Carol Wang
Alumnus
BA(Hons) in Chinese and Bilingual Studies

My four-year study life at Faculty of Humanities at PolyU is truly meaningful and rewarding. It helps me become a mature and all-round person. I am so grateful for my professors who have been guiding me and my friends who have been companying me all along.

I would like to describe myself as a language lover. With a major in Chinese and Bilingual Studies and a minor in English Language Studies for the Professions, I enjoy learning new languages and exploring the “secret rules” that sustain and enrich them. This is why I feel so lucky to have studied linguistics and translation extensively in the Faculty of Humanities.

Apart from study, what I appreciate most is that PolyU has provided me with many opportunities to take part in various activities. I had two unforgettable exchange experiences in the past three years, one is a summer internship as an AIESEC Exchange Participant in Bonn, Germany, during which I worked as a summer camp staff with 16 trainees from 15 different countries. I teamed up with the other trainees to organize various kinds of cultural workshops for kids in the summer camp. Even though there are large cultural differences among us, we managed to cooperate with each other smoothly and brought the kids an enjoyable summer. The other experience is an academic exchange in the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. It gives me an opportunity to learn more about the American society through the classes I took and the activities I joined over there. These experiences greatly enhanced my intercultural awareness and communication skills, while at the same time equipped me with a global vision.

I have also participated in many major-related competitions, organized a number of functions as the vice president of education of Toastmasters Club. I was also a student ambassador at PolyU 75th Anniversary Economic Conference; a co-organizer and MC of 2012 PolyU International Gala and many other events. These extra-curricular activities form a crucial part of my university life. They prepared me with necessary leadership skills and critical thinking skills to step into the society and made me a more responsible person. I am grateful for having had the opportunities to be a part of them.
  
Campus is not the only place where I learn, the whole society can also become a university. Having done many community services in my spare time, I have learned so much from the communities I have served and the students I have taught. And I am proud of myself for having contributed what I could to the society. I was a voluntary translator and interpreter at YMCA HK. I have designed and taught several English classes to mainland primary school students. I have also taught Chinese to ethnic minority students in Hong Kong and served as a tutor to enhance local middle school students’ interest in reading and telling stories. These experiences helped me become more patient and organized, they also raised my awareness on social issues.
  
After graduation from PolyU, I would love to pursue further studies in linguistics field. I will be pursuing a Masters degree in Language Science at University College London, UK. It is my wish that, someday, my research in the field of linguistics will benefit people in need and contribute to the development of society.

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to PolyU and especially to the Faculty of Humanities. I would not have grown so much without the kind help from my professors and friends whom I met here. Thank you all!