By Karan Tsai
As a Taiwanese, who has been educated in Mandarin throughout my whole life, it’s sometimes difficult to use English. The International College (IC) has a full English program and it admits both local and international students. Therefore, local students in IC can not only meet different people from different cultural backgrounds to expand their horizons but also hugely improve their English skills.
The difference between the IC and Taiwan’s traditional education is that professors will lead students to discuss topics and group discussions. If students have any questions or different thoughts than the professors, students are always free to voice their opinions. During the first-year journey, you might lack confidence at first, however, you will get used to this “new normal” and find out the joy of this new way of learning knowledge. Along these lines, students can build up their critical thinking, as well as learn from mistakes or problems effectively.
Other than studying, you can also share the unique customs of Taiwanese with your friends from other countries in your spare time. In contrast, you can also know the national characteristics and cultures of their countries. During my sophomore year, I joined the Southeast Asian culture course. There were students from Taiwan and many other countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and even the USA! I learned a lot about cultural customs in Southeast Asia: the similarities and the differences. I also experienced Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Mexican cuisines. Most of the restaurants were recommended by my friends. I also fell in love with Vietnamese cuisine because of this. This is an experience I never had before the IC.
Finally, I am very glad that I met so many friends from all over the world without needing to go abroad to study. In the IC, I not only gained a group of best friends, but also improved my English. After graduating from university, I’m sure that my time here at IC will be very helpful when I’m looking to enter the workplace or study abroad. IC has really changed me a lot.
