Chinese girl, I'm very interested in you, or rather, I'm very interested in China. Can you explain to me what the current policy is? Family Planning Committee, what does that mean? Procreation is a human gift, why do your country use political power to control it? This is too inhumane, you..."

  The words that followed were a string of professional terms, which left Ke Fei bewildered and unable to understand. The only thing he understood was that the other party was accusing China of human rights issues and wanted him to refute them without any problems. However, he couldn't even hear the other party's questions clearly, so how could he refute them? Moreover, even if he were to refute them, what English words should he use?

  Stammering to speak, but the words of refutation were so pale, even Kofi himself felt powerless and embarrassed, yet he couldn't not respond. At this time, others were asking questions targeting China, not him personally, but his mind was a complete blank, and he had a poor grasp of political vocabulary.

  This is the first time, Lin Kaifei was at a loss for words when faced with others' accusations!

  They didn't part on good terms, to be exact, they were asked out of the dorm by Fei Li with a cold smile. Kaifen's face didn't look too good, and Kalin's face looked somewhat gloomy. Turning her head to look at Kaifen, "Laurie, I hope you can respect my friend."

  "Carin, you need to get it straight, I'm the one who's been offended. This sentence should be said by me, not you." Originally, Kafi had been holding back a belly full of fire and wouldn't give Carin a good face. Following the principle of "don't offend me and I won't offend you", Kafi gave Carin a difficult time on the spot.

  "Her?" Carlin seemed to have not expected that this Chinese 'girl' would dare to confront her on the spot, as the image of Chinese 'girls' she knew from media reports were extremely gentle and tolerant, and should not be like this now.

  "Alright Karin, we're all in the same dorm, don't mind it and let's go eat together!" Lona intervened.

  "Yes, let's not quarrel!" Jesse also cautiously suggested.

  Kafi and Karin exchanged a glance, both silent, indicating consent.

  "Then let's go!"

  "Rona, I want to buy a computer. Can you help me take a look?" Kafi thought of contacting the domestic side, but it's not very convenient. Luckily Rona is an expert in computers, so asking her for advice is the best option.

  "Do you want to buy a computer?"

  "Okay, let's buy a branded one with better configuration. I mainly need it for domestic contact. Oh, and I want a portable one, more convenient..." said Kafi.

  "Well, okay, Laura, this is a bit expensive," said Lorna, expressing her concern, as in her impression, Chinese people were very poor.

  "Hehe, Lona, did you forget I told you I have a patent?"

  "Alright, no problem, when do you want to buy?"

  "Can it be the day after tomorrow? I'll ask a friend again tomorrow and see if he wants to buy it."

  "Good!"

  After dinner, several friends returned to the dormitory. "Huh, are you here looking for me? Laura?" Jesse saw a black-haired Chinese person standing under his own dormitory building and asked subconsciously.

  "Lang Qi?" Ka Fei excitedly rushed over, "How did you come, when did you arrive?"

  "Didn't we agree yesterday that I'd come find you after dinner? Just got here." Lanche looked at the three foreign 'girls' walking up behind Kafi, "Looks like your adaptability is good."

  "Rona, Jesse, Karin, let me introduce you to my friend Randis, who is also from China and was a classmate of mine in high school! Randi, these are my roommates, from left to right, Rona, Karin, Jesse!" Kafi stood between them making the introductions.

  Lance politely greeted the three people, and the handsome Chinese boy with an oriental mysterious aura quickly caught the eyes of three foreign girls.

  Wow, especially this Chinese boy's skin is so delicate!

  Chengdu is a place where people live and thrive!

  Not only is the skin of women good, but also the skin of men is better than that of ordinary people. Now Lanqi's skin is much better than that of three rough-skinned foreign girls!

  Seeing her three roommates staring at Lancy with green eyes, Kafi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly pulled Lancy away. "My friend is looking for me, I'll go out first!" She hastily left.

  "What's keeping you busy today?" Lan Qi asked with a smile as she let Ka Fei pull her along.

