My reflection on the 1st two weeks in Manchester

Dear all:

It’s quite difficult to put my reflections over the past two weeks into an article, but I think it’s harder for me to organize those feelings in my mind. Frankly speaking, the first impression of Manchester City and college life in the UK was not as brilliant as I expected when I prepared my postgraduate application in Taiwan. In fact, it’s took me quite a while to figure out the following two reasons.

To begin with, I think I had over-estimated my command of English both in speaking and listening comprehension, so I was frustrated from time to time after the PS5 courses began and I found myself being unable to follow the quick speed of Edward’s voice. Furthermore, I felt down during several conversations with native speakers when the words failed to successfully come out my mouth though they did form a sentence in my brain.

Secondly, I’m really sorry for unjustly blaming the weather in the UK, campus scenery, too many Chinese students for the result of my not adapting to a new exotic environment. As a matter of fact, the main topic I should have taken in consideration is how to carry on a regular and confident daily life as I did in my country. Consequently, I’ve made up my mind to prepare my food and meals on my own considering the budget and health. I also do my best to maintain a habit on daily basis of going to gyms, contacting friends and family, watching English dramas before bed, as well as reading news both from Taiwan and the UK and keeping a diary in an early morning. As it turns out that I become more confident and optimistic when I begin to set up plans for my time arrangement, social activities and academic courses as well.

In conclusion, I’m definitely appreciated for the chance to be enrolled in this competitive group with excellent classmates and great tutors. I hope I can make great progress in my English improvement, as well as life in Manchester for the following year.

by Neo(Cheng-Chi Cheng)