Yue Yu
My home is in Beijing, which is 5,060 miles away from Glasgow. Beijing is the capital of China, an international metropolis that blends tradition and diversity. It has been the ancient capital of two dynasties and 24 monarchs (of course, not counting the monarchs since the founding of the People's Republic of China, haha). As a famous major city, Beijing has an enormous area, 8 times the size of New York and 94 times the size of Glasgow. It also has a permanent population of 22 million people. My family, friends, and youth are all there. For someone like me who has spent most of the past 20+ years growing up in my hometown, it was a difficult decision to leave there. However, it was precisely because of the sincere and friendly atmosphere in Scotland, combined with the deep history of the ancient city, that gave me the courage to take this step.
My connection with the University of Glasgow started a long time ago. A former colleague of mine graduated from the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School in the IAFM program, a friend of mine pursued a master’s in physics here, and his girlfriend also participated in the PGT program in Global Economy at the SPS School. I had already heard about this centuries-old university from them. From these alumni, I often hear fond memories of their time at the University of Glasgow. For most Chinese students, the University of Glasgow is the best place for in-depth study—it welcomes world challengers, and everyone can make their voice heard; it is a top 100 university globally with a significant influence; and its academic programs provide significant results in a short period of time, which is very efficient for Chinese students who are always rushing to the next deadline. This is my second semester at the University of Glasgow, and the international, friendly atmosphere has given me so many unique experiences. The University offers a variety of support services for international students from diverse backgrounds, helping them integrate into the new environment. Through various campus activities and academic conferences, I’ve been able to learn about people, cultures, and professional knowledge I had never been exposed to before. I believe that no matter where I go after graduation, whenever I look back on my time studying at the University of Glasgow, it will always be a time filled with wonderful memories, nostalgia, happiness, and no regrets.