Xiantieer Xu

After arriving at UWB I chose to further my studies in a completely different program, Media and Communication Study, because I have a strong interest in creative media and the popular theories of social media, but of course I didn’t really like the writing aspect of the program. My plan at UWB was to complete 90 credits in 4-5 quarters, so I started a very busy university life. I began to change my study habits by actively participating in group discussions and communicating with group members. I took the initiative to recruit members for my video project and led and directed the shoot. Before this, I was a Chinese student who was afraid of speaking, but in UWB I would take the initiative to give presentations, even though the professor was only looking for volunteers to give presentations in many presentations, I could clearly feel the change in me, and it made me become more self-confident. I will actively communicate with my professors in brainstorming. I also tried to enroll in five classes a semester during my time at UWB, which was hard but I knew it would be a tiring battle and I wasn’t afraid because I wanted to live the life I wanted to live and start my graduate school journey in the shortest amount of time possible.

In my second quarter at UWB I began to venture out and choose what I wanted to do. I took three video production related courses and two interdisciplinary courses. This was the craziest move I’ve ever made, and I needed to prepare different footage for each video production class to get the assignments done. Throughout the semester I rarely had a chance to catch my breath, and I was constantly thinking about what ideas and skills I needed to shoot and produce a video. I would spend the rest of the semester learning different techniques and reading and watching classic clips. During this time I convinced two of my friends to be my actors and actresses. Of course, I also found two partners who could work with me. When the works that I worked hard on in the peer review session were voted by the group members and presented in the classroom, I thought my efforts were not in vain. I think my efforts were not in vain. During the presentations, I also received invitations from others to co-produce our final project “Time Trap”.

The quarter before I attended graduation, I began to find my exercise in critical thinking about society through photography. I chose two different photography classes to study and create. It was also during this semester that I broke through the shortcomings I once had in not having the courage to communicate with my professors on multiple occasions. As I began to pick up my camera and walk the streets in search of images that would tell me a story, I realized that there was more to communicating than just talking to the people I knew. Because the first time I communicated with a stranger I found it difficult to speak. However, I quickly adjusted and was able to communicate with them confidently afterward. I found that confidence is one of the most important and attractive things in the process, and it allows both the speaker and the listener to be more engaged in the speaker’s field. I also met a lot of interesting people in the process, which I think is one of the most important elements in leading a team. Naturally, I was overwhelmed by some of the difficulties I encountered during the two sessions. In one of the projects I chose a topic that wasn’t very good. I was thinking that it was over, I didn’t have the usual chance to think hard about how to shoot before the DUE. But I didn’t give up or just continue with the wrong choice, I decided to choose another noteworthy event. I went to the location and took some insights and shots, and through some conversations and getting to know the event, I was able to complete my project – Protestor camp in UW, which is the first of its kind that I have created in response to the current situation.

I often think about how when I graduated from undergrad it wasn’t an end but a new beginning. Many people choose to enter the world after undergraduate school, and I don’t think that’s wrong. For me, this is a crucial step in my journey to graduate school, where I have decided that I will continue to study the majors that interest me. At this point in my life, I have already chosen the school of my choice. I have chosen the school of my choice, and I am learning about my field of interest. I have been exposed to a lot of knowledge about business operations, and I have also learned a lot about the forecasts of important future trends and policies. This will be very important to support me when I enter the workforce in the future. I firmly believe that if I don’t do anything to prepare myself, I won’t be able to meet the unexpected challenges in the future. This is also what an old proverb in China says, “If you know yourself and your enemy, you will not be in danger in a hundred battles.” Now whenever I look forward to graduate school, I look forward to continuing to expand my leadership, organizational skills, and those things that make me proud of my thinking about creativity and combining my creativity with the critical thinking that I have developed. I am confident that the foundation I laid at UWB will allow me to thrive and move forward on the next stage of my journey.

After I attended the graduation ceremony I realized that I was nearing the end of my life in this short UWB, and when I chose BIS 499 I wondered if I really had enough work to carry me through the class? But now it seems I still have plenty to go on to share my story with you. I feel proud when I put my work on my website, unique pieces that show my remorse for what I’ve done and what I’m doing now. It also shows the ability to think differently than I have since coming to UWB. I think this will be a new beginning, and I am now ready to continue my story as I prepare for graduate school.