  "Went to visit their friends, asked about some learning experiences, then...thought of Fei Li's affairs, and felt a little down."

  "What's wrong?"

  "My language skills are not good enough, I was scolded by others and couldn't retort!" Kafi felt depressed.

  "Haha, then let's wait until I pass the language test and come back to find you again!" Lan Qi joked.

  "Despicable!" Kafi angrily hit Lanchi, "I knew you'd laugh at me!"

  "Alright, alright, take a break!" Pulling Kafi to sit on the lawn, "How was your day?"

  "Masterful indeed!" Kafi recalled the shock he felt when he just learned about Lona and others' situation.

  "Yes, it's a bit uncomfortable to compete with the 'crème de la crème' from all over the world all of a sudden!" Lancy said, mentioning his three other dorm-mates: Michael Dantin from Virginia, Ruka Pida from Ohio and Sandra Kovi from New Zealand.

  Everyone has their own unique personality and special experiences.

  Lan Qi looked at Kafi with a sense of emotion, "You know, it wasn't until I interacted with them that I realized how lucky I am. If high school hadn't been spent with all of you, I might have just been a student who only knew how to study. I wouldn't have had the experience of being a teaching assistant or organizing and participating in musicals. And now I realize, these experiences are such huge assets for me getting into Harvard."

  "What about them? What did they do in high school?"

  "Michael was originally enrolled in an elite boarding school in Virginia, and applied to 9 top American universities in '96, but unfortunately Harvard did not accept him at the time. As a result, he spent a year abroad: studying French with a host family in France, learning to sail in Mexico, and volunteering at a school in Peru and an orphanage in India. And as a result, when he reapplied this year, Harvard University accepted him."

  "Sandra told us that one of his uncles is a conservationist, and he used to follow his uncle on social service trips to three countries during high school breaks. He also worked for Amnesty International. These international experiences made him attractive to several universities, and in the end, he chose Harvard."

  "Their experience is really rich!" Kafi lay on the lawn and sighed, "It also takes a lot of courage to be with them!"

  "Hey, our usually confident Lin Xiaojie is saying such discouraging words? You're not inferior to them!" Lan Qi said with a smile, but in fact, he also felt some tension. Compared to those with various international experiences, his own experience was indeed somewhat lacking.

  "It's not a pessimistic remark, but facing reality. In our home country, we're used to being the center of attention and admiration. Here, we're destined to experience being ignored, overlooked, and left out in the cold. If we don't prepare ourselves mentally beforehand, it'll be tough when we finally face reality!"

  "Isn't it all about experiencing life? If one's life is too smooth, doesn't that mean losing a lot of the fun of struggling?" Lancy looked at Kafi with unparalleled confidence, his smiling eyes shining with wisdom.

  "Let's hope we can all get through this stage smoothly!" Kafi didn't have the same confidence as Lanchi, although he believed he could get through this stage without a problem, but for his two companions and brother, he didn't have enough confidence. It wasn't that he didn't trust their abilities, it was just that the difficulties they were about to face were really too great.

  With her eyes slightly closed, Ka Fei still remembered the heartache of when she first entered university. Suddenly exposed to high-intensity learning, high-difficulty math, and various extracurricular activities that made one's eyes spin, after the excitement of the first week of school passed, the entire month was spent rushing to finish homework. Always thinking about starting to write homework only when remembering it had to be submitted tomorrow, after class was dismissed, she was attracted by the diverse university campus and completely forgot that a student's main job is learning, blindly believing in what some seniors said: "60 points are enough!" Until the mid-term exam, looking at the unqualified scores on the test paper, while receiving warnings from teachers, her major would implement a elimination system every year, with the last 10% of students being eliminated. At that moment, she really panicked, not daring to play anymore, not daring to do anything else, locking herself in the self-study room to study every day...

  Lan Qi was also lying on the lawn, his head slightly tilted to one side, just gazing at Ke Fei's profile, flawless and seemingly made of water, with even the fine hairs on his face visible up close. His eyes were lightly closed, his long eyelashes gently curled upwards like a small fan covering his eyelids.

