Tea Time with Lixin Phase 11--14
Tea Time with Lixin Phase 11 | How to Lead an Ordinary but Happy Life
December 14, 2021
The topic of this phase is how to lead an ordinary but happy life. Prof. Ye started the discussion by sharing his experience at the Bank of China as a university intern twenty-plus years ago, where every rank-and-file staff brought their A-game on even with trivial tasks and small banking operations, which inspires Prof. Ye to think about the topic. He also unveiled the ordinary aspects of the life of many academic heavyweights around him. In the end, the College Master came up with a three-stage outline to shed some light on the tricky question: first, accept our ordinary self; second, distinguish between mediocre and ordinary; lastly, understand that being ordinary is extraordinary.
Tea Time with Lixin Phase 12 | How to Prepare For Studying Abroad
March 4, 2022
The topic of this phase was how to prepare for studying abroad. Prof. Ye gave the top two reasons why it would be a rewarding experience. First, developed countries tend to have well-regarded higher education systems, which are conducive of cutting-edge professional skills and knowledge. Studying in those countries could dramatically enhance one’s professional competence, by extension, competitiveness in the workplace. Plus, students will also get to speak to locals and study in English to improve their English level. Another benefit is that the mind-expanding experience may help you develop big-picture thinking and a global perspective. Prof. Ye gave the following advice to students: choose English-speaking countries with advanced educational systems, keep improving their English, embrace different cultures, and be independent.
Tea Time with Lixin Phase 13丨How to Prepare For Career Development
March 9, 2022
In this phase, Prof. Ye shared about improving competitiveness in the workplace. The first point is to develop your personal capabilities, including self-learning, commutation, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. Apart from that, people’s attitudes are also worth the weight in gold in career development. To be more specific, firstly, learn to take the long view and develop big-picture thinking. Secondly, step out of your comfort zone and always stay positive in life. Last but not least, being authentic and doing things from your heart. In terms of interview preparations, he offered three suggestions: understand your job role before an interview, be authentic and focused during an interview, give the best answer to every interview question, and beef up your interview skills.
Tea Time with Lixin Phase 14丨Differences Between Chinese and Foreign University Culture
September 27, 2022
This phase discussed the differences between Chinese and foreign university cultures. Prof. Ye first introduced several attributes of the U.S. higher education system. Generally speaking, general education carries more weight than professional training in American universities as opposed to their Chinese counterparts. Also, sports are much more popular in the U.S. Another difference lies in the students. First, it’s common for American students to pay all or part of their own college fees by doing part-time jobs. Second, as independence is highly valued in western education, American college students usually move out of their parent's house and fend for themselves, thus are more independent than Chinese students. Lastly, American students are relatively less stressed out about GPA and genuinely care about academic integrity. In the end, the College Master suggested studying abroad to experience those differences in education and cultures, ultimately, learn from others to better ourselves.