Fit for environmental engineering | Spencer, Nottingham

My first idea was to major in chemistry, but I think that in the future there will be a lot of need for environmental engineers, experts who can find sustainability solutions. So, I wanted to get into that early on, so I can have a good career in the future. It will still require me to learn a lot about chemistry, which I love, but I’ll have the opportunity to correct the mistakes that a lot of chemical engineers make.

There are many, such as oil spills, the effect of global warming and the fact that, right now, it’s cheaper to just release toxic gases in the atmosphere rather than convert them into something that would be safe for the environment.

That's going to be the University of Nottingham, Ningbo. I recently went there to visit the campus and it was wonderful. I met with the teachers, the professors and the students, and it was really nice.

Writing the personal statement. Each university looks for something different. So I had to make sure my personal statement wasn't the same for each university, especially since some universities may ask you to answer questions, some ask you to write, just explain why you wanted that degree and what you're going to do with that degree. It was very hard to make sure I fit everything in — all my extracurricular activities, everything I do at school to stand out among other applicants. It was a challenge, but it was a fun process. I enjoy writing.

They helped me a lot, especially Ms Huang. She started to recommend universities in China to me as early as year 12. She kept me informed about the schools’ requirements and what I needed to do in my coursework to meet those requirements. She was also great with my personal statement. She read each one and gave me great feedback, telling me exactly what needed tweaking.

I was just struck by how friendly and supportive everybody was. All the teachers were very nice, as were the other pupils. I felt comfortable.

Doing CAS for IB was a positive experience. I learned a lot about discipline and being consistent with the things you do. For the ‘Activity’ component of CAS, I was going to the gym. There were days when I just didn’t want to work out because I was tired from my studies. But I always did it, and afterwards, I was always glad I did. Looking back now, I recognise the long-term benefits of sticking to something like that. 

I think it's the community. I like the people around me, and I like how, especially being in sixth form, you create a little family. You know everyone. In previous schools I went to, I knew maybe half the people in my year group. Here I know everyone. I know all my teachers. I have a good relationship with them.