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| I think she believes in snow now |
Enjoyed Yemen and Indian Chai
Had the best snowball fight of my life
Made a snow angel while dressed in skirt and tights
Made - and ate - Swedish and Yemen Christmas candy
Sang ABBA-songs in a medley in European show
Made hundreds of Swedish "Köttbullar"
Got a cold (like everyone else here)
Had two maths tests
Played uno with people from everywhere
Fell in love with this place over again
Was sleep-deprivied as well as overslept
Accidentally ended up in a Swedish table
Discussed Palestine-Israel conflict, segregation at the school and nuclear power
Wrote a song
Drew a self portrait
Made peanut butter cookies and mud cake
Cooked Tikka Masala which was approved by Indians
Put up Christmas decorations
Laughed until I almost cried
Thought I would blow up the Chemistry lab ("shakey shakey")
Talked about the past, about now and about the future
Dreamed about my future, and the future
Hi .
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested in applying for uwc rcn and I've already read all the 'official' information from uwc and followed your blog . However , is there anything you would recommend to improve my chances of making a successful application ?
My main concern , if I was accepted would be the standards of behaviour of other students : I really don't want to be in an environment where there is a lot of alcohol use or smoking by the people around me .
Any help or advice would be very appreciated .
Seth ( From England )
Hi Seth!
DeleteI'm so glad you've been reading my blog! One of the main purposes for creating it was so that other people applying would be able to find some answers to their questions. I know that I read a lot of blogs last year and really enjoyed learning more about the personal aspect.
I think, in terms of application, that it differs a bit depending on country. In Sweden, where I applied, they look a bit on your grades, but mainly they look for your engagement in your local community. In my case, I talked a lot about the handball club in which I was a player, referee and coach. Anything that you're especially interested in is relevant and something to consider writing about. Also, make sure that you show a wide range yourself (not sure if that sentence makes sense). Focus on many aspects, but especially those you are extra passionate about.
Something to consider, however, is that mostly the interviewers know very well what they are looking for. In my case, they were all alumni and so they knew exactly what kind of people would fit in a UWC school. Chances are, if you don't get in, that it might not be the ideal place for you.
In my case, the interview also consisted of a lot of hanging around. I think that it's probably more important for them to see how you interact with other, similar people than to see your grades or how you say you are.
Regarding the alcohol and similar, I think it partly depends on what school you end up on. RCNUWC is quite liberal in many senses, but alcohol rules are quite strict. On top of that, the students are a lot more accepting than in many other, non-UWC schools. If you don't drink, there are plenty of other people who don't drink as well and most importantly even those who do drink will respect you not wanting to drink. Smoking is less common (not that alcohol is very common) and not something that you come across unless you go looking for it.
Please don't hesitate to ask if you're wondering something else!
Anna
Hi Anna . Thank you so much for replying .
ReplyDeleteYour blog and some others ( a few from the past as well ) have been extremely helpful for me , so please keep posting updates when you can !
The application advice was exactly what I wanted to hear , as whilst I am good academically my main strength lies in teamwork and leading others . I play tennis and help coach little kids . I also volunteer on nature reserves for conservation work and am part of the youth wing of Royal Air Force .
I know my concern about alcohol may seem a little strange but I live in an area of England where most of the social problems are caused by these things , and young people are often the most destructive when they have been drinking . It sounds like rcn have a good policy on this .
I don't want to use up too much of your time , but can I ask what it is like to live away from home for long periods of time ?( I know this will vary for different people )
Thank you
Seth
by the way ,you write better english than most english people .
Hi!
DeleteNo problem, I'm procrastinating from a chem lab that has to be written before I leave for winter break tomorrow afternoon, so answering this gives me the feeling that I'm doing something useful!
It sounds like you might have a great chance of a succesful application, with many interests. Regarding the alcohol, I see where you're coming from, but luckily that's not a problem, at least on RCN.
Living away from home was especially hard the first few weeks, since I didn't know anyone, not even their names. Steadily it got easier and the other day I realized that I would be unhappy going home. There are things happening here all day every day and you get used to the pace so quickly that something slower seems boring. My roomie is now complaining about "having nothing to do", which is probably the first time since we came in August. Moving to a place like this certainly helps with feeling lonely, homesick or anything like that, because everyone experiences it. In addition to loving the pace here, I find that I appreciate the good things at home more (my bed, especially), so I guess it's a win-win situation, although I of course experience some home sickness and loneliness - it would be weird otherwise, I suppose.
Thank you, I think my English mainly works, but even before coming here I spent a year at an international school, so I've had more practice than many of my fellow Swedes.
Have a nice evening,
Anna
Thanks again for replying , it sounds like I should focus on presenting a good application rather than worrying about issues which could come up IF I got in !
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your Christmas holidays
Seth