  Kafi is getting prettier and prettier, Lanchi suddenly remembered everyone's performance in "Desert Star", Kafi's stunning appearance at that time, surprised and amazed, this was his feeling at that time. In Lanchi's room, there is a photo of Kafi from the Desert Star play, this is his secret, he has never told anyone, every day Lanchi would be infatuated with the poster of the young girl full of charming light in her eyes, just wanting to be infatuated with those captivating eyes forever...

  It's ridiculous, but Ka Fei herself rarely pays attention to her appearance and always says she looks ordinary. She has no idea how attractive she is. Even standing next to the beautiful Gu Qing, she still shines brightly. Just look at how many people are paying attention to her now!

  Kafi ah! Kafi, when can you accept my feelings?

  Feeling Lance's gaze, Kafi opened her eyes, slightly tilting her head, and met Lance's loving eyes. Kafi was taken aback for a moment, then quickly turned her head, sat up, "Get up, are you interested in going to see Daniel tomorrow and listening to his advice?"

  "Ah, right, it's really inconvenient to get in touch now, why don't we buy a computer? Our friends in the dorm seem to be planning to buy one."

  "I also want to tell you about this, I've already asked my roommate to help me buy a handheld tomorrow afternoon, are you going with me or buying one yourself?"

  "I'll go myself, so I'll come to your dormitory around 4 pm tomorrow."

  "Alright!"

  Lan Qi was seeing Daniel in person for the first time, although she had heard Kafi mention him before, but when she saw a really handsome guy like a comic book character, Lan Qi was slightly shocked.

  Daniel hooked up the corners of his mouth and 'exposed' a city-toppling smile, which made Lancy and Kafi both stunned for a moment.

  "My goodness, Daniel, you're really a troublemaker!" After a year of online 'traffic', the two had basically become familiar with each other, and Keefe couldn't help but stop this troublemaker from smiling.

  "Have a seat. You must be Randis. I've heard Laura mention you guys often. You two are pretty close, huh?" Daniel brought over two glasses of iced water for the pair.

  "En." Lancy nodded, looking around the room with a hint of surprise. The style of the room was very simple and the decor was also very plain, much like a single man's room, except it was a bit too clean.

  "Do I need to give you some advice?" Daniel looked at Kafi with a bit of surprise, "Everyone's learning method is different, everyone's personality is also different, my method may not be suitable for you."

  "I know, I just want to take fewer detours, and it's very beneficial to listen to the experiences of seniors. When the time comes, I'll choose what suits me from them."

  "En." Daniel nodded, thought for a moment, "You've also heard some experiences from other seniors, I'll add some more, reasonable time arrangement and participating in Harvard's student clubs."

  "Ah." Kafi and Lanchi nodded in unison.

  "In order to fully enjoy life at Harvard, you must understand that a person's energy is limited. You can't learn everything, so focus on the key things and put your most important things in the time when your energy is best utilized."

  "Do not adopt the time arrangement of studying 25 minutes in the self-study room, exercising for 35 minutes after class, and then studying again for 45 minutes after dinner. Instead, try to study continuously for several hours at a time, which will improve both academic performance and understanding of the course."

  Kafi nodded, this still needs to be tried out, it took him half a year to figure out how to arrange his own time in the past.

  "Joining clubs at Harvard and cultivating your own hobbies is extremely important!" Daniel emphasized again and again.

  "No company wants a bookworm who only knows how to study, no matter how good your grades are or how high your scores are. If you don't know how to interact with people, can't handle conflicts between people, and can't manage and coordinate arrangements, then no company will want you."

  "Many students entering university have a hard time struggling with inner pain, because they are far away from their family and original friends, feeling lonely and helpless. You guys are even farther, coming all the way from China, even if you want to communicate with your parents, it's not convenient, right? Here it's daytime, while in China it's nighttime, isn't it? I suggest you often participate in social activities or campus recreational organizations, this will make you very happy."

  "Isn't it said that Harvard's coursework is very heavy? Can you finish your studies like this, participating in student organizations?" Lancy asked with some effort, Daniel's English was not spoken quickly, but there were still many places where he didn't quite understand.

  "The university courses are not as difficult as you think, and you can graduate as long as you complete the required credits. English is not your native language, so you will definitely have some difficulties in understanding the courses. It is recommended that you take fewer courses in the first semester of freshman year and give yourself more time to adapt. When you can understand the teacher's lectures without any obstacles, then add more courses for yourself."

  "Oh, thank you!"

  "Also, in college, the first and second years are basic teaching, and it's not until the third year that you can start choosing your own major and determining your professional direction. If you don't have a suitable major in mind, then try to take courses in various directions during your freshman and sophomore years..."

  Understanding the world "outside the window" is just as important as learning "inside the window" in college. Sometimes, "life outside the window" has a greater and more profound impact on a student than "learning inside the window".

  Caffey had a deep understanding of this point.

  Students from previous lives will experience a life that, compared to other students, seems to have had an additional lifetime. Her life experiences are far more abundant than others, directly allowing her to face more choices when it comes to employment.

  I recall the scene where I shared my student experience with underclassmen, at that time, Kafi was like Daniel, explaining to freshmen who yearned to understand college life how to adapt to college life, how to reasonably arrange their time, and how to spend their perfect college life...

  At that time, I remember the most words I said were "No achievement, no dignity!" Hehe, a bit absolute, but for students, learning is their main job. If someone can't even do his own main job well, how can society trust him?

  Those classmates who have good academic performance and also excel in other aspects are the ones that various units truly need, because they prove to others that they are not only good at studying but also good at arranging their time. Otherwise, how could they achieve such accomplishments in other areas?

  Recalling past experiences, Kafi's mouth corners involuntarily curled up slightly, it really feels so familiar!

  Many things in the world are actually similar, even if they are from different countries with different cultures, but the views on the essence of many things are the same!

  "What kind of life do you want to live?" Lanche asked Kaifa as they walked out of Daniel's dorm.

  "For the time being, I haven't thought it through yet. I'm still outlining my future life in my own mind!" Kafi was stumped by Lanchi's question and was momentarily at a loss for words. Indeed, she hadn't really thought about what kind of life she wanted to lead yet.

  Maybe the life that many ordinary people pursue, having a house, a car, and money, all of which seem within reach for oneself, as long as one is willing, can easily live an American middle-class life, which was already achievable in the past, will the current self be worse than before?

  "Perhaps the question you should be asking is not what kind of life I want to lead, but what kind of goals I want to achieve?" Kafi looked at Lanchi. "For us, we can say that we now have the best resources in the world, the best teachers, the best schools. As long as we work hard, even becoming the US Secretary of State is possible decades later, isn't it?"

  "What do you want to do?"

  "Will you help me?" Kafi looked at Lanchi, "My goal may be too big, maybe it will take decades to achieve!"

  "Tell me, let me hear your thoughts."

  "For the resurgence of China!"

  "For the rise of China? Don't you think your idea is a bit too big? Or do you want to go into politics in the future? It seems that relying solely on individual strength to achieve this goal is a bit too much." Lanchi's words were without ridicule, only discussion.

  "The Communist Party also started with just a few dozen people and yet it managed to rule China after several decades. Actually, I'm not in a position of power so I don't think about politics, I just want to use my own strength to make some changes as much as possible, one step at a time, Rome wasn't built in a day! Ke Fei didn't delve deeper into the topic, actually he himself was shocked by his own ideas, when did he start thinking this way? Didn't he used to only want to change himself and then try to change others?"

  Is it really that the deeply rooted education received since childhood makes everyone think about how to repay their own country and make some contributions to their own country when they develop to a certain stage?

  Forget it, let things take their course!

  Lan Qi shrugged and didn't ask